Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
13 January 2023
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Federal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant RHOBAHIS HOLMES, a/k/a “Wild Card,” of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 10, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to a prison term of one hundred and twenty (120) months, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), to be run concurrently. Judge Morgan ordered that HOLMES shall be on supervised release for a tern of three (3) years following his release from imprisonment. Holmes was also ordered to pay a mandatory @200 special assessment fee.
According to public records, HOLMES also was observed with a firearm on July 22, 2020. On that day, HOLMES was observed adjusting the firearm while conducting what appeared to be drug deals in the 1700 block of Monroe Street, New Orleans. HOLMES was later stopped inside of a vehicle where police recovered a Smith and Wesson firearm.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Weapons and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CUONG NGUYEN, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 5, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe to ninety-three (93) months of incarceration after pleading guilty to a four-count indictment. Judge Ashe ordered that NGUYEN be placed on supervised release for a term of three (3) years following his release from imprisonment. NGUYEN was also ordered to pay a total mandatory special assessment fee of $400.
Count 1 charged NGUYEN with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 2 charged NGUYEN with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 3 charged NGUYEN with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Count 4 charged NGUYEN with possession of an unregistered weapon, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d) and 5871.
According to public records, on November 30, 2021, NGUYEN was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by the New Orleans Police Department at the intersection of Poland Avenue and North Robertson Street, in New Orleans. Near NGUYEN was a firearm and a backpack. A later search of the backpack led to the recovery of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. The firearm found near NGUYEN was equipped with a vertical fore grip, making it illegal to possesses without registration.
NGUYEN was prohibited from possessing the firearm because he had previously been convicted of simple robbery and possession of a Schedule 2 Controlled Dangerous Substance.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department in this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
* * *
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced Kareem Madison, 29, of New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 10, 2023 to thirty-seven months in the Bureau of Prisons for a violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
MADISON had previously pled guilty to possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance in violation of La. R.S. 40:26:966(A) in the 24th Judicial District Court in Jefferson Parish.
District Judge Morgan sentenced MADISON to the thirty-seven months to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. She also ordered that he pay a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
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.
U. S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by U. S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Dall Kammer.
* * *
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARVIN YOUNG, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty as charged on January 5, 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm before the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon.
According to public records, on July 8, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and multiple state agencies conducted a joint operation to utilize proactive police patrol in areas of New Orleans with a pattern of documented instances of violent crime. During the operation, YOUNG was observed lifting his shirt revealing a firearm tucked into his waistband.
Shortly thereafter, NOPD units positioned themselves behind YOUNG’s vehicle, and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. YOUNG refused to pull over and accelerated his vehicle in an attempt to flee. A U.S. Border and Customs helicopter followed YOUNG, seeing him eventually bring the vehicle to a stop, exit, and attempt to hide.
A canine was brought to the scene and officers retraced the route YOUNG was observed fleeing from his vehicle. In the foliage of the empty lot, officers discovered the firearm that YOUNG was observed possessing before he fled from police.
YOUNG was prohibited from possessing the firearm because he had previously been convicted of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling.
YOUNG faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel handled the prosecution.
* * *
Montgomery Man Sentenced to over 26 Years in Prison for Committing Multiple Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Johnnie Leeanozg Davis, 36, from Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 315 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. The judge also ordered Davis to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
In October of 2022, following a two-day trial, a jury convicted Davis of carjacking three vehicles and using a firearm during the commission of the crimes. As the trial evidence established, following each carjacking, Davis used the stolen vehicle to commit an armed robbery of a Montgomery business.
First, on January 23, 2020, a woman was about to load her two grandchildren into a car outside a home in Montgomery. Davis approached the vehicle, displayed a gun in his waistband, and told the woman, “Don’t move or say anything, all I want is the car.” Once Davis took the vehicle, he robbed the Sunoco gas station located at the corner of Carmichael Road and East Trinity Boulevard in Montgomery.
Several months later, on October 30, 2020, a man and his 15-year-old son had just parked on the street near a Montgomery residence when the father got out of the driver’s side and walked around to the passenger side only to find Davis there pointing two guns at the teenager. The father and son quickly moved away from the vehicle, Davis got into it, and he drove away. Shortly thereafter, Davis used the stolen vehicle to rob the Dollar General on Perry Hill Road in Montgomery.
The third carjacking and ensuing robberies occurred in Montgomery on November 11, 2020. On that day, Davis approached a vehicle outside a business, pointed a gun at the man sitting inside the car, and demanded that he get out. The man did so, and Davis stole the vehicle. Within 20 minutes of the carjacking, Davis robbed both the Fresh Market grocery store on Perry Hill Road, and a Dollar General store on the Eastern Boulevard.
The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin P. Davidson and John J. Geer, III prosecuted the case.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to 184 Months Following Carjacking and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Steven Michael Wehr, 33, from Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 184 months in federal prison for carjacking and using a firearm during a federal crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. In addition to imposing a sentence of more than 15 years, the judge ordered Wehr to serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on the morning of February 8, 2022, an employee of the Jackson Hospital Urgent Care Clinic on Pine Street in Montgomery was arriving to work when an unknown individual, later identified as Wehr, approached her car. Wehr held a gun against the driver’s window and ordered the victim to open the door. The victim complied and attempted to flee. However, Wehr pushed the victim back into the car and began driving with her in the passenger seat. Soon thereafter, the victim managed to jump out of the moving car as it traveled down Mulberry Street, near the Interstate 85 overpass. The victim’s action caused Wehr drive off the road and strike a pillar supporting the overpass before continuing south bound. Luckily, the victim did not sustain any major injuries.
Shortly after the carjacking, Montgomery Police officers located the stolen vehicle abandoned in the area of McGehee Road and Hermitage Drive. Fingerprints found in the vehicle were a positive match to Wehr. An arrest warrant was issued for Wehr on February 17, 2022, and he was taken into federal custody shortly thereafter. In September of 2022, Wehr pleaded guilty to carjacking and using a firearm to commit the crime.
During Wehr’s sentencing hearing today, the judge noted that, at the time of the Jackson Hospital Clinic carjacking, Wehr was on probation from previous state convictions for the very same type of crime. Specifically, in 2016, Wehr was convicted in state court for committing two carjackings on the same day. During the commission of those crimes, Wehr shot into both vehicles with a firearm, striking one of the victims in the back.
The FBI and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil prosecuted the case.
Mobile Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a stolen firearm.
According to court documents, Tyrek Keyon Riley, 22, was arrested by Mobile police officers following a traffic stop on June 11, 2021. During the stop, officers smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from Riley’s car and saw suspected codeine syrup in plain view in the center console. As Riley reached into the glovebox to pull out the car’s registration paperwork, officers saw a loaded .380-caliber pistol inside. Officers then detained Riley and searched the car, of which Riley was the sole occupant and which Riley admitted belonged to him.
Inside the car, officers found the pistol, a baby bottle containing suspected codeine syrup, 13 packages of suspected spice, a digital scale, and several individually packaged bags of marijuana weighing 120.52 grams in total. In a subsequent interview, Riley admitted that he sold drugs and had found the gun on the street in Mississippi, where it had previously been reported stolen by its lawful owner. Riley admitted that at the time he possessed the gun, he knew he had previously been convicted of felony offenses in Mobile County Circuit Court. Riley’s prior felony convictions rendered his possession of the gun illegal under federal law.
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Riley to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Riley to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missouri Man Sentenced to over 12 Years for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kansas City, Missouri, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 9, 2023.
Ricky Lee Young, Jr., 39, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Young was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 7, 2022.
In the summer of 2021, Young and his co-conspirator rented a storage unit in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This storage unit was intended to hold the controlled substances they obtained from Kansas City, in order to distribute them throughout the Sioux Falls area. Young would make trips with his co-conspirator to this storage unit and either retrieve or drop off crack cocaine to further their distribution. On October 1, 2021, law enforcement searched their storage unit and found approximately 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base, a/k/a crack cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Young was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Missouri Man Admits Raping Runaway TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Mexico, Missouri on Thursday admitted repeatedly raping a 13-year-old runaway on a trip to Las Vegas.
Jacob D. Burney, 24, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to a charge of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act.
Burney admitted becoming involved in a relationship with a 13-year-old in 2021. Sometime before Dec. 8, 2021, the victim ran away from home to be with Burney. The teen was reported missing, and Homeland Security Investigations received a National Hotline Tip on Dec. 14, 2021 about the missing teen.
Burney switched vehicles and left Missouri to prevent law enforcement officers from finding the teen. They traveled first to Illinois and then to Las Vegas. During the trip, Burney provided drugs and alcohol to the teen and committed the crime of statutory rape repeatedly, he admitted in his plea agreement.
Burney is scheduled to be sentenced April 12. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Milford Man Charged with Threatening Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jean Pierre Njock, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that HAMILTON CLARK SMITH, 57, of Milford, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with threatening a federal law enforcement officer.
Following his arrest, Smith appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for January 18.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on January 10 and 11, 2023, Smith sent a series of threatening text messages to a Deputy U.S. Marshal, including threats to harm and kill the Deputy U.S. Marshal, and to harm the Deputy U.S. Marshal’s family. In addition, on January 11, 2023, Smith called the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center in Virginia and made a statement threatening to kill the Deputy U.S. Marshal.
The complaint charges Smith with making interstate threats, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with threatening a federal law enforcement officer, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane Evans announced that on January 12, 2023 EMILIO CESAR CLARA-GOMEZ, a/k/a “Emilio Cesar Clara-Gomez”, a/k/a “Emilio C. Clara Gomez”, age 34, was charged in a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, EMILIO CESAR CLARA-GOMEZ, a/k/a “Emilio Cesar Clara-Gomez”, a/k/a “Emilio C. Clara Gomez”, (“CLARA-GOMEZ”), reentered the United States after he was previously deported on December 8, 2016. If convicted, CLARA-GOMEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000.00, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He faces sentencing enhancement of 20 years because of a prior felony conviction.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
Man Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charge for Allegedly Murdering Teenage Girl to Increase Position in Violent Street GangRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on a federal racketeering charge for allegedly murdering a teenage girl to maintain and increase his position in a violent Chicago street gang.
PATRICK JOHNSON, 27, of Chicago, is charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering. An indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses Johnson of murdering Veronica Lopez on May 28, 2016, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing Johnson’s position in the Milwaukee Kings street gang. Lopez, 15, was fatally shot while riding in a sport-utility vehicle on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.
Johnson was arrested this morning and remains detained in federal custody.
The indictment and arrest were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Prashant Kolluri and Caitlin Walgamuth.
The indictment alleges that the Milwaukee Kings is a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in narcotics trafficking and committed acts of violence, including murder and assault, to acquire and preserve the gang’s territory on the North Side of Chicago. Members of the gang intimidated rival gang members and others through acts and threats of violence, according to the indictment.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Murder in aid of racketeering is punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison, and the death penalty is also possible. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Madera County Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison for Toxic Marijuana Cultivation Operation in the Sierra National ForestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Carson Shane Wilhite, 43, of Ahwahnee, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison for conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possessing firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Wilhite was also ordered to pay $46,680 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the damage caused by the cultivation operation.
On Sept. 30, 2022, Wilhite pleaded guilty to the charges. According to court documents, Wilhite was involved in a marijuana cultivation operation on public land in the Sierra National Forest adjacent to his residence and at his residence on private land. During the execution of a federal search warrant in the summer of 2019, law enforcement officers located marijuana growing outside of Wilhite’s bedroom and an indoor cultivation room containing live marijuana plants under the residence below Wilhite’s bedroom. The officers also located an additional 2,261 marijuana plants growing on public land adjacent to Wilhite’s residence. In exchange for $3,000 in cash and an additional $300 per month, Wilhite allowed other individuals to pass through his property to the public land so that they could grow marijuana there. Upon harvest, he was going to be paid in marijuana and would receive an additional $10,000. In total, officers located 2,353 marijuana plants.
While serving the warrant in Wilhite’s residence, officers found three firearms, including an AR-15 type assault rifle with no serial number, commonly known as a ghost gun, and a Springfield .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a live round chambered. Wilhite advised the officers that he had been carrying the loaded semi-automatic pistol prior to the arrival of law enforcement officers and was armed when he checked on the marijuana in the forest. In a second residence on the property, officers located a safe, which Wilhite controlled, that contained an additional 11 firearms. Marijuana was also growing in pots within the second residence and more marijuana plants were growing in a creek below that residence.
Integral Ecology Research Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems, analyzed and documented the environmental damage. According to their report, the cultivation operation was located in the Carter Creek watershed drainage network in the Sierra National Forest and is the home to several rare species, including the California red-legged frog, a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and California spotted owl, a candidate species under review for listing under the ESA. Wildlife biologists located significant quantities of fertilizers and hazardous chemicals, including aluminum phosphide (a restricted use rodenticide legal for use only by licensed applicators), methamidophos (an illegal and highly toxic pesticide), and zeta-cypermethrin (an insecticide available over the counter). Leaves of the marijuana plants were splattered with a white substance that tested positive for methamidophos. The grow site contained trash pits and human latrines and over 1,444 pounds of trash and irrigation pipe. Water was diverted from a tributary of Carter Creek to irrigate the marijuana plants. The grow site used an estimated 7.84 million gallons of water annually.
Wilhite has been in custody since July 2021, after violating his pretrial conditions of release by testing positive for methamphetamine on three occasions.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service; the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; the Madera Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET), a task force consisting of law enforcement officers of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office; the California Department of Justice; the Madera Police Department; the Chowchilla Police Department; the California Highway Patrol; the Madera County District Attorney’s Office; the Madera County Probation Department; and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison After Being Convicted of Racketeering, Including Murders, and Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Brayan Contreras-Avalos, a/k/a “Anonimo,” “Humilde,” and “Malia,” age 28, of Langley Park, Maryland, late yesterday to the statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison on charges related to his participation in a racketeering enterprise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or “MS-13” and a concurrent five years in prison for a drug distribution conspiracy. Contreras-Avalos was convicted after a three-week trial, along with co-defendants Luis Flores-Reyes, a/k/a “Maloso,” “Lobo,”’ and “Viejo Lovvon,” age 42, of Arlington, Virginia and Jairo Jacome, a/k/a “Abuelo”, age 40, of Langley Park, Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the Drug Enforcement Administration – New York Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Contreras-Avalos, along with co-defendant Luis Flores-Reyes, was a leader within the Sailors Clique, which held territory in Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and El Salvador. Co-defendant Jairo Jacome was the highest-ranking member of the local Langley Park Salvatrucha, or “LPS” clique.
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang and to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed during the trial, Contreras-Avalos and his co-defendants participated in at least three murders, including four minor victims, during the period of the conspiracy. Most of the victims were purported gang rivals except for one minor victim. For example, in June 2016, members of MS-13, including Contreras-Avalos, stabbed to death two homeless persons who gang members believed to be members of the 18th Street gang, in Hyattsville, Maryland. The investigation revealed no evidence that the victims were in fact members of any gang. According to the evidence presented at trial, Contreras-Avalos sought on another occasion to kill a homeless man until permission was denied, and later approved an unrelated murder where the intended target survived the attack but an associate did not.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants ran an extortion scheme in and around Langley Park, extorting local businesses by charging them “rent” for the privilege of operating in MS-13 “territory.” Contreras-Avalos and Flores-Reyes also trafficked illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine. A large share of the proceeds of the gang’s illegal activities were sent to gang leadership in El Salvador to further promote the illicit activities of the gang, using structured transactions and intermediaries to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.
Co-defendants Luis Flores-Reyes, a/k/a “Maloso,” “Lobo,”’ and “Viejo Lovvon,” age 42, of Arlington, Virginia and Jairo Jacome, a/k/a “Abuelo”, age 40, of Langley Park, Maryland, were convicted for the racketeering conspiracy and for murder in aid of racketeering. Jacome and Flores-Reyes were also convicted of extortion conspiracy. Flores-Reyes and Jacome face a mandatory sentence of life in prison at their sentencing. Judge Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Flores-Reyes on February 22, 2023 and for Jacome on February 23, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI, DEA, HSI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Virginia State Police, Lynchburg Police Department, Prince William County Police Department, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan, Chris M. Sarma, William Moomau, Assistant Director Catherine Dick of the Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division and Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, who are prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Lynn Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced on Jan. 5, 2023 in federal court in Boston for accessing with intent to view child pornography.
Thomas LeBlanc, 36, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Earlier in the hearing, LeBlanc pleaded guilty to one count of access with intent to view of child pornography
In 2017, LeBlanc was sentenced to five years in prison for a federal conviction of receipt and possession of child pornography. Upon his release from federal prison, LeBlanc was subject to cell phone monitoring as part of his supervised release conditions. Monitoring equipment revealed that LeBlanc used the cell phone to access child pornography and was subsequently sentenced in 2020 to an additional two years in prison. In May 2022, LeBlanc was released from federal prison and again subject to monitoring of his cell phone activity. Again, United States Probation again became aware that LeBlanc used his cell phone to access child pornography.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; and Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Local man charged with soliciting sexual images of a minor via WhatsAppRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 61-year-old McAllen resident has been arrested for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Fabian Vela is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano at 9 a.m. Authorities took him into custody yesterday as he re-entered the United States at a Port of Entry in Hidalgo County.
The criminal complaint charges Vela with coercion and enticement of a minor from on or about Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 2022.
Vela allegedly coerced and enticed a minor victim through the use of the WhatsApp messaging application and a cellular telephone. He persuaded the victim to send multiple nude and sexually explicit images in exchange for payment, according to the charges.
If convicted, Vela faces up to life in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task force conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service and the San Juan Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Mitchell and Devin Walker are prosecuting the case which is 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.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Level 2 Sex Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography.
Rudy Frabizio, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2022, Frabizio pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
During a search of Frabizio’s residence on May 19, 2021, agents found a “microSD” memory card that contained hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography. The image and video files included material involving prepubescent minors, as well as the abuse of infants or toddlers. In addition, Frabizio uploaded images depicting child pornography via his Google account. Frabizio is a registered Level 2 sex offender due to an April 2009 conviction for possession of child pornography.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. The Taunton Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Leader of Lawrence Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to over 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of a local drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, carfentanil (a fentanyl analogue) in and around the Lawrence area and for possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of his DTO’s operations.
Luis Manuel Rodriguez Then, 31, formerly of Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2022, Rodriguez Then pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, 10 grams or more of carfentanil, and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl (fentanyl analogue); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“The seriousness of Mr. Rodriguez’s crimes cannot be overstated. He was a leader of a drug distribution organization that brought fentanyl and fentanyl analogue into our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “For the last several years, the United States as a whole and Massachusetts in particular have been plagued by an opioid epidemic that has taken an alarming number of lives and has destroyed countless families and communities. In 2021, 80,816 people died from opioid-related overdoses in the United States — the equivalent of 221 deaths per day. In Massachusetts alone we lost 2,301 of our loved ones. My office will continue to do everything we can to protect our communities from this deadly crisis.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling violent poly drug trafficking organizations like these operating in Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. “As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
From October 2018 through March 2019, Rodriguez Then and another individual were leaders of a DTO which distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and other substances in and around the Lawrence area. Rodriguez Then and the other individual employed a third individual who was tasked with residing at a stash house maintained by and serving as a courier for the DTO. During the investigation, a confidential source conducted three controlled purchases of suspected fentanyl from the DTO during which Rodriguez Then and the other leader obtained the order and collected payment from the confidential source and the courier brought the requested suspected fentanyl pills. For two of these transactions, the pills distributed by the DTO tested positive for fentanyl. For the third transaction, the pills distributed by Rodriguez Then’s DTO tested positive for fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl analogue.On March 13, 2019, two search warrants were executed in Lawrence. At one location, where Rodriguez Then resided, a wall hide in Rodriguez Then’s master bedroom contained $7,010 in suspected drug proceeds, a loaded .22 caliber Smith and Wesson firearms and multiple fake identification cards bearing the defendant’s likeness. A rental lease for the stash house was also located in Rodriguez Then’s residence. During a search warrant executed at the stash house, among other things, multiple hidden compartments/wall hides containing drugs and drug paraphernalia were located, including approximately 2,074 grams of fentanyl, 732 grams of heroin, 2,333 grams of cocaine and 448.4 grams of carfentanil. Additionally, a .45 caliber Taurus and a Highpoint 9 mm with a partially obliterated serial number were also seized from a wall hide in the stash house.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Last Defendant Sentenced to Serve 30 Years in Federal Prison for a Large Drug Distribution Enterprise Targeting the Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold Indian ReservationsRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on January 13, 2023, United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced 34-year-old Baquan Sledge, a/k/a Rell, a/k/a TJ, a/k/a Matthew Pierce, to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
In June of 2022, following a 12-day trial, a jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple counts against Sledge and another man from Detroit, Michigan, for their leadership in a drug trafficking organization targeting three of North Dakota’s Native American Reservations.
Baquan Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Sledge also forfeited his rights to more than $20,000 in seized United States currency.
Baquan Sledge and his trial co-defendant, Darius Sledge, a/k/a Ace, a/k/a Man Man, a/k/a Frank Love, a/k/a Gary, a/k/a Bill, were the leaders of a criminal enterprise involving obtaining and transporting oxycodone from Detroit, Michigan to sell in the District of North Dakota in tribal communities.
This case is part of “Operation Blue Prairie,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the multi-state trafficking of oxycodone. The multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement revealed that from 2015 to 2019 the Sledge defendants and their co-conspirators targeted areas with fewer law enforcement resources where they could distribute controlled substances at a premium price. The Sledge defendants and others used local residences and people for distribution and stash houses to further their criminal activities for monetary gain. In total, twenty-six defendants were charged in the case.
Baquan Sledge and others involved in the enterprise came to the attention of law enforcement in 2015. While there were points of contact between the primary defendants and law enforcement throughout the intervening years, it was difficult to track their activities because of their intentional relocation of their distribution efforts and their use of different aliases in different locations. An additional challenge was the complicated myriad of jurisdictions involved, including state, tribal and federal agencies.
Following trial, Darius Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Darius Sledge was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
“This sentence is a final step in an extensive, successful effort to dismantle a drug trafficking ring that deliberately targeted North Dakota's tribal communities,” said US Attorney Mac Schneider. “It is also a warning: Those who distribute dangerous drugs on reservations will be caught, prosecuted, and sentenced to federal prison.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rolette County Sheriff’s Department, Bottineau County Sheriff’s Department, Ward County Narcotics Task Force, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota Crime Laboratory, Michigan State Police, Minot Police Department, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn Deitz and Lori Conroy assigned with the assistance of lead investigator Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement Special Agent Isaiah Soldier.
In total, 26 defendants were charged and convicted in the case. The additional 24 defendants were convicted and sentenced as follows:
Dondiago Jones, a/k/a “Ago”, “Dondi”, “Frank”, 34, Detroit Michigan (deceased) 129 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Derrick Walker II, a/k/a Country, a/k/a Kunt, 29, Louisville, Kentucky 94 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon; Distribution of Oxycodone; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Terrence Press Johnson Jr, a/k/a “T”, a/k/a Terrance Press Johnson Jr. 30, Detroit Michigan - 96 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
Deante Edwards, a/k/a “Tay”, 31, Detroit Michigan - 29 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Anthony Wade, a/k/a “Blue”, 33, Detroit Michigan - 30 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Lillian Lee a/k/a “Chasitiy Smith”, a/k/a “Let Let”, a/k/a “Lele”, 28, Detroit Michigan - 43 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Twon Stepfone Boyd, a/k/a Yo Boy, a/k/a D, 29, Detroit Michigan - 37 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Ira Mae Snell, 33, Fort Totten, North Dakota - 25 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Grayson Dye, 38, Fort Totten and New Town, North Dakota - 121 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Martina Whitetail a/k/a Tina Whitetail, 39, Fort Totten and New Town, North Dakota - 93 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Robert Touche, 45, Sheyenne, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Calvin Dubois, 39, Belcourt, North Dakota - 100 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Maintaining a Drug Premise;
Edward Dubois, a/k/a Baby D, 28, Dunseith, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Chantel Longie, 25, Belcourt, North Dakota - 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Kerry Morin, 29, Belcourt, North Dakota - 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Kasondra Kaye Grant, a/k/a Kassie, 28, Rolla, North Dakota - 28 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;\
Constance Aiken, 39, Dunseith, North Dakota - 22 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Shanae Dubois, 25, Fargo, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Faith Liddell, 27, Bottineau, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Cheryl Lilley, 24, Belcourt, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Farron Michelle Delong, 25, Belcourt, North Dakota - 15 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Johnna Goodiron, 36, St. Michael, North Dakota - time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Shanel Mudgett, 26, Belcourt, North Dakota - 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; and,
Carleen Counts, a/k/a Big Car, 41, Mandan, North Dakota - time served sentence (in a related case) for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Maintaining a Drug Premise; and three counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance – Oxycodone.
######Lake Charles Men Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men from Lake Charles were sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. yesterday for illegally possessing firearms.
Taylor Austin Chiasson, 33, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 96 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. The charges in this case stem from an incident which occurred on March 9, 2021, when Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a residence in response to a noise complaint. When deputies arrived, they observed Chiasson leaving the residence carrying a small child, several bags, and what appeared to be a pistol in a holster in his hand. Deputies stopped Chiasson to discuss what was going on and had dispatch run a criminal history of him. It was determined that in fact Chiasson had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody. Chiasson pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on August 16, 2022. Chiasson’s prior felony convictions were for simple burglary (2009) and distribution of a controlled substance (2012).
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ladonte A. Murphy.
The second case involved Deandrus T. Jones, of Lake Charles. Jones was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Jones was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and he pleaded guilty on August 29, 2022. On May 13, 2020, detectives with the Jennings Police Department executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and found a Taurus Millennium 9mm handgun next to his bed along with a loaded magazine and other narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Jones was arrested and the subsequent investigation by law enforcement officers revealed that Jones had previously been convicted on felony charges of attempted simple burglary and possession of alprazolam. Jones knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of his felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Jennings Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
# # #
Justice Department Secures Resolution in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Schuylkill County, PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to resolve the department’s claims in Doe et al. v. Schuylkill County et al., a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
The consent decree resolves the department’s allegations that County Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. sexually harassed four female employees and that those employees suffered retaliation when they opposed Halcovage’s sexual harassment. The complaint also alleged multiple incidents of sexual advances, coercion of sexual intercourse and inappropriate sex-based comments occurring over many years.
“All people deserve to go to work each day without fear of sexual harassment and retaliation when they oppose that harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This resolution sends a clear message that the Justice Department will not tolerate sexual harassment and retaliation especially when it is perpetrated by an elected official who abuses the powers of their office.”
“Today, by this consent decree, we emphasize that local governments must have comprehensive policies and training to prevent sexual harassment and retaliation by public servants,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “No official can abuse their power and position to a workforce they were elected to supervise, and this settlement provides steps the County must take to prevent and address this abusive behavior.”
Under the terms of the consent decree, if approved by the court, the county will, among other things, retain a consultant from a list of consultants approved by the Justice Department. The consultant will conduct a workplace climate survey, propose improvements to the County’s equal employment opportunity policies and develop a new sexual harassment training program. The consent decree also includes restrictions on Commissioner Halcovage, who has refused to resign from his position and who can only be removed, under state law, through impeachment in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and conviction in the Pennsylvania Senate. The four women harassed by Halcovage, who have additional claims under state and federal law against Schuylkill County and several individual defendants, will continue to pursue their claims.
This lawsuit is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative. The initiative is aimed at eradicating sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach and development of effective remedial measures to address and prevent future sex discrimination and harassment.
Trial Attorneys Allan Townsend and Amber Trzinski Fox of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Butler for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted this case.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Justice Department Secures Resolution in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Schuylkill County, PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to resolve the department’s claims in Doe et al. v. Schuylkill County et al., a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
The consent decree resolves the department’s allegations that County Commissioner George F. Halcovage, Jr., sexually harassed four female employees and that those employees suffered retaliation when they opposed Halcovage’s sexual harassment. The complaint also alleged multiple incidents of sexual advances, coercion of sexual intercourse, and inappropriate sex-based comments occurring over many years.
“All people deserve to go to work each day without fear of sexual harassment and retaliation when they oppose that harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This resolution sends a clear message that the Justice Department will not tolerate sexual harassment and retaliation especially when it is perpetrated by an elected official who abuses the powers of their office.”
“Today, by this consent decree, we emphasize that local governments must have comprehensive policies and training to prevent sexual harassment and retaliation by public servants,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “No official can abuse their power and position to a workforce they were elected to supervise, and this settlement provides steps the County must take to prevent and address this abusive behavior.”
Under the terms of the consent decree, if approved by the court, the County will, among other things, retain a consultant from a list of consultants approved by the Justice Department. The consultant will conduct a workplace climate survey, propose improvements to the County’s equal employment opportunity policies, and develop a new sexual harassment training program. The consent decree also includes restrictions on Commissioner Halcovage, who has refused to resign from his position and who can only be removed, under state law, through impeachment in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and conviction in the Pennsylvania Senate.
The four women harassed by Halcovage, who have additional claims under state and federal law against Schuylkill County and several individual Defendants, will continue to pursue their claims.
This lawsuit is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative. The Initiative is aimed at eradicating sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach, and development of effective remedial measures to address and prevent future sex discrimination and harassment.
Trial Attorneys Allan Townsend and Amber Trzinski Fox of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Butler of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted this case.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
# # #
Justice Department Announces New Rule to Address Stabilizing Braces, Accessories Used to Convert Pistols into Short-Barreled RiflesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced it has submitted to the Federal Register the “Stabilizing Braces” Final Rule, which makes clear that when manufacturers, dealers, and individuals use stabilizing braces to convert pistols into rifles with a barrel of less than 16 inches, commonly referred to as a short-barreled rifles, they must comply with the laws that regulate those rifles, including the National Firearms Act (NFA). In April 2021, at an event with President Biden, the Attorney General directed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to address the issue of stabilizing braces.
“Keeping our communities safe from gun violence is among the Department’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Almost a century ago, Congress determined that short-barreled rifles must be subject to heightened requirements. Today’s rule makes clear that firearm manufacturers, dealers, and individuals cannot evade these important public safety protections simply by adding accessories to pistols that transform them into short-barreled rifles.”
“This rule enhances public safety and prevents people from circumventing the laws Congress passed almost a century ago. In the days of Al Capone, Congress said back then that short-barreled rifles and sawed-off shotguns should be subjected to greater legal requirements than most other guns. The reason for that is that short-barreled rifles have the greater capability of long guns, yet are easier to conceal, like a pistol,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “But certain so-called stabilizing braces are designed to just attach to pistols, essentially converting them into short-barreled rifles to be fired from the shoulder. Therefore, they must be treated in the same way under the statute.”
Since the 1930s, the NFA has imposed requirements on short-barreled rifles because they are more easily concealable than long-barreled rifles but have more destructive power than traditional handguns. Beyond background checks and serial numbers, those heightened requirements include taxation and registration requirements that include background checks for all transfers including private transfers. Often, when pistols are converted to rifles by the use of a stabilizing brace covered by the rule, they have barrels less than 16 inches in length and must comply with the same heightened requirements that apply to short-barreled rifles under the NFA.
The rule goes into effect on the date of publication in the Federal Register. The rule allows for a 120-day period for manufacturers, dealers, and individuals to register tax-free any existing NFA short-barreled rifles covered by the rule. Other options including removing the stabilizing brace to return the firearm to a pistol or surrendering covered short-barreled rifles to ATF. Nothing in this rule bans stabilizing braces or the use of stabilizing braces on pistols.
On June 7, 2021, the Department of Justice issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, and during the 90-day open comment period, the ATF received more than 237,000 comments.
The final rule, as submitted to the Federal Register, can be viewed here: https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/factoring-criteria-firearms-attached-stabilizing-braces
To learn more about the rulemaking process, please see: https://www.federalregister.gov/uploads/2011/01/the_rulemaking_process.pdf
Jury Convicts Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Caught in FayettevilleRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Jarrell Raeshon Bordeaux, of Fayetteville, on charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, distributing heroin and fentanyl, and possessing five firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
“This defendant was dealing dangerous illicit fentanyl, putting the community, and his own child, in danger, storing potentially deadly fentanyl in the same room where his son played,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “Our office is partnering with law enforcement at every level to fight the fentanyl epidemic and put armed drug traffickers behind bars.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Bordeaux sold ounces of fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant on 10 separate occasions. During the drug deals, Bordeaux bragged about how successful he was at dealing drugs and how he operated to avoid being caught.
Law enforcement later executed search warrants at two locations that Bordeaux used to distribute drugs. At his house, officers found his seven-year-old son playing video games in the same room as seven ounces of fentanyl and heroin and two loaded handguns that were stolen. At another location, officers seized three more handguns along with tools and packaging Bordeaux used to distribute drugs.
The jury convicted Bordeaux of all 13 counts he was charged with. He now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years imprisonment when sentenced in April 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The Fayetteville Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Nick Hartigan are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00428-M.
###
Iowa Man Sentenced to 20+ Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Garrett Michael Faulk, 25, of Iowa, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, on child pornography charges. Faulk was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000.
According to evidence presented to the court, investigators with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Iowa, Louisiana, regarding a complaint of child exploitation. Through their investigation, law enforcement agents found an explicit video and pictures on Faulk’s cell phone depicting the exploitation of children. Faulk admitted to agents that he had used his cell phone to capture the video and pictures of prepubescent children. He was charged by a federal grand jury with production of child pornography and pleaded guilty to one count on August 23, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.
# # #
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Jan. 12 was:
Dwain Francis Balch, aka Waldo, 58, on charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Balch faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Balch was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Tri-Agency Drug Task Force and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-01.
Appearing on Jan. 10 was:
Walter Louis Badroad Mount, 23, of Harlem, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mount faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Mount was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-103.
Daniel Jacob Werk, 37, of Hays, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Werk faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Werk was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-108.
Casey Louis Ream, 36, of California, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ream faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release on the drug crimes and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Ream was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-105.
Babi Alysia Nakai, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Nakai faces a mandatory minimum of five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release. Nakai was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-89.
William Ronald Blackman, 31, of Browning, on charges of attempted sexual abuse and sexual abuse. If convicted of the most serious crime, Blackman faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Blackman was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-48.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Jan. 10 was:
Richard Lamar Rutledge, 49, of Culbertson, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rutledge faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Rutledge was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 19-136.
Lisa Marie Sieler, 35, a transient, on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sieler faces a maximum of 30 years in prison a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Sieler was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-151.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on Jan. 12 was:
Kenton Alan Shaull, 59, of Auburn, Washington, on charges of attempted coercion and enticement. If convicted of the most serious crime, Shaull faces 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Shaull was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-05.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Indiana Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Rice, age 57, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, was sentenced yesterday to serve 63 months in federal prison for his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Rice admitted that he supplied over 50 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun to Cortland, New York-based drug dealer Kyle Leeper as part of a methamphetamine conspiracy that included members in Indiana, Cortland, and Los Angeles, California. Kyle Leeper was sentenced in November 2022 to serve 40 years in federal prison for his murder of a California man during a drug deal there in 2019 as part the conspiracy.
Rice was also ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release following the completion of his federal prison sentence. Rice’s federal sentence is consecutive to an Indiana State prison sentence he is serving for unrelated drug charges.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Montgomery County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Montgomery County (Indiana) District Attorney’s Office, and other Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Clymer, Richard Southwick, and Thomas Sutcliffe prosecuted the case.
Idaho Man Indicted for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BOISE — A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment on January 11, charging an Idaho man with distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury or death.
The indictment alleges that on May 17, 2022, Tanner Lee Goforth, 36, knowingly and intentionally distributed a substance containing fentanyl and that substance resulted in the death of the victim.
Police officers with the Nampa Police Department arrested Goforth on January 12, 2023. Goforth is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge on January 17, 2023, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham, at the U.S. Courthouse in Boise, Idaho.
If convicted, Goforth faces a sentence of at least twenty years and up to life imprisonment. Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, Congress has eliminated parole for defendants convicted of federal crimes committed after November 1, 1987.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the investigation conducted by the Nampa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Howard Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Howard, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on December 27, 2022.
Lee James Thames, age 26, was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Thames was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2022. He pleaded guilty on September 30, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between March 16, 2021, and April 29, 2021, when Thames intentionally used his cellular phone to take sexually explicit photographs and videos of a minor female, who had not attained the age of 12 years, and saved them to his Snapchat Memories account.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Thames was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Guatemalan Woman Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegally Using a Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CLAUDIA CAMEY DE PEREZ, a native of Guatemala, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 12, 2023 by Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to one year probation and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for illegally using a social security number to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
According to court documents, on March 29, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations received information that certain individuals had used fraudulent Social Security cards in an initial application to obtain employment. Prior to finalizing employment with their prospective company, the individuals had to report to the Gulf Coast Safety Council, which provides safety courses to applicants applying for work with companies servicing petrochemical processing plants. On March 30, 2022, CAMEY DE PEREZ arrived at the Gulf Coast Safety Council office in St. Rose, Louisiana to complete the safety course to finalize her employment with Company “A.” On that day, CAMEY DE PEREZ presented a fraudulent United States Social Security card bearing the name and United States Social Security number of a United States citizen, which he represented to be her own, in order to obtain employment.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Greensboro Man Sentenced to 15 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Greensboro BusinessesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - On Friday, January 13, 2022, a judge in federal district court sentenced a Greensboro resident, JAMES DENNARD SQUIRE, to seven concurrent 186-month prison terms, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
SQUIRE, age 36, pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022, to all seven Hobbs robberies charged in the Indictment.
Evidence showed that SQUIRE robbed the following Greensboro businesses between October 18, 2020, and November 13, 2020: Circle K, 3700 Groometown Road; Walgreens, 300 E. Cornwallis Drive; CVS, 309 E. Cornwallis Drive; Crossroads Exxon, 5800 W. Market Street; Handy Kwik Shop, 2103 E. Cone Boulevard; Walgreens, 3001 E. Market Street; and Great Stops, 5412 W. Market Street. Amounts taken from store clerks during the robberies ranged from $3,177 to $138. In six of the seven robberies a firearm was brandished.
At sentencing, United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles imposed a 186-month term of imprisonment for each of the seven robberies, the sentences being ordered to run concurrently. SQUIRE was also ordered to pay $10,674.44 in restitution and to serve concurrent 3-year terms of federal supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Clifton T. Barrett and former Assistant United States Attorney Veronica L. Edmisten.
###
Four Memphis Carjackers Who Shot Law Enforcement Officers SentencedRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Julius Armstrong, 20, Adairius Armstrong, 20, Barium Martin, 20, and Malik McCoy, 19, have received significant federal prison sentences after being convicted of carjacking, assaulting a federal officer, and using a weapon during those crimes. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentences today.
According to the information presented in court, in early May 2021, Julius Armstrong, Adairius Armstrong, Barium Martin, and Malik McCoy committed a string of violent armed carjackings in the city of Memphis. On May 7, 2021, the individuals were spotted on a traffic camera crashing out in one of the stolen vehicles. They were confronted by two law enforcement officers: a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and a sergeant with the Memphis Police Department. The individuals, who were armed with a handgun and an assault rifle, fired on the vehicle the officers were in, injuring both officers.
At the time these crimes were committed, Julius Armstrong was 18 years old; Adairius Armstrong and Barium Martin were 19 years old; and Malik McCoy was 17 years old. McCoy was originally charged as a juvenile before being transferred to adult status in federal court.
United States Attorney Ritz stated: “These young men engaged in violent criminal acts, including shooting at and injuring law enforcement officers. Their serious crimes deserved serious sentences. Protecting Americans from gun violence is one of our top priorities, and our efforts in this area will remain robust and unrelenting.”
Julius Armstrong pled guilty to carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a carjacking, assault on a federal officer, and discharging a firearm during the assault. He was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker on November 10, 2022, to 264 months imprisonment.
Adairius Armstrong pled guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a carjacking. He was sentenced by Judge Parker on November 21, 2022, to 216 months imprisonment.
Barium Martin pled guilty to carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a carjacking, and assault on a federal officer. He was sentenced by Judge Parker on November 18, 2022, to 156 months imprisonment.
Malik McCoy pled guilty to carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a carjacking, and assault on a federal officer. He was sentenced by Judge Parker on January 11, 2023, to 156 months imprisonment.
“Protecting the public from violent criminals who illegally possess firearms is at the core of the mission of the men and women of ATF. In this instance, an act of violence was perpetrated upon law enforcement including an ATF agent. Today’s actions bring that matter to a close and the court’s sentencing reaffirms the commitment to the public of holding violent members of our society accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the ATF-Nashville Field Office.
“The FBI and our Federal and State partners will continue to combine our efforts and resources to target those who commit violent crimes in our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan McCloskey of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The law enforcement response and investigation, collaboration by law enforcement and prosecutors, and the sentences imposed serve notice to all that crimes of violence, especially those that threaten the lives of law enforcement, will be met with swift and exacting justice.”
This case was investigated by the ATF and the FBI.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Rogers, Dean DeCandia, and Greg Wagner, who prosecuted the case, as well as the law enforcement officers who conducted the investigation.
###
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.
Former law enforcement officer guilty of sexual assaultRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury in Houston has found a 33-year-old former state trooper guilty for assaulting two women while on duty, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for three hours before returning a guilty verdict against Lee Ray Boykin Jr. following a four-day trial.
“My office is firmly committed to ensuring the civil rights of every person in the Southern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Hamdani. “We rely on our police officers and federal agents every day to serve and protect. This lone officer, however, used his authority to stalk and prey on his victims for his own sexual gratification. We are pleased the jury agreed that such conduct will not be tolerated in our community.”
The jury determined Boykin had deprived two separate victims of their right to bodily integrity while acting in his capacity as a state trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in that he committed aggravated sexual abuse as to one victim and kidnapping as to the other victim. He was also found guilty of two counts of destruction, alteration or falsification of records in a federal investigation.
At trial, one of the victims explained how Boykin had taken her to a secluded parking lot after being ordered out of her friend’s car following a traffic stop. Once there, Boykin falsely accused her of being a prostitute, threatened to take her to jail and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Afterwards, he told her to run while placing his hand on his gun.
The jury heard evidence that showed Boykin’s DNA on the parking lot. The victim’s DNA was also found on Boykin’s underwear.
The second victim testified that Boykin ordered her out of her friend’s car and placed her into Boykin’s vehicle. Boykin falsely told her she had outstanding traffic warrants. He then took this victim to the same secluded parking lot, where she performed oral sex on him. Three days later, Boykin attempted to get her into his trooper car again, but she was able to escape.
The jury heard about statements Boykin had made to authorities. Regarding the sexual assault of the first victim, he said he thought he “got away with it” and knew he should not have done it. He said he “just wanted to try.”
The jury did not believe defense claims and ultimately found him guilty.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. presided over trial and set sentencing for April 4. At that time, Boykin faces up to life in federal prison.
Boykin has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Houston Police Department and Texas Rangers conducted the investigation with the assistance of FBI and DPS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Kate A. Suh are prosecuting the case.
Former San Francisco Building Inspection Commission President Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Schemes, Providing False Documents to FBI, and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –Rodrigo Santos pleaded guilty today in federal court to bank fraud, honest services fraud, evading taxes on more than $1.6 million of unreported income, and falsifying records in a federal investigation, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian.
Santos, 64, of San Francisco, was originally charged in a federal complaint on May 11, 2020, with bank fraud. Santos, a licensed civil and structural engineer, was the co-founder and a principal of the San Francisco-based company Santos and Urrutia Structural Engineers, Inc (S&U). His business provided engineering services and managed the process of obtaining building permits from municipal authorities for his clients. The complaint described that Santos was appointed in 2000 as a member of the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission by then Mayor Willie Brown and was promoted in 2004 to be the Commission’s President by Mayor Gavin Newsom. Mayor Ed Lee appointed Santos in 2012 to the San Francisco City College Board of Trustees.
An indictment (CR 21-268 SI) followed the complaint and charged Santos with committing bank fraud and with providing false records to the FBI in its investigation, among other charges. A grand jury thereafter issued a second, separate indictment (CR 21-453 SI) against Santos, charging him with honest services fraud for repeatedly soliciting donations from his clients to a favored non-profit athletic association of a San Francisco senior building inspector to obtain favorable treatment for the clients from the building inspector. Santos was most recently further charged by an information (CR 22-345 SI) with five counts of tax evasion for the tax years 2015 through 2019.Today Santos pleaded guilty in indictment (CR 21-268 SI) to ten counts of bank fraud involving the commission of fraud against his own clients and his business. In his plea agreement, Santos described that from 2012 to 2019 he engaged in a scheme in which he collected numerous checks from his clients that they made payable to San Francisco’s municipal agencies, including the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) and the Department of Public Works, to private companies and to individuals. Santos led his clients to believe these checks would be used to pay the fees or costs of their building projects. Santos instead deposited the checks into his personal bank account. To do so, he either fraudulently altered the checks by editing the “pay to the order of” section of the checks to appear as if the checks had been written to him personally or he fraudulently endorsed the checks to himself by signing the back of the check on behalf of the payee. By depositing the checks into his personal bank account, he obtained his clients’ funds for himself. Santos admitted that from 2012 to 2019 he deposited approximately 445 checks of his clients’ checks into his personal bank account and fraudulently obtained more than $775,000 of his clients’ money.
Santos also admitted that from 2012 to 2018 he fraudulently deposited into his personal bank account approximately 378 checks written as “pay to the order” of S&U, his engineering firm. By depositing theses checks into his personal account, Santos admitted that he caused a loss to S&U of more than $718,000.
Santos further pleaded guilty in the same indictment to falsifying records in a federal investigation. Santos described in his plea agreement that on March 2, 2020, two FBI agents served him with a grand jury subpoena requesting documents related to six client checks connected to the above-described fraud schemes. In response, Santos altered S&U invoices to make it falsely appear that his clients had been credited for the checks, though Santos had fraudulently deposited them into his own personal bank account and had never credited his clients for those checks. He admitted that he forwarded the falsified invoices to the FBI knowing they were false and intending to obstruct the FBI’s investigation.
In the second indictment (CR 21-453 SI), Santos pleaded guilty today to one count of honest services wire fraud. In his plea agreement, Santos admitted he engaged in a scheme to defraud the public of the honest services of his co-defendant Bernard Curran, who was a senior building inspector at DBI. Santos knew Curran supported and favored a local non-profit athletic organization. Santos, intending to influence Curran in the performance of his official duties, arranged for his clients to make charitable contributions to the non-profit athletic organization. Santos ensured Curran knew about these donations by either personally delivering the clients’ checks to Curran or by otherwise informing him of the donations. Santos described that his clients received favorable official treatment from Curran on their projects in exchange for the donations. In total, from 2017 to 2020 Santos arranged for 13 of his clients to make a total of $9,600 in donations to the non-profit athletic association, and all 13 clients received at least on one official action from Curran in his capacity as a DBI senior building inspector.
In the third case against Santos (CR 21-345 SI), Santos today pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion. Santos admitted that from 2012 to 2019 he deposited more than $1.6 million into his personal account and that he deliberately omitted this income on his tax returns for the tax years 2012 to 2019, thereby evading taxes. Santos admitted the source of the $1.6 million in unreported income was the above-described bank fraud scheme through which Santos fraudulently deposited 823 client checks into his personal bank account. Santos further admitted that he willfully submitted false and fraudulent tax forms for each year from 2012 to 2019, resulting in a tax avoidance of more than $564,000.
Santos entered his guilty pleas today before United States District Judge Susan Illston, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for Santos on June 30, 2023. Santos remains out of custody pending his sentencing hearing.
In summary, Santos pleaded guilty to ten counts of bank fraud, one count of honest services wire fraud, one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation, and five counts of tax evasion. Each count of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344 carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The count of honest services wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1346 carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years. The count of falsifying records in a federal investigation in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519 carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Each count of tax evasion in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201 carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. However, any sentence following conviction imposed by the court will occur only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
As part of his guilty plea, Santos agreed to pay more than $1 million in restitution to victims.
The Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI. The San Francisco City Attorney has also alleged in a state civil lawsuit unsealed in March 2020 that Santos engaged in check fraud.
This case is part of a larger federal investigation targeting public corruption in the City and County of San Francisco. To date, twelve individuals have been charged, including high-ranking San Francisco public officials Harlan Kelly and Mohammed Nuru. Nuru was sentenced to seven years in federal prison in August 2022. Multiple city contractors and facilitators have also been charged and several have been sentenced to prison.
Former Payroll Manager for Chicago Museum Charged with Misappropriating More Than $2 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former payroll manager for a Chicago museum has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly misappropriating more than $2 million in museum funds.
An indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses MICHAEL MAURELLO of fraudulently obtaining the museum funds from 2007 to 2020. Maurello caused the museum to deposit money into his personal bank accounts by designating the payments in the payroll system as having been made to other employees or former employees, the indictment states. When the museum’s assistant controller asked Maurello in January 2020 about one of the payments, Maurello falsely stated that the transaction had been a test of the payroll system, the indictment states. Maurello then edited and altered a report from the museum’s payroll system to conceal information about the misappropriated funds, including by falsely changing the employees’ names and the dates and dollar amounts of the payments, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Maurello, 56, of Beach Park, Ill., with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, while each count of wire fraud carries a maximum of 20 years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Former Owner of Orange County Wastewater Treatment Company Pleads Guilty to Federal Environmental Criminal ChargeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former owner of a wastewater treatment facility in Orange County and his company each pleaded guilty today to a federal environmental criminal charge for discharging untreated industrial wastewater into the county’s sewer system.
Tim Miller, 65, of Kewaskum, Wisconsin, and his company, Klean Waters Inc., pleaded guilty to one felony count of knowingly violating a requirement of an approved pretreatment program.
According to their plea agreements, from 2013 to April 2015, Miller was the owner and president of Klean Waters, a wastewater treatment facility in Orange. Klean Waters was permitted to receive non-hazardous industrial wastewater, treat it for pollutants if needed, and then discharge the water into the Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) sewer.
OCSD runs a pretreatment program that was approved under federal law and that implements and enforces the national pretreatment standards established under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Pursuant to the CWA, any violation of any requirement imposed in OCSD’s local pretreatment program is a violation of federal law.
In 2013, Miller applied for and received a permit from OCSD for Klean Waters to discharge wastewater into the sewer. Klean Waters’ permit from OCSD required defendant to, among other things, test and, if necessary, treat wastewater so that the level of pollutants in it remained below permitted levels when it was discharged to the sewer.
In April 2015, without testing the wastewater, Miller knowingly caused Klean Waters to discharge wastewater into the sewer, so that the type and concentration of pollutants in the wastewater remained unknown.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled an April 14 sentencing hearing, at which time Miller will face a statutory maximum sentence of three years in federal prison and Klean Waters will face a statutory maximum sentence of three years’ probation and $50,000 in fines.
The FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalind Wang of the Santa Ana Branch Office and James A. Santiago of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Judith Gap teacher sentenced to 78 months in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A former Judith Gap School teacher who admitted to possessing child pornography after Facebook submitted a tip to authorities was sentenced today to 78 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jayson Gayo, 28, of Harlowton, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to possession of child pornography as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. Judge Watters also ordered $3,000 restitution.
The government alleged in court documents and in statements in court that in August 2020, Facebook submitted a number of Cybertips indicating that child pornography was likely being transmitted from an account associated with Gayo. Gayo was a teacher at Judith Gap School at the time. There was no indication that the images or Gayo’s conduct involved students at the school.
An investigation led to the execution of a search warrant of Gayo’s residence, where law enforcement collected multiple electronic media items. A separate warrant was served on Facebook concerning Gayo’s account. In total, law enforcement determined that Gayo’s media contained 209 images and 146 videos of child pornography. The videos showed children as young as that of a toddler being sexually abused by adults. The government further alleged that Gayo not only possessed child pornography but also was an administrator of a group involving those with an interest in pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
XXX
Former Fresno-Area Auto Dealer Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Scott Radtke, 60, of Clovis, was sentenced on Thursday to four and a half years in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Radtke owned California Motoring Company, a car dealership in Clovis. Beginning as early as Jan. 1, 2016, and continuing through June 2017, Radtke executed a scheme to defraud banks. When customers wanted to buy vehicles that Radtke’s dealership did not have in its inventory, Radtke offered customers the opportunity to buy them from other dealerships. Radtke received up-front payments from the customers or their banks, but did not give that money to the other dealerships. Instead, he spent it on business and personal expenses. Radtke then signed the customers’ names on sale documents and loan applications, which led banks to issue loans without the customers’ knowledge or authorization. Radtke’s actions involved at least 48 vehicles and over $2 million in fraudulently obtained goods and funds.
This case was the product of an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael G. Tierney and Alexandre M. Dempsey prosecuted the case.
Radtke was ordered to surrender himself on March 10, 2023 to begin serving his sentence.
Former District Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Receive Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Man Apprehended After Trading Child Sex Abuse Material in Internet Chat Rooms
WASHINGTON – Ian Fried, 57, formerly of D.C., has been sentenced to seven years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Receive Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Fried was arrested in Arizona on November 23, 2021, and he has remained in custody ever since. He pled guilty on July 28, 2022, and was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release from prison. Fried was ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his criminal offense.
According to the government’s evidence, in May of 2017, Homeland Security
Investigations began investigating a group of individuals who were trading child pornography on an Internet-based client-server chatting protocol. Numerous individuals located across the country were using the targeted networks to discuss, view and trade child pornography and child exploitation files. Fried frequently used these chat networks between November 2018 through at least March 2020. During these chat conversations, Fried shared links containing files depicting the sexual abuse of young children. He also discussed with other offenders where to view and locate child pornography on the Internet. On October 21, 2021, law enforcement obtained a warrant, authorizing the search of Fried’s residence. Numerous electronic devices, including laptops, a tablet, and hard drives were recovered. A forensic review of these devices revealed that they contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual assault and exploitation of very young children.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
##
Former Adelanto Mayor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Charge for Accepting Bribes in Support of Commercial Marijuana ActivityRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The former mayor of Adelanto has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for accepting more than $57,000 in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for approving ordinances authorizing commercial marijuana activity within the city, and ensuring his co-schemers obtained city licenses or permits for their commercial marijuana activities, the Justice Department announced today.
Richard Allen Kerr, 65, of Adelanto, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
United States District Judge John W. Holcomb scheduled a February 17 change of plea hearing for Kerr.
According to his plea agreement filed on Thursday afternoon in United States District Court, Kerr served as Adelanto mayor from 2015 to 2018. Based on his employment and duties, Kerr owed a duty of honest services to the city and its residents. Among other things, Kerr voted on ordinances governing zoning regulations in the city, and served on the city’s Cannabis Dispensary Permit Committee, which determined the number of dispensary permits that would be issued, and determined which applicants would receive a dispensary permit.
From at least November 2015 to June 2018, Kerr executed a scheme to deprive the city of the honest performance of his duties as mayor. Kerr secretly used his official position to enrich himself and his co-schemers by passing ordinances authorizing various types of commercial marijuana activities, including marijuana cultivation, marijuana distribution and transportation, and retail sales of marijuana via a dispensary.
Kerr also drafted zones for commercial marijuana activities to include locations used by his supporters, ensured his supporters obtained the licenses or permits they sought; all in violation of conflict-of-interest prohibitions applying to Kerr, in exchange for bribes, kickbacks, gifts, payments, and other things of value.
Kerr’s co-schemers were a lawyer who specialized in plaintiffs’ tort litigation – identified in court documents as “Person A” – and an individual labeled “Person C” who had business interests in the city, including those involving marijuana cultivation.
The bribes and kickbacks were disguised by Kerr and his co-schemers as gifts, donations to a charitable fund, donations to Kerr’s election campaign, or advance payments for the proceeds of planned litigation associated with a motorcycle accident.
In exchange for the bribes and kickbacks, Kerr provided favorable official action on behalf of the city to Person A, Person C, and other co-schemers with business interests in the city by authorizing various types of commercial marijuana activities, ensuring his supporters obtained the licenses or permits they sought, and interfering with enforcement activities by city officials.
From December 2016 to April 2018, Kerr – who did not publicly disclose his financial relationship with his co-schemers while he was mayor – accepted multiple payments totaling at least $57,500, in bribes and kickbacks from Person A, Person C, and other co-schemers.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sean D. Peterson, Chief of the Riverside Branch Office, and Julius J. Nam of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, are prosecuting this case.
Folsom Man Arrested After Indictment for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — William James Fitzgerald, 22, of Folsom, was arrested today after a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Fitzgerald charging him with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
The indictment, brought on Jan. 12, was unsealed today following his arrest.
According to court documents, between October 2020 and May 2022, Fitzgerald exploited two minor victims for the purpose of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct. In January 2022, Fitzgerald distributed child pornography using Snapchat.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Fitzgerald faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison for False Statement to Investigator Related to Pediatric Asthma Drug StudyRead the Press Release
A federal judge sentenced a Florida woman to prison for making a false statement to a government investigator related to a clinical trial that studied the effectiveness of asthma drugs in children.
Jessica Palacio, 37, of Miami, was convicted by a jury on Sept. 13, 2022, for lying to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigator during a 2017 regulatory inspection of the firm conducting the drug trial. On January 12, U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles sentenced Palacio to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at trial, Palacio worked from 2013 to 2015 as a clinical research coordinator at a clinical trial firm in Miami called Unlimited Medical Research (UMR). UMR was one of many companies hired to conduct a clinical trial designed to investigate the safety of an asthma medication in children. The drug manufacturer identified issues in the trial performed by the company based on a review of data and notified the FDA.
In May 2021, a grand jury in Miami returned a two-count indictment against Palacio alleging a scheme to falsify medical records to make it appear as though pediatric subjects made scheduled visits to UMR, received physical exams from a clinical investigator, and took study drugs as required, when in fact these events had not occurred. The indictment alleged that when Palacio was confronted by an FDA regulatory investigator about her role in the clinical trial conducted by UMR, she submitted a false affidavit claiming that she had performed a screening visit of a child subject when she had not.
Following trial, the jury found Palacio guilty of both conspiring to commit wire fraud and with making a false statement. The court subsequently granted a defense motion for a judgment of acquittal on the conspiracy charge but denied a motion for judgment of acquittal as to the false statement charge.
“Clinical trials play a critical role in establishing drug safety and efficacy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will work closely with its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of this important process.”
“Reliable and accurate data from clinical trials is the cornerstone of FDA’s evaluation of a new drug,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder in the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “Compromised clinical trial data could impact the agency’s decisions about the safety and effectiveness of the drug under review. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who attempt to subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA by making false statements to the agency to cover up falsified data will be held accountable for their actions.”
Four co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the scheme at UMR. Yvelice Villaman Bencosme, M.D., 66, of Miami, was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment, and Lisett Raventos, 48, also of Miami, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. In addition, Maytee Lledo, 52, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, which the court later modified to time served, and Olga Torres, 50, of Miami, was sentenced to 3 years’ probation.
The FDA Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel David A. Frank and Trial Attorney Marilee L. Miller from the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Associate Chief Kyrsten Melander for Enforcement at FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel.
Federal Jury Convicts McAlester Resident of Committing Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that to Paula Amber Chisholm, age 37, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of Child Abuse in Indian Country.
The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, January 9, 2023 and concluded on Thursday, January 12, 2023 with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on December 3, 2019, a five-year-old child was rushed to the hospital after school officials became concerned about the child's physical state and demeanor at school. During a medical evaluation it was revealed the child had multiple wounds, abrasions, and bruises from head to toe and was extremely malnourished. Chisholm was the primary caregiver at the time the abuse. During the subsequent investigation, the child and another witness named the defendant as the person responsible for causing the injuries.
The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the McAlester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Chisholm was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich and Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Jones represented the United States.
Fayette County Man Sentenced to 32 Years for Cocaine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Maurice A. Taylor, 44, was sentenced on Thursday to 385 months in federal prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine (five kilograms and 500 grams) and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to Taylor’s plea agreement, law enforcement was conducting an investigation into a residence that was being used to unload large shipments of illegal drugs. On or about October 19, 2020, a trailer arrived at the residence and was pulled into the garage. Shortly thereafter, Taylor had a woman come to the residence, where Taylor placed an item in her vehicle. When she was stopped by police, she was in possession of approximately three kilograms of cocaine. Inside the residence, police also found approximately 182 grams of a substance containing fentanyl.
Later, law enforcement was conducting a similar investigation, at a second residence, also involving the unloading of large shipments of drugs from a trailer. On or about August 19, 2021, Taylor was followed to this second residence, where he waited for the resident to arrive. Upon her arrival, they went into the residence and stayed for a few minutes. Taylor then exited the residence with something under his shirt. When he was apprehended, he was in possession of approximately one kilogram of cocaine and $18,166 in cash. After his arrest, a search warrant was executed at the second residence, where law enforcement found an additional 7.9 kilograms of fentanyl.
Taylor pleaded guilty in July 2022.
“The defendant was dealing in massive amounts of illicit drugs, including more than eight kilograms of fentanyl, ” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Fentanyl can be deadly in very small amounts – as little as two milligrams – meaning he had millions of potentially lethal doses of this incredibly dangerous drug. For that reason, there can be little question that this investigation and arrest saved countless lives and dodged a massive impact on our community. He unquestionably deserves the sentence imposed and I commend the dedicated work of all our law enforcement partners, whose efforts made this prosecution possible – and this community safer.”
"For years, Mr. Taylor has trafficked illicit drugs throughout the Lexington community wreaking havoc on countless families," said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office. "Through steadfast collaboration with the Lexington Police Department, DEA, U.S. Attorney 's Office - EDKY, he will now spend the better part of the rest of his life incarcerated. Today's sentence should send a clear message to those dealing illegal drugs, you will be held accountable."
“Individuals who cause harm and misery in their community through the sale of illicit drugs should bear the full brunt of the justice system,” said J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division. “Mr. Taylor preyed on vulnerable people and he must now account for his misdeeds by spending decades housed in a federal prison.”
“It takes all of us to keep our communities safe. I want to thank all of our federal partners who worked with the Lexington Police Department to apprehend and prosecute Mr. Taylor, said Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department. “Because of these efforts, we were able to stop an individual from supplying dangerous narcotics in our community.”
Under federal law, Taylor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. He will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years after his release from prison.
United States Attorney Shier; FBI SAC Cohen; DEA SAC Scott; and Lexington Police Chief Weathers, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, DEA, and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), a Department of Justice initiative designed to target trafficking of dangerous synthetic opioids.
— END —
Elizabethtown Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – An Elizabethtown man was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison followed by a 10-year term of supervised release for distributing and possessing child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Martin Hoag, 43, used the internet on two occasions to send child pornography to an undercover agent and possessed, on two separate hard drives, child pornography that involved a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
In addition to the 151-month prison sentence, Hoag was ordered to pay the following: restitution to three victims in the amount of $3,000 each, a $15,000 special assessment, and a $5,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
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.”
###
East Bay Resident Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Selling Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Tariq Lamont Johnson was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for using private social media to sell and distribute child sex abuse materials, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, U.S. District Judge.
Johnson, 24, of Richmond, Calif., pleaded guilty on June 3, 2022, to the charge. According to the plea agreement Johnson admitted to using the social media site Telegram to sell visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct to another person in exchange for a $45 Amazon gift card. Specifically, Johnson admitted that he operated numerous Instagram accounts that were linked together, and to his Telegram account, which he would use to post images; he then offered access to Telegram groups where he would provide child sexual abuse material in exchange for money.
According to the plea agreement, on November 5, 2021, Johnson was contacted by a person he later learned to be a government agent. Johnson admitted that he agreed to sell the undercover agent access to a Telegram chatroom, as well as a link to child sexual abuse material saved on a cloud-storage site, in exchange for a $25 Amazon gift card. Further, Johnson admitted that at about the same time he sold the agent a second link to child sexual abuse material saved on a cloud-storage site in exchange for a $45 Amazon gift card. Johnson admitted that the second link contained more than 600 depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that these included depictions of infants and/or toddlers engaged in sexual acts.
Johnson was charged by Information on March 4, 2022, with one count of distribution of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). Pursuant to his plea agreement, Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar sentenced Johnson to a 10-year period of supervised release that will commence after the prison term is concluded. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody. Judge Tigar ordered that a hearing to determine restitution to Johnson’s victims will be held on April 6, 2023.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan M. Mateer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Karina Ruiz. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
EDNC Forfeits 280 Illegal Firearms and Prosecutes 278 Illegal Firearms Offenders in 2022Read the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, Michael Easley, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC), announced that over the course of 2022, EDNC’s litigative efforts have resulted in the forfeiture of at least 280 illegally owned, possessed, used, or obtained firearms. Firearms that are criminally forfeited are removed from the possession of a convicted criminal defendant and relinquished to the government for disposal, including potentially the return of the firearm to a rightful owner.
“Getting illegal guns out of the hands of the most dangerous felons helps make our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “I am proud of the strong partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement to get these guns off the street, so they are not used to commit future crimes.”
Since the start of 2022, EDNC charged approximately 278 defendants with federal firearms offenses, including possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and straw purchasing of a firearm. These prosecutions are a result of close cooperation between prosecutors and partners at federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). EDNC also partners with the State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and local police and sheriffs across the District.
EDNC’s efforts to seize and forfeit illegal firearms in 2022 was the result of multiple investigative and prosecutorial efforts, including the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) and the Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which are both collaborative efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), whose purpose is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
“ATF’s top priority is preventing firearms from falling into the wrong hands,” stated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “That effort is strongly supported by our local and state law enforcement partners and our federal prosecutors. Through our collaborative efforts, we’re working hard to prevent illegal purchases, firearms trafficking, and firearms thefts. Keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited individuals is key to building and maintaining safer communities.”
"Every day, the FBI works tirelessly with law enforcement partners across North Carolina to combat violent crime. Seizing guns from convicted felons is one step closer to making our communities safer," said Michael C. Scherck, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Charlotte.
“DEA and its law enforcement partners want to send a stern warning that the distribution of dangerous drugs in association with gun violence presents a clear and present danger to the community,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “This dangerous lifestyle has led many to face serious prison time as a consequence.”
“Finding and confiscating illegal weapons from dangerous criminals not only protects our communities, but it also protects the law enforcement community as we do our jobs,” said Ronnie Martinez, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
Some of the major firearms-related cases prosecuted by EDNC in 2022 are as follows:
Jury Convicts Man for Federal Firearms Charge Following Shootout with Nash County Deputies on I-95: Ford, 35, of Florida, was convicted by a federal jury. He is a convicted felon who engaged in a shoot-out with Nash County deputies during a traffic stop. One of the deputies assisting with the traffic stop was hit multiple times while another deputy returned fire striking Ford and incapacitating him. Ford was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. USA v. Jarred Ford, (No. 5:21-CR-105-BO)
Jury Convicts Wendell Man of Armed Robberies: Robinson, 43, of Wendell, was convicted by a federal jury following a string of robberies of grocery stores in eastern and central North Carolina. Robinson held employees at gun point after pretending to be a delivery driver so employees would let him in the backdoor. He is subject to the Armed Career Criminal enhancement and faces a maximum sentence of Life on the gun convictions. His sentencing is scheduled for the March 2023 term of court. USA v. Lionel Robinson, (No. 5:21-CR-17-BO)
Fayetteville Man Convicted of Kidnapping, Drug and Gun Offenses – Faces at Least 20 Years in Prison: Busbee, 38, of Fayetteville was convicted by a federal jury for being a violent pimp and drug dealer in Fayetteville who physically and sexually assaulted his victims, including three adult women and a two-year child, after kidnapping them. Busbee and others kidnapped the victims and held them for several hours after he believed the victims stole money from him. Busbee faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and up to life when he is sentenced on January 30, 2023. USA v. Yomere Busbee, (No. 5:20-CR-393-M)
Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting Rampage on I-95 in North Carolina: Dangerfield, 35, of South Carolina was sentenced to 20 years after a shooting rampage along the I-95 corridor. Franklin Dangerfield randomly fired at several vehicles across multiple counties while driving on I-95, striking at least one person and several vehicle. Dangerfield then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase reaching a top speed of 110 mph before crashing. USA v. Franklin Dangerfield, (No. 5:20-CR-439-M)
LaGrange Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Carjacking Resulting in Serious Injury: Dawson, 31, of LaGrange, violently assaulted and carjacked an 83-year-old man leaving him permanently disabled. Dawson was sentenced to 45 years in prison on February 4, 2022. US v. Anthony Dawson, (No. 5:20-CR-180-D)
U.S. v. Christopher Baker, (No. 5:21-CR-434-M-1): Baker, 49, of Zebulon, was convicted by a federal jury of charges including methamphetamine trafficking and firearm possession charges, including possession of machine guns. Baker was the third-ranking leader of the violent Pagan Motorcycle Gang in the country. He faces a 55-year mandatory minimum when he is sentenced on February 2, 2023.
Drug Trafficker Who Operated Fayetteville Daycare Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison: Everett, 36, of Cumberland County was an armed, high-volume cocaine and marijuana trafficker in Fayetteville, North Carolina and was convicted by a jury for six felony drug trafficking and firearms related charges. He trafficked drugs and kept loaded, powerful firearms at the home daycare that he ran with his wife. After he was arrested, he engaged on a campaign of falsely claiming law enforcement planted the evidence against him, and he threatened witnesses. He was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment on August 25, 2022. U.S. v. Reshod Everett, (No. 5:20-CR-333-D-1)
California Man Responsible for Distributing Methamphetamine Receives 26 Years in Prison: Willie, 31, of California was sentenced to 312 months’ imprisonment for trafficking more than 100 kilograms of highly pure methamphetamine. Willie was a high-ranking leader of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization that was associated with the Grape Street Crips gang. Willie received more than $1,000,000 in proceeds from the drug sales. U.S. v. Joseph Willie, (No. 4:21-CR-0021-FL-1)
Rocky Mount Gang Leader and Others Indicted on Drug and Fraud Charges: Foreman, 33, of Rocky Mount pled guilty to drug and fraud charges. Foreman was the leader of an armed heroin and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Nash and Edgecombe Counties. The drug trafficking organization was associated with the United Blood Nation street gang, and the group was involved in several gang related shootings. Foreman’s sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2023. U.S. v. Tyrone Foreman, a/k/a “Ty Nitty” (No. 5:21-CR-289-D-1)
Violent Bloods Gang Drug Dealer and Weapons Trafficker Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison: Rouse, 26, of Sampson County, was convicted at a federal trial was sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment. Rouse was the violent leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization who was responsible for large quantities of hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as heroin, pills, cocaine, and cocaine base (crack). Rouse also engaged in threats and violence in furtherance of the drug trafficking organization. U.S. v. Jimmy Rouse, (No. 7:19-CR-194-D-1)
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for the case number.
###
Duluth Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against a Duluth felon for methamphetamine trafficking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on May 7, 2022, John Robert Rieck, 66, was caught with more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and a Bersa .380 caliber pistol. Months later, Rieck was found with more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and an unregistered short-barreled shotgun bearing no serial number.
Because Rieck has multiple prior felony convictions dating back to 1975, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Rieck is charged with two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and one count of possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. He made his initial appearance on January 11, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Duluth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Roso is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DOT employee admits to extortionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 54-year-old Lyford man had entered a guilty plea to extortion under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Patrick Gorena was a border investigator for Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
As part of his plea, Gorena admitted that when auditing a trucking company, he did not report safety violations that would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their DOT license. In return, Gorena demanded $3,500.
However, he ultimately accepted $2,000 from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner will impose sentencing April 18. At that time, Gorena faces up to 20 years in prison.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Department of Transportation - Office of the Inspector General and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hanes is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.
Conehatta Man Sentenced in Voluntary Manslaughter CaseRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Conehatta man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter involving the stabbing of another man in the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Vandel Jim, 54, of Conehatta, began to argue with the victim at a tribal home in the Conehatta Community which resulted in an altercation between the two men. After the altercation ceased, Jim armed himself with a knife and stabbed the unarmed victim in the arm multiple times causing the victim’s death.
Jim was sentenced to a prison term of 78 months, to be followed by a term of 36 months supervised release. The sentencing took place in the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi.
U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.