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12 January 2023
Appointment of a Special CounselRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today the appointment of a former career Justice Department prosecutor and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur to serve as special counsel to conduct the investigation of matters that were the subject of the initial investigation by U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. related to the possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Wilmington, Delaware, private residence of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
“Based on Mr. Lausch's initial investigation, I concluded that, under the Special Counsel regulations, it was in the public interest to appoint a Special Counsel. In the days since, while Mr. Lausch continued the investigation, the Department identified Mr. Hur for appointment as Special Counsel.
“This appointment underscores for the public the Department's commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law.
I am confident that Mr. Hur will carry out his responsibility in an even-handed and urgent manner, and in accordance with the highest traditions of this Department.”
Angelina County Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Lufkin man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Fabian Fernando Hernandez, 20, pleaded guilty on July 19, 2022, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, Hernandez was identified by law enforcement as a possible distributor of narcotics in the East Texas area. On Jan. 15, 2022, the Rusk Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Hernandez was driving. During the traffic stop Hernandez fled on foot. Officers found nearly sixty grams of cocaine and almost 500 grams of marijuana in the vehicle abandoned by Hernandez, as well as pistol. Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 6, 2022.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lufkin Police Department, and the Rusk Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
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23-Year-Old Man Sentenced to over 7 Years for Attempted Murder of a U.S. Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Rey David Marquez-Jimenez, 23, of Mexico, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 85 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Marquez-Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer. The Court also ordered Marquez-Jimenez to pay $99.57 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Labor for expenses related to the agent’s medical care.
On January 26, 2022, near Hereford, Arizona, Marquez-Jimenez - without provocation - attacked a United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent. Marquez-Jimenez tackled the agent as he attempted to handcuff another individual. Marquez-Jimenez punched the agent several times and tried to pull the agent’s firearm from his holster. When the firearm came out of the holster, Marquez-Jimenez tried to point it at the agent. He then got on top of the agent and attempted to slash and stab him with a knife. The agent gained control of the knife, and Marquez-Jimenez fled on foot before being apprehended by other USBP agents.
“Our colleagues in the United States Border Patrol have a difficult and sometimes dangerous job,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Most noncitizens who enter the United States do so peacefully, and with the intention of seeking a better life for their families. To the small number of undocumented aliens who ignore law enforcement commands and engage in aggressive behavior, be warned: We will vindicate the rights of Border Patrol agents by prosecuting violent offenders commensurate with their unlawful actions.”
“This agent fought for his life while working to protect the American people and safeguard our borders. Assaults on law enforcement officials continue to occur and this is just one of the thousands that happened in 2022,” said Akil Davis, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to ensure that those who commit acts of violence against law enforcement officials will be brought to justice.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00175-TUC-JGZ-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-004_Marquez-Jimenez# # #
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.
11 January 2023
Worcester Investment Advisor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Fraud and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester-based investment adviser was sentenced today in connection with a long-running scheme to steal more than $2.8 million from six clients.
James Kenneth Couture, 42, of Sutton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Couture was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,924,585 and forfeiture of $2,874,585. In September 2022, Couture pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of investment adviser fraud and one count of witness tampering.
Couture was a registered investment adviser, with an office in Worcester. In that capacity, he invested his clients’ funds in securities and various insurance products, including annuities, and set up and assisted clients with profit-sharing plans and other retirement products. From approximately 2009 to 2020, Couture misappropriated approximately $2.8 million from his clients by transferring funds out of his clients’ accounts, investing it in fictitious mutual funds and then selling other clients’ holdings to pay investment returns. In June 2016, Couture liquidated one client’s variable annuities to fund withdrawals by another client. Similarly, in December 2019 and January 2020, Couture paid a client he had previously defrauded by selling other clients’ mutual funds. As part of this scheme, Couture forged clients’ signatures on documents, or caused clients to sign documents by falsely representing that the proceeds of transactions would be used for the clients’ benefit. Couture also stole from clients using their own profit-sharing plans and conducting transactions in their names to disguise his fraudulent transactions.
Couture was initially charged in connection with this scheme in June 2021. After those initial charges were filed, Couture engaged in witness tampering by creating fake documents purported to be for his clients’ accounts and providing false information to at least one victim in the case for approximately six months. Couture was subsequently charged with witness tampering in connection with his efforts to deceive this victim on Jan. 14, 2022.
United States Attorney Rachael Rollins, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, prosecuted the case.
Wiretap Investigation Leads to Another Waterloo Man Involved in Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Being Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man involved in a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization was sentenced on January 6, 2023, to 29 years in federal prison.
Anthony Howard Amundson, age 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 3, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at sentencing showed that, from 2017 to January 2020, Amundson was a member of a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization that was distributing methamphetamine in the Waterloo, Iowa area. Amundson was in and out of state custody during that time period; however, when in the community, Amundson distributed several kilograms of methamphetamine imported from Mexico. Amundson was intercepted on a wiretap communicating directly with the Mexico‑based source of supply. Amundson exercised a leadership role over another member of the drug trafficking organization.
Amundson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Amundson was sentenced to 348 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Amundson 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 Ashley Corkery and Dillan Edwards. This 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 Mid-Iowa Task Force (Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department), Iowa National Guard and Counter Drug Program, Tri-County Task Force (Cedar Falls Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the 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 20-CR-02034.
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Washington man admits trafficking fentanyl in Great FallsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Spokane, Washington, man admitted to trafficking charges today after law enforcement found hundreds of fentanyl pills in a vehicle in which he was a passenger in Great Falls, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Yevgeniy Rudnitskiy, 34, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Rudnitskiy faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 25. Rudnitskiy was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2022, Russell Country Drug Task Force agents were surveilling a motel room in Great Falls as part of an ongoing drug investigation. Two men, including Rudnitskiy, left the room, entered a vehicle, drove a short distance and parked. Co-defendant Kelly Sterling Wait, of Williston, North Dakota, was the driver. Rudnitskiy got out of the vehicle and appeared to steal several items from trucks in the lot. The investigation led to the Montana Highway Patrol stopping the vehicle. Wait was removed from the driver’s seat and a loaded pistol was removed from his waistband, along with a fanny pack he had. Rudnitskiy also was removed from the passenger seat and a bundle of cash and a bag were observed where he had been sitting. The vehicle was searched on a state warrant. Approximately 186 fentanyl pills were found in the fanny pack, and six bags, each containing 100 fentanyl pills, were found in the trunk. Another 60 fentanyl pills were found in the passenger seat area. Cash seized from Rudnitskiy and from where he had been sitting totaled $3,734. Wait recently pleaded guilty in the case and is pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Highway Patrol and Great Falls Police Department.
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Utah Man Who Coerced and Enticed Minors Across the United States via the Internet was Sentenced to 300 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Woods Cross, Utah man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted sexual exploitation via production of child pornography.
Landon Germaine, 34, was also placed on supervised release for life, in addition to his term of imprisonment.
According to court documents, Germain pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted to knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing the minor victims to engage in sexual activity for which any person could be charged with a criminal offense. Germaine also pleaded guilty to attempted sexual exploitation via production of child pornography. He admitted to knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce a visual depiction, and the images were produced using materials that had been mailed or shipped or transported in interstate commerce.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys' Carol Dain for the District of Utah and Carly Marshall for the Western District of Arkansas prosecuted this case along with Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon with the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
The FBI investigated the cases in Utah and Arkansas.
Undocumented Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Illegal Re-Entry to U.S.Read the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A man originally from Mexico was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison in a U.S. District Court on Wednesday after he admitted to re-entering the U.S. after previously being deported.
Jose A. Navarro-Laguna, 41, pled guilty to Illegal Re-Entry after Deportation.
According to court documents, Navarro-Laguna was driving a car with a female passenger when the Illinois State Police conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 57 southbound near Mount Vernon, Illinois on Aug. 24, 2022. ISP troopers observed the female passenger did not speak English, and Navarro-Laguna stated he was giving her a ride to Alabama.
Upon searching the vehicle, ISP troopers only found clothing and personal items belonging to Navarro-Laguna and was thus suspicious the passenger was a victim of human trafficking and reported the incident to DHS. Navarro-Laguna admitted he knew the female was not legally present in the U.S., and that he gave rides to individuals for payment.
“Individuals in the U.S. illegally can pose significant threats to local public safety through undetected drug smuggling and human trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It’s concerning that the defendant admitted to transporting another immigrant in exchange for payment, and I appreciate the efforts by the Illinois State Police and the Department of Homeland Security to investigate this incident and apprehend Navarro-Laguna.”
“Navarro-Laguna had no regard for human life and the rule of law,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge R. Sean Fitzgerald. “Today’s sentencing sends a message that HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to working together to investigate human trafficking and protect our communities from those who engage in these heinous crimes.”
“The Illinois State Police has zero tolerance for human traffickers and we remain vigilant in our protection of human trafficking victims,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
Since 2005, Navarro-Laguna has been found guilty of Illegal Entry in the U.S. and deported on at least three separate occasions. The sentencing guidelines for an illegal re-entry offense are zero to six months, but the sentencing judge noted the defendant’s previous consequences have not deterred him.
HSI led the investigation with assistance from ISP, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karelia prosecuted the case.
January is recognized nationally as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes January as National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – In recognition of January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio is encouraging residents to continue the fight against human trafficking by raising awareness and reporting tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
“Addressing human trafficking in Northern Ohio remains a top priority for our office and law enforcement partners,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “In order for us to keep the pressure on traffickers, we need the public’s help to report tips to law enforcement. Only through a collaborative approach can we help end this insidious crime.”
January 11th is recognized as National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness. Today, communities around the country #WearBlue to help raise awareness and encourage others to help prevent trafficking by reporting tips to law enforcement.
Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has announced several high-profile human trafficking convictions and sentencings, including:
U.S. v. Jason S. Huffman (4:21-cr-348). On September 27, 2022, Jason Huffman was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a five-count charging him with transportation of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual conduct, possession of child pornography. and sexual exploitation of children.
In Feb. 2021, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at Huffman’s Youngstown-area residence and found images of child pornography on multiple cellphones belonging to Huffman, including images Huffman had created of a minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
U.S. v. Reuben Rankin (4:19-cr-716). On July 12, 2022, Reuben Rankin was sentenced to 40 years in prison following convictions of sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography, assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in May 2019, Rankin engaged in sex trafficking of a minor and production of child pornography in order to raise money to purchase drugs, clothing, and an SUV. Rankin relied heavily on income earned from commercial sex acts to fund his lifestyle.
U.S. v. Larrien Brown-Austin (5:20-cr-114). On May 24, 2022, Larrien Brown-Austin was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to participating in a sex trafficking conspiracy that forced victims to perform sex acts in exchange for money.
According to court records, from June through August of 2018, Brown-Austin lived at a residence in Canton provided by his father that he used to facilitate commercial sex acts. In June of 2018, Brown-Austin met two victims and forced both to live at the residence, perform sex acts in exchange for money and provide him with the profits.
U.S. v. Holden Gallagher (3:18-cr-479). In March 2022, Holden Gallagher was sentenced to 30 years in prison and a lifetime supervised release after he pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, receipt, and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Court documents state that on July 31, 2015, law enforcement investigators obtained several electronic devices, including a laptop and hard drive, which contained numerous files of child pornography from Gallagher’s Sylvania area residence. Additionally, investigators determined that some of the images contained a depiction of a minor known to Gallagher and that Gallagher had corresponded with the minor victim and gotten the minor to produce images of child pornography.
In addition, to support the victims of human trafficking, various organizations in the Northern District of Ohio were awarded more than $5.7 million in grant funding in the previous fiscal year from the Department of Justice to provide services and aid, including:
- $2.5 million to The Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Taskforce, led by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (CCPO).
- $799,355 awarded to Advocating Opportunity (AO) in Toledo to provide services, support, and advocacy for trafficked and exploited people.
- $399,084 awarded to the Rape Crisis Center in Akron to enhance existing anti-human trafficking work.
In February 2022, the Attorney General announced the release of the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
- U.S. Attorney's Office Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
U.S. Attorney Announces Sextortion Indictment and Seeks to Identify Additional VictimsRead the Press Release
Provides tips for parents and kids on protecting themselves from growing threat on Snapchat and other social media platforms
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Today U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced charges against Brandon Huu Le, 21, of Maitland, Florida for coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and receipt of child pornography in connection with an alleged sextortion scheme using the popular social media app, Snapchat. Sextortion involves threats against a victim—including threats to publish or distribute private and sensitive information about someone—if the victim does not provide the perpetrator with sexually explicit images or videos, sexual favors, or money.
“These charges represent serious allegations, and we are moving with all diligence to make our case and protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, for the Western District of Michigan. He continued: “Sextortion is on the rise and represents a real and present danger to every child, teenager, and user of social media. We will use every power at our disposal to protect our most vulnerable community members from this emerging threat.”
“The use of the internet to threaten and manipulate children into producing sexually explicit images, and then threatening to share or publish those images to get the victims to produce more is predatory conduct that is very harmful to minor victims,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I commend the young victims who came forward to report Le’s behavior. Reporting to law enforcement is the brave, first step towards holding these predators accountable for their actions.”
The Government alleges that on August 10 and 11, 2019, Mr. Le used Snapchat to contact a 13-year-old girl living in the Western District of Michigan. The indictment alleges that Mr. Le steered the Snapchat conversation to sexual topics; took a screenshot of the sexual portion of the conversation; and then threatened to publicly post that conversation online with the victim’s name if the victim did not provide him with sexually explicit photos and material.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI are working to identify other individuals, nationwide, who Le may have approached. The U.S. Attorney’s Office believes that Le used the name “Ty” and the following usernames on various social media, messaging, and e-mail accounts:
addityyt
tyaddinude
tyaddibaby
tycroneaddi
tygrazittenudef
If you believe that you are a victim in this case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/vw-large-cases/Le or contact Kathy Schuette, Victim Coordinator, at (616) 808-2034.
The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.
If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov. More information is available at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion.
The FBI is investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend is prosecuting it.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Two Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic Stolen Medical Products from the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical CenterRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man has been federally charged with related crimes
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Jennifer Robertson, age 52, of Battle Creek, Michigan, and Michelle McAllister, age 56, of Jerome, Michigan, pled guilty to participating in a multi-year, interstate conspiracy to transport and traffic diabetic test strips stolen from the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center to a Pennsylvania man named Steven Anderson. Anderson faces federal charges for related crimes, and is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
“My office takes government theft very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, for the Western District of Michigan. “Thefts from VA medical centers deprive other veterans of needed medical care and resources. My office is dedicated to serving and protecting our nation’s veterans.”
According to their plea agreements, Robertson spent over 20 years in procurement for the Battle Creek VA Pharmacy, where she was responsible for ordering supplies for veterans in need of medical care. In June 2017, Robertson stole 10 boxes of diabetic test strips from the pharmacy’s inventory, and arranged online to meet McAllister and sell them for cash. After completing that transaction and several similar ones, McAllister realized that Robertson’s test strips were stolen, but decided to keep buying from her. She confided in Anderson that her “matra [sic] is not to ask too many questions.” Anderson replied: “Lol.” For over two years, Robertson and McAllister conducted hundreds of such transactions. Throughout the scheme, Robertson admitted stealing over 7,500 boxes of diabetic test strips, costing the Battle Creek VA Pharmacy over $400,000.
“The theft of medical supplies intended for our nation’s veterans is a grave offense. Such schemes erode public trust, steal from the taxpayer, and divert valuable resources away from those who have rightfully earned them,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “My office is resolved to investigate and root out anyone who would attempt to benefit from these fraudulent activities.”
“Medical products, such as diabetic test strips, that are not in the legitimate supply chain can present a health risk to those who buy and use these diverted products,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “FDA will continue to protect consumers by investigating and bringing to justice those who attempt to traffic in diverted medical products.”
This investigation was led by the Food and Drug Administration and the VA Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. Finally, as noted above, the charges in the indictment against Steven Anderson are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty in a court of law.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida Collects $4.3 Million Dollars in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022Read the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced today that the Northern District of Florida collected $4,367,699.63 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $3,831,162.71 was collected in criminal actions and $536,536.92 was collected in civil actions.
“These impressive numbers are the result of the hard work by our office’s civil and criminal divisions, and strong coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This office will always seek to recover every dollar possible from those who engage in illegal activities so that those funds can be restored to the federal treasury, and help victims recover from crimes perpetrated against them.”
The Northern District of Florida Criminal Division collected $1,270,500.00 from John Thomas Burnette following his conviction at trial and sentencing for a multi-year scheme involving extortion, fraud, and bribery.
In July of 2022, the Northern District of Florida Civil Division obtained $130,000 as part of a settlement with Ahmad Ismail to resolve potential violations under the Controlled Substances Act, including allegations that Ismail failed to maintain complete and accurate records of controlled substance inventory, and dispensation.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Northern District of Florida, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $3,128,304 in assets which had been tainted by crime. 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.
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.
For more information about the Crime Victims Fund, please visit https://ovc.ojp.gov/about/crime-victims-fund.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html
Texas Biologist Sentenced for Wildlife TraffickingRead the Press Release
A federal judge in Amarillo yesterday sentenced Dr. Richard Kazmaier, 55, to six months in prison, three years of post-release supervision, and a $5,000 fine. Kazmaier pleaded guilty on Aug. 19, 2022, to a Lacey Act felony for importing protected wildlife into the United States without declaring it or obtaining the required permits.
According to court documents, Kazmaier was an associate professor of biology at West Texas A&M University before resigning in October 2022. A federal grand jury issued an indictment in January 2022 charging Kazmaier with smuggling goods into the United States and two violations of the Endangered Species Act. Kazmaier pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging the Lacey Act, the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute. The court dismissed the indictment at the government’s request.
The Lacey Act and federal regulations require importers to declare wildlife to customs and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when it enters the country. Between March 2013 and February 2020, Kazmaier admitted he imported wildlife items from Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Latvia, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay into Texas without declaring them. Kazmaier admitted he purchased and imported approximately 358 wildlife items with a total market value of $14,423 from eBay and other online sales websites. He did not import any live animals and instead purchased mostly skulls, skeletons, and taxidermy mounts.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates trade in endangered or threatened species through permit requirements. The United States and 183 other countries are signatories to the CITES treaty. Kazmaier acknowledged importing 14 protected species without obtaining permits, including the Eurasian otter, lynx, caracal, vervet monkey, greater naked-tailed armadillo, and king bird-of-paradise.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement in Redmond, Washington, conducted the investigation as part of Operation Global Reach. The operation focused on the trafficking of wildlife from Indonesia to the United States.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell for the Northern District of Texas and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Stephen Jerome Brinson, 47, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to just under twenty years (239 months) in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to multiple counts of distribution of fentanyl, offenses committed while Brinson was under federal supervision after his release from federal prison for his 2005 federal narcotics conviction. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes, in this case while still under supervision from the prior offense, are deserving of significant prison sentences,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “With our law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and aggressively prosecuting those recidivist offenders who callously distribute such addictive and deadly controlled substances. This sentence is further proof of our resolve.”
In early 2021, investigators with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration developed information that Brinson, who was then serving a period of court-ordered supervision following his prior 84-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, had resumed his drug trafficking activities. Investigators quickly conducted two controlled purchases of what was initially thought to be heroin, but subsequently tested positive as 14 grams of fentanyl. Upon his indictment, Brinson was immediately taken into custody where he has remained pending sentencing.
“Last year, 68% of the American lives lost to drug overdoses and poisonings were due to an illicit synthetic opioid, like fentanyl, the same poison that Mr. Brinson was distributing in his community,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This sentence not only holds Mr. Brinson accountable for his crimes, but also reaffirms the DEA Miami Field Division’s commitment to working closely with our law enforcement partners to bring those who distribute this poison in our North Florida communities to justice.”
This prosecution resulted from a combined investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation named Operation White Gold. 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. More information about OCDETF may be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Breon Peace on Mccann et al.Read the Press Release
Hi, I’m United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace. Thank you all for joining us today. With me today are: Keechant Sewell, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, James W. Essig, Chief of Detectives of the New York City Police Department, Deputy Chief Joseph Gulotta, Commanding Officer of Detective Borough Brooklyn South, Captain Genienne King, Commanding Officer of Violent Crimes Squad, Detective Borough Brooklyn South, Captain Gary Marcus, Lieutenant Mohammed Islam, Detective Michael Griffith, of Detective Borough Brooklyn South Violent Crimes Squad, Frank Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, and My U.S. Attorney’s Office team, Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen, James Simmons, and Francisco Navarro.
We are here today to announce the arrest and charging of four defendants, David Mccann, Tajhai Jones, Raymond Minaya, and Calvin Tabron for trafficking over 50 firearms, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. This is one of the first prosecutions in the nation—and the first unsealed indictment in New York—under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal statute specifically designed to target gun trafficking, which was enacted by Congress in June 2022. The charges brought today exemplify how the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act can be used as an effective tool in our continued battle against gun violence that plagues communities in Brooklyn, across New York City and Long Island, and across the nation.
These charges and the arrest made today are the culmination of a significant investigation into firearms and narcotics trafficking occurring largely in and near the Breukelen Houses public housing complex in Canarsie. The defendants sold an NYPD undercover officer over 50 guns. The defendants, of course, did not believe they were selling guns to a law enforcement officer. They thought they were selling these guns to a drug dealer. The undercover officer told the defendants that he was a drug dealer who needed guns and that he was also going to resell some of the guns. Despite this knowledge, Mccann and others continued to sell large quantities of drugs and guns to the undercover officer without hesitation.
Some of the firearms were made from “ghost gun” kits. Certain of the guns sold had a defaced serial number, which makes it more difficult for law enforcement to trace them. Several of the guns trafficked by the defendants have been linked by law enforcement to prior violence in Brooklyn. For example, one defendant, Minaya, sold the undercover officer a gun that was used in an August 21, 2021 shooting in Bedford-Stuyvesant during which armed perpetrators shot into a large crowd gathered for a family day celebration. In total, eight people were shot. Another gun sold by Minaya to the undercover officer is linked to a December 18, 2021 shooting of an individual in Canarsie, in the blocks surrounding the Breukelen Houses complex. That individual sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body, including his right hand, shoulder, neck, and the base of his skull.
The investigation revealed that defendant Tabron would often purchase three or four guns at a time from retailers in Virginia Beach and Lynnhaven, Virginia, for the express purpose of bringing them to Brooklyn to engage in sales set up by his co-defendants.
While engaging in the gun trafficking conspiracy, Mccann and co-conspirators also sold more than a kilogram of fentanyl to the undercover officer. Mccann and Minaya also engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that sold over 100 grams of crack cocaine to the undercover officer.
The defendants’ drug and gun deals occurred primarily in vehicles outside homes in Canarsie. Almost all the deals occurred in the middle of the afternoon and in broad daylight, with the dealers sometimes boldly walking down public streets carrying bags of dangerous guns past residents. And, many of these transactions took place during the day in the summer months at the Canarsie Pier—a popular recreational area where scores of Brooklyn families picnic and play with their children at the playground.
The evidence of the defendants’ involvement in the alleged conduct includes (1) video and audio recordings made by the undercover officer during gun and drug sales with the defendants; (2) text and telephone records; (3) surveillance, GPS and social media showing the defendants’ whereabouts at particular times; and (4) physical evidence, including firearms, ammunition and drugs.
Additionally, when agents arrested one of the defendants in Brooklyn this morning, he was in illegal possession of two handguns, including one with an extended magazine. The defendant threw one of the guns out a window in an attempt to hide it. But agents recovered both guns at the scene.
By charging the defendants today, our Office and law enforcement partners have interrupted a network of firearms traffickers that endangers our community. Prosecutions of gun trafficking prior to the enactment of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act relied on statutes concerning unlicensed sale, transport and delivery of firearms, and false statements made to acquire firearms. By using the new law in the charges today, we are able to streamline these prosecutions by charging firearm trafficking conspiracy as a standalone federal crime. This charge also comes with increased penalties should the defendants be proven guilty.
As the first prosecution to utilize this new legislation in New York, and one of the first in the country, we are demonstrating that we are prepared to use all the tools at our disposal—new and old—to combat gun violence. Reducing gun violence will always be one of the foremost priorities of this Office.
I’d like to give special thanks to the NYPD and the officers on this case – especially the undercover officer, who displayed extreme bravery by repeatedly engaging with the defendants to take over 50 guns off the street, and to the DEA and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), for their work on this case. I’d also like to thank the team from my Office who have worked tirelessly to protect our community.
I’ll now turn it over to NYPD Commissioner Sewell.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson on National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office released the following statement from U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada today to commemorate National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness:
“January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and today is National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness.
“Traffickers exploit and deprive some of our most vulnerable populations of their freedom. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to working together with state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement partners to increase our combined prevention efforts and to raise awareness, investigate, vigorously prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking crimes, and support victims and survivors.
“Combating human trafficking takes an all-hands-on-deck approach – It’s a partnership between law enforcement and the community. We can end human trafficking and prevent this crime. Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking incident is encouraged to report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
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San Francisco MS-13 Associates Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Gang-Related Murders and Attempted Cover-UpRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO- Kevin Guatemala Zepeda, a/k/a “Mision,” and Fernando Romero Bonilla, a/k/a “Black,” were sentenced today to 204 and 84 months in prison, respectively, for their separate roles in planning and covering up a MS-13 gang-related murder announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentences were handed down by the Hon. Richard Seeborg, Chief U.S. District Judge.
Zepeda and Bonilla were two of 13 defendants named in a second superseding indictment filed on November 4, 2021. The indictment described a broad range of racketeering crimes committed by the transnational criminal organization MS-13. Among the crimes described in the indictment is the murder of a suspected gang rival in the parking lot of the Gray Whale Cove trail in Pacifica. On September 13, 2022, Bonilla pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a January 24, 2019, assault on a family in the Mission District of San Francisco that included a 15-year-old boy. Bonilla admitted that as part of the racketeering conspiracy, he attempted to cover up the murder at Gray Whale Cove by removing a piece of potentially incriminating evidence. On October 4, 2022, Zepeda pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and his participation in the January 24, 2019, assault. Zepeda admitted to participating in the planning of the murder at Gray Whale Cove and providing the weapons that his associates used to commit the murder. He further admitted that he helped remove potentially incriminating evidence from the scene of the murder.
MS-13 operates in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and at least 20 states in the United States. The MS-13 clique in San Francisco is the 20th Street clique. The second superseding indictment filed in this case describes how the 20th Street clique relies on crime to operate, including to avoid detection by law enforcement, to initiate new recruits, to enhance the reputation of the gang and individual gang members, to maintain control of drug distribution channels, and to intimidate people who might testify against or otherwise defy the gang. The second superseding indictment also describes several violent crimes to which numerous defendants have pleaded guilty. According to his plea agreement, Zepeda acknowledged that he retrieved from his house the gun and machete used in the murder. In addition, after fellow gang members committed the murder, Zepeda drove to the murder scene to remove a piece of evidence that would have implicated his clique mates. For his part, Bonilla admitted in his plea agreement that he accompanied Zepeda after the murder to remove the incriminating evidence from the scene. Both defendants pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(3) and 2.
In addition to the prison terms, Chief Judge Seeborg ordered a five-year term of supervised release for Zepeda and a three-year term of supervised release for Bonilla.
Several of Zepeda’s and Bonilla’s co-defendants pleaded guilty to crimes in connection with the racketeering conspiracy and have been sentenced as follows:
Defendant
Age
Charges
Sentence
EVERT
GALDAMEZ
CISNEROS
a/k/a “Talentoso”
25
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
60 months in prison
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
OSCAR ESPINAL a/k/a “Chuy”
32
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
144 months in prison
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2
MISSAEL MENDOZA
22
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
36 months in prison
CHRISTIAN QUINTANILLA
22
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
36 months in prison
BRIGIDO JOSUE GONZALES SALES a/k/a “Inocente” or “Kiko”
22
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
144 months in prison
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) and 2
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
ALEXIS CRUZ ZEPEDA a/k/a “Zorro”
29
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
192 months in prison
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2
In addition, the following defendants have pleaded guilty to their role in the racketeering conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing:
Defendant
Age
Charges
Maximum Statutory Penalty
ROGELIO BELLOSO ALEMAN
a/k/a “Smiley”
29
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
Life in prison
Fine of $250,000
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
20 years in prison
Fine of $250,000
ABNER MARROQUIN ALEGRIA
a/k/a “Coche” or “Chapin”
42
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
Life in prison
Fine of $250,000
EDWIN ALVARADO AMAYA
a/k/a “Muerte”
25
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
Life in prison
Fine of $250,000
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2
10 years in prison
Fine of $250,000
KENNETH CAMPOS,
a/k/a “Nesio”
33
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
Life in prison
Fine of $250,000
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (two counts)
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
20 years in prison
Fine of $250,000
KEVIN REYES MELENDEZ
a/k/a “Neutron”
30
Racketeering Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
Life in prison
Fine of $250,000
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering (two counts)
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 2
10 years in prison
Fine of $250,000
Discharge of a Firearm During and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
Life in prison
(Mandatory minimum of 5 years (7 years if brandished, 10 years if discharged))
Fine of $250,000
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
20 years in prison
Fine of $250,000
This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the Office of the United States Attorney. The prosecution is the result of an investigations by HSI, the San Francisco Police Department Homicide Unit and Community Violence Reduction Team, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Gang Intelligence Unit and Investigations Bureau, Daly City Police Department, Pinole Police Department, Redwood City Police Department Street Crimes Reduction Team, and San Pablo Police Department.
San Antonio septuagenarian convicted of trafficking $1 million in marijuanaRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 70-year-old San Antonio woman has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 90 kilograms of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Sep. 11, 2022, Diana Vela drove a Ford Fusion sedan into the primary inspection area of the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Falfurrias. A service K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. When authorities asked for permission to search the sedan, Vela reported to have drugs in the trunk.
When agents opened the trunk, they discovered 10 large, vacuum-sealed bundles of marijuana weighing over 200 pounds.
Laboratory analysis later confirmed the substance in the bundles was marijuana.
The marijuana had a total weight 91 kilograms with an estimated street value of more than $1 million.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing April 12. At that time, Vela faces up to 40 years in prison as well as a maximum $1 million possible fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Robert D. Thorpe Jr. are prosecuting the case.
Rochester, Minnesota Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Rayshawn Earl Motley, 32, Rochester, Minnesota was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to two years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Motley pleaded guilty to this charge on September 20, 2022.
On June 21, 2021, La Crosse police officers stopped a car that Motley was driving. After noticing an odor of marijuana in the car, officers searched the car finding a loaded Smith & Wesson .380 handgun hidden in the center console. While Motley denied knowing about the handgun, a subsequent lab analysis determined that his DNA was on it.
In 2012 Motley was convicted of felony drug trafficking in Rochester, Minnesota, and sentenced to prison. Motley also has pending drug trafficking charges out of St. Louis County, Minnesota.
At sentencing, Judge Conley remarked that Motley had not broken from his past history of drug involvement, and that possession of a gun by a known drug trafficker presented an increased risk of violence to the community. Judge Conley ordered three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
The charge against Motley was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
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.
Rochester Man Who Fled Police Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joshua Massey, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that Massey was previously convicted of multiple felonies in 2012 and 2013 and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. On July 30, 2022, as Rochester Police officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle Massey was driving, Massey crashed the vehicle at the corner of Perkins Avenue and Norran Drive. Massey then exited the vehicle and fled on foot but was apprehended after a foot chase. Officers saw, in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle, a loaded 9mm pistol.
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.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John Devito.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2023, before Judge Wolford.
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Republic of Liberia Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Hindering DeportationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Emmanuel Tenneh, age 29, an alien who resided in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 10, 2022, to 12 months’ imprisonment to be followed by one year on supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for hindering his deportation from the United States.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tenneh is a native of Liberia who was admitted into the United States as a refugee in 2004. Since the time of being admitted into the United States, Tenneh was convicted of several crimes including felony drug distribution, simple assault, driving under the influence, and firearms violations. Tenneh was ordered deported to his home country of Liberia by an immigration court but refused to cooperate in his deportation. After serving his sentence, Tenneh will face deportation.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 6 Years for Drug Trafficking & Violating His SupervisionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcus Payton, 38, Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. Payton pleaded guilty to this charge on October 4, 2022. The Court also found, at sentencing, that Payton violated the terms of his supervised release in a prior drug trafficking case and sentenced him to 24 months in prison concurrent to the six-year sentence.
In January 2022, a police informant told law enforcement agents that Marcus Payton was distributing crack cocaine in the Beloit area. The informant, while under police supervision, then bought crack cocaine from Payton on two occasions, totaling six grams. At the time of the offense Payton was on federal supervised release for a 2014 conviction for distributing heroin.
In sentencing Payton, Judge Conley emphasized that a 6-year sentence was warranted because Payton returned to drug dealing while under the Court’s supervision on a prior drug trafficking case. He further highlighted that, in addition to the drug trafficking convictions, the defendant had a significant criminal history involving battery; felony bail jumping; 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety; and armed robbery.
The charge against Payton was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Beloit Police Department, and Rock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Reinhard prosecuted this case.
Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Trip to Mexico City, MexicoRead the Press Release
On Sunday, Jan. 8, in connection with the North America Leaders’ Summit, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland traveled to Mexico City, Mexico for bilateral meetings with Mexican and Canadian officials on shared law enforcement priorities.
On Monday, Jan. 9, the Attorney General joined members of the cabinet and President Joseph R. Biden in a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and members of his cabinet. The bilateral meeting included discussions on deepening and expanding security cooperation between countries, including efforts to combat drug trafficking.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Attorney General joined members of the cabinet and President Biden for a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet to discuss strengthening our defense and security cooperation and addressing regional and global challenges, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in Haiti. The Attorney General also met with Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on those issues and other shared law enforcement priorities such as combating drug and firearms trafficking.
While in Mexico City, the Attorney General participated in additional meetings on the Justice Department’s work to combat trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs, including fentanyl precursors, firearms trafficking, and human smuggling. The Attorney General returned to the United States on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The Attorney General receives a briefing from the U.S. law enforcement representatives stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico The Attorney General with the Canadian Minister of Public Safety Marco MendicinoPreviously Deported Mexican National Sentenced to 8 Months’ Imprisonment for Second Illegal Reentry ConvictionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 10, 2023, United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Juan Esdrada-Beret, age 41, a native and citizen of Mexico, to 8 months’ imprisonment, for illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed following a prior illegal reentry conviction.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, after two prior removals from the United States to Mexico, Esdrada-Beret was arrested in 2017 in Schuylkill County and prosecuted in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for Illegal Reentry. He was sentenced to a period of imprisonment of time served (113 days) on April 10, 2018 and removed through Hidalgo, Texas on April 25, 2018. Sometime thereafter, Esdrada-Beret once again reentered the United States without the required permissions.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
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Preston County man guilty of keeping a drug house for a Mexico to West Virginia drug operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Bruceton Mills, West Virginia man was found guilty of his role in a methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation that spanned from Mexico to Monongalia County.
Greg Snider, 63, was found guilty by a federal jury after a four-day trial. During trial, prosecutors explained that Snider used his residence in Bruceton Mills as a hub for drug distribution and rented vehicles and hotel rooms to assist with the illegal activity.
Snider faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts of which he was convicted. He will be sentenced at a later date. 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 FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office; the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda Wesley and Christopher Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Preparing fraudulent returns results in prison for tax servicerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A tax preparer has been sent to federal prison following her conviction for conspiring to commit tax fraud over a four-year period, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jeannette Villarreal pleaded guilty July 6, 2022, to preparing and filing income tax returns for clients under the business name of J&G Armadillo’s Tax Service aka Reals Tax Service.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos imposed an 18-month term of imprisonment as well as a $15,000 fine. She must also serve three years of supervised release following her incarceration. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the scope of the conspiracy which included thousands of fraudulent tax returns prepared over a six-year period resulting in a significant tax loss to the United States. In handing down the prison term, Judge Ramos noted Villarreal was the leader of an extensive criminal activity and she had recruited her two daughters into the enterprise. Judge Ramos concluded that a prison sentence was necessary despite Villareal’s lack of criminal history to provide just punishment and afford adequate deterrence.
Villarreal’s two daughters, Leannette Villarreal and Zeannette Salazar, were also convicted in the conspiracy.
“These three tax preparers not only betrayed the trust of their clients, who counted on them to prepare accurate returns, they betrayed the trust of all taxpaying Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS - Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “As we enter the 2023 tax filing season, I implore all taxpayers who plan to hire a third-party to prepare and file their tax return to choose their preparer wisely and ask questions before and during the preparation process. Finally, always ensure everything on your tax return is both correct and legitimate before signing the return, or Form 879 - IRS e-File Signature Authorization, and submitting the return to the IRS.”
At the time of their pleas, Villarreal and her daughters each admitted to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns.
On numerous occasions, they knowingly reported inaccurate earnings, fictitious charitable contributions and improper tax credits in order to increase the refund paid to the client. The tax returns purported their clients were permitted to claim deductions, credits or both. However, they were not entitled to claim more money, resulting in a tax loss to the United States.
Jeannette Villarreal was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert D. Thorpe Jr. and John Marck prosecuted the case.
Pontotoc Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Fraudulent Benefit CardsRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Pontotoc man was sentenced today to more than 4 years in prison following his conviction for possession of fraudulent unemployment benefit cards.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2020, Deonte Dilworth, 28, was found in possession of approximately 26 unemployment benefit debit cards from Nevada and Arizona that had been fraudulently obtained. Dilworth, who pled guilty to possession of the fraudulent debit cards, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Sharion Aycock to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Dilworth was also ordered to pay $202,711.39 in restitution. He was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals immediately after the hearing concluded to begin serving his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi and Patrick Davis, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Secret Service Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.
Port Authority Officer and Airport Employee Plead Guilty to Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Wayne Jeffers, 52, and Charles Rawlins, III, 39, both of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Cocaine.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of May 11, 2022, Jeffers, a Virgin Islands Port Authority Officer stationed at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, placed a black suitcase containing 12 bricks of cocaine inside a ladder truck that was parked on the ramp of the airport. Later that morning, Rawlins, an airport ramp worker, removed the suitcase from the ladder truck and placed it on a baggage cart to be loaded on a Seaborne Silver aircraft destined for San Juan, PR. The luggage containing the cocaine was later seized by Customs and Border Protection Officers. A drug analyzed conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Southeast Laboratory in Miami, FL, confirmed that the seized substance was cocaine with a net weight of 12.01 kilograms. Rawlins and Jeffers each face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment on their conviction. A federal district court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Agency investigated, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted this case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Todd Allgood, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Allgood to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release. Allgood will also forfeit to the United States $1,383.00 in U.S. currency that was drug proceeds.
On October 21, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Allgood’s hotel room and seized 61 grams of actual methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a digital scale. Law enforcement also seized $1,383.00 in U.S. currency as drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
New Port Richey Man Sentenced to More Than 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Eric Paul Jones (44, New Port Richey) to 30 years and 5 months in federal prison for production and possession of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit the electronic devices used in the commission of the offense and entered an order of restitution to the victims in the amount of $18,528, and an assessment in the amount of $18,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Fund. Jones had pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.
According to court documents, Jones belonged to an online group dedicated to discussing and trading child sex abuse material. On April 19, 2021, Jones began communicating with an undercover FBI agent. Jones told the undercover agent that he had engaged in sexual activity with a 10-year-old child, to whom he had access. Jones then sent the undercover agent sexually explicit videos and images he had produced of the child victim, as well as child sex abuse material he possessed of other victims.
A few days later, on April 22, 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant for Jones’s residence, as well as for the cellphone Jones had used to communicate with the undercover agent. A search of Jones’s cellphone revealed that he was in possession of more than 100 child sex abuse images and videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, some of which included infants and toddlers subjected to bondage and sadomasochistic conduct. The FBI also found the same images and videos that Jones had sent to the undercover agent on Jones’s cellphone. Jones later admitted to agents that he had been producing child sex abuse images of the child victim for several years.
“While it’s heartbreaking to learn of yet another child victim of a sexual predator, it’s reassuring to learn of the dedicated work by special agents to make sure that predator spends a long time in prison for his despicable crime,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the Pasco Sheriff's Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 7+ Years in Prison for Attempted Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Wednesday sentenced a man from Steele, Missouri who tried to rob a convenience store to seven years and 10 months in prison.
Mark Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery charge in October. Charging documents say he tried to rob the Smokers Cloud convenience store in Caruthersville, Missouri on May 7 while in possession of a firearm. Jones was masked and wearing a Tyvek suit at the time.
Jones fled when the clerk, who was armed, fired a shot to protect himself and the store’s patrons, according to court documents.
The case was investigated by the Caruthersville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Mississippi Wastewater Hauling Business Pleads Guilty to Clean Water Act ViolationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, Inc., a wastewater hauling business based in Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty today to illegally discharging industrial waste into the Jackson sewer system, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4.
During court today, the company admitted supervising the transportation and disposal of industrial waste from Gold Coast Commodities, Inc., of Brandon, Mississippi, to a site at a commercial entity in Jackson, which, as a result of its negligence, caused the waste to be trucked and hauled to a facility that was not a legal discharge point designated by the Jackson Wastewater Treatment System to receive the waste.
The corporation entered its guilty plea before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse in Jackson. The company agreed to pay the maximum statutory fine of $200,000, which the court imposed today. The company will also be subject to one year of probation.
“PSI’s negligent conduct contributed to the discharge of millions of gallons of untreated industrial waste into the Jackson water system,” said Special Agent in Charge Chuck Carfagno, of EPA-CID Southeast Area Branch. “EPA and its law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who deliberately violate our nations environmental laws.”
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brandon Police Department, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, with cooperation from City of Brandon and City of Jackson municipal governments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gaines Cleveland.
Mexican-born Man Sentenced to 290 Months in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Oswaldo Neri, 31, of Mexico but residing in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, for distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Neri conspired with his brother, Jesse Neri, of Omaha, and others to distribute methamphetamine in Omaha in early 2021. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Neri to imprisonment for a term of 290 months as to each count, to be served concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On January 4 and 5, 2021, a DEA undercover agent posing as a customer contacted a known Mexico-based methamphetamine supplier to order for purchase 1 pound of methamphetamine. The agent and the Mexican source of supply agreed that a local party would meet the customer at a business in Omaha to complete the sale and agreed that the customer would pay $4,100 for the pound. As planned, they met and completed the transaction. Investigators thereafter identified the Neri brothers as the persons who met with the undercover officer and delivered the methamphetamine.
A week later, on January 12, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the Neri brothers’ residence in Omaha. Both brothers were arrested, and investigators recovered 6 additional pounds of methamphetamine from Oswaldo Neri’s bedroom closet, as well as additional evidence of distribution.
A jury trial of the brothers commenced on February 8, 2022. Jesse Neri pled guilty on the morning trial was to begin, leaving Oswaldo Neri as the sole defendant at trial. On February 10, 2022, a federal jury in the District of Nebraska found Oswaldo Neri guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On August 25, 2022, Jesse Neri was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 210 months.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Field Division, and the Nebraska State Patrol. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Chemistry Unit provide laboratory services for the investigation.
Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Border Patrol Agent and Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nectar Alfonso-Ramirez, age 28, of Mexico, pled guilty today to unlawfully entering the United States and assaulting and resisting a federal agent, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Alfonso-Ramirez admitted that, on October 4, 2022, he entered the United States on foot from Canada at a location not authorized for the entrance of immigrants. U.S. Border Patrol Agents encountered Alfonso-Ramirez and ordered him to his knees as part of an arrest procedure. Alfonso-Ramirez admitted that he initially knelt, but then fled into the nearby woods, causing a foot pursuit. As a Border Patrol Agent attempted to place him under arrest, Alfonso-Ramirez continued to try to escape, yelling at the agent, thrashing his body, swinging his arms, and kicking his legs.
Alfonso-Ramirez faces up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year when he is sentenced on May 11, 2023. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone.
Meridian Woman Indicted for Embezzling More Than $1.7 Million from Black Canyon Irrigation DistrictRead the Press Release
BOISE – A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment charging Catherine Skidmore, 55, of Meridian, with 25 counts of wire fraud and 24 counts of money laundering, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
As alleged in the indictment, Skidmore was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Black Canyon Irrigation District (BCID) from 2014 to July 2022. BCID is a public, semi-municipal fee-collecting entity controlled by local landowners that served irrigation water supply in western Idaho. As Secretary-Treasurer, it is alleged Skidmore handled fee-collecting, bill payments, management of the investment accounts, and maintained the BCID’s QuickBooks database and ledgers. Skidmore also allegedly had access to, and signature authority over, the BCID’s bank accounts, including the ability to write and deposit checks and transfer funds to and from the accounts.
As further alleged in the indictment, the fees the BCID collected from its members were deposited into an operating account. Reserve funds were held in certificates of deposit and long-term investment accounts, including Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) accounts with the Idaho State Treasurer. As further alleged in the indictment, Skidmore opened a separate LGIP account on behalf of the BCID without BCID’s knowledge and used that account to facilitate a series of transfers of BCID funds that were ultimately used by her for her personal use and benefit.
As alleged, Skidmore falsely represented to the BCID Board of Directors, Manager, and employees by making entries in the BCID internal accounting records that certain funds were used to pay the BCID expenses when, in fact, Skidmore spent the funds for her personal use. And as alleged, Skidmore also created and caused to be created fictitious invoices to make it appear that the funds Skidmore had stolen were used to pay for legitimate BCID business expenses when, in reality, Skidmore spent the funds to benefit herself.
As further alleged in the indictment, Skidmore fraudulently obtained at least $1,792,000 from her fraudulent scheme.
Skidmore is charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Skidmore is scheduled for trial on March 13, 2023, before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Nye of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Massive drug trafficking investigation leads to largest-ever indictment in Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A total of 76 defendants are named in a newly unsealed federal indictment describing a massive drug trafficking investigation tied to the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang that includes allegations of multiple deaths from illegal drug overdoses.
As announced in a Jan. 11, 2023, multi-agency news conference held at Glynn County Police Department Headquarters in Brunswick, Ga., the indictment in USA v. Alvarez et. al, dubbed Operation Ghost Busted, charges 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The primary Conspiracy charge in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release following any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Operation Ghost Busted demonstrates the focused commitment of law enforcement agencies at all levels in identifying, infiltrating and disrupting drug trafficking networks in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We are proud to serve with these professionals in the continuing work to make our neighborhoods safe from illegal gang activity and the violent crime it spawns.”
Operation Ghost Busted is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation, led by the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office. For more than two years, investigators from multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies collaborated to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in south Georgia counties including Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware. The conspiracy operated inside and outside state prison facilities with assistance from at least one compromised corrections officer, who worked with a leader of the conspiracy who is serving a life sentence for murder. The conspiracy includes members of the Ghost Face Gangsters white supremacist criminal street gang, along with affiliates of the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.
In addition to the primary conspiracy charge naming all 76 defendants, the indictment charges two of the defendants with distribution of illegal drugs – fentanyl and methamphetamine – that resulted in the deaths of three individuals from drug overdoses.
The 118-count, 133-page indictment – believed to be the largest ever in the Southern District of Georgia – includes the forfeiture of 43 seized firearms, one vehicle, and more than $53,000 in cash. More than three dozen additional defendants face prosecution for state charges as a result of the investigation.
In addition to other charges filed against individual defendants, each of the defendants named in USA v. Alvarez et. al is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a Quantity of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Alprazolam. They include:
- David E. Alvarez, 24, of Townsend, Ga.;
- Garrison A. Bell, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Desiree M. Briley, 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga.;
- Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Byrd is the Word,” a/k/a “Rachael NeSmith,” 25, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Terry L. Cason II, 36, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Tonya C. Cox, a/k/a “Shuge White,” 43, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Abraham Crews, a/k/a “Abe,” 41, of Waverly, Ga.;
- Hannah G. Croft, 23, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Michael S. Daniels, 39, of Waynesville, Ga;
- Marissa D. Davis, 31, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Willie H. Day, 52, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Ashley Deen, 29, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Cody M. Demers, a/k/a “Bravo Seven,” 24, of Blackshear, Ga.;
- Skyler T. Drawdy, 24, of Darien, Ga.;
- Taylor D. Drew, 32, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Joshua A. Drury, 41, of Darien, Ga;
- Jonathan R. Elrod, a/k/a “Brazy Jay,” a/k/a “Jay,” a/k/a “John Boy,” 33, of Blairsville, Ga.;
- Joshua E. Enke, 33, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Juan C. Everette, a/k/a “Don Juan,” 36, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Andrew R. Flanagan, a/k/a “Drew,” 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Verdalee D. Flanagan, a/k/a “ Verlee,” 37, of Nahunta, Ga.;
- Alexa B. Foster, a/k/a “Lexa,” 29, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Theodore Gee, a/k/a “Keno,” 44, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Chad L. Googe, 40, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Shawn S. Green, a/k/a “Polo Green,” 42, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Laura R. Harden, 49, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- John E. Harrison, a/k/a “Johnny,” 25, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Priscilla Hemingway, a/k/a “Priscilla Carr,” 43, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Wyndel L. Herndon, 40, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Britnee V. Houston, 28, of Waynesville, Ga.;
- Timothy W. Hutchinson, a/k/a “Tim,” 58, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Kenneth W. Lane, a/k/a “Skinny,” 43, of Hortense, Ga.;
- Timothy W. Loper, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Kenneth Mainor, a/k/a “Busta Bill,” 66, of White Oak, Ga.;
- Kenyetta D. Mainor, a/k/a “Yatta,” 46, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Wendell McClain, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Cameren A. McDonald, 26, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Justin W. McGhee, 36, of Darien, Ga.;
- Charlie A. Moody, 42, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Antonio Morales, a/k/a “Silence,” a/k/a “Silent Ololade,” 29, of Vidalia, Ga.;
- Aubrey NeSmith, 21, of Metter, Ga.;
- James D. NeSmith, a/k/a “DG,” 25, an inmate at Telfair State Prison;
- Mary NeSmith, 58, of Metter, Ga.;
- Eric S. Ogden, a/k/a “Scotty,” 35, of Woodbine, Ga.;
- Auston J. Proctor, 32, of Woodbine, Ga.;
- Michael A. Provenzano, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jimmy A. Reynolds, a/k/a “Jim,” 54, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- James C. Richardson, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- William W. Ringle, a/k/a “Will,” 42, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Anthony D. Ruffner, 32, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Samantha S. Russell, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jamey E. Sapp, 50, of St. Simons Island, Ga.;
- Blake K. Screen, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- John D. Screen, 31, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Adam H. Smith, 43, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Brian T. Spell, 32, of Waynesville, Ga.;
- Gregory W. Stabile, a/k/a “G,” a/k/a “Lts Be DAreason,” 37, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- James L. Stephens, a/k/a “Rabbit,” 39, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Debra L. Stokes, a/k/a “Debbie,” 59, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Stephanie L. Stover, 44, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jason A. Sweat, 35, of St. Marys, Ga.;
- Clinton Taylor, 34, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Cori L. Taylor, 26, of Eastman, Ga.;
- Larry B. Taylor, a/k/a “Lee Lee,” 57, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Christopher J. Thompson, 35, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Ronald E. Thompson, a/k/a “E,” a/k/a “3D,” 39, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jesse J. Trujillo, 30, of Swainsboro, Ga.;
- Charles W. Walrath, a/k/a “Boomer,” 51, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Dayton P. Whatley, 35, of St. Simons Island, Ga.;
- David Nicholas Wheeler, 52, of Waverly, Ga.;
- Dakota L. White, 21, of Vidalia, Ga.;
- James D. Wiggins, a/k/a “Brad Jones,” 30, of Brunswick, Ga.;
- Jeremy D. Wix, 42, of Townsend, Ga.;
- Heaven L. Wolfe, 32, of Blackshear, Ga.;
- Joshua T. Wolfe, a/k/a “White Boy,” a/k/a “Tom Walier,” 29, of Blackshear, Ga.; and,
- David D. Young, a/k/a “Khaos,” 42, of Hortense, Ga.
The defendants in the investigation are scheduled this week for initial appearance hearings in U.S. District Court in Brunswick. Indictments include only charges; each of the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; and sheriff’s offices from Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Indictment: USA v. Alvarez et. alMan Who Produced Child Pornography Going to Prison for 26 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Carlton Nemec, 50, who was convicted of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 26 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between July 2013, and July 2017, Nemec coerced a minor, Victim 1, to engage in sexually explicit conduct from the time she was 8 years old to 12 years old. Investigators located numerous sexually explicit images created by Nemec saved on electronic devices that were seized from his residence. In addition, Nemec possessed more than 600 images containing child pornography on several of the electronic devices seized. Some of the images involved prepubescent minors and contained depictions of violence.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.# # # #
Man Sentenced for Three Richmond Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison after committing three armed robberies between January and February of 2022.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2022, Jaquan Rakim Roberts, 21, entered a Darbytown Mini Mart, located in 1581 Darbytown Road, Richmond, with a ski-mask covering his face. When he reached the register, Roberts brandished two semiautomatic pistols at the cashier and demanded money as well as Black and Mild cigars. Under threat, the Darbytown Mini Mart Cashier handed over two boxes of Black and Mild cigars as well as approximately $1,800.
Roughly a month later, on February 28, 2022, Roberts drove to the Darbytown Mini Mart again to commit another armed robbery. Roberts wore a ski-mask over his face this time as well, walked up to the counter, produced a semiautomatic pistol, and demanded money from the same Darbytown Mini Mart employee who was working during the previous armed robbery. Facing the threat, the cashier gave Roberts approximately $137. This time, however, the cashier included currency affixed with a law enforcement tracker as part of the United States currency she handed over to Roberts.
Roberts left Darbytown Mini Mart and headed up the road to Jack’s Place, located at 1881 Darbytown Road, Richmond, where he brandished two semiautomatic pistols and demanded a Jack’s Place employee to open the cash register and give him money. Because the cash register would not open, one of the employees gave Roberts $40 of his own money. Roberts then left.
Using the tracker, law enforcement apprehended Roberts and later executed search warrants at several residences associated with Roberts and on the car that he drove on February 28, 2022. During the execution of the residential search warrants, law enforcement recovered a loaded semiautomatic pistol and clothing, including the jacket worn during the first robbery of the Darbytown Mini Mart, and ski-masks similar to those worn during the robberies. During the execution of a search warrant on the car, law enforcement recovered two loaded semi-automatic pistols.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Colonel Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. 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. 3:22-cr-76.
Man Sentenced for Role in International Telemarketing SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 133 months in prison for his role in an international telemarketing scheme orchestrated from a call center in Costa Rica that defrauded more than 400 victims – many of whom were elderly – in the United States out of millions of dollars.
Manuel Mauro Chavez, 32, of Hollywood, was convicted at trial in July 2021 in the Western District of North Carolina of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and six counts of international money laundering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chavez was a U.S.-based participant in a fraudulent scheme in which telemarketers based in Costa Rica falsely posed as U.S. government officials and contacted victims in the United States to tell them they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize, but before collecting this supposed prize, they needed to make a series of up-front payments to cover purported taxes or other fees. After deceiving victims out of their money, Chavez transmitted these funds from the United States for the benefit of the call center and others involved in the scheme in Costa Rica.
In two related matters, Mark Raymond Oman, 38, of Long Beach, Washington, was sentenced on Nov. 17, 2022, to three years and one month in prison, and Paul Andy Stiep, 30, of Miami, was sentenced on Dec. 20, 2022, to seven years in prison. Oman worked at the call center soliciting victims and collected victim funds in Costa Rica, while Stiep transmitted victims’ payments from the United States for the benefit of the call center in Costa Rica.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Scherck of the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI, USPIS, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Joshua DeBold and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seek to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
Man Indicted for Smuggling in Aliens unlawfully into the United States in a Crime that Resulted in the Death of a Three-Year-Old Haitian BoyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on January 4, 2023, charging Alcibades De Paz, a Dominican national, with smuggling aliens into the United States in a crime resulting in the death of a minor child; aiding and abetting; and improper entry of an alien.
“Transnational human smuggling and trafficking networks pose a serious criminal threat,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our office will prosecute those who illegally smuggle individuals into the United States and routinely place these migrants’ lives in danger. We will continue efforts to disrupt and dismantle smuggling networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, and pose serious national security threats.”
According to court documents, Alcibades De Paz was the captain of a vessel that transported approximately 39 non-U.S. citizens in an attempted to enter Puerto Rico illegally. The human smuggling venture took place from the Dominican Republic to the United States through the West coast of Puerto Rico. De Paz is alleged to have operated the engine of the suspected vessel while law enforcement, including the Puerto Rico Police Bureau marine unit (Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción, FURA), tried to intercept it. The vessel capsized before landing in Puerto Rico.
Among the 39 subjects on board, one was a three-year-old child who was found unresponsive in the water. He was taken to the hospital for medical attention but was pronounced dead after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts. His mother, who identified herself as Haitian, was one of the individuals aboard the vessel.
The incoming subjects, nationals of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Afghanistan, were apprehended and transported to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for further investigation, processing, and removal proceedings, but one of the illegal aliens, identified as Dominican national, absconded through the brush.
Defendant De Paz had his arraignment and bail hearing yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico who ordered him detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty life in prison or the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Rebecca González, and Desi Deleon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol, Ramey Sector, made the announcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI); the United States Border Patrol, Ramey Sector; and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau marine unit (Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción, FURA) are investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney from ICE HSI Nadia Pineda is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Malden Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Herby Paul, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2022, Paul pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Nov. 24, 2021, Paul was pulled over by law enforcement while driving on interstate 95 in Canton. Paul provided law enforcement with a false name and was asked to exit the vehicle. He then fled on foot, jumped over a guardrail, ran down an embankment and attempted to scale a fence. Paul was quickly apprehended on scene and a subsequent search of his vehicle resulted in the recovery of a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
At the time of the offense, Paul was on state probation for a 2020 conviction of possessing a firearm without a license and resisting arrest, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Louisville Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl from IndianapolisRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Kevin Smyzer, Jr., 33, and Dyronne Mason, 39, of Louisville, Kentucky, have been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Smyzer was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison. Mason was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on September 19, 2022.
According to court documents, on March 25, 2020, Indiana State Police (ISP) stopped a vehicle for speeding in Clark County, Indiana. The driver of the vehicle was identified at Kevin Smyzer and the passenger was identified as Dyronne Mason.
During the traffic stop, an ISP drug detection K9 indicated the odor of narcotics on the passenger side door. Troopers located eleven golf-ball sized bags containing fentanyl. In the back seat, Troopers found a cardboard box containing half a kilogram of fentanyl. The roof of the vehicle had a brown ledger with names and amounts of money written in it.
In an interview with law enforcement officers, Smyzer admitted to visiting Indianapolis to obtain the controlled substances for redistribution. In total, Smyzer and Mason were transporting over 600 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. 6 out of 10 illegal fentanyl tablets sold on U.S. streets now contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
“Fentanyl traffickers value their profits more than the lives of our families and neighbors,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We must fight to save lives by investigating and prosecuting criminals who exploit the epidemic of substance use disorder to satisfy their own greed. Our office, the DEA, and the Indiana State Police are committed to holding fentanyl traffickers accountable for pushing deadly poison on our streets.”
“Our Troopers work diligently every day, often putting themselves in harm’s way to curtail or stop the trafficking of illicit drugs on Indiana highways,” said Lieutenant Christopher Keeton, Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post. “We are very grateful for the work and effort the DEA and U.S. Attorney’s Office put forth to ensure justice was served in this case.”
The DEA-Louisville Division investigated this case with valuable assistance from ISP. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Smyzer and Mason be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following their release from federal prison. Smyzer was also given a $500 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
Lewiston Man Sentenced to 3 ½ Years for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Devon Duncan (aka “TY”), 36, to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Duncan pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022.
According to court records, on April 28, 2022, an unknown assailant shot through the door of Duncan’s residence in Lewiston, striking his wife multiple times. During the investigation into the shooting, which is ongoing, officers assigned to the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit discovered a Glock 19X 9mm handgun in Duncan’s apartment, as well as a 17-round magazine, 26 grams of cocaine base, and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking. Photographs recovered from the victim’s phone showed Duncan holding the firearm and pointing it at the camera. Duncan has previous convictions which preclude him from possessing a firearm, including a 2019 conviction in Kennebec County for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee commended the members of the Lewiston/Auburn Violence Reduction Initiative, led by the FBI, for their work on the investigation.
“The recovery of the firearm and the resulting prosecution of Devon Duncan stopped any attempt at retaliation,” McElwee said. “The defendant has an extensive history of drug trafficking, threats, and violence dating back more than a decade. Through a timely arrest and federal prosecution, the task force was able to interrupt the cycle of violence.”
The Lewiston/Auburn Violence Reduction Initiative is comprised of members of the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, the Lewiston Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Maine State Police, and their law enforcement partners.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: 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. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced for International Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The former leader of a drug trafficking organization that operated in Baja California, Mexico, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in leading an international drug trafficking organization which transported more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 45,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States from Mexico.
In April 2018, Pedro Alejandro Rubio-Perez pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana for importation to the United States. According to court documents, Rubio-Perez led a drug trafficking organization operating in Baja, California between 1999 and 2009, and was a principal leader from at least 2004 to 2006. Rubio-Perez and members of his organization used tractor-trailer trucks with hidden compartments to transport at least 450 kilograms of cocaine and tons of marijuana into the United States.
According to court documents, cocaine or marijuana distributed by Rubio-Perez was seized in Arizona, California, and Missouri. Drug proceeds in bulk cash form were hidden in the same tractor-trailers and delivered to stash houses at the U.S. border with Mexico, where the money was counted and then transported to Rubio-Perez in Mexico or flown to Rubio-Perez in private aircraft from the United States to Mexico, carrying up to $2 million at a time.
The DEA Orange County, California Office and DEA Mexico City Country Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Samantha Thompson of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted this case, with significant assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Judicial Attachés in Mexico City, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations.
Laredo man sent to prison after shootingRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old Laradoan has been ordered to federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jimmy Lara pleaded guilty Feb. 28, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña ordered Jimmy Lara to serve a total of 108 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about possible enhancements for committing a felony with the firearm and discarding the loaded firearm near a school.
On Jan. 5, 2022, authorities responded to a 911 report of shots fired on the 1500 block of Pinder Avenue. There, a passenger in a brown pickup truck had apparently fired shots at a white van.
Law enforcement observed a vehicle matching the description and attempted a traffic stop. Lara was the passenger, but had exited the vehicle and began running towards Juarez Avenue. He appeared to have an object in one of his hands.
Authorities briefly chased him on foot and apprehended him after approximately one block. They returned to Juarez avenue where they located a .22 caliber revolver on the sidewalk.
The investigation revealed Lara has prior convictions for robbery and aggravated robbery. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law.
In addition, the firearm was reported stolen out of Mathis.
Lara will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.
Land O’Lakes Man Sentenced to 52 Years for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle has sentenced Michael Lumpkin (27, Land O’Lakes) to 52 years in federal prison for producing child sex abuse materials, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Lumpkin had pleaded guilty on October 3, 2022.
According to court documents, beginning around July 2019 through February 2020, Lumpkin coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity and create sexually explicit videos. Lumpkin threatened to expose the minor on “Pornhub” if the minor did not send the sexually explicit videos he had requested. Additionally, Lumpkin possessed images and videos on his cellphone of minors being sexually abused, including children under the age of 12.
“The defendant’s victim lived in constant fear, enduring a barrage of brutal threats. I commend the tireless work of our special agents and task force officers who have made sure this dangerous individual goes to prison so he can no longer harm anyone else,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kentucky Man gets 15 Years for Attempted Sex Crimes with a MinorRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A man from Benton, Kentucky was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in a U.S. District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to traveling to Illinois to engage in sexual activity with a minor in May 2020.
Justin A. Wadsworth, 37, pled guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Child.
“Children are susceptible to sexual exploitation on the internet, which means investigative techniques must evolve where minors are most at-risk,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Undercover investigations conducted on online platforms are vital to protecting minors from predators before acts can be committed, and I applaud this valiant effort to put Justin Wadsworth in prison for his crimes.”
“Increasingly, children are becoming victims of crimes committed online. With the spread of these crimes, the FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to stop sexual predators before they strike,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “This sentence delivers a clear message that those who seek to harm children will face significant prison time.”
According to court documents, Wadsworth responded to an online ad referencing incest and began unknowingly conversing with an undercover FBI agent on April 28, 2020. Transcripts of the conversations included Wadsworth explaining to the FBI that he was “active” with a close relative and the two discussed exchanging pictures.
When the FBI said they had an “active” 10-year-old girl, Wadsworth asked to see sexually-explicit photos and in return sent photos of females in various degrees of nudity. Wadsworth expressed interest in “young active fun,” and stated he would pay $1,000.
The pair arranged a meeting in Metropolis, Illinois, and when federal agents approached Wadsworth, he consented to an interview. Wadsworth claimed he had agreed to meet with the purported father to expose him and rescue the girl.
In addition to the 15-year sentence, Wadsworth received five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $500 in fines and $200 in special assessments.
The FBI-Springfield conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Bloodworth prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the increase in child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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 on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Kenmore Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Devon Clark a/k/a Booski, 33, of Kenmore, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that on November 13, 2019, officers from the Kenmore and Lackawanna Police Departments executed a search warrant at Clark’s residence on West Hazeltine in Kenmore, NY, looking for evidence of narcotics trafficking. During the execution of the search warrant at the residence and of Clark’s vehicle, officers seized quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, two digital scales, drug packaging materials, and approximately $3,220 in cash. On January 16, 2020, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department executed search warrants at two residences on Holmes Street in Buffalo, NY, which were associated with Clark. Law enforcement recovered a small amount of marijuana, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Kenmore Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas J. Phillips, the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Arcara.
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KC Woman Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Pizza Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver, after a suspect involved in the robbery was killed during a shootout with police officers.
Rochelle E. David, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 14 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 28, 2022, David pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. Her brother, Samuel M. David, 20, has pleaded guilty to the same charges and awaits sentencing.
Rochelle David placed an order for pizza to a Pizza Hut restaurant on Oct. 19, 2020, in order to lure a Pizza Hut employee to her address to conduct an armed robbery with the assistance of Samuel David and Ennice Ross. When the delivery driver arrived at about 10:18 p.m., Samuel David and Ross confronted him in the parking lot. Ross displayed a firearm in his waistband and Samuel David demanded the driver’s money. Samuel David went through the driver’s pockets, taking a wallet and knife from him. They also took $100 in cash from the driver’s vehicle.
Ross ordered the delivery driver to take them to an ATM to withdraw more money from the driver’s bank account. The driver took them to a gas station, where Samuel David attempted to use the driver’s bank car to withdraw money from an ATM. Samuel David returned to the car and told Ross he wasn’t able to withdraw any money. Samuel David stabbed the driver in the hand with the driver’s knife.
Samuel David ordered the delivery driver to take them to his residence in Gladstone, Mo., where he lived with his parents, while Rochelle David followed in a separate vehicle. Samuel David and Ross accompanied the driver into his residence, where they encountered the driver’s parents. Ross stayed with the driver’s parents while Samuel David walked the driver to his bedroom, where the driver opened a safe that contained approximately $2,000. Samuel David took the safe, and he and Ross left the residence.
On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David in connection with an unrelated homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. Samuel David and another person got out of the vehicle, but Rochelle David and Ross stayed in the vehicle. Rochelle David told Ross that one of the officers who stopped them was the one who recently chased her. Shortly before she got out of the vehicle, she told Ross, “Shoot the one with the red hair first.” Rochelle David then got out of the vehicle, after which Ross opened his door and fired on officers with his gun. The officers returned fire, which resulted in his death.
After being arrested, Rochelle David was questioned about the homicide. She admitted that Ross wanted to kill a homeless person and she was with him when they picked up a homeless man in Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2020. They drove around for a time with the victim, then Ross got out of the vehicle and she saw him shoot the victim.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.