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Wednesday 9 November 2022
Ft. Bragg Vendor Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Darryl Sealey, A/K/A, “Tim”, of Fayetteville, pleaded guilty today for his role in a multi-year conspiracy which embezzled government funds. When sentenced next year, Sealey faces up to 60 months in prison, $6,300,000 in restitution, and a $3,500,000 forfeiture judgment.
“This investigation is putting a stop to the culture of fraud that was prevalent on Ft. Bragg,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those that steal from our government and line their pockets with money meant to support our troops.”
“Today's plea is a fitting end for those who conspire to defraud the United States Army,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “The men and women of CID are proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners to protect the financial resources of the U.S. Government from those who commit criminal acts associated with government contracting and purchasing.”
"Collusion between trusted Government employees and contractors tears at the fabric of public trust and will simply not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “We remain committed, along with our law enforcement partners, to rooting out fraud and corruption and safeguarding the valuable resources entrusted to the Department of Defense by the American Taxpayer.”
According to court records, Sealey operated Aaron’s Supply, Inc., a company selling various supplies for maintenance of equipment and facilities to the Operations and Maintenance Division, Directorate of Public Works (DPW), at Fort Bragg, NC. Sealey conspired with Morris Cooper, a purchasing agent at DPW to steer contracts for supplies to specific vendors in return for cash payments and gifts, and by inflating prices on supplies, increasing both the profits to the vendor and the cash payment made to Cooper and/or his wife, Beverley Cooper.
Morris and Beverley Cooper were earlier convicted for their roles in the conspiracy, Morris Cooper receiving a sentence of 17 months’ imprisonment, and Beverley Cooper a sentence of probation. Both agreed to pay $6,300,000 joint and severally in restitution and an order of forfeiture was entered for more than $1.2 million, the amount they agree they personally profited from the conspiracy.
In addition to the Coopers, three former employees of DPW at Ft. Bragg were recently convicted and sentenced for the receipt of bribes from other vendors. On May 18, 2022, Calvin Jordan was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment; on October 28, 2022, Stephen Paul Sabato was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment; and on November 3, 2022, Edward Crisco was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months and one day, all having received bribes while employed by the federal government. Sealey’s sentencing is anticipated in March 2023.
Sealey’s plea was entered today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-328-FL, 5:21-CR-313-M, and 5:22-CR-200-FL.
Franklin Man with Lengthy Criminal History Sentenced to over Nine Years for Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Ezekiel Anderson, IV, 30, of Franklin, Louisiana, has been sentenced on firearms and drug charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Anderson was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 112 months (9 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Anderson pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to evidence presented to the court, investigators with the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department encountered Anderson in the parking lot of the Cypress Bayou Casino on April 30, 2021. During their interaction with Anderson, investigators smelled the odor of marijuana coming from his vehicle and on his breath and person. A search warrant was obtained by law enforcement officers and a search of Anderson’s vehicle resulted in the discovery of a black bag on the front passenger seat containing a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a baggie containing suspected methamphetamine, along with other suspected narcotics and items used in the distribution of narcotics. The Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory analyzed the seized narcotics and determined that Anderson possessed approximately 8.4 grams of methamphetamine, 105 grams of marijuana, 47 Alprazolam tablets and 2 tablets containing methamphetamine.
The firearm and ammunition recovered were analyzed by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In addition, a review of Anderson’s criminal history revealed that he has numerous felony convictions, including possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (2012); possession of cocaine (2015); attempted possession of firearm by a convicted felon (2017); simple escape (2017); simple kidnapping, simple burglary, and possession of methamphetamine (2018).
The case was investigated by the ATF, Chitimacha Tribal Police Department, and St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
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Fort Pierre Woman Sentenced for Bank EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a Fort Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Bank Embezzlement was sentenced on November 7, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Bailey Ricketts, age 27, was sentenced to one month in federal prison, followed by three months of home confinement, two years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $38,135.43, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Ricketts was indicted for Bank Embezzlement by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. She pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022.
From August 2019 to November 2020, while employed at a bank in Fort Pierre, Ricketts knowingly embezzled money from the bank by transferring money into her own account and accounts belonging to her family members.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Ricketts was ordered to report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by the end of the week.
Former owner of Savannah restaurant charged with tax crime involving failure to pay more than $400,000 in payroll taxesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The former owner of a Savannah pizza franchise faces a federal charge for withholding more than $400,000 in payroll taxes.
Melissa Metts Johnson, 48, of Statesboro, Ga., is charged via an Information with Failure to Account for and Pay Over Employment Taxes, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The felony charge carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Employers who willfully fail to collect, account for, and deposit with the IRS employment tax due are stealing from the U.S. Treasury and gaining an unfair advantage over their honest competitors,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who willfully fail to comply with their employment tax responsibilities.”
As described in the Information, Johnson was the owner of LHMS Inc., which operated a franchise of Mellow Mushroom in Savannah. The Information alleges that from 2015 through 2019, the company spent thousands of dollars for Johnson’s benefit, even as the company failed to turn over to the Internal Revenue Service the payroll taxes withheld from the company’s employees.
The Information alleges that while the company withheld tax payments from employees’ paychecks during the period, the company failed to pay all of those taxes to the IRS. “Altogether,” the Information says, the “Defendant causes LHMS, Inc. to fail to account for and pay over $428,203.48 in payroll taxes.” As recently as April 2020, the company failed to turn over $35,882.29 in payroll taxes due to the United States.
An Information contains only charges; a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Former high school teacher charged federally with exploiting minors by taking up-skirt videos at school & in other public placesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former high school chemistry teacher was taken into federal custody today on charges related to using hidden cameras to take tens of thousands of explicit videos of students at school and filming females in dressing rooms and other public places.
Justin Foley, 47, of Delaware, Ohio, appeared in federal court at 1:30pm in Columbus today after a federal criminal complaint and warrant were issued for his arrest.
Foley was employed as a chemistry teacher at Columbus Alternative High School at the time of his alleged offenses. He is charged with sexually exploiting minors and distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography. It is alleged Foley used his cell phone and other digital media devices in a hidden manner to capture female genitalia under skirts and shorts.
According to court documents, in August 2022, the Delaware Police Department received CyberTip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding numerous images of apparent child pornography that were uploaded via Google email accounts. Investigators tracked the IP addresses for the reported email accounts to Foley.
It is alleged that Foley’s email accounts contained numerous videos that were voyeuristic in nature and appear to have been self-produced. The videos appear to have been recorded at the school in which Foley worked as a chemistry teacher, at local department stores in central Ohio, in public areas of downtown Delaware, Ohio, and in dressing rooms. It is apparent that the victims in the videos do not know they are being recorded.
Delaware County law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Foley’s residence on Sept. 20, 2022. Court documents detail that Foley admitted to creating videos in the classroom and hallways of the school at which he taught and that he had created some of these videos as recently as the previous week.
Foley was arrested and charged locally in Delaware County in September 2022. His federal charges will supersede his previous local charges.
Sexually exploiting a minor is a crime punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison. Distribution and receipt of child pornography is a crime punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; Delaware Police Chief Adam Moore; Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa A. Schiffel; and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you believe you may be a victim of or the parent of a potential victim of Foley’s alleged conduct, please call 614-901-6883.
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Former Firefighter Sentenced for Two Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
A Bixby man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court for robbing two Oklahoma banks of nearly $320,000, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
“Jerry Brown’s string of criminal acts included two bank robberies and attempting to escape prosecution by staging his own disappearance to look like a kidnapping,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This bank robber has been held accountable and will spend 51 months in federal prison.”
"The FBI would like to thank the Skiatook Police Department, Owasso Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their hard work in this investigation,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “We are gratified Brown is being brought to justice for his crimes, and can no longer target Oklahoma’s financial institutions or intimidate innocent citizens.”
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jerry Ray Brown, 44, to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was within the federal guideline range for the crimes. Judge Frizzell also ordered Brown to pay just over $260,000 in restitution, representing the stolen bank funds that had not yet been recovered.
During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Roberts argued for a sentence within the guideline range while the defense argued for a sentence below the guideline range, requesting Brown serve just over 12 months in federal prison. The defense pointed to Brown’s life of service prior to the bank robberies and the extreme financial and personal struggles he had been dealing with at the time of the crimes. Brown then apologized to the victims. He stated that as a former firefighter, he had been a life saver but ultimately became a life destroyer when he committed the robberies.
In a statement to the Court, one victim said that the anxiety she experienced had been crippling and had taken her mentally away from her children. She agreed with Brown and said that he had been a life destroyer—that his actions not only affected the victim but also her family. She said that she had suffered hardships following the robberies, but unlike Brown, she had not committed any criminal acts.
Brown previously entered guilty pleas to all of the original bank robbery counts in the charged indictment, and he did so without a plea agreement from the United States. Brown lived in Skiatook at the time of the robberies and later in Bixby while criminal proceedings were pending.
Brown executed bank robberies at Oklahoma Capital Bank in Skiatook on March 12, 2020, and Exchange Bank in Sperry on May 7, 2020. In both robberies, Brown demanded bank employees take him to their vaults and open their ATMs.
Bank tellers and surveillance video at both locations described or showed the suspect as being around 6 feet tall and weighing between 200 and 250 pounds. The suspect wore a black mask, distinctive black and gray gloves with a yellow logo; carried a black backpack; and drove a silver SUV. One of the tellers at the Skiatook bank suggested the robber’s mannerisms and build reminded her of Jerry Brown, who banked there.
Through their investigation, law enforcement was able to link Brown to the robberies and arrested him. They believed Brown’s likely motive for the robberies was to alleviate the numerous professional and personal financial problems he had been experiencing.
He was charged in federal court on Oct. 27, 2020, and later released while awaiting further criminal proceedings in the case.
On Oct. 25, 2021, authorities initially received a report that Brown was potentially kidnapped from his residence in Bixby in the early morning hours. Later that morning, Nowata police officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle registered to Brown. Instead of stopping, Brown eluded officers and disappeared. Just after 8 am, Brown was arrested by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas for the alleged theft of gasoline, evading authorities, and other charges. Brown was later returned to federal custody.
The FBI, Skiatook Police Department, and Owasso Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts prosecuted the case.
Former Embassy Employee Pleads Guilty to Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
A former employee of the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Moldova pleaded guilty yesterday in a domestic violence case involving his wife, a U.S. diplomat working at the Embassy.
According to court documents, Ilirjan Shema, 46, accompanied his family to Chisinau, Moldova, where his spouse, an employee of the U.S. Department of State, was assigned to work as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Embassy. While in Moldova, Shema obtained a family member position to work at the Embassy. On April 10, 2021, while inside their official residence provided by the embassy, Shema attacked his wife, striking her, throwing her to the ground, and strangling her. The attack resulted in physical injuries. Shema was subsequently arrested on Aug. 5, 2021, when he traveled from Albania to Atlanta, Georgia.
Shema pleaded guilty to a charge of interstate domestic violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 23, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director Carlos Matus of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.
The DSS Office of Special Investigations is investigating the case with the assistance of the Regional Security Office, U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Gabay-Smith for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
Former BOP Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Flora woman pleaded guilty today to carrying out a scheme to defraud the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith with the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Miami Field Office.
According to court documents, Tarshuana Thomas, 34, of Flora, fraudulently applied for two PPP loans. Thomas claimed to be the sole proprietor of a dog breeding and sitting service. From those fraudulently obtained funds, Thomas received $12,586, which she spent on personal, non-business related expenses. Thomas was employed as a Correctional Officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Yazoo City when she applied for the loans.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Air Force Contracting Specialist Sentenced to 30 Months for Bribery Scheme Involving Millions in DOD Contracts in AlaskaRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS – A former U.S. Air Force Contract Specialist assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and forfeiture of $47,000 in unlawful gains by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline for conspiracy and agreeing to accept nearly half a million in bribes from a private contractor.
According to court documents, Brian Lowell Nash II, 33, of Washington, agreed to accept more than $460,000 in bribe payments in 2019 from a government contractor, Ryan Dalbec, who, along with his wife, Riahnna Nadem, owned a construction company called Best Choice Construction LLC. In exchange, Nash provided Dalbec and Nadem with confidential bidding information on over $8,250,000 in U.S. Department of Defense contracts at Eielson AFB and JBER, which helped Best Choice win some of the contracts, including a construction contract related to the F-35 aircraft program at Eielson Air Force Base and contracts to perform construction and related services at JBER. At the time Nash was caught he had received approximately $47,000 of the agreed upon bribe payments, much of which he laundered through family members to conceal the nature and source of the funds. The defendants committed multiple overt acts in furtherance of the bribery conspiracy, and between March and October 2019 Dalbec, Nadem and Nash laundered payments and proceeds from the bribery scheme to conceal their unlawful activities. Nash previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and acceptance of bribes by a public official.
“My office is committed to protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) procurement system in Alaska,” said U.S Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “This case demonstrates our resolve, along with our law enforcement partners, to bring to justice those who subvert the DoD contracting process for their own gain. This sentence sends a strong message that bribery and fraud will be met with serious consequences.”
“In a severe violation of the public’s trust, the defendant chose to line his own pockets at the expense of taxpayers, and undermined the government’s competitive contracting practices,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI will continue to investigate and disrupt such schemes and hold accountable those who seek to use taxpayer dollars for private gain.”
Dalbec and Nadem previously pleaded guilty to felonies related to this conduct and are scheduled for sentencing at the end of 2022.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan D. Tansey.
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Florida Man Is Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville has convicted Jorge Luis Perez, 36, of Wimauma, Florida, of drug trafficking and firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger presided over the three-day trial which ended today.
According to court documents, witness testimony and evidence presented at trial, in May 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Perez was driving in Jackson County, North Carolina. Over the course of the traffic stop, law enforcement located a trafficking quantity of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm in the vehicle. Law enforcement also found more than $10,000 in cash on Perez’s person. Trial evidence further established that, in July 2020, law enforcement conducted another traffic stop of a vehicle Perez was driving in Swain County, North Carolina. Over the course of that traffic stop, law enforcement located an even larger trafficking quantity of methamphetamine and set of digital scales in the vehicle. A search of Perez’s trailer later that day led to the seizure of additional evidence to include methamphetamine, multiple firearms, and a money counter.
A federal jury convicted Perez of two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine – one carrying a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and one carrying a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. Perez remains in custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida for their coordination and investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Kent and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Annabelle Chambers, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District.
Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who illegally trafficked at least ten firearms from Georgia to Chicago has been sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison.
Between approximately September 2020 and January 2021, defendant SCOTT TREECE, 35, of Rockford, Illinois transported at least ten firearms from Georgia to Illinois to sell to others. Because Treece was a felon during this time, he used straw purchasers to purchase these firearms, including his co-defendant Kyle Hall, 23, of Algonquin, Illinois and two other individuals living in Georgia. After Treece was arrested in this case, he threatened Hall and instructed the other straw purchasers to refrain from talking with law enforcement. Treece was arrested after selling a firearm to a confidential informant. During Treece’s arrest, law enforcement recovered an additional firearm and several extended magazines.
Treece pleaded guilty earlier this year to unlawfully dealing in firearms and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. On November 7, 2022, U.S. District Judge Edmund E. Chang imposed a 90-month prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum that although Treece had not obtained any additional convictions since his last in 2009, “the instant offense indicates he has been engaged in violent conduct and unlawful conduct related to firearms.”
Co-defendant Hall pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of knowingly transferring a firearm to a felon and is awaiting sentencing by U.S. District Judge Edmond. E. Chang.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Jeffrey L. Matthews, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is the focus of the Department of Justice’s Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force. As part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
Holding firearm offenders accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for the Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Online Enticement of a Minor. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in July 2020, law enforcement in Texas were notified of a subject, later identified as Bart Thomas Stockland, age 33, who had been in contact with a minor via Snapchat and had been requesting nude images from the minor in exchange for money. Ultimately the case was referred to the Department of Homeland Security Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Further investigation revealed Stockland had obtained nude images constituting child pornography from the minor.
Stockland pled guilty to an information in June of 2022.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Abilene, Texas Police Department, Fayetteville, Arkansas Police Department and Department of Homeland Security Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fairfax Man Sentenced for Attempted Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for attempted production of and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Brian Scott McGalem, 24, repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with at least six minors where he attempted to persuade several of the victims to produce sexually explicit pictures of themselves and send them to him. At least three of the minor victims were under the age of 12 at the time of the offense. During these discussions, which took place on several social media platforms under the monikers “Random Hipster#2429” and “Sircoolbeans,” McGalem attempted to groom and entice the minors to record themselves engaging in sexually explicit activity and he sent some of the minors sexually explicit images of himself. Moreover, McGalem’s electronic devices contained several images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Keim and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Kramer prosecuted the case.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, continues to attempt to identify additional victims. Anyone with information regarding these crimes is encouraged to e-mail the HSI Tip Line: www.ice.gov/tips or by calling: 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
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. 1:22-cr-48.
Freeburg Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing Bank Fraud While Employed by Area SchoolsRead the Press Release
BENTON, IL – A resident of Freeburg, Illinois, pled guilty today to committing bank fraud in
connection with her former employer.According to court documents, Michelle Miller, 45, worked as a business manager for two Belleville
area schools, St. Teresa’s and St. Luke’s. When she pled guilty, Miller admitted using her
position to commit fraud: she wrote checks from the schools’ accounts to herself, she made excess
salary payments to herself, and she wrote checks to petty cash and pocketed the money. To conceal
this fraud, Miller at times forged the signature of the priest of St. Teresa’s and St. Luke’s. She
also manipulated the parish’s QuickBook accounts to make it look like St. Luke’s was paying money
to St. Teresa’s when the money was actually going to her. And she made false and misleading
adjustments to her own compensation in the payroll system. In all, Miller took a total of
$153,940.38 from St. Teresa’s and St. Luke’s that she was not entitled to receive.“Nonprofit organizations like St. Teresa’s and St. Luke’s provide vital services to our
communities’ children and families,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Criminal behavior
targeting such organizations is unconscionable and even more so when it comes from within. Those
who perpetrate it will be held to account.”Miller’s offense carries a maximum sentence of thirty years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to
$250,000. Miller’s sentencing is set for February 16, 2023, at 10:00am at the federal courthouse in
Benton, Illinois.The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Belleville Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter T. Reed.District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison on a federal charge of distribution of child pornography.
Akiva Bernstein, 22, pleaded guilty in March 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, Bernstein will be placed on eight years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim depicted in the images that he distributed. Bernstein also must register as a sex offender following his release from prison.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
According to the government’s evidence, in November of 2020, Bernstein used a mobile messaging application to communicate with an individual who he believed was a father with access to a young child. Bernstein attempted to set up a meeting with the individual and child. In the process, he forwarded the agent 12 videos, at least nine of which depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. On Dec. 2, 2020, Bernstein agreed to meet the individual and child for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts and contacts. He was arrested.
Following his arrest, Bernstein provided consent for law enforcement to search his cellphone, which had approximately 40 videos depicting sex acts with minor children.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar, who prosecuted the case, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Stauss, who provided valuable assistance.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Sex Trafficking Two Minor Victims, He Committed the Crime While on Bond for Other Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit man who sex trafficked two minor girls while he was on bond and an electronic tether for state sex trafficking charges was sentenced to 16 years in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Kollier Radney, 30, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Sean F. Cox after having pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
According to court records, in October 2020, Radney met a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat and convinced to her to travel from Minnesota to Detroit with the promise of a lavish lifestyle. He purchased her plane ticket and arranged for her transportation to and from the airport. In reality, Radney flew the victim to Detroit with the intent that she engage in prostitution. When the victim arrived, Radney created and posted online commercial sex advertisements for her. Shortly thereafter, Radney met his second victim, a 16-year-old girl in Detroit. Radney took both victims to a hotel in Romulus, Michigan, where he rented a room for the three of them. While there, both victims engaged in commercial sex. Radney arranged the meetings between the 16-year-old victim and the sex buyers and took all of the proceeds. He also required the 15-year-old victim to give him a portion of her proceeds to help pay for the hotel room. Radney did all of this knowing that both victims were under 18 years old.
In October 2022, Radney was sentenced in state court to 24 to 240 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor. This was the case for which he was on bond when he committed his federal sex trafficking crimes charged in this case.
“Radney took advantage of two vulnerable children, in one of the most terrible ways, for his own financial gain. Our office will work tirelessly to protect our most vulnerable and rid our communities of sexual predators who prey on our children,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“This defendant preyed upon very vulnerable teenagers by promising them shelter, money, and affection. Instead of providing those things, he callously sold them to other men for his own financial benefit,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to working on behalf of victims across the State to hold traffickers responsible for their crimes.”
This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force (“SEMTEC”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ranya Elzein and Sara Woodward.
Dane County Man Charged with Making ThreatsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – An indictment has been returned today by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin, charging a Windsor, Wisconsin man with two counts of making threats to injure an individual. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges Michael A. Yaker, 52, with sending electronic communications threatening to injure a Wisconsin citizen and with posting messages on Facebook threatening to injure a Wisconsin citizen. The indictment alleges that Yaker sent the electronic communications and posted the messages on Facebook on October 27, 2022.
Yaker was charged with these offenses in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison on Friday, November 4. Yaker was arrested in Syracuse, Kansas on November 4 and he made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Wichita, Kansas on Monday, November 7. He was ordered held in custody. His initial court appearance in Wisconsin has not been scheduled.
If convicted, Yaker faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on each count. The charges against Yaker are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Capitol Police, Hamilton County (Kansas) Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney O’Shea is handling the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon handled Yaker’s appearance in Kansas.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Cooper County Sex Offender Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Prairie Home, Mo., sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges related to producing child pornography.
Bradley Leigh Knecht, 28, was charged in a four-indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Knecht, who was arrested today, has a prior Arkansas conviction for possessing or viewing child pornography.
The federal indictment alleges that Knecht used a child victim to produce child pornography from Feb. 1 to Oct. 20, 2022. Knecht is also charged with one count of advertising child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Murder and for Shooting a Child on the Isabella ReservationRead the Press Release
Bay City, MI – A convicted sex offender was indicted today by the grand jury for murdering a woman and shooting her child on the Isabella Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
The indictment charges Johnathan Ashford, age 37, of Mt. Pleasant, with murder for shooting and killing an Indian victim on the Isabella Reservation. Ashford is not a Native American. The indictment also charges Ashford with assault with the intent to commit murder for shooting the victim’s child. In addition, Ashford is charged with failing to register as a sex offender, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and after being convicted of a felony, first degree child abuse, and two counts of domestic assault by a habitual offender. If convicted, Ashford faces up to life in prison.
“Our office stands ready to fully investigate and prosecute domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Victims of domestic and gender-based violence deserve justice and our protection.”
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Isabella County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, Saginaw City Police, Buena Vista Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz.
Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Improvised Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced William Earl Siebert (47, Cape Coral) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device. Siebert had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022.
According to court documents, on August 27, 2019, Siebert was arrested for driving under the influence following a single-vehicle traffic accident on Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral. Later, when his vehicle was searched, officers found a pipe bomb attached to a yard-stake timer, which contained a quantity of explosive powder and an assortment of shrapnel. Court records showed that Siebert had previously been convicted of second-degree murder and served a 25-year state prison sentence in connection with that case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years for Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Luis Salvador Flores, 50, of Glendale, Arizona was sentenced on October 31, 2022, by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 84 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Flores previously pleaded guilty to Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon.
On November 17, 2020, law enforcement officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department stopped Flores for a suspected traffic code infraction as he was driving to oversee a methamphetamine sale in Tucson, Arizona. Inside of Flores’s vehicle, officers found two semi-automatic firearms, a loaded Glock 9mm pistol, and an ATI Omni Hybrid 5.56/.223 caliber rifle, as well as magazines and ammunition. Flores admitted that he had intended to provide “security” for the drug deal, which was anticipated to involve approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine. The intended transaction never occurred because Flores was intercepted by the law enforcement officers as he was enroute to the drug deal location.
Flores had over 20 prior felony counts of conviction on his record at the time of his arrest, arising out of multiple prior criminal state court cases. Consequently, he was and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Tucson, Arizona conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00896-JCH-DTF
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-205_Flores# # #
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.
Co-Owners of Arm Rippin Toys Plead Guilty to Clean Air Act ViolationRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – The three co-owners of Arm Rippin Toys, Inc., an Anchorage vehicle repair shop specializing in modifying, repairing and maintaining diesel vehicles, each pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Clean Air Act.
According to court documents, Zachary Czubak, Patrick Fleming and Michael Hanzuk, II, tampered with federally mandated monitoring devices on private and commercial diesel vehicles and removed required air pollution control equipment on at least 37 vehicles between July 2019 and September 2020.
In July 2019 the co-owners of Arm Rippin Toys, entered into an agreement to engage in “tuning and deleting” customers’ diesel vehicles. This process involves the removal of emissions control systems which are designed to reduce pollutants being emitted from the vehicles. Under normal operating conditions, an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system will detect any removal and/or malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment. By modifying OBDs on vehicles, Arm Rippin Toy’s co-owners and employees falsified, tampered with and rendered inaccurate the vehicles’ monitoring devices so that the modified vehicle could continue to function despite the removal or deletion of emissions control equipment. In total Arm Rippin Toys collected approximately $100,000 for performing unlawful deletes and tunes on diesel vehicles.
“We take protecting the environment seriously in Alaska and we won’t hesitate to prosecute individuals committing environmental crimes,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The defendants in this case knowingly and repeatedly installed ‘defeat devices’ to remove emissions controls in dozens of vehicles violating the Clean Air Act which protects the nation’s air quality by, among other things, reducing vehicle emissions that pollute the air.”
“Installing emissions defeat equipment in passenger vehicles results in a massive increase in air pollution from even a single vehicle,” said Special Agent in Charge Scot Adair of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Alaska. “EPA and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable those who jeopardize human health and the environment for the sake of profit.”
Defendants in this case are:
- Zachary John Czubak, 25, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act and was sentenced to five years’ probation, a $66,000 fine and 180 hours of community service as a condition of probation.
- Patrick Fleming Thomas Fleming, 29, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act and is awaiting sentencing.
- Michael Wayne Hanzuk, II, 30, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act and was sentenced to five years’ probation, a $66,000 fine, 180 hours of community service as a condition of probation and a public statement acknowledging wrongdoing.
The removal or disabling of a vehicle’s emissions control system can increase particulate matter (PM) by a factor of about 40 times; nitrogen oxides (NOx) by a factor of about 310 times; carbon monoxide (CO) by a factor of about 120 times; and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) by a factor of about 1,100 times.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charisse Arce and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin prosecuted the case.
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City of Elyria, Ohio, Agrees to Federal Plan to Eliminate Sewage Discharges into the Black RiverRead the Press Release
The city of Elyria, Ohio, has entered into a consent decree with the United States and the State of Ohio to complete a series of capital projects designed to eliminate discharges of untreated sewage from its sewer system into the Black River, 10 miles upstream from Lake Erie.
The projects that Elyria has agreed to implement will significantly increase the amount of wastewater that receives treatment and prevent overflows from sanitary and combined sewer outfalls when the system becomes overloaded. When completed, the water quality of the Black River, around which the City of Elyria is situated, will be greatly improved. Elyria is expected to spend nearly $250 million to improve its sewer system. It will also pay a civil penalty of $100,000 to the United States and pay $100,000 to Ohio’s Surface Water Improvement Fund.
The consent decree would resolve the violations alleged in the underlying complaint filed by the United States and the state of Ohio. The complaint alleges that Elyria’s sanitary sewers overflowed on more than 1,100 occasions since 2011, resulting in discharges of untreated sewage into the Black River or a tributary to the river. The complaint also alleges that Elyria failed to comply with a previous court order to stop these illegal discharges.
“The Clean Water Act requires adequate infrastructure to limit discharges of untreated sewage,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These settlements require meaningful investments that will improve the health of the Black River and Lake Erie.”
“The City of Elyria’s infrastructure investment will not only reduce untreated sewage from entering the Black River, but also improve water quality for residents,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA and the State of Ohio worked with the City of Elyria to develop a comprehensive solution to protect water quality.”
Under the proposed consent decree, Elyria will construct various projects within its sewer system to be completed by Dec. 31, 2044. The most environmentally-significant of these projects will be completed within the first 15 years. This includes completion of the city’s East Side Relief Sewer, increasing capacity at Elyria’s wastewater treatment plant, adding processes to mitigate the harm from any bypasses around the wastewater treatment plant, and 12 other projects that will control waste overflows or the flow of non-wastewater into the sewer system. Elyria will submit semi-annual progress reports to the United States and the state of Ohio until all work has been completed.
The proposed agreements are subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval after publication in the Federal Register.
More information about this settlement can be found here.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 7 Years and 2 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting and Brandishing a Firearm at Federal Task Force OfficersRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – John F. Johnson, also known as Grand Master Jay, was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison for assaulting and brandishing a firearm at federal task force officers.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Erika Shields of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
After a week-long trial in May of this year, a federal jury sitting in Louisville, Kentucky, convicted Johnson, 59, of Cincinnati, OH, of two counts of assaulting a federal task force officer and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Johnson, on the evening of September 4, 2020, forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with a federally deputized task force officer who was performing official duties, when Johnson aimed a rifle at him. Johnson brandished an AR-15 platform rifle and tactical flashlight at two federally deputized Task Force Officers. Both are detectives with the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Johnson was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Joe Ansari prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Adela Alic.
The FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.
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Chilton County Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm Following a ShootoutRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, Paul David Chapman, 50, from Verbena, Alabama, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. Following his prison sentence, Chapman will be on supervised release for three years. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, around 10:44 p.m. on October 9, 2019, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office went to a residence in Verbena after receiving multiple 911 calls, including one from Chapman, that shots had been fired. When deputies arrived, they found Chapman sitting on a couch inside the house with a gunshot wound. A handgun was next to Chapman on the couch. Chapman stated that he had exchanged gunfire with another individual after the two argued over Chapman’s dog being struck and killed by a car. Chapman was taken from the residence for medical treatment. After searching the area, investigators discovered Chapman’s wife deceased in the front yard. She had been hit by a stray round during the exchange of gunfire. Investigators also found an additional firearm in the residence. Chapman has previous felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.
Chicago, Illinois Man Sentenced to 97 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Rashawn Curtis, 23 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to selling a firearm to a felon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Curtis was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on March 23, 2020, Curtis sold to a convicted felon, a semi-automatic pistol with an “auto sear” conversion switch attached that converted the pistol into a fully automatic weapon. The firearm also contained an extended magazine which held thirty-two rounds of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives along with the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
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.
Chicago Resident Charged with $2.7 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago, Illinois, returned an indictment in October, which was unsealed today, charging a Chicago resident with 12 counts of wire fraud for allegedly fraudulently obtaining at least $2.7 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to the indictment, beginning around April 2020, and continuing until around November 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 40, of Chicago, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The EIDL program provided loan assistance and grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses for businesses suffering economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the scheme, the indictment alleges Amuwo submitted to the SBA numerous applications for loans on behalf of businesses and entities purportedly owned by Amuwo and others. The applications allegedly contained materially false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ owners, employees, revenues, costs, and date of establishment. Further, as part of the scheme, Amuwo is alleged to have made false statements regarding the applying entities’ gross revenues, cost of goods sold, and number of employees for the 12 months prior to the onset of the pandemic, and provided false state registration and tax documents. Amuwo is also alleged to have submitted personal identifying information for purported business owners, including names, social security numbers, and fake state identification cards that he knew did not belong to a real person.
The indictment alleges that Amuwo caused the SBA to disburse at least $2.7 million in EIDL loans and grants into bank accounts controlled by him and others. Amuwo allegedly used the money to make cash withdrawals, transfers, and purchases for his personal benefit.
Amuwo is set for arraignment in federal court in Chicago on November 28, 2022, before Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and John S. Morales, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA-Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Chesterfield Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex with Kansas TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a man from Chesterfield, Missouri to 15 years in prison for taking a 15-year-old from Kansas to Missouri for sex.
John Kenneth Low, 39, will be on supervised release for life after his release from prison.
Low pleaded guilty at the start of the hearing Wednesday to coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor across state lines with the intent of committing an illegal sex act and travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Low admitted meeting a 15-year-old Kansas girl on the Omegle app and using the Discord app to communicate with her and successfully encourage her to run away and live with him.
On Jan. 23, 2022, after quizzing the victim about how she would get out of the house without being caught and telling her to erase her phone before she left it behind, Low picked up the victim from a location near her home and took her to his home in Chesterfield.
The girl’s mother contacted local police, who along with the FBI connected her to Low. FBI agents and Chesterfield police found the girl at Low’s apartment. Low had illegal sexual contact with her while she was at the apartment, Low admitted in his plea.
The teen’s mother spoke during the sentencing portion of Wednesday's hearing, saying, “John Low has ruined our lives.”
The mother said her daughter was “was special, sweet, quiet and depressed, which allowed her to be coerced,” adding, “She cannot be a normal teen due to the trauma he caused to this child.”
Low also agreed as part of his plea to forfeit four cell phones, three tablet computers, a laptop, nine hard drives and storage devices that were seized during the investigation.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Chesterfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cary Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Quentin Allen Jackson, 56, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering with respect to the fraudulent proceeds of Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. Jackson faces up to twenty years in prison and a potential fine.
“The defendant took money meant to help small businesses struggling during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We will vigorously pursue criminals who lined their pockets with taxpayer money while the pandemic crippled local businesses.”
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was the key to survival for many small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of IRS Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office. “PPP funds should be reserved for legitimate businesses and their hard-working employees who suffered as a result of the pandemic. IRS Criminal Investigation along with our law enforcement partners are committed to pursue those who commit such fraud.”
In March 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Jackson conspired with others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans in the names of several companies under Jackson’s control. After receiving the proceeds of the fraudulent PPP loans, Jackson carried out a series of steps detailed by his co-conspirators to make it appear as though the borrower’s company was paying bi-weekly payroll to its employees. Over a series of six to eight weeks, Jackson wrote checks payable to each of the individuals previously named as employees in the PPP loan applications. These actions made it appear as though Jackson’s companies were paying regular wages as intended by the CARES Act. In most instances, the recipients of the checks were either not employees of the borrower company at all, or they were not actually earning wages comparable to what was represented in the loan applications. Jackson instructed his purported employees to cash the checks, and then return the illicit cash to him.
In addition to directly engaging in the PPP fraud described above, Jackson also served as a middleman, earning a fee from his co-conspirators for each additional fraudulent borrower he recruited. He ultimately recruited over a dozen individuals who obtained fraudulent PPP loans. Those Jackson recruited engaged in the same scheme described above to launder the proceeds of the fraudulent loans. Nearly $4 million of fraudulent PPP disbursements are attributable to Jackson or to individuals he recruited to the scheme.
Jackson pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Sentencing before United States District Judge James C. Dever III is scheduled to occur next year.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the plea. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Beraka and Karen K. Haughton are prosecuting the case.
The Eastern District of North Carolina’s COVID Task Force is a part of an effort to coordinate COVID-related fraud investigations and prosecutions in Eastern North Carolina. On May 17, 2021, the United States Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00180-D.
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Butler Woman Sentenced on Charges of Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 30 months’ probation, 150 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine on her conviction of theft of government funds, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Amy Lynn Snow, age 54.
According to information presented to the court at the time of the guilty plea, Snow, from August 2013 through September 2017, falsely reported to the Social Security Administration that her spouse was not a member of her household knowing that his status as a member of the household and his income would affect her entitlement to Social Security Income benefits. The amount of loss suffered by the Social Security Administration by reason of Snow’s theft was $45,422.61.
As part of the sentence imposed, Chief Judge Hornak ordered the defendant to pay full restitution in the amount of $45,422.61 to the Social Security Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Snow.
Butler Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Multiple Bricks of FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has pled guilty on a charge of possessing 10 grams or more of a mixture containing fluorofentanyl and fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Gerry Lee Kendall, age 41, pleaded guilty before Senior District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 6, 2021, an officer with the Duquesne Police Department observed Gerry Lee Kendall exit Truman Towers, a known high-drug trafficking area. The officer observed Kendall enter the front passenger seat of a parked vehicle, which then committed several traffic violations. Subsequently, the officer conducted a traffic stop. While speaking with the driver, Kendall repeatedly asked why they were stopped and appeared to be shaking. When asked about where they were coming from, Kendall was unable to provide the last name of the person he met at Truman Towers or the apartment number. Subsequently, the officer asked the driver and Kendall to step out of the vehicle. When the officer asked Kendall whether he had any weapons on him, Kendall tried reaching for his pocket. When the officer instructed Kendall not to reach for his pocket, Kendall placed his hand into his pocket. For officer safety, the officer pulled Kendall’s hand from his pocket, and 4 “bricks” fell out of the pocket with Kendall’s hand. A “brick” is typically comprised of 50 glassine bags containing heroin and/or fentanyl. The officer arrested Kendall and searched him incident to arrest, which resulted in the seizure of an additional 16 bricks, $1,773.00, and a cellular phone. A search warrant executed upon the phone revealed texts that showed Kendall’s prior distributions of controlled substances.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for 9:30 am on March 1, 2023. The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and a maximum of 40 years, a $5,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of at least four years and/or a special assessment of $100. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Kendall on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Duquesne Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gerry Lee Kendall.
Brooklyn Park Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Brooklyn Park man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on July 27, 2022, Tyrone Mashaun White, 34, was in possession of a Springfield Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol while driving in Brooklyn Center. Officers of the Minneapolis Police Department found the firearm when they searched White’s vehicle pursuant to a search warrant. Officers also recovered from the vehicle a black bag containing a pill bottle with eight methamphetamine pills, and baggies of fentanyl with a total weight of approximately 2.5 grams. Because White has multiple prior felony convictions in Hennepin and Goodhue Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
White pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is prosecuting the case.
Bristol Man and Girlfriend Charged with Committing Numerous Violent Robberies Across ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging LONNY CROSS, 44, and REBECCA BARBERA, 40, both of Bristol, with conspiring to commit numerous violent robberies across Connecticut in September and October of this year. Cross is also charged with a narcotics distribution offense.
As alleged in court documents, the FBI and Connecticut State Police have been working with state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate more than 30 robberies of gas station convenience stores, mini-markets and liquor stores that occurred from September 5 to October 13 in North Branford, Waterbury, Wolcott, Plymouth, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, West Haven, Wethersfield, Bristol, Southington, Naugatuck, Watertown, Franklin, Norwich, Waterford, Groton City, Stonington, Ledyard, Darien, Norwalk, Stratford and Seymour. Several of the robberies occurred on the same day, often minutes apart. Surveillance videos from the stores show what appears to be the same suspect, identified as Cross, entering the stores, brandishing a knife or gun, and robbing the stores. Witnesses to several of the robberies reported that they saw the suspect flee in a dark-colored sedan.
The indictment alleges that Cross would travel to a victim-store with Barbera, who would enter the store to determine the number of employees and customers in the store, exit the store, and then report that information to Cross. Cross would then enter the store, display a knife or firearm while threatening employees, and steal cash and other items.
On October 14, 2022, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of Cross’s and Barbera’s residence, and a black 2014 Chevrolet Impala that Cross was known to drive. The search of the residence revealed clothing consistent with clothing worn by the suspect in several of the robberies, as well as 54 bags of suspected heroin, a quantity of suspected crack cocaine, and narcotics paraphernalia. A search of the car revealed 120 bags of suspected heroin, approximately 14 grams of crack, and a knit hat matching the description of one worn by the suspect during a robbery the day before. Cross, who was on state parole, was arrested on state charges on that date. He has been detained since his arrest.
Barbara was arrested on October 28 on a federal criminal complaint and is currently released on a $10,000 bond.
The indictment charges Cross and Barbera with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Cross is also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin, an offense that also carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI, Connecticut State Police, Orange Police Department, Port Chester (N.Y.) Police Department, and numerous other police departments from the municipalities where the robberies occurred, with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Boyle County Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Danville, Ky., man, Casey Scott Armstrong, 47, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for production of child pornography.
Armstrong’s plea agreement confirms that, in March 2021, Armstrong began sharing methamphetamine with a minor female and, in May 2021, Armstrong began engaging in sexual acts with the same minor, later producing two videos of himself engaging in sex with the minor. The plea agreement also confirms that Armstrong gave methamphetamine and engaged in sex with another minor female in August 2021.
Armstrong pleaded guilty in August 2022.
Under federal law, Armstrong must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Office; and Chief Tony Gray, Danville Police Department jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Danville Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Mary Melton.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Bowling Green Federal Grand Jury Returns Three Indictments Charging Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned three indictments today separately charging three men with drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. made the announcement.
According to court records:
Forrest Holmes, age 60, of Henderson County, Kentucky, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Holmes had previously been convicted in the Henderson Circuit Court of several felonies, including first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), manufacturing methamphetamine, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, and tampering with physical evidence. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Rickey Sutton, age 28, of Daviess County, Kentucky, was charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and once count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sutton had previously been convicted in the Daviess Circuit Court for the felonies of convicted felon in possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property (firearm), and tampering with physical evidence. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Alan C. Rogers, age 55, of Livingston County, Kentucky, was charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession of a firearm with an altered/obliterated serial number. Rogers had previously been convicted in the Livingston Circuit Court of the felony of complicity to first-degree possession of a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Daviess County/Owensboro HIDTA Drug Task Force, the FBI, the ATF, and the Kentucky State Police are investigating the cases.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jo Lawless and Mark J. Yurchisin II.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Black Hawk Man Found Guilty of Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal jury in Rapid City, South Dakota, has convicted Stephen Fontenot, Jr., age 40, of Black Hawk, South Dakota, of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. The verdict was returned on November 3, 2022.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to lifetime of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fontenot was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2021.
Evidence at trial established that Fontenot was arrested as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple sexually explicit chats and text messages with a person Fontenot believed to be a 12-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Fontenot proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Fontenot went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Homeland Security Investigations, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date will be set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bentonville Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Bentonville man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in September 2021, the Rogers Police Department received a Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in reference to suspected child pornography being uploaded to a Google account. Further investigation revealed that the email address associated with the Google account was assigned to Keith Alan Miller, age 36, and that the account contained child pornography belonging to Miller.
Miller was indicted in April of 2022 and entered a plea of guilty in June of 2022.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Rogers Police Department and the Arkansas Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Joel Ivan Caquias Aviles, 22, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to serve 30 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Aviles to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.
According to court records, Aviles was arrested on March 23, 2022 during the execution of search warrants at the Highlander Motel in Rutland, Vermont. Aviles was located in Room 15 of the Motel. A search of that room resulted in the seizure of approximately 37 grams of cocaine base, 168 bags of fentanyl, over $5,000 in cash, and a Glock 9mm handgun. A Burlington Police Department identification technician examined the Glock handgun, and located Aviles’ fingerprints on the firearm. In 2019, Aviles was convicted of two felonies related to violations of the Pennsylvania Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act. Those prior felony convictions prohibited Aviles from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police, the Bennington Police Department, the Weathersfield Police Department, the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department, the Ludlow Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, the Vermont Department of Corrections, and the Burlington Police Department.
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Aviles was represented by Devin McLaughlin, Esq.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
23-Year-Old Funds Lavish Lifestyle Through FraudRead the Press Release
When 23-year-old J. Nicholas Bryant realized couldn’t afford the lavish lifestyle he wanted – complete with luxury limo rides, fully-stocked charter flights, and a private outing on a 90-foot yacht – he turned to fraud, he admitted in court today, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Mr. Bryant, now 26, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr. on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
“Like many of his peers, Nicholas Bryant apparently coveted the life of the rich and famous. Unlike his peers, he wasn’t about to let a lack of funds get in the way of his fantasy,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
According to plea papers, Mr. Bryant admitted that from 2020 through 2021, he defrauded at least 50 unsuspecting victims by booking luxury goods and services and then manipulating online payment platforms like QuickBooks and Veem to make it appear that payments were forthcoming. On at least one occasion, he convinced a victim company that his “secretary” – a woman who did not exist – would make payments on his behalf. Knowing that the software would generate payment confirmations immediately, but would take several days to notify victims of cancelled payments, Mr. Bryant satisfied vendors and business owners that payments were forthcoming when due.
In this manner, he obtained more than a dozen private jet flights, a half-day sail on a 90-foot yacht, numerous high-end hotel rooms, extravagant steak and champagne dinners, and five luxury vehicles worth more than $500,000. He also racked up a bill for substantial materials and labor on a $980,000 home and pool.
To lend an air of legitimacy to his schemes, Mr. Bryant convinced victims that his parents were wealthy oil and gas investors and that he himself was employed by a number of fictious companies. He assumed identities of fictious persons, communicated with victims under assumed names, and even created sham websites to further his scheme. In at least once instance, he convinced the owner of an oil and gas company, who had previously worked with and trusted him, to front roughly $150,000 to open a fictitious oil well.
Mr. Bryant now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing has not yet been set.
The U.S. Secret Service’s Lubbock Resident Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Lubbock Police Department, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, the Brownwood Police Department, Texas Parks & Wildlife of Coleman County, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, and the Cody Police Department in Wyoming conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
17 Domain Names Linked to Online Scams Seized and FrozenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Seventeen domain names linked with work-from-home and reshipping scams were seized Thursday and shut down by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI.
The websites were being used to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud and mail and wire fraud via the scams, according to a court affidavit used to initiate the seizures.
Scammers tricked some job seekers into receiving stolen goods, merchandise or money often obtained via identity theft or credit card fraud and reshipping those items to another address controlled by the scammers. Many of these unsuspecting victims believed they were accepting jobs with a legitimate company and performing a legitimate job function. Others were told to make purchases with their personal credit cards that were not reimbursed.
Scammers use the job seekers to help insulate themselves from law enforcement. They also often use fictional company names, addresses and domains to avoid detection and thwart negative news or reviews posted online by previous victims.
The investigation began in February of 2021, when a scammer used someone else’s credit card to order a virtual reality headset and had it shipped to a home in Hazelwood, Missouri. The victim reported the theft to the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, which conducted a preliminary investigation and then forwarded the information to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
A postal inspector learned that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the home’s occupant sought and obtained work-from-home employment as a “Quality Control Inspector” with Local Post for International Customers LLC or “LocalPost.”
The occupant was paid $20 to photograph a package and its contents and then reship the items to another address using a shipping label provided by LocalPost.
The Hazelwood woman allowed investigators to use her credentials to log on to the LocalPost online dashboard, where records showed 25 packages shipped to the Hazelwood address, including a $1,500 laptop fraudulently purchased with a St. Louis County man’s credit card.
Investigators found multiple links suggesting the scammers were located in Russia.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 64 complaints associated with the scammers. A Texas victim was hired as a “Logistics inspector” by the company Navois USA LLC to make purchases with their own credit card. The victim spent about $32,000 that was not reimbursed.
The Federal Trade Commission received 56 complaints about the websites.
The U.S. Attorney's Office.“Although the scammers who defrauded an untold number of people are hiding from justice in foreign countries, we’ve shut off their ability to perpetuate the scams by shutting down these websites,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming. “This case should serve as a warning to them, and to those who may be tricked into participating in similar scams in the future. Anyone approached with a work-from-home opportunity should thoroughly investigate their prospective employer before sharing any personal information. Both the Federal Trade Commission and the AARP have information on spotting and reporting such scams, and victims can report these crimes to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service via www.uspis.gov/report or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.”
Acting Inspector in Charge Kai Pickens, who heads the United States Postal Inspection Service’s St. Louis Field Office, stated, “The seizure of these domains is the result of a successful joint prevention effort between the Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. Protecting consumers from mail fraud operations that utilize websites to re-ship stolen goods is a vital part of our agency’s mission.”
“This is yet another type of cyber fraud that criminals, often overseas, are using to victimize hard-working Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “To avoid the vast majority of online scams, make it a habit to ‘Always Doubt and Check It Out.’ With this type of scheme, do an internet search of the ‘business’ addresses provided and then call the phone number of that location to verify.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Derek Wiseman is handling the case.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing GunRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Wilmington, Delaware man was sentenced to 37 months in prison last week for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to statements made in open court, Khalil Rodriguez-Fitzgerald, 27, possessed a Glock model 19x handgun from February 8, 2021, until February 11, 2021. The gun, which was straw purchased in North Carolina on February 7, 2021, was transported north, and delivered to the defendant in New Jersey on February 8, 2021. Rodriguez-Fitzgerald is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his criminal history.
At the sentencing hearing, the government argued that Rodriguez-Fitzgerald should be subject to additional jail time because, in addition to possessing the Glock, his social media and phone contents demonstrated that Rodriguez-Fitzgerald was buying guns, giving guns to gang members, and selling drugs for months before he was arrested. The Court agreed that the defendant’s conduct warranted a sentence greater than called for by the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Rodriguez-Fitzgerald has also been indicted in the Superior Court of Delaware for gang participation and weapons charges for his involvement with a local gang referred to as Northpak. The Superior Court indictment charged a number of other members of Northpak with committing shootings and murders in New Castle County between 2018 and 2021. The government noted at the sentencing hearing that Rodriguez-Fitzgerald frequently communicated with and supplied firearms to members of Northpak, and he bragged about committing acts of violence himself within his social media.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented about the sentence, “Mr. Rodriguez-Fitzgerald poses a clear and present danger to our community. First, he contributed to the violence in our streets by possessing guns himself and by supplying guns to gang members. These illegal firearms were then used to intimidate and harm members of rival gangs. Second, when law enforcement attempted to apprehend defendant, he eluded capture by driving on Concord Pike at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour, thereby endangering innocent bystanders. For these reasons, the government requested a sentence of 57 months, more than two years above the prescribed guideline range. My office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to combat the gang violence plaguing our community.”
“From start to finish in this case, there is a flagrant disregard for law, order, and human life,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “The firearm this criminal possessed was straw purchased, bought with the intention of giving it to someone who cannot legally have it. He pushed drugs and guns into the community and aided other gang members in obtaining guns that are destined to threaten the safety of Delaware’s citizens. This kind of remorseless criminal behavior will not be tolerated by ATF and our law enforcement partners.”
The charges in this case were the result of a joint investigation involving the ATF, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Delaware Department of Justice to address the violence caused by Northpak and its associates. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 21-cr-11.
West Warwick Man Arraigned on Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A West Warwick man appeared in federal court today on federal firearm and drug charges, brought after West Warwick Police, investigating allegations of domestic violence that occurred at the man’s residence, discovered and seized seven firearms, nearly a kilo of cocaine, and more than one-half million dollar in cash, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
It is alleged in charging documents that, in the early morning of October 31, 2022, Geovhan Rashaine Thomas, 35, held a woman against her will, repeatedly verbally and physically assaulting her and threatening to shoot her. The alleged victim told police that, about an hour after the incident began, as she was being allowed to leave the residence with her two children who witnessed the alleged assaults, Thomas retrieved a firearm from a bedroom. The woman alleged to police that she previously saw Thomas handle firearms inside his residence on numerous occasions.
West Warwick Police sought and executed a state arrest warrant charging Thomas with forceable confinement, domestic assault, domestic disorderly conduct, and obstructing an emergency call to police. Members of the West Warwick/Coventry Police Departments Regional SWAT team also executed a court-authorized search of Thomas’ residence and allegedly seized seven firearms, five of which were loaded, one of them with no visible serial number; 827.6 grams of cocaine; and approximately $575,000 in cash.
Thomas, already being held in state custody on domestic violence charges, appeared today in U.S. District Court, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to court records, Thomas was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court on unrelated drug charges.
The matter is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.
The West Warwick Detective investigating this matter is assigned to the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
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.
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Virginia Man Sentenced as Part of Massive Scheme to Steal Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Pound, Virginia man, who conspired with at least 37 others to steal pandemic unemployment benefits, was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $18,160 in restitution.
Danny L. Mullins, 50, was convicted following a two-day jury trial in August 2022 of conspiracy to defraud the United States, fraud in connection with federal emergency benefits, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mullins received more than $18,000 in fraudulent benefits by conspiring with others, including his sister, Veronica Mullins, and conspiracy leaders Danielle Chytka, Greg Tackett, and Jeffrey Tackett, to input his personally identifiable information to the Virginia Employment Commission in order to receive pandemic unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.
In all, the conspiracy involved submitting fraudulent claims for approximately 37 individuals, including multiple inmates incarcerated in southwest Virginia regional jails, all of whom were not eligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, and causing at least $499,000 in false claims to be paid.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation - Washington, D.C. Field Office, and the Norton Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Murphy and Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Agreement to Ensure Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder at Fayette County Detention CenterRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV, announced Tuesday that an agreement has been reached with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Community Corrections, to ensure that people who take medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) can remain on their medication while in custody at Fayette County Detention Center (FCDC), as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The agreement resolves a U.S. Attorney’s Office ADA compliance review of FCDC, in which it was determined that, as a matter of policy, the facility did not provide most individuals with OUD with methadone and buprenorphine, medications that treat OUD. The settlement agreement requires FCDC to revise its policies to provide access to all three forms of medications to people with OUD and ensure that decisions about treatment are based on an individualized determination by qualified medical personnel.
“Eastern Kentucky has long been on the front lines of the opioid epidemic and our office remains committed to a comprehensive approach to fighting this public health crisis, including enforcement of the ADA’s requirements safeguarding treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Shier. “Access to medications that treat opioid use disorder saves lives, and we commend the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Community Corrections for working collaboratively with our office to implement a policy that ensures access to this important treatment for the people in its custody.”
OUD is considered a disability under the ADA, which requires that jails and prisons maintain the medications of individuals in treatment for their OUD. Methadone and buprenorphine (including brand names Subutex and Suboxone) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat OUD. According to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), methadone and buprenorphine help diminish the effects of physical dependency on opioids. When taken as prescribed, these medications are safe and effective.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Pond, as part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to enforce the ADA, seeking to eliminate discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. It is the Department of Justice’s twenty-eighth agreement resolving allegations of ADA violations arising from OUD treatment and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s second this year.
To find out more about the ADA or this settlement agreement, access the Department’s ADA website at http://www.ada.gov. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts or to report a potential violation of the ADA or other federal civil rights laws, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/civil-rights
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U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Honor Longtime Charleston YWCA CEO Debby WeinsteinRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will recognize Debby Weinstein at a 2:30 p.m. event on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, for her decades of service to the community as CEO of the Charleston YWCA.
WHAT: Event honoring retiring Charleston YWCA CEO Debby Weinstein
WHERE: YWCA Shanklin Center for Senior Enrichment, 515 Elizabeth Street, Charleston
WHEN: Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Two men admit to harboring over 31 peopleRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two men illegally residing in Laredo have pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Angel Garcia-Garcia, 27, Veracruz, Mexico, and Selvin Antonio Gomez-Garranza, 22, Choluteca, Honduras, pleaded guilty to their roles in conspiring to conceal, harbor or shield 31 non-U.S. citizens.
As part of their pleas, Garcia-Garcia and Gomez-Garranza admitted on April 8, they transported undocumented individuals to a stash house. Gomez-Garranza also admitted to being a caretaker.
Authorities executed a search warrant and discovered 31 people inside the house. They additionally found three ledgers with approximately 350 names listed.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a future date. At that time, both face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to also face removal proceedings.
Garcia-Garcia and Gomez-Garranza have been and remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac is prosecuting the case.
Two drug runners for drug trafficking organization connected to CJNG cartel sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two men who served as drug runners for a Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel connected drug trafficking organization were sentenced to prison today following an extensive wiretap investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. In sentencing 28-year-old Armando Fierro-Ponce to eight years in prison, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour noted that he had acted as a debt collector for the organization, obtaining guns and making threats of violence against those who owed the group money.
“A wiretap investigation captured the criminal conduct of these two defendants, and the roles they played in the organization. Fierro-Ponce discussed obtaining firearms and threatening those in debt to the organization,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “Fortunately, law enforcement was listening, and able to intervene before threats of kidnapping and assault became a reality. Now, both men are heading to prison for their part in an organization that trafficked pound quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and potentially deadly fentanyl pills throughout King, Snohomish, Lewis, and Pierce Counties.”
Fierro-Ponce was among nineteen people indicted in July 2020, following an 18-month investigation of the drug trafficking organization. The drug trafficking group disguised methamphetamine in candles to smuggle it into the Pacific Northwest. When the candle wax was melted, the methamphetamine was then processed into crystal meth and sold.
During the two months that law enforcement was monitoring phones of the drug organization, there were multiple times when Fierro-Ponce was heard discussing firearms and violent debt-collection activities. Law enforcement responded to these threats by flooding the area near the potential victim with law enforcement, warning the potential victim and/or making arrests to prevent the violence.
A second drug runner for the organization, 27-year-old Edgar Luna-Garcia, was sentenced to five years in prison. Luna-Garcia was trusted by the organization with large loads of methamphetamine and was called on to clean out a stash house following a shooting.
Neither Fierro-Ponce nor Luna-Garcia have legal status in the United States and likely will be deported following their prison terms.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Two Maryland Men Plead Guilty to Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, aka Jose Gonzalez, 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, aka Kenneth Vann, 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from their roles in an armed robbery in Northeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pacheco and Harris each pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kill or injure a victim. They are to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2023, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper.
As part of their pleas, Pacheco and Harris admitted that on the afternoon of July 16, 2021, they entered a male victim’s apartment in the 1400 block of New York Avenue NE, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location. They intended to rob him of marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Pacheco and Harris – both of whom were armed with 9mm semi-automatic handguns – discovered that the victim’s wife, female friend, and infant child were also in the apartment.
The male victim attempted to wrestle Harris’s gun away, at which point Harris choked and punched the male victim. While Harris had the male victim in a headlock, Pacheco pointed a handgun at the male victim’s wife, friend, and infant child and told the male victim to calm down before someone got hurt. When the male victim relented, he, his wife, and his friend were bound and gagged with duct tape and zip ties, and the infant child was placed in a baby swing. The male victim was able to remove the duct tape from his mouth and call for help, and a neighbor called 911. MPD officers responded to the scene and arrested Pacheco and Harris before they could escape. Both defendants have been detained without bond since their arrest.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to 2021 Shooting of a 13-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man who shot and killed a 13-year-old during an argument at Parkview Terrace apartments in Tulsa pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Christian James Harrison, 20, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country.
“Christian Harrison took the life of a 13-year-old boy. Today, he has been held accountable for this terrible crime. My thoughts are with the child’s family and friends,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Our children are meant to outlive us, not be struck down in senseless acts of violence. Law enforcement officials will continue to pursue justice for victims of violent crime to make our neighborhoods safer for all children.”
On Dec. 22, 2021, an argument occurred between Harrison, who was 19 years old at the time, and the victim’s older brother. The brother had been visiting his girlfriend at Harrison’s apartment. Shortly after, the young man returned with his 13-year-old brother—the victim, and another child to continue the argument. They found Harrison outside near the apartment mailboxes. During the argument, Harrison pulled out a firearm. The older brother asked Harrison if he was going to use the gun rather than fight. Harrison answered “yes” and shot at the group approximately seven times. Three bullets struck the victim. Harrison fled from the crime scene.
At approximately 6 pm, the Tulsa Police Department responded to shots fired at the apartment complex. Officers found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at a Tulsa hospital.
Several witnesses identified Harrison as the shooter. On Dec. 28, 2021, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and FBI located and arrested Harrison outside a vacant trailer in Locust Grove.
The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Cherokee Nation Marshal Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven J. Briden is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Engaging in Child Sex Tourism in ColombiaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Hugo Espinosa Chavez (59, Tampa) to 21 years and 10 months’ imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for using a minor child to produce images depicting sexual abuse, traveling to Colombia to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child, and possessing images of this child being sexually abused. Espinosa Chavez is a dual citizen of both Colombia and the United States. He is also required to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,000. Espinosa Chavez had pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022.
According to court documents, from May through December 2020, Espinosa Chavez coerced, persuaded, and used a 15-year-old indigent child who lived in Colombia to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos of this conduct. In return, Espinosa Chavez gave the child money and other gifts. Espinosa Chavez located the 15-year-old child victim on Facebook and began communicating with the child via Facebook Messenger. Espinosa Chavez demanded nude photos of the child, offering money in exchange for photos of the child’s buttocks and genitals.
On December 12, 2020, Espinosa Chavez traveled from the United States to the Republic of Colombia for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the child. Espinosa Chavez ultimately sexually abused the child victim, again offering money and gifts in exchange for sex. On other occasions, Espinosa Chavez took sexually explicit pictures of the child on his personal cellphone. In return, the child victim was given 60,000 Colombian pesos (about $17 in U.S. currency) for the initial pictures the victim had sent. When the pictures were taken in person, Espinosa Chavez paid the child a small amount of cash in exchange for taking pictures and enduring the sexual abuse perpetrated by Espinosa Chavez. Espinosa Chavez continued to demand more sexual acts from the child and would only pay the child if the specific requests were met. When the child victim resisted and did not fully cooperate, Espinosa Chavez said, “I feel cheated.”
On October 2, 2021, Espinosa Chavez was arrested on these federal child sex charges. During an interview with law enforcement, he admitted that he had paid the child money in exchange for sexually explicit photos, he knew the child was a minor, and he had sexually abused the child while in Colombia.
“This predator used social media as a weapon to manipulate a minor into engaging in the creation of illicit sexual material, then traveled internationally to sexually abuse the child in person,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Children today are more vulnerable than ever, but thanks to the diligence of our special agents here in Tampa, with the substantial assistance of HSI Bogota special agents, the Colombian National Police, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, another child predator has been put behind bars.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, with substantial assistance from HSI Bogota and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance in the investigation. The United States thanks Colombian authorities for their valuable assistance. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
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.