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13 January 2023
Conehatta Man Sentenced in Reservation ShootingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Conehatta man was sentenced to 148 months in prison for the use of a firearm during the aggravated assault of another man, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Mike Austin Anderson, 36, of Conehatta, used a handgun to shoot the victim multiple times at a tribal home in the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation which resulted in injury to the victim.
In June of 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Anderson on charges of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with intent to do bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. On October 5, 2022, Anderson was found guilty of assault with intent to do bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. During the trial, the jury heard testimony that, following a verbal altercation, Anderson used a handgun to shoot the victim multiple times in the legs and hand.
A U.S. District Judge sentenced Anderson to a prison term of 148 months, followed by a term of 60 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.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia man was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Alfredric James, 37, of Columbia, was sentenced on January 12, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.
According to court documents and trial testimony, on December 9, 2020, James retrieved a pound of pure methamphetamine hidden by two of his conspirators in a barbecue grill at a residence in Hattiesburg. Having been alerted to the transaction, agents attempted to stop James’s vehicle. James fled but was apprehended with the meth after a short pursuit. James was responsible for distributing over 8 kilograms of methamphetamine to the Hattiesburg area in a two month period in the fall of 2020.
James was charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was subsequently found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court following a three-day trial in Hattiesburg.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell On Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Hattiesburg Police Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s, and Columbia Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Shundral Cole
Cedar Rapids Drug Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Maintaining Drug HousesRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man that maintained residences in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the purpose of distributing controlled substances was sentenced January 12, 2023, to 20 years in federal prison.
Corey Lamar Cullar, Sr., age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 17, 2022 guilty plea to one count of maintaining a drug‑involved premises.
Evidence at sentencing showed that, in February 2016, Cullar was released from federal prison. Starting in the fall of 2017, and continuing until his arrest in August 2021, Cullar rented a series of residences in Cedar Rapids to be used to distribute controlled substances. Cullar and his associates, including family members, distributed marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, and ecstasy pills from these residences. Cullar involved minors in the distribution of controlled substances, including his children; he exercised a leadership role over several individuals; and he possessed firearms and provided them to others. Cullar obstructed justice by intimidating or attempting to intimidate a witness during his prosecution.
Cullar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Cullar was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, which is the statutory maximum sentence allowed for his offense, and he must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Cullar is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00052-CJW.
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Brooklyn Man Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl and Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Demetrius Thompson, aka “Tone,” 44, of Brooklyn, New York was arrested yesterday in Rutland, Vermont. On December 14, 2022, Thompson had been indicted by the federal grand jury for distributions of fentanyl and cocaine base. Thompson is scheduled to be arraigned later today before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.
According to court records, Thompson is alleged to have distributed controlled substances on three occasions during the month of September 2022. Last night, Rutland City Police, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, executed a state search warrant at a residence in Rutland City. During the execution of that warrant, Thompson was located inside the residence. Also located inside the residence was approximately $4,000 of cash, a quantity of controlled substances, and a firearm.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment contains allegations only and that Thompson is presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Thompson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment on each count of distributing controlled substances.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Thompson is represented by Katina Ready, Esq.Brookings Man Sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Brookings, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on January 9, 2023.
Zachary Scott Murray, age 36, was sentenced to 10 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.
Murray was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 14, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 6, 2022, when Murray used his cell phone to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an undercover agent posing as a 14 year-old female, to engage in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 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.
Murray was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Boston Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Transporting a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment yesterday charging a Boston man with sex trafficking a young adult victim and transporting a minor to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex.
Leon Blount III, 30, of Boston, was charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and three counts of transportation of minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Blount has been in state custody since September 2022. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Jan. 19, 2023.
“Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. Whether labor or sex trafficking, if someone is profiting off of a person they control through threat, force or coercion, they are committing a felony. We allege that Mr. Blount targeted two victims – one of whom was a minor – whom he groomed and trafficked to engage in commercial sex across multiple states and used extreme violence to keep one of his victims under his control,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and, with the perseverance and bravery of the victims, our dedicated Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit will spare no expense or resource to protect our communities, our children, and our Commonwealth from this growing public health threat.”
“HSI New England, and our law enforcement partners, are constantly watching closely for indicators of human trafficking and child exploitation throughout our community,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today’s indictment is a result of those partnerships and the watchful eyes of all of the dedicated agents and officers involved in this case. HSI New England will continue to work tirelessly to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved human trafficking enterprises in order to keep our communities safe.”
According to the charging documents, beginning in the Fall of 2021, Blount began grooming a young adult victim, Jane Doe 1, to engage in commercial sex. First, Blount allegedly pressured Jane Doe 1 to create pornographic videos that were distributed online. Later, he allegedly insisted that Jane Doe 1 earn money for him by performing commercial sex acts. Jane Doe 1 was posted on websites that advertise commercial sex and Blount allegedly drove her throughout Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut to perform sex acts for his financial benefit.
It is further alleged that, to maintain control, Blount threatened to harm Jane Doe 1 if she ever left his trafficking operation. In September 2022, when Blount learned that Jane Doe 1 was trying to leave his control, Blount allegedly threw a rock through the window of the car Jane Doe 1 was sitting in and tried to pull her out of the car while spraying her in the face with pepper spray. Blount allegedly then got into the car and drove over Jane Doe 1’s leg, severely injuring her, as she tried to flee. It is alleged that after Jane Doe 1 was taken to the hospital, Blount broke into her apartment and wrote, “B**** ya not safe” on the wall. Shortly thereafter, Lowell Police arrested Blount, and he has remained in custody since that time.
Additionally, according to the charging documents, between July and August 2022, Blount transported a 17-year-old victim, Jane Doe 2, to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit. Blount allegedly met Jane Doe 2 while she was living at a group home for transitional age adolescents. He gave her alcohol and marijuana, and quickly recruited Jane Doe 2 to travel out-of-state to engage in commercial sex. While in New York, Blount allegedly directed Jane Doe 2 to solicit sex buyers in an area of Brooklyn known for commercial sex. It is further alleged that Blount caused Jane Doe 2’s photo to be posted on websites that advertise commercial sex and put her in hotel rooms in Woburn and Hartford, where he directed her to perform sex acts to earn money for him.
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Each count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected]. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and HSI SAC Millhollin made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of Rollins’ Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bigelow Arkansas Woman Sentenced to over 12 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Bigelow, Arkansas woman was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release on one count of Assaulting, resisting, and impeding a Federal Officer. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court documents, on June 24, 2021, two United States Park Rangers with the National Park Service, at Buffalo National River, contacted Kristie Leigh Hudson, age 30, who was involved in an apparent verbal domestic altercation with her partner in the Spring Creek Campground in Searcy County, after a citizen complaint to the officers. Upon making contact with Hudson and her partner, the officers determined Hudson appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance(s) and had been fighting with her male companion.
Rangers attempted to identify Hudson who refused to cooperate with the investigation, and she began fighting with the officers after which she was detained.
Based on the statements of her traveling companion and her extreme erratic behavior, officers attempted to take her into custody at which time she began fighting with NPS Officers and an officer of the Marion County Sheriff's Department. During the contact and custodial arrest, one of the NPS Officers sustained injury. She was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail where she was restrained and later taken for medical evaluation and subsequently tried to escape the officers.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch and Buffalo National River investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case.
Ashland Man Convicted of Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky.- An Ashland, Ky., man was convicted on Friday by a federal jury in Ashland for charges related to child pornography.
After one hour of deliberations, following a three-day trial, the jury convicted 70-year-old Adam Fonso Childers of distributing and possessing child pornography.
According to testimony at trial, Childers was identified as being in the top 10 list of individuals sharing child pornography in Kentucky via a peer-to-peer file sharing program. An investigation was initiated and, between October 5-6, 2020, Childers was found to have distributed multiple files of child pornography using the peer-to-peer file sharing network. A search warrant was then obtained for Childers’ home. The search revealed that, over decades, Childers had acquired multiple forms of media found to contain child pornography. This media included magazines he acquired in the 1970s, binders of printed materials, multiple disks, seven external hard drives, and a desktop computer. In total, Childers possessed hundreds of thousands of images and videos of child pornography, include depictions of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit activity.
Childers was indicted in March 2022.
“Not only did the defendant possess thousands of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, but he was also prolific in sharing them with others,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Combatting this despicable conduct is a core priority for our office and is critical to protecting our communities’ vulnerable youth. We commend the dedicated efforts of our law enforcements partners; without it, this prosecution would not have been possible.”
"Children are one of the Commonwealth’s most precious resources, yet one of its most vulnerable. Every year, thousands of minors fall victim to online predators seeking to exploit their innocence," said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office. "Through dedicated work by FBI Louisville and our law enforcement partners, Mr. Childers’ conviction ensures that at least one predator will no longer cause irreparable harm to our society."
“Children are amongst the most valuable assets in our community, the Ashland Police Department will continue to proudly stand in defense of children and pursue those persons who foolishly attempt to exploit them,” said Chief W. Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department.
U.S, Attorney Shier; FBI Special Agent in Charge Cohen; Col. Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Chief W. Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, KSP, and the Ashland Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Mary Melton.
Childers will appear for sentencing on May 8, 2023. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
This case was prosecuted 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Arizona Man Sentenced for Threats Made over CellphoneRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Andrew Isaac Abrams, 42, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced today in Omaha, Nebraska, for transmitting a threat to injure the person of another through an interstate communication. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Abrams to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Abrams will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On or about April 23, 2021, Abrams contacted multiple Omaha-based locations using a phone number originating in Tucson, Arizona. The first call went to Union Pacific Railroad Security, stating that a moving truck loaded with two tons of explosive material was parked near their building. As a precaution the building was evacuated, and Union Pacific Railroad sent their employees home for the day. Then Abrams contacted Douglas County Civic Center and Courthouse from the same phone number and stated that he had parked a Ryder truck filled with explosives in front of Union Pacific and that, “You guys are killing us, that’s why I’m going to blow up the civic center too!” Abrams placed a call to Eppley Airfield, located in Omaha, referencing “blowing up airplanes”, and mentioning several of the airlines. Finally, Abrams called Central High School in Omaha and left a voicemail on the school’s voicemail stating that there would be bombs and shooters in the Elkhorn, Westside, Central and Millard Schools in Omaha and mentioning the Union Pacific Railroad Headquarters.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Abrams’s apartment in Tucson on May 13, 2021 and seized his cellphone. Investigators reviewed the call records for the cellphone, and verified that the calls made on April 23, 2021 to the four affected locations were made from Abrams’s cellphone located in Tucson. Abrams was arrested on May 14, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Arizona Man Indicted for Smuggling 173 Pounds of Methamphetamine Across U.S.-Mexico BorderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On January 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Isrrael Millan, 19, of San Luis, Arizona, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Importation of Methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that, on December 9, 2022, Millan applied for entry into the United States from Mexico, at the San Luis Port of Entry near Yuma, Arizona. At the Port, Customs and Border Protection officers conducted a search of Millan’s vehicle and discovered 170 cellophane-wrapped packages concealed in the quarter panels, doors, rocker panels, firewall, and dashboard. In total, the officers found over 175 pounds of methamphetamine in Millan’s vehicle.
A conviction on each charged offense carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00006-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-005_Millan# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Alabama Medical Billing Company Pays $153K to Resolve False Claims AllegationsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and Jean Pierre Njock, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that AMVIK SOLUTIONS, LLC (“Amvik”) has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government and has paid $153,300 to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims for payment to the Connecticut Medicaid program for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services.
Amvik, based in Birmingham, Alabama, offers billing, claims, and collections services for healthcare providers. Amvik uses its proprietary WebABA software to perform these services for ABA providers throughout the United States. Helping Hands Academy, LLC (“Helping Hands”) was a Bridgeport-based ABA services provider that provided ABA services to children with autism. In 2018, Helping Hands retained Amvik to handle the billing and claims for those ABA services. The government alleges that when submitting claims for payment to Connecticut Medicaid on behalf of Helping Hands, Amvik falsely identified the incorrect Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) as the rendering provider on the claims. This caused Connecticut Medicaid to pay claims that it would not have otherwise paid.
To resolve the allegations under the federal False Claims Act, Amvik has paid $153,300 to the federal government for conduct occurring between October 3, 2019, through October 1, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kaczmarek.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
2 guilty in $1 million COVID fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old Orlando, Florida, man has admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the United States of COVID related disaster loan proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Dylan Kinlock entered his plea of guilty today. Co-defendant Felicia Garza, 36, Houston, pleaded guilty to the same charge Jan. 9.
Kinlock and Garza admitted they devised a scheme to solicit others to fraudulently apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided. The two utilized victims’ personal information to create falsified documents and applied for a PPP loan on their behalf.
The fraud scheme resulted in at least 241 fraudulent PPP loans which led to the distribution of more than $1 million Kinlock received at least $709,665 in fee income from individuals he assisted in securing the fraudulent PPP Loans.
Numerous individuals residing in the Southern District of Texas applied for PPP loans through Kinlock. They all reported that Kinlock attached fraudulent documents to their application without their knowledge, and that the applications contained false statements about the number of employees their business had.
The false documents included fictitious Schedule C tax forms reporting profit or loss from a business, 1099-MISC forms and invoices reporting incorrect income to qualify for the loans. Kinlock solicited each of his victims to execute a contract with him in which they agreed to share a portion of their PPP loans.
After Kinlock’s clients received their PPP loan funds, Kinlock directed the client to send him his fee through various means including direct deposit into his bank account or electronic payment methods Zelle, CashApp or Venmo. Kinlock’s fee ranged from $3000 to $4,000 per loan or 20% of the amount his client received.
He used the monies to pay off his home in Florida. As part of his plea, he has agreed to forfeit that residence.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 27, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted the pleas and set sentencing for April 11. At that time, each faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000.
Kinlock was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. Garza also remains on bond.
IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman is prosecuting the case.
12 January 2023
Woodstock Man Sentenced to Another Year for Failing to Report to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDRE SMITH, also known as “Dre,” 43, of Woodstock, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment for failing to surrender for service of his sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 12, 2022, Smith was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 41 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute cocaine and crack in eastern Connecticut. Smith, who was released on bond, was ordered to report to prison on March 23. 2022. On March 19, 2022, Smith cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet, and he subsequently failed to report to his designated Bureau of Prisons facility as ordered.
Smith turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service in Bridgeport on June 14, 2022, and has been detained since that date. He pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Woman Arrested for Voter Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An Iowa woman was arrested today in Sioux City for her role in an alleged voter fraud scheme during the Iowa 2020 primary and general elections.
Kim Phuong Taylor, 49, of Sioux City, made her initial court appearance today. According to court documents, Taylor allegedly perpetrated a scheme to generate votes in the primary election in June 2020, when her husband was an unsuccessful candidate for Iowa’s 4th U.S. Congressional District, and subsequently in the 2020 general election, when her husband was a successful candidate for Woodbury County Supervisor. Taylor allegedly submitted or caused others to submit dozens of voter registrations, absentee ballot request forms, and absentee ballots containing false information. For example, although these documents required the signer to affirm that he or she was the person named in them, Taylor signed them for voters without their permission and told others that they could sign on behalf of relatives who were not present.
Taylor is charged by indictment with 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax for the Northern District of Iowa, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office, and Acting Inspector in Charge Brad Mahs of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division made the announcement.
The FBI Omaha Field Office and USPIS Denver Division are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons for the Northern District of Iowa are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Four GunsRead the Press Release
An unlawful user of drugs who possessed four guns was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Shamar Robertson, age 20, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 18, 2022 guilty plea to one count of being an unlawful user of drugs in possession of firearms.
Information at the sentencing showed that, between April 2020 and February 2021, Robertson posted dozens of videos on social media showing him with what appeared to be guns and marijuana. On February 26, 2021, law enforcement officers searched the home where Robertson lived in Waterloo. During the search, the officers found four guns that had Robertson’s DNA on them. The guns consisted of three handguns, two of which had partially obliterated serial numbers, and one semiautomatic rifle. Three of the guns were loaded. Officers also found a distribution quantity of marijuana in Robertson’s bedroom.
Robertson was charged in federal court and was scheduled to appear for a court hearing on April 13, 2022. However, he did not appear for the hearing. Robertson remained on the lam until he was arrested on June 21, 2022. At the time of his arrest, Robertson was in a car with other individuals. Officers found a gun in the car and Robertson was in possession of marijuana. Because of his failure to appear and having his whereabouts unknown for over two months, the District Court found Robertson had obstructed justice, which increased his sentence.
Robertson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda Reade. Robertson was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Robertson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Williams and Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-cr-2054.
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Waseca Travel Agency Owner Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Waseca man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from August 2016 to January 2019, Matthew Harold Schumacher, 46, owned and operated Travel Troops, LLC. Schumacher misappropriated commission payments meant for travel agents for his own personal use. After customers booked their travel arrangements with travel agents, the travel suppliers provided Schumacher with the commission payments due to respective independent travel agents who booked the travel. However, as part of Schumacher’s scheme to obtain and retain travel agents’ money for himself without their knowledge or consent, Schumacher routinely provided his travel agents with materially false and fraudulent information. Schumacher lied to travel agents that their commission money would be paid to them, when, in fact, he kept all of the victims’ money or, in other instances, despite refund requests, he provided some victims with commission payments that were late, incomplete, or both.
According to court documents, Schumacher defrauded at least 36 travel agents nationwide of their primary income source. Schumacher deposited at least $160,000 in victims’ funds to his personal account which he used for personal travel expenses, cash withdrawals, retail purchases, car payments, credit card bills, entertainment tickets, and loan payments. He also withdrew thousands of dollars in cash and spent at least $150,000 in victims’ money on his own travel expenses.
On June 30, 2021, Schumacher pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Schumacher was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child Sex Abuse Images Aboard International Cruise ShipRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Christopher Michael Ratten (32, Stafford, VA) to seven years in federal prison for transportation of child sex abuse images. Ratten had pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2021, Ratten flew from Washington, D.C. to Florida. He then traveled to Port Canaveral where he boarded a commercial cruise ship. The cruise made stops in the Bahamas before returning to Port Canaveral on September 9, 2021. Upon Ratten’s reentry to the United States, an agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a border search of Ratten’s cellphone and located child sex abuse images on the phone. Further forensic investigation revealed that Ratten had more than 4,500 images and videos of child sex abuse on his phone, a number of which depicted the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers and bestiality.
“This deviant fed his perversion through a vast and rapidly growing collection of explicit images and videos of children and animals being sexually abused,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “Thanks to the dedication of our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection who initially discovered the imagery, we were able to fully investigate and prosecute this predator’s abhorrent behavior.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Victims of BitConnect Scheme to Receive More than $17 Million to Compensate for LossesRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact: Assistant U. S. Attorneys Carl Brooker, Lisa Sanniti, and Mark W. Pletcher
SAN DIEGO — A federal judge has ordered Glenn Arcaro - one of the leaders of a massive cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded investors worldwide - to pay $17,646,801 dollars in restitution to approximately 800 victims from over 40 countries.Arcaro, 45, the top U.S.-based promoter for BitConnect, pleaded guilty in September of 2021, admitting that he conspired with others to exploit investor interest in cryptocurrency by fraudulently marketing BitConnect’s proprietary coin offering and digital currency exchange as a lucrative investment.
Arcaro and others misled investors about BitConnect’s “Lending Program.” Under this program, Arcaro touted BitConnect’s purported proprietary technology, known as the “BitConnect Trading Bot” and “Volatility Software,” as being able to generate substantial profits and guaranteed returns by using investors’ money to trade on the volatility of cryptocurrency exchange markets.
In truth, however, BitConnect operated a textbook Ponzi scheme by paying earlier BitConnect investors with money from later investors. Arcaro and others ensured up to 15 percent of the money invested into BitConnect went directly into a slush fund to be used for the benefit of its owner and promoters. Arcaro was sentenced in September of 2022 to 38 months in prison.
On February 25, 2022, the founder of BitConnect, Satish Kumbhani, was indicted for his central role in the multibillion-dollar fraud. He remains a fugitive from justice and anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact the FBI at 216-522-1400.
"Hundreds suffered devastating financial losses as a result of this terrible deception, and we hope today’s ruling will provide some relief to the victims," said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.
Grossman thanked the prosecution team as well as the FBI’s Cleveland Cyber Crime and White Collar Crime teams, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Financial Investigations and Border Crimes Task Force - a multiagency task force based in San Diego and Imperial counties that is funded by the Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture, for their excellent work on this case.
“To perpetrate a massive fraud scheme that intentionally deceived hundreds of people around the globe is horrendous,” said Cleveland FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Today’s hearing serves as a blunt warning to others who plot to trick investors that we will uncover the truth and seek restitution. The FBI is committed to protecting investors from sophisticated cryptocurrency scammers that seek to capitalize on the novelty of digital currency. We applaud the collaborative work with our federal, state, and local partners to bring justice to the victims.”
“Glenn Arcaro and his co-conspirators took advantage of innocent investors worldwide utilizing cyberspace to reach victims from over 40 countries. Investors believed they were investing in cryptocurrency, but BitConnect’s proprietary coin and digital coin exchange were indeed fraudulent,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s order of restitution will return over $17 million to those that were misled and invested in BitConnect. IRS Criminal Investigation, our law enforcement partners and the USAO in the Southern District of California worked hard to assist both foreign and domestic victims of this Ponzi scheme.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carl Brooker, Lisa Sanniti, and Mark W. Pletcher of the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and United States Postal Inspection Service provided indispensable assistance to the investigation.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21CR2542-TWR
Glenn Arcaro Los Angeles, CA Age: 45
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud—Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Criminal Forfeiture—Title 18, U.S.C., Section 982
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater; forfeiture and restitution
AGENCIES
FBI
IRS Criminal Investigation—Financial Investigations and Border Crimes Task Force
United States Postal Inspection Service
United States Files Complaint Against Bob Dean Jr. and Affiliated Corporate Entities for Financial Misconduct Stemming from Evacuation of Nursing Homes During Hurricane IdaRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint under the National Housing Act of 1934 (NHA) against Bob Dean Jr. and several affiliated corporate entities for misappropriating and misusing the assets and income of four nursing homes in Louisiana before and after Hurricane Ida’s landfall in August 2021. The four nursing homes, all of which were owned and operated by Dean and his companies, and had loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), are Maison De’Ville Nursing Home – Houma, Maison De’Ville Nursing Home of Harvey, Maison Orleans Healthcare of New Orleans, and West Jefferson Health Care Center.
The FHA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides mortgage insurance on loans that cover residential care facilities, such as nursing homes, pursuant to the NHA. To encourage lenders to make loans to such facilities, FHA mortgage insurance provides lenders with protection against losses that result from borrowers defaulting on their mortgage loans. To obtain such FHA-insured loans, loan recipients must enter into Regulatory Agreements with the FHA that provide, among other requirements, that the assets and income of an FHA-insured nursing home may only be spent on goods and services that are reasonable and necessary to the operation of the nursing home. The NHA permits the United States to recover twice the amount of any assets and income of FHA-insured nursing homes that were improperly distributed or misspent.
The United States’ complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleges that, from 2016 to 2021, Dean required the nursing homes to pay “rent” on an industrial warehouse he had acquired supposedly to serve as a hurricane evacuation center. The rent, which totaled more than $1 million, was paid to one of his corporate entities. Rather than using the funds to prepare the warehouse for a hurricane, he funneled much of that money to his personal bank accounts. In the days leading up to Hurricane Ida’s expected landfall in August 2021, Dean evacuated the residents of the four nursing homes to the warehouse. After residents arrived, sanitation was not maintained, and the nursing homes’ staff did not prepare sufficient food, provide wound care, or ensure adequate medical care and support for the residents. As a result, on Sept. 2, 2021, the Louisiana Department of Health removed the residents from the evacuation center and revoked Dean’s nursing home licenses.
The complaint further alleges that after the residents had been evacuated and the licenses revoked, Dean and his corporate entities continued to misdirect and misspend the nursing homes’ assets and income. Specifically, Dean directed his bookkeeper to sweep all of the nursing homes’ bank accounts and transfer the millions of dollars of funds to his personal accounts. The United States alleges that Dean did not use these funds to operate or maintain the nursing homes, which at this point were not operating because of the hurricane, and instead used this money to purchase personal goods and services, including antiques, firearms, and cars, and to fund allowances for his family members. The complaint alleges that, in total, Dean misspent and misallocated more than $4 million of the nursing homes’ assets and income.
“The department is committed to protecting our nation’s seniors and the important federal programs designed to support them,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When individuals seek to exploit these programs for their own financial gain, we will use all of the appropriate tools at our disposal to hold them accountable.”
“Federal loan guarantees are designed to facilitate the care of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “It is unfortunate that some chose to use the tragic landfall of Hurricane Ida as an opportunity to take advantage of the system to unjustly enrich their business. This office will continue to work with our partners to hold those accountable who misappropriate federal funds.”
“Upon learning of the callous manner in which residents of nursing homes owned by Bob Dean were treated during Hurricane Ida, HUD referred this matter to the Justice Department to investigate Dean’s alleged misuse of HUD’s funds,” said General Counsel Damon Smith of the HUD. "By working with our partners at the Justice Department and supporting this action, HUD reaffirms that it takes the obligations of nursing home owners seriously.”
“Dean’s alleged actions represent a gross disregard for human life and our most vulnerable community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler of HUD Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue, investigate, and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse and mismanage Federal assets and place HUD beneficiaries in harm’s way.”
The complaint is the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, with substantial assistance from HUD and the HUD OIG. This matter is being handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Christopher Reimer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Rhorer Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana.
The case is captioned United States v. Bob Dean, Jr., et al., 3:23-cv-00019 (M.D. La.).
The United States’ complaint stems from an investigation that the Department of Justice initiated as part of its Elder Justice Initiative, which supports the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $42,405,600 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022Read the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today that the Eastern District of California collected $42,405,600 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $14,682,495 was collected in criminal actions and $27,723,105 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of California worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect $8,740,584 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $290,102 was collected in criminal actions and $8,450,481 was collected in civil actions.
“Financial recoveries are a critical part of our mission to protect the public treasury and hold those who violate the law accountable for the injury they cause,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We will continue to aggressively pursue compensation from those who commit crimes and other wrongs in our district, to take the profit out of crime and to ensure that wrongdoers—not the public—bear the costs of unlawful conduct. I am very proud of these recoveries and the other great accomplishments this year by all the dedicated public servants who work in this office.”
For example, in June 2022, the Eastern District of California announced that it had received $9,486,287 from a physician to resolve allegations that he submitted false claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal for procedures and tests that were never performed. These payments include nearly $5.5 million paid by the physician as criminal restitution following his guilty plea to one count of health care fraud, in a separate criminal case filed in the Central District of California.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $23,805,828 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $2.95 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022Read the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced today that the Northern District of Oklahoma collected $2,954,438.70 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $1,958,593.62 was collected in criminal actions and $995,845.08 was collected in civil actions.
“The Asset Recovery Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensures that court ordered restitution is paid to victims, fines are collected, and civil financial obligations are met. In fiscal year 2022, this team of federal prosecutors, investigators, and professional legal staff diligently worked to collect almost $3 million on behalf of taxpayers and victims of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I am proud of their commitment to this important mission.”
Cases and collection amounts varied.
For example, in March 2022, the Asset Recovery Unit recovered $7,444 in court ordered restitution from Shannon Kepler who was convicted of the murder of Jeremey Lake. The victim’s family requested the funds to purchase a headstone for Lake.
Also in March, Adena Collard, who in 2004 was convicted of defrauding several Tulsa area churches, made a lump sum payment of $141, 975 after 18 years of nominal payments. The funds paid, in full, her court ordered restitution of $151,529.
In May 2022, defendant Igor Kolosha was convicted of possession of child pornography. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution. The final payment was received in May 2022. Individuals who commit child pornography crimes are often ordered to pay restitution to identified victims as required by the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistant Act of 2018.
In November 2022, Dr. Adam Gallardo Arredondo paid $216,624 of his court ordered restitution for accepting illegal kickback payments. Arredondo solicited and received checks from OK Compounding in exchange for referring his patients’ compounding prescription to the pharmacy, which is now closed. The compounding prescriptions were paid for by federal healthcare programs; therefore, the kickbacks paid to Arredondo violated federal law.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $633, 952 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2022. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
U.S. Attorney Addresses 2023 Human Trafficking Community ReceptionRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On January 11, 2023, the National Day for Human Trafficking Awareness, Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, addressed a community reception at the Spokane’s Central Public Library. The reception was sponsored by Lutheran Community Services, which is one of the United States Attorney’s Office’s principal partners in fighting human trafficking and advocating for survivors. The program included a training session for victim advocates, and was attended by law enforcement personnel, anti-trafficking advocates, and resource providers from around the region, including the Kalispell Tribe.
“Every day is Human Trafficking awareness at the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Human trafficking, whether in the form of forced labor, sexual exploitation against minors, or forced, coerced, or fraudulently-induced sexual exploitation of adults, is modern-day slavery. It lurks in places obvious and secret, online and on the street, in the Eastern District and elsewhere. We will never have a safe and strong community without ensuring that everyone is free from coerced labor and sex. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is delighted to continue working with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement, alongside victim advocates and resource providers, to seek out, investigate, and prosecute this crime while providing wraparound services to survivors in a comprehensive, victim-centered approach.”
U.S. Attorney Waldref noted that David Herzog, an experienced trafficking prosecutor in her Office, serves as the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Eastern District, and works closely with anti-trafficking agents and investigators at the FBI, HSI, and local law enforcement agencies. She also highlighted the tireless efforts of Jolene Jones and Petra Frandsen, the victim/witness specialists at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who liaise with victims, witnesses, and the non-governmental organizations that provide wraparound care to survivors.Tylertown Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. - A Tylertown, Mississippi man pled guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Jason Patrick Appeldorn, 46, pled guilty on January 10, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.
According to court documents, on September 23, 2021, U.S. Probation officers executed a search of the premises at Appeldorn’s residence in Tylertown. Appeldorn had been under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office since November 29, 2017, because of a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Appeldorn’s cellular telephone, recovered during the search, was forensically examined and several thousand visual depictions of child sexual abuse material of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct was recovered. Appeldorn also admitted to viewing and downloading child pornography.
Appeldorn is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with the assistance of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting 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.
Two Detroit Men Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy on the Red Lake ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two Detroit men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a fentanyl trafficking operation targeting the Red Lake Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in March 2021, Douglas Edward McClendon, 32, and Christopher Douglas Richard, 41, conspired with others to distribute fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and cocaine to individuals from the Red Lake Reservation. McClendon, Richard, and a third co-defendant Scot Lamont Watkins, 34, would obtain fentanyl and other drugs from suppliers in Detroit and then travel to Bemidji, Minnesota, to sell the drugs. In text messages between the defendants, Richard told his co-conspirators to come to Red Lake because there was “Hella money to be made” by selling fentanyl and emphasized that the reservation was “dry.”
According to court documents, the defendants conducted their drug distribution operation out of various Bemidji-area hotels. On March 2, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel where the defendants were selling drugs. As a result of the search, law enforcement agents recovered more than 174 grams of fentanyl, 37 grams of methamphetamine, and other controlled substances. As law enforcement made entry into the hotel room, McClendon and Watkins fled while Richard flushed a significant amount of fentanyl down the toilet.
McClendon and Richard pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances. On September 7, 2022, Richard was sentenced to 60 months in prison and McClendon was sentenced yesterday to 63 months in prison. Both defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. Watkins remains a fugitive from law enforcement.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica Ramirez.
Two Brothers Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute a Kilogram of CocaineRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for conspiring with his brother to distribute a kilogram of cocaine.
According to court documents, Reginald Lamont Wilson, 42, conspired with his brother, John Samuel Shaw III, 46, to distribute a kilogram of cocaine to a confidential informant in Virginia Beach. This all while Wilson was serving a period of supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction.
Shaw was previously sentenced to 5 years in prison on November 9, 2022.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Heck, Kevin M. Comstock, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-54.
Taunton Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Million-Dollar Online Romance ScamsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in online romance scams targeting individuals in the United States.
Francis Okafor, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. Okafor was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,130,285. In August 2022, Okafor pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy.
From approximately May 2018 through August 2021, Okafor and others participated in a series of romance scams designed to defraud victims. Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. In furtherance of the scheme, Okafor used false foreign passports in the names of others but with his photo to open numerous bank accounts. In turn, co-conspirators directed victims to send money to these accounts. Okafor and his co-conspirators then withdrew the victims’ money from various bank branches and ATMs and wired the money overseas. In total, more than $1.1 million in fraud proceeds was deposited into fraudulent bank accounts Okafor controlled.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Statement of Special Counsel Robert K. HurRead the Press Release
Following his appointment by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today, Special Counsel Robert K. Hur made the following statement:
“I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service.”
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison on Drug/Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man who fled from police in a stolen car after a shooting and a gun sale to five years and 10 months in prison.
Michael Joseph Monroe sold a 9mm pistol for $325 to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on August 21, 2019 near the Dellwood Market.
Investigators then learned that shortly before the gun deal, the passenger of a car matching the description of Monroe’s stolen Audi A6 fired multiple shots at another car on westbound Interstate 270 near Old Halls Ferry Road. The victim’s vehicle was hit six times, including three times directly underneath the left driver’s side door, but the victim was not injured.
Monroe suspected he was being followed by the police or a rival drug dealer, and told his passenger, Treyvon Perry, to fire at the other car, according to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors.
Police located the Audi and Monroe fled, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph before he crashed about 12 miles later.
Police found fentanyl, cocaine base, oxycodone and a mixture of other drugs in the car, as well as a single bullet. They believed Perry discarded his gun during the chase.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa told Judge Schelp Thursday that Monroe had repeatedly been caught with drugs or drug paraphernalia, both before and after his federal indictment.
Judge Schelp told Monroe, “This behavior was out of control,” before sentencing him.
Monroe, 25, pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which was possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Judge Schelp sentenced Treyvon Perry, then 20, to five years in prison in October on one count of conspiracy to possess and discharge a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Charged with Illegally Dealing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Aurora man has been charged with two counts of dealing firearms without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from at least May 2019 through September 2022, Wayne Robert Danielson, 59, engaged in a regular pattern and practice of purchasing and reselling firearms predominantly to earn a profit. During this period, Danielson purchased dozens of firearms from three different Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) within Minnesota, including multiple purchases of identical firearms. For example, Danielson purchased five Taurus G2C 9mm pistols between March 2021 and January 2022.
On May 8, 2022, a 17-year-old was shot and killed in South St. Paul. A subsequent investigation revealed that the handgun used in the shooting had been purchased by Danielson on December 1, 2021.
Danielson is charged with two counts of dealing in firearms without a license. He previously made his initial appearance on a related complaint in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the South St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Hudleston 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.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of Minors and False Statements to FBIRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Jonathan McKinney Rion, 60, of Woodruff, SC, and Charlotte, NC, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to enticement of a minor for sexual activity and false statements to the FBI, to be followed by a lifetime of supervision and registration as a sex offender.
In March 2021, according to evidence presented in Court, 58-year-old Rion enticed a minor boy into sexual conduct. He met the victim through an online social media application. Through an internet-based cell phone application, Rion arranged to travel from Charlotte, NC, to the Columbia, SC, area to pick the minor up and to take him back to Charlotte. In North Carolina, he sexually abused the minor and provided him with money and gifts.
In April 2021, Rion then spoke with who he was told was a 14-year-old minor two school grades younger than his previous victim. In truth, Rion was speaking to an undercover FBI agent. Rion attempted to recruit the purported 14-year-old to travel to his residence in North Carolina or to a hotel in South Carolina, where Rion intended to give the minor gifts or money in exchange for sex.
Evidence also indicated Rion had exploited as many as 6 minor victims between 2018 and 2021, many of whom he met online. Rion provided money, gifts, a place to stay, and other things of value; in exchange, he sexually abused the victims. He also obtained explicit photos and videos of the minor victims, and some victims reported non-consensual sexual contact.
When approached by the FBI, Rion falsely denied engaging in sexual contact with one victim, and he falsely claimed that he did not engage in any sexual conversations with minors. Evidence also indicated Rion had made false claims to a state court related to one victim.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Rion to 14 years in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of court-ordered supervision, and Rion will have to register as a sex offender after release. The Court also ordered restitution be paid to one victim. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Lexington (SC) Police Department, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 57 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND –Eric Blackmon, 25 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Blackmon was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in September 2022, Blackmon brokered the sale of a handgun to another individual in Michigan City. Blackmon brought his own 9-millimeter firearm with an extended magazine to the deal. His semi-automatic firearm was eventually recovered by law enforcement despite his attempts to conceal it. Blackmon has prior felony convictions for strangulation and burglary, and either conviction prohibits his possession of the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the LaPorte County Drug Task Force and the Michigan City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
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.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND –Shaquille Delaney, 32 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Delaney was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on numerous occasions between the summer of 2021 and January 2022, law enforcement purchased methamphetamine from Delaney. During the subsequent execution of a search warrant at his residence, law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, marijuana, synthetic marijuana, a .22 caliber rifle, cash, drug paraphernalia, and a drug ledger. Delaney’s criminal history includes prior felony convictions for home invasion and delivery of controlled substances.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT, the Porter County Drug Task Force (PCMEG), the South Bend Police Department, and the Porter County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly L. Schultz and Frank Schaffer.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 150 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND –Terrence Reid, 39 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Reid was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in May 2019, Reid agreed with others to buy methamphetamine in California to bring back to the Midwest for distribution. He flew to California, obtained more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, and loaded it into a car. Co-conspirators drove the methamphetamine back to the Midwest while Reid flew to Chicago. The drugs were found when the vehicle was stopped by law enforcement in Missouri.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Mishawaka Police Department, the St. Joseph County Drug Investigations Unit, the Indiana State Police, and the Missouri State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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Smuggler admits to smuggling conspiracy resulting in two deathsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A 34-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens within the United States resulting in a death, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Wilkin Perez-Perez had been in charge and managing the transportation of aliens into the United States as well as the harboring of these aliens in the country.
On Sept, 21, 2017, Melvin L. Barahona-Godoy and Yoryi Alexis Perez led several people to the Rio Grande River. Two of the undocumented aliens drowned while trying to cross the river and into the United States. Their bodies were discovered along the river banks.
The investigation led to Perez-Perez who had returned to the Dominican Republic. He was determined to being in charge of and managing the U.S. branch of the organization. He had coordinated the transportation of these aliens into the interior of the United States and harboring them in Laredo. This led to the two deaths.
Authorities ultimately apprehended him on the charges. He was later extradited to the United States.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, he faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Perez-Perez has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Melvin L. Barahona-Godoy, 27, Guatemala, and Perez, 33, Dominican Republic, were also charged in relation to the transportation and harboring of the men and others. They have since been convicted and sentenced.
Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
Sioux City Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to evade police on foot and resisted arrest was sentenced on December 20, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison.
Malik Rimmer, 26, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 21, 2022, guilty plea to one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
Evidence in the case showed on or about April 3, 2022, a Sioux City Police Officer observed a vehicle with a license plate that expired in January 2022. The officer initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle, driven by Rimmer, refused to yield.
Rimmer took off at a high rate of speed and struck a curb in his attempt to flee, disabling his vehicle. Rimmer exited the vehicle and fled on foot. An officer drove his police vehicle in an attempt to cut off Rimmer, and could see Rimmer was holding a black object in his hand. Rimmer, still on foot, turned around and ran back toward his vehicle. The officer exited his police vehicle and gave Rimmer multiple commands to get on the ground. Rimmer refused to obey these orders and fought with officers. He was ultimately taken into custody.
Officers observed a black Taurus G3 pistol laying in the grass on the path Rimmer had fled. The firearm was listed as stolen at the time.
Rimmer was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Rimmer is being held in the custody of the United States Marshal’s until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-04035.
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Shelby County Woman Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Center woman has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Ingrid Yaresi Balderas De Leon, 28, pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, De Leon was part of a drug trafficking organization distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in East Texas. De Leon participated in several sales of large quantities of methamphetamine, often acting as a Spanish-language interpreter during the transactions. De Leon and her co-conspirators would hide the methamphetamine in the plastic trim of vehicles and deliver them to a residence in Center. De Leon was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 2, 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
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Serial Counterfeiter Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Trenton Underwood, age 32, of Denham Springs, Louisiana to 36 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to manufacture and possess counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, and the possession of counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. The Court further sentenced Underwood to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered all instrumentalities used in the scheme be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in early 2022 Underwood and others made and attempted to pass counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in exchange for retail and food items in the Middle District of Louisiana. On February 3, 2022, law enforcement recovered over $1,240 in cut counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, 66 pages of uncut counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in various denominations, and items used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes including a printer with a $20 Federal Reserve Note taped to the glass, boxes of linen paper, printer cartridges, paper cutters and dryer seats.
This was Underwood’s fourth counterfeit conviction. He had three prior state convictions for counterfeit and was on parole for one of these convictions when he committed the above federal offense.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill.
Seattle man now charged federally for carjackings and assaults that spanned King CountyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 22-year-old Seattle man will appear today in U.S. District Court in Seattle on a seven-count indictment for multiple crimes on November 7, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Maar Teng Rambang is charged with three counts of carjacking, three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of attempted robbery. Rambang will appear at 2:00 PM today.
“These alleged crimes stretched from Kent, to Bellevue, to Redmond, to Seattle and ultimately back to Renton. Along the way Mr. Rambang’s conduct put countless people at risk – not just with the firearm he illegally possessed and used – but with the vehicles he drove at high speed in populated areas,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “It’s important that we use our federal tools to deter this type of conduct.”
According to records filed in King County Superior Court and in federal court, the criminal conduct began on November 7, 2022, outside the Kent Post Office where Rambang allegedly confronted a woman, brandishing a gun and demanding her car. Next, Rambang drove the stolen car to the Bellevue Square Mall garage and fired two shots as he threatened another woman and demanded her vehicle. Next, he drove that stolen BMW to Redmond and attempted to rob Amazon employees working at a delivery locker at a Whole Foods Market. Rambang then allegedly drove the BMW to the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle where he shot a man in the leg and stole his Jeep SUV. Officers tracked the Jeep to Kent and attempted to stop and arrest Rambang but he fled at speeds of 90-100 miles per hour in areas of heavy traffic. Rambang drove in center turn lanes, through gas station parking lots and ran red lights. Ultimately, a Jeep service provider was able to remotely slow the vehicle to 30 miles an hour so that law enforcement was able to block the car and arrest Rambang.
Rambang was originally charged in King County Superior Court. He was indicted by the grand jury on December 14, 2022. He came into federal custody late yesterday. He remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac pending further hearings.
Carjacking is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Attempted robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Using a firearm in connection with a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Kent, Bellevue, Redmond, and Seattle Police Departments with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, firearms, Tobacco & Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
San Diego Man Sentenced to Life for Fatally Stabbing BoyfriendRead the Press Release
A San Diego man who killed his boyfriend by stabbing him 93 times was sentenced today to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Alexander Yoichi Duberek, 25, was indicted in September 2021. He pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of interstate domestic violence resulting in death and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
“This defendant looked his boyfriend’s family in the eyes and described the date night he had planned for the two of them. But instead of providing a romantic evening, he carried out a sadistic, premeditated plan to take the life of a 30-year-old man and callously dispose of his body,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “I cannot imagine the horror for this victim and his family. We are proud to bring this killer to justice.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Duberek admitted that on Oct. 31, 2020, he traveled from his home in San Diego to his boyfriend’s home in Plainview, Texas, where he committed the fatal stabbing on the side of a rural farm road.
Mr. Duberek admitted that after arriving at the Lubbock airport that evening, he took a cab to a Sam’s Club parking lot, where he purchased a Toyota Camry for $3,000 cash. He then drove to a Walmart, where he purchased a knife, a hatchet, a gas can, a collapsible shovel, a head lamp, a change of clothing, boots, personal hygiene items, and a first aid kit.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors said that when Mr. Duberek arrived at his boyfriend’s house, he told his boyfriend’s family that he planned to take him out to eat and then to a local hotel room to spend the night.
Instead, he killed the 30-year-old and dumped the body.
Following the murder, Mr. Duberek fled to Houston, where he sold the vehicle used in the murder to an individual outside an auto auction. Investigators later searched the vehicle and found blood in the back seat that matched the victim.
The defendant remained at large for roughly five months before turning himself in to San Diego law enforcement on March 18, 2021. While being booked into jail, he was asked about a tattoo of his boyfriend’s first name on his ring finger; he answered that it was the name of the person he had killed.
“After viciously attacking him, the defendant left this wonderful human life, who he reportedly loved and wanted to marry, on the side of the road, like yesterday’s trash, like his life didn’t matter, to bleed to death,” the victim’s aunt said at the sentencing. “Why would he extinguish a light that shone so brightly for so many? Why didn’t he just stay in California, move on with his life?”
The Hale County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and San Diego Field Offices conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Highway Patrol’s Houston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
Riverside Man Caught with over 10 Grams of Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues Sentenced to Two Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute heroin was sentenced on January 10, 2023, to two years in federal prison.
Taylor James Leyden, age 30, from Riverside, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 5, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
At the guilty plea, Leyden admitted he conspired with others to distribute heroin. Evidence at prior hearings and information presented at the sentencing hearing showed that, in 2021, the Cedar Rapids DEA conducted a wiretap investigation of several heroin and fentanyl traffickers in the Cedar Rapids area. In March 2021, based on intercepted communications from the wiretap, the vehicle in which Leyden was riding was stopped by police. During a search of the vehicle, Leyden was found in possession of over 10 grams of a mixture containing heroin, fentanyl, and synthetic opioids acetyl fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and metonitazene. About two months later, Leyden was again stopped by law enforcement and found in possession of approximately 3.5 grams of a substance that contained heroin, fentanyl, and metonitazene.
Seven other individuals, Cody Scott Deklotz, Andrew James Lehman, Ryan Rick Schlitter, Melinda Salvatora Werning, Jerry Dwayne Banghart, Thomas Nathaniel May, and Demeco Demon Irvin previously pled guilty to the heroin conspiracy and have been sentenced. Ryan Rick Schlitter was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. Andrew James Lehman was sentenced to 10 months and 16 days’ imprisonment. Cody Scott Deklotz was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment. Melinda Salvatora Werning was sentenced to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment. Jerry Dwayne Banghart was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. Thomas Nathaniel May was sentenced to 31 months’ imprisonment. Demeco Demon Irvin was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. Two other individuals charged in the same indictment, including Brian Jarrell Dennis, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Leyden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Leyden was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Leyden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21‑CR‑32‑CJW.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Nicholas Deraway, 41, of Delray Beach, Fla., has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possessing child sexual exploitation material and failing to properly register as a sex offender.
In January 2022, Google alerted the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children that one of its users had uploaded child sexual exploitation material to an account. An investigation into this CyberTip led law enforcement to Deraway’s home where they executed a search warrant and found thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of children.
In 2004, Deraway was convicted in the Southern District of Florida for an offense that required him to comply with the ongoing requirements of the federal sex offender registration law. According to allegations, Deraway used an online alias (Nick Meenachan), yet failed to update his sex offender registration information with the associated email addresses. The name “Nick Meenachan” is linked to the child sexual exploitation material uploads that led to the January 2022 CyberTip.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI, Miami Field Office, and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta, Southern District of Florida, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and U.S. Marshal Service investigated the case with assistance from the Delray Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 the PSC initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Philadelphia Man Admits Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving over 100 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Egg Harbor Township man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Lester Santana, 52, of Egg Harbor Township, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Santana admitted that on numerous occasions from March 2019 to August 2020, he and his conspirators flew from to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on commercial flights from Philadelphia International Airport. Santana and his conspirators purchased multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from wholesale drug suppliers based in the San Juan area in exchange for cash payments. Santana and the other conspirators then shipped the kilograms of cocaine by overnight delivery from U.S. Post Offices in San Juan to various addresses in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, including to Santana’s residence. After the cocaine shipments were delivered, a conspirator resold the cocaine to other drug dealers in the Philadelphia area for a profit. Santana admitted that he was jointly responsible for the possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine.
The drug-trafficking conspiracy charge carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2023.
Two conspirators in this case, Jose Gonzalez and Iran Soler, both previously pleaded guilty before Judge O’Hearn to conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30, 2023, and Soler is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; agents of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; agents assigned to the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; agents assigned to the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire; troopers assigned to the New Jersey State Police Strategic Investigations Unit South, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers and detectives of the Philadelphia Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Daniel Outlaw, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Pasco Man Sentenced to over 21 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl and Possessing Firearms; Forfeits House and More Than $400,000Read the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Edwin Hill, a/k/a “Z” (51, Holiday), to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 1 kilogram or more of heroin, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. The court also ordered Hill to forfeit his interest in a house in Pasco County that was used in committing the offenses, as well as a handgun. Hill previously agreed to forfeit $400,536 in drug proceeds, three handguns, and assorted ammunition. Hill was arrested on September 27, 2018, and subsequently detained. He pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022.
According to court documents, Hill trafficked fentanyl in Pasco County. He used a residence in New Port Richey for distributing the drugs and his personal residence in Holiday for storing the controlled substances, cash, and firearms. After four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hill were made, federal authorities obtained search warrants for both residences and executed them on September 27, 2018. More than a half-kilogram of fentanyl, almost a kilogram of cocaine, five firearms (including two that were reported stolen), and more than $370,000 in cash was recovered from the two houses. During an interview with law enforcement, Hill admitted to drug trafficking, ownership of the seized guns, and that the seized money was the proceeds of drug sales. On September 27, 2018, after agreeing to cooperate with the investigation, Hill secretly, and without informing law enforcement, placed three texts to coconspirator Nelson White, that he had been arrested:
Text 1: D e a
Text 2: Dont come
Text 3: Stop answering the feds got me
Law enforcement observed White leave his residence after a bag was loaded into his car. A deputy from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office pulled over White’s car for a traffic violation and found approximately an additional pound of fentanyl, almost a half-kilogram of cocaine, more than $29,000 in cash, four additional firearms, and assorted ammunition. White was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced on December 1, 2020, to more than 21 years in federal prison. A separate coconspirator, William Gaston, was sentenced on July 28, 2020, to 10 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, the Plant City Police Department, and the Winter Haven Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
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.
Owner of Ninja Electronics Retail Stores Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has entered pleas of guilty to three separate criminal charges arising out of his ownership and operation of a series of electronics reseller stores in the greater Pittsburgh area, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today. Milton I. Barr, age 36, entered pleas to separate counts charging him with Criminal Conspiracy, Mail Fraud and Money Laundering.
Barr was, during the time period of the Indictment, the owner / operator of Ninja Electronics, a series of retail stores that was initially in the business of selling used and refurbished electronic items. The evidence presented to the Court showed that during the period January 2016 through August 2018 Barr oversaw an operation that generated substantial revenue by purchasing health and beauty aids such as Crest White Strips, cosmetics, razor blades, hair care products and similar items, as well as over the counter medications such as name brand cough and cold medications, pain relievers, heartburn treatments and the like. Barr’s employees purchased these items from sellers who walked into his stores from off the street. The evidence showed that these walk-in sellers were invariably drug addicts who had shoplifted the items from local drug stores, grocery stores and retail chains. The records in the case showed that these addict sellers came into Ninja Electronics frequently, often multiple times in the same day or multiple times in the same week, offering items for sale to Ninja that were purchased by Ninja for pennies on the dollar of their original price. Ninja in turn took these stolen goods, always new and in the box, and then offered them for sale on websites like Amazon, shipping them to their ultimate purchasers through the United States mail. The evidence showed that in only one of the multiple Ninja bank accounts Barr received in excess of $540,000 in payments from Amazon during the less than three-year indictment period.
The evidence showed that Barr’s stores operated on a kind of “Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ policy. That is, employees were instructed not to ask the drug addict sellers where they obtained the merchandise they were selling, and if a seller told an employee that the item had been shoplifted employees were instructed not to buy the item. However, it was common knowledge among all the employees that the walk-in sellers were stealing the merchandise that Ninja was buying.
The Court set sentencing for Barr on May 17, 2023. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to five years for the conspiracy count, up to 20 years on the wire fraud count and up to ten years on the money laundering count. The statutes in question each also carry a fine provision of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. Police departments from the City of Pittsburgh, Ross Township and Shaler Township also assisted in the overall investigation.
Oneonta Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Commit Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TOBY MURCHISON was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl. MURCHISON was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti. MURCHISON previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Toby Murchison preyed on a 16-year-old girl who had run away from home. Murchison placed this young woman in harm’s way by conspiring to have her engage in commercial sex and benefited financially from her misfortune. It is difficult to imagine more outrageous conduct, and today’s sentence signals the tenacity with which this Office will prosecute those who take advantage of minor victims.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information and other court documents filed in White Plains federal court:
In or about April 2021, MURCHISON conspired with one or more people to recruit a 16-year-old victim (“Minor Victim-1”) to engage in commercial sex acts in and around Newburgh, New York. MURCHISON met Minor Victim-1, who had run away from home, in the Newburgh area. MURCHISON and a co-conspirator helped Minor Victim-1 to procure “dates” (i.e., meetings with men to engage in commercial sex acts) and then secured hotel rooms, including in Newburgh and Fishkill, in which Minor Victim-1 would meet the men for “dates” and perform sex acts in exchange for money. Minor Victim-1 then gave some or all of the proceeds from those commercial sex acts to MURCHISON.
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In addition to his prison sentence, MURCHISON, 43, of Oneonta, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations New York, Resident Agent in Charge Hudson Valley, and the Dutchess County Sherriff’s Office.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Simon is in charge of the prosecution.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ivan Lee Burton, 47, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Burton admitted to distributing approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg on or about August 3, 2022. Burton further admitted to conspiring with several others to complete numerous drug transactions in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area between April 2022 and September 2022. Burton used other individuals to sell drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to customers on his behalf.
Burton has a long criminal history that now includes 13 felony convictions and six misdemeanor convictions.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-190.
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Esteban Latorre-Cacho, age 37, of Lockport, New York, pleaded guilty on January 10, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Latorre-Cacho admitted to possessing 67 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on April 30, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lehigh County. Latorre-Cacho was the sole occupant of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 67 kilograms of cocaine found hidden inside boxes within the vehicle. Further investigation showed that Latorre-Cacho had picked up the boxes containing the cocaine at a location within the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun
violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational, and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced BRYCE JONES, age 23, of New Orleans, to 42 months in the Bureau of Prisons on January 11, 2023 for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court documents, in October 2021, law enforcement arrested JONES, along with several co-defendants who were also convicted felons in possession of firearms, near the intersection of Bienville and Crozat streets in New Orleans. JONES was in possession of a Rossi revolver, which he had in his waistband. Record checks revealed that just a few months earlier, JONES had been convicted of several felony offenses in Livingston Parish. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Judge Africk ordered JONES to serve 42 months in federal prison and to serve an additional three-year term of supervised release after release from imprisonment. The Court also ordered JONES to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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 New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
New Jersey Company Agrees to Pay $1.89 Million to Settle Allegations that it Overbilled United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A shipping company has agreed to pay $1.89 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by overbilling the United States for freight services that were never performed and improper markups, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Blue Water Shipping U.S. Inc. (Blue Water Shipping) had a contract in which it billed for freight forwarding services for foreign military sales, which were reimbursed by the United States. In the settlement announced today, Blue Water Shipping admits that an employee of the company, who has since been terminated, created a fake company to bill for freight services that were never actually performed, and which were ultimately reimbursed by the United States. The settlement also resolves allegations that Blue Water Shipping charged unallowable markups to the United States for inland transportation, and imports and exports of ocean and air freight. Blue Water Shipping has agreed to pay $1.89 million to resolve the investigations for the improper billings.
In conjunction with the investigation, Blue Water Shipping voluntarily disclosed facts to the investigators and cooperated with the investigation and prosecution of the former employee.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick Hegarty; and special agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark C. Orlowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Mobile, Alabama Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Animal Crushing, and EscapeRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Mobile, AL man was sentenced to a total of 135 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, animal crushing and escape, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Richard McGuire, 44, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
On March 29, 2022, Moss Point Police officers responded to an alarm call at Tay’s BBQ/Shell Station located on Highway 63 in Moss Point, MS. Officers identified a suspect and began searching the area for him. The suspect, who was later identified as Richard J. McGuire, was located behind another business but fled on foot when officers tried to approach him.
Moss Point Police K9 “Buddy” was released to track McGuire but the suspect fled over a privacy fence. Buddy continued to pursue McGuire into a wooded area when officers heard two gunshots and Buddy returned to them, having been shot in the chest.
On August 2, 2022, McGuire pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and animal crushing. On August 5, 2022, McGuire attempted to escape from the Pearl River County Adult Detention Center where he was being held without bond for the charges to which he pled guilty. He manipulated the fence and was apprehended just outside the facility by officers in the area. McGuire pled guilty to the escape offense on November 29, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
K9 Buddy made a full recovery.