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19 December 2022
Former Pinch Elementary Counselor Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Todd Christopher Roatsey, 43, of Elkview, a former counselor at Pinch Elementary School in Kanawha County, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted production of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor. Roatsey must also pay $23,000 in restitution to his victims and register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in January 2020, Roatsey communicated via the Snapchat instant messaging application with one girl he believed to be 16 and a second female he believed also to be a minor. Roatsey admitted that he posed as an 18-year-old boy while persuading each to record and send him numerous sexually explicit videos that depicted each female masturbating. Roatsey further admitted that he sent both girls videos of himself masturbating.
Roatsey also used this Snapchat account to communicate with several minor females he knew through his position as a Pinch Elementary School counselor. These communications included more than 100 Snapchat videos that Roatsey recorded while communicating with two minor females, each approximately 12 years old. One was a student at Pinch Elementary at the time. During these conversations, Roatsey received numerous videos of the minor females doing what he called “sexy” dance routines or gymnastics poses such as full backbends. The minor females often wore only sports bras and shorts in these videos. Roatsey admitted to responding to these videos by telling the minor females they were “hot” and “sexy.”
The Court found Roatsey had caused “incalculable damage” to his victims.
“As an elementary school counselor, Roatsey intentionally placed himself in a position of trust over the kinds of children to whom he was sexually attracted,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “In our communities, schools are the only constant for a lot of children. A lot of the time, school is the safe place. The fact that Mr. Roatsey made this not a safe place was, I find, to be very horrific.”
Roatsey further admitted to distributing, receiving, possessing, and accessing child pornography, including images and videos depicting infants and toddlers, through a variety of media between at least October 9, 2019, through July 16, 2021. Roatsey possessed child pornography on devices seized from his residence, including his cell phone, and on the encrypted cloud-based file storage service Mega. Using both Mega and the messaging application Kik, Roatsey distributed various images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other individuals.
On October 28, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Roatsey’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices found to contain child pornography. Roatsey admitted that several hours after law enforcement completed the search and left his residence, he deleted the Snapchat account he used to engage in these activities. By deleting the account, Roatsey obstructed justice by making various Snapchat records inaccessible to law enforcement and unavailable for any subsequent federal prosecution.
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police.
“Today’s sentencing is reflective of just how despicable and damaging Todd Roatsey’s crimes against children are and emphasizes HSI’s dedication to holding perpetrators accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “Today’s sentence sends an important message to all predators. We will not allow any crime against children to go unpunished. HSI is dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable population against sexual predators who seek to take advantage of their innocence.”
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-235.
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Former Gang Member and California State Inmate Receives over Five Years in Federal Prison for His Role in $25 Million Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Daryol Richmond, 31, who was formerly a gang member and inmate at the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California, where he was serving nineteen years for robbery, was sentenced today to five years and five months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) during the COVID-19 pandemic, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Richmond is the first of the eight defendants charged in the case to plead guilty and be sentenced.
According to court records, Richmond obtained the personal identifying information for other individuals, including inmates and non-inmates, who did not authorize him to possess their information. He then provided this information to his co-conspirators inside and outside of prison through emails and jail calls, and caused the applications for the fraudulent claims to contain numerous misrepresentations. The misrepresentations included that the other individuals became unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, were available to work, and had access to the mailing addresses listed in the applications.
The fraudulent claims were worth up to $25 million and $5.5 million was actually paid out for the claims. At sentencing, Richmond was found to be responsible for $1.4 million and $382,000 of these amounts, respectively, and to be unaware of the full scope of the scheme. The money was used to buy vehicles, jewelry and other items.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, EDD, and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Barton as part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, which is one of three interagency COVID-19 fraud strike forces established by the Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California. This strike force focuses on large-scale, sophisticated relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The remaining defendants who were charged along with Richmond are currently pending trial. They are: Telvin Breaux, 29, who is an inmate at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi; Holly White, 30, of Los Angeles; Cecelia Allen, 33, of Downey; Fantasia Brown, 33, of Los Angeles; Tonisha Brown, 28, of Los Angeles; Fantesia Davis, 32, of Victorville; and Shanice White, 28, of Hawthorne. The charges against these defendants are only allegations and they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Florida Atlantic University Student Sentenced to Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Shawn Anthony Jackson Outler, a 23-year-old former Florida Atlantic University student, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to 24 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material of a 14-year-old girl.
According to court records, Outler used social media applications to form relationships with nine minor females ranging in ages from 13 to 17. After befriending the minors, he enticed them to create sexually explicit videos and directed them to engage in sexually explicit activity via video conferencing. With some of these minor females, Outler succeeded in establishing dominant/submissive relationships during which time he verbally belittled and humiliated them and had some engage in self-harm such as burning, carving, and cutting. He had some of the females perform degrading acts and threatened to post them online should the minor female fail to comply with his requests for production of sexually explicit acts.
Outler was arrested without incident by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on March 3, 2022.
In addition to Outler’s prison sentence, he will have 25 years of supervised release, pay restitution, and register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam, FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and Florida Atlantic University Police Department investigated the case. Assistance U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-CR-14018.
Federal Jury Finds Ringleader Guilty in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – After five days of trial, a federal jury convicted Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of leading a scheme to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
Evidence at trial proved that from approximately June 2020 to July 2021, Jones worked with his fellow gun traffickers and other co-conspirators to recruit individuals from the Beckley area to straw purchase firearms on his behalf. Jones selected the firearms these straw purchasers would buy and provided the money to purchase them. The straw purchasers falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were purchasing them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy, which is a federal crime.
Jones and his co-conspirators then transported those straw purchased firearms to Philadelphia over the course of a nine-month period. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
“This ringleader and his co-conspirators contributed to the deadly flow of illegally trafficked firearms into our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The multiple convictions secured in this case are a testament to the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew and our trial team.”
“ATF’s primary mission is to protect the country from crimes involving firearms,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “One of the ways we accomplish this is by identifying sources of crime guns and disrupting firearms trafficking schemes. This investigation demonstrated how Bisheem Jones, and others unlawfully obtained firearms, how their actions put guns into the hands of criminals, and ultimately how those guns were used in serious crimes in multiple states. The guilty verdict makes it clear; West Virginia is not the place to source crime guns. I commend the work of the ATF Charleston and ATF Philadelphia offices, and I am grateful for the United States Attorney’s Office who worked hard to hold those involved accountable.”
The federal jury found Jones guilty of conspiracy to travel interstate to engage in the firearms trafficking, the underlying crime of traveling interstate to engage firearms trafficking, and money laundering conspiracy. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced.
Three of Jones’ co-defendants pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. A fourth pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Seven co-defendants pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. An additional seven individuals pleaded guilty to firearms offenses related to the firearms trafficking conspiracy. Ten of the individuals who had pleaded guilty to their roles in this scheme testified at Jones’ trial.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the jury trial.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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Federal Jury Finds 2 Men Guilty of Charges Related to Robbery and Murder of Stamford JewelerRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Bridgeport has found THOMAS LIBERATORE, 65, of White Plains, New York, and PAUL PROSANO, also known as “Tony Pro,” 62, of Brooklyn, guilty of federal offenses in connection with the March 2020 robbery of Marco Jewelers in Stamford, Connecticut. During the robbery, the owner of Marco Jewelers was shot and killed.
The trial before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley began on December 8 and the jury returned the guilty verdicts this afternoon.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, on March 28, 2020, at approximately 2:48 p.m., Stamford Police Officers responded to Marco Jewelers, located at 16 Sixth Street in Stamford. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a robbery and encountered the storeowner, Mark Vuono, lying on the ground in front of an open safe. Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced Vuono deceased.
Investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from Marco Jewelers, surrounding businesses and Stamford city cameras. Video obtained from Marco Jewelers revealed that, on March 28, Prosano drove Robert Rallo and Liberatore in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers. Rallo and Liberatore then entered the store. Rallo, armed with a handgun, engaged in a physical altercation with Vuono, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases. Vuono, who also possessed a firearm, and Rallo struggled next to a large open safe. During the more than three-minute struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver. Rallo subsequently shot and killed Vuono with the .357 revolver.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle. On March 30, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a black BMW X3, driven by Prosano, pulled up beside the black Jaguar. Rallo exited the rear door of the BMW and entered the driver’s door of a black Jaguar. The two vehicles then left the area and rapidly accelerated. The Jaguar crashed on Tompkins Street. Rallo attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended. The BMW crashed into a tree and parked car at the intersection of Daniel Low Terrace and Corson Avenue. Prosano also attempted to flee and was apprehended.
A search of the BMW revealed 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring and a cufflink, and a search of Prosano’s residence revealed 23 pairs of earrings and three rings. These items were stolen from Marco Jewelers on March 28.
Liberatore was also arrested on March 30.
The jury found Liberatore and Prosano guilty of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term imprisonment of 20 years, and with interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Sentencing dates are not scheduled.
The three defendants have been detained since their arrests.
On April 5, 2022, Rallo, 59, of New York, pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. He awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stamford Police Department and Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, Yonkers (N.Y.) Police Department and New Rochelle (N.Y.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale and Margaret Donovan.
Farrell, PA Man Admits Role in Multi-State Drug Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania resident pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Trevor Austin, 48, of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine from March of 2019 through September of 2020 before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Austin is one of thirteen defendants charged in the Indictment returned in this case.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking organization that operated throughout the United States, including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. Beginning in December of 2019 and continuing through August of 2020, the DEA received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Austin, as a member of this multistate drug trafficking organization, was intercepted discussing acquiring and distributing cocaine throughout western Pennsylvania. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, ecstasy, marijuana, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The DEA in Pittsburgh, PA; the DEA, Columbus, OH; the DEA, Harrisburg, PA; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pittsburgh, PA; HSI, Orlando, FL; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; United States Postal Service, Columbus, Ohio; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Lawrence County Drug Task Force – Special Investigations Unit; and New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Austin.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
FBI and Partners Issue National Public Safety Alert on Financial Sextortion SchemesRead the Press Release
The FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money—a crime known as financial sextortion.
Over the past year, law enforcement has received over 7,000 reports related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. A large percentage of these sextortion schemes originate outside of the United States, and primarily in West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast. As many children enter winter break this holiday season, the FBI and our partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about financial sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place.
“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys—and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out—it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”“The protection of children is a society’s most sacred duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It calls on each of us to do everything we can to keep kids from harm, including ensuring the threats they face are brought into the light and confronted. Armed with the information in this alert message, parents, caregivers, and children themselves should feel empowered to detect fake identities, take steps to reject any attempt to obtain private material, and if targeted, have a plan to seek help from a trusted adult.”
Financial sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most comfortable—using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe. On these platforms, online predators often use fake female accounts and target minor males, between 14 to 17 years old but the FBI has interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.
“The sexual exploitation of children is a deplorable crime. HSI special agents will continue to exhaust every resource to identify, locate, and apprehend predators to ensure they face justice,” said Steve K. Francis, HSI Acting Executive Associate Director. “Criminals who lurk in platforms on the internet are not as anonymous as they think. HSI will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology to end these heinous acts.”
Through deception, predators convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo. Once predators acquire the images, they threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. Often the predators demand payment through a variety of peer-to-peer payment applications. In many cases, however, predators release the images even if payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.
“This is a growing crisis and we've seen sextortion completely devastate children and families,” said Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “As the leading nonprofit focused on child protection, we've seen first-hand the rise in these cases worldwide. The best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they're targeted online. We want everyone to know help is out there and they're not alone.”
What if you or your child is a victim?
If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including: • Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.
• Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.
• REPORT the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.
• BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.
• Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.
• Visit org/IsYourExplicitContentOutThere to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit cybertipline.org to report to us for help with the process.
• Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.
• If you don’t feel that you have adults in your corner, you can reach out to NCMEC for support at [email protected] or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at fbi.gov/StopSextortion.
FBI and Partners Issue National Public Safety Alert on Financial Sextortion SchemesRead the Press Release
The FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money—a crime known as financial sextortion.
Over the past year, law enforcement has received over 7,000 reports related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. A large percentage of these sextortion schemes originate outside of the United States, and primarily in West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast. As many children enter winter break this holiday season, the FBI and our partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about financial sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place.
“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys—and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out—it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”
“The protection of children is a society’s most sacred duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It calls on each of us to do everything we can to keep kids from harm, including ensuring the threats they face are brought into the light and confronted. Armed with the information in this alert message, parents, caregivers, and children themselves should feel empowered to detect fake identities, take steps to reject any attempt to obtain private material, and if targeted, have a plan to seek help from a trusted adult.”
Financial sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most comfortable—using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe. On these platforms, online predators often use fake female accounts and target minor males, between 14 to 17 years old but the FBI has interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.
“The sexual exploitation of children is a deplorable crime. HSI special agents will continue to exhaust every resource to identify, locate, and apprehend predators to ensure they face justice,” said Steve K. Francis, HSI Acting Executive Associate Director. “Criminals who lurk in platforms on the internet are not as anonymous as they think. HSI will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology to end these heinous acts.”
Through deception, predators convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo. Once predators acquire the images, they threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. Often the predators demand payment through a variety of peer-to-peer payment applications. In many cases, however, predators release the images even if payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.
“This is a growing crisis and we've seen sextortion completely devastate children and families,” said Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “As the leading nonprofit focused on child protection, we've seen first-hand the rise in these cases worldwide. The best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they're targeted online. We want everyone to know help is out there and they're not alone.”
What if you or your child is a victim?
If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:
- Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.
- Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.
- REPORT the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.
- BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.
- Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.
- Visit org/IsYourExplicitContentOutThere to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit cybertipline.org to report to us for help with the process.
- Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.
- If you don’t feel that you have adults in your corner, you can reach out to NCMEC for support at [email protected] or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at fbi.gov/StopSextortion.
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Evansville Felon Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Scott A. Stagg, 54, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, on November 16, 2021, Scott Stagg was in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol as he was driving his vehicle in Evansville, Indiana. Upon seeing a police vehicle, Stagg immediately pulled to the side of the road, parked, then ran down a nearby alley. Stagg placed the gun and other items behind gas station trash containers and continued to flee the area.
Law enforcement officers pursued Stagg and located the loaded pistol, a loaded magazine, a glasses case containing a glass pipe with burnt residue, and a small amount of methamphetamine behind the gas station trash cans. Stagg was located by officers and taken into custody.
At the time of his arrest, Stagg had previously been convicted in Vanderburgh County of possession of methamphetamine, dealing in a sawed-off shotgun, and illegally possessing a firearm.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
“Armed criminals pose a serious risk to our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We will continue to work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners, including ATF and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, to protect the public and reduce gun violence. The sentence imposed today shows that those who continue to illegally arm themselves and ignore the law will be held accountable.”
ATF investigated this case with valuable assistance from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office. The sentenced was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that Stagg be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 1 year following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Epic Games Inc., Developer of Fortnite Video Game, Agrees to $275 Million Penalty and Injunction for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a settlement that, if approved by a federal court, will require Epic Games Inc. (Epic Games) to pay $275 million in civil penalties as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule), and the Federal Trade Commission Act. Epic Games will also be subject to a permanent injunction regarding children’s personal information that it previously collected. Epic Games is the developer of the online video game “Fortnite.”
In a complaint filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the government alleged that Epic Games designed and marketed Fortnite for use by children. The government further alleged that Epic Games possessed actual knowledge that it collected personal information from children, including their names, email addresses, and identifiers used to keep track of players’ progress, purchases, settings, and friends lists. Epic Games nonetheless failed to notify parents that it was collecting children’s personal information and to obtain verifiable parental consent for that collection, as required by the COPPA Rule. The government further alleged that Epic Games maintained default privacy settings that were unfair under Section 5 of the FTC Act, in that the default privacy settings publicly broadcast child and teen Fortnite players’ display names and put children and teens in direct, real-time communication with adult Fortnite players.
“The Justice Department takes very seriously its mission to protect consumers’ data privacy rights,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This proposed order sends a message to all online providers that collecting children’s personal information without parental consent will not be tolerated.”
“Parents have a right to know and to consent before companies collect their children’s personal information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to enforcing the protections against unauthorized collection of information from consumers, particularly children.”
“As our complaint notes, Epic used privacy-invasive default settings that harmed young Fortnite players,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “Protecting the public, and especially children and teens, from online privacy invasions is a top priority for the Commission, and this enforcement action makes clear to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on these unlawful practices.”
“This historic civil penalty, totaling over a quarter-billion dollars, lays down a marker for online service providers everywhere,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The unauthorized collection of personal information from children online violates the law. The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have a strong partnership and are committed to deterring violations.”
In a proposed stipulated order filed today, Epic Games has agreed to pay $275 million in civil penalties, the largest civil penalty ever imposed for a COPPA violation. If approved by the court, the order will prohibit Epic Games from collecting personal information from children in a manner that violates the COPPA Rule. It will also prohibit Epic Games from using children’s personal information that was previously collected unless it obtains verifiable parental consent, and imposes compliance reporting obligations upon Epic Games. Further, the agreement requires Epic Games to maintain default privacy settings that protect children’s and teens’ privacy, to delete certain personal information of children that it previously collected, and to maintain a comprehensive privacy program that protects certain personal information.
This matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Michael Wadden and Josh Fowkes and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Andrew Hasty, James Trilling, and Amanda Koulousias represented the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
El Departamento de Justicia anuncia una nueva iniciativa del orden público para el acceso lingüísticoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció el lanzamiento de la “Iniciativa del orden público para el acceso lingüístico”, una labor a nivel nacional que busca ayudar a los organismos del orden público a cumplir con sus obligaciones relativas a la provisión de asistencia lingüística importante a las personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés). La iniciativa ha de fundamentarse en el trabajo de larga data del Departamento con el objeto de garantizar que los organismos del orden público cumplan con sus obligaciones relativas al acceso lingüístico.
“Brindar a los organismos del orden público las herramientas que necesitan para garantizar el acceso lingüístico eficaz e importante fomenta y potencia una mayor seguridad para las personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado”, dijo la fiscal general auxiliar Kristen Clarke de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Por medio de esta iniciativa, podremos compartir estas mejores prácticas de acceso lingüístico y recursos similares con los organismos del orden público en todo el país”.
La Sección Federal de Coordinación y Cumplimiento de la División de Derechos Civiles dirigirá la iniciativa en colaboración con las fiscalías federales. En concreto, la iniciativa:
- establecerá recursos y herramientas de asistencia técnica que puedan ayudar a los organismos locales y estatales del orden público a brindar acceso lingüístico importante a personas y poblaciones en su jurisdicción cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado;
- implicará de una manera positiva a los organismos del orden público que desean revisar, actualizar o fortalecer sus políticas, planes y capacitación en materia de acceso lingüístico;
- potenciará la colaboración con las fiscalías federales para llevar a cabo sesiones de capacitación en comunidades de todo el país para mejorar la percatación en cuanto a las obligaciones referentes al acceso lingüístico y para urgir la adopción generalizada de las mejores prácticas por parte de los organismos del orden público; y
- fortalecerá los vínculos y el compromiso del Departamento con las partes interesadas de la comunidad de personas y poblaciones cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado.
Además del anuncio de la iniciativa que se efectúa hoy, el Departamento de Justicia y la Fiscalía Federal del Distrito de Colorado anunciaron un acuerdo para resolver una investigación acerca de una denuncia contra el Departamento de Policía de Denver (DPD, por sus siglas en inglés) en la que se argumentó discriminación por parte de ese cuerpo policial y con base en el origen nacional de personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, infringiéndose el título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964. Ese título prohíbe que los beneficiarios de ayuda financiera federal discrimen contra alguien debido a su raza, el color de su piel o su origen nacional.
“Este acuerdo con el Departamento de Policía de Denver ayudará a los agentes de policía a hacer su trabajo”, indicó Matthew Kirsch, fiscal federal del Distrito de Colorado conforme a las facultades que le confiere el artículo 515 del título 28 del Código de los EE. UU. “Ya sea que se trate de realizar actividades de alcance comunitario o de arrestar a individuos acusados de quebrantar la ley, garantizar el acceso fácil a servicios lingüísticos fiables permite a los agentes servir y proteger a todos los miembros de la comunidad, independientemente de su dominio del inglés”.
La investigación del Departamento de Justicia contra el Departamento de Policía de Denver comenzó después de que unos miembros de la comunidad expusieron sus inquietudes con respecto a unos incidentes que tuvieron que ver con unos residentes cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, cuyos idiomas son el birmano y el rohinyá, y quienes viven en la zona de East Colfax de Denver. Por medio de la investigación se revelaron muchísimos casos en los que agentes del Departamento de Policía de Denver no prestaron ayuda lingüística a personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, o prestaron ayuda lingüística que fue ineficaz o poco apropiada. Por ejemplo, por medio de la investigación se descubrieron situaciones en las que se confió en niños, miembros de la familia y transeúntes para que ayudaran con el idioma, incluso en circunstancias en las que se debería haber prestado ayuda lingüística más fiable y objetiva.
Como parte de este acuerdo de resolución, el Departamento de Policía de Denver ha acordado poner en ejecución una serie de cambios en sus políticas, procedimientos y capacitación relativos al acceso lingüístico como, entre otros:
- actualizar su política y plan de acceso lingüístico con el fin de establecer procedimientos para comunicarse con las personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, incluidos los testigos y los sospechosos, y con el fin de prohibir valerse de niños, familiares o transeúntes para comunicarse con las personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, excepto en último extremo;
- nombrar a su primer coordinador de asuntos relativos a personas y poblaciones cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado y establecer puntos de contacto de acceso lingüístico (LAPC, por sus siglas en inglés) en cada distrito que cubre el Departamento de Policía de Denver;
- capacitar a todos los empleados de este departamento policial y a los empleados recién contratados para que puedan identificar las interacciones con personas cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado, comunicarse con estas y documentar las interacciones; y
- crear un comité de acceso lingüístico que incluya a las partes interesadas que representan los intereses de la comunidad cuyo dominio del inglés es limitado.
Hay más información disponible sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en el sitio web https://www.justice.gov/crt-espanol. También hay información disponible en el sitio web https://www.lep.gov/SPA sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el título VI. El público puede denunciar las posibles infracciones de derechos civiles en el sitio web https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
English
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Eastern Oregon Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A known drug dealer from Umatilla County, Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today after he was convicted at trial on multiple felony drug and firearm charges.
Jordan Anthony Camardese, 32, a resident of Umatilla, Oregon, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit a 9mm firearm used to facilitate his crimes.
According to court documents and trial testimony, on October 29, 2020, Camardese confronted several individuals about their alleged gang affiliations in or near the Pendleton Market, a small convenience store located in Pendleton, Oregon. After being confronted, several of the individuals left the market together in a single vehicle and traveled approximately one mile to a nearby auto detail shop. Camardese got into a vehicle driven by his wife and they sped off after the group.
When Camardese and his wife arrived at the auto detail shop, there was another confrontation and the shop’s owner repeatedly told Camardese to leave. As they drove away, Camardese pulled himself out of the passenger window and took a black handgun out of his waistband. After pausing briefly, the pair continued driving away. After hearing the commotion and seeing Camardese holding the handgun, a nearby witness called 911.
Officers from the Pendleton Police Department responded, located Camardese parked in his wife’s vehicle on a residential street less than a mile away, and placed him under arrest. Officers from the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Task Force (BENT) later searched the vehicle pursuant to a federal search warrant and located several of Camardese’s belongings as well as distribution quantities of heroin and fentanyl and assorted ammunition.
On November 12, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Camardese with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. Later, on July 13, 2021, a fourth charge of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl was added.
On August 19, 2022, after a three-day jury trial, Camardese was found guilty on all charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI and BENT. It was prosecuted by Kemp Strickland and Sarah Barr, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
BENT is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force comprised of detectives from the Pendleton Police Department, Hermiston Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Oregon State Police, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, and Umatilla Tribal Police Department.
East St. Louis Man Admits Attacking Park Rangers on Arch GroundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from East St. Louis on Monday admitted assaulting Park Rangers in an incident that began on the grounds of the Gateway Arch National Park.
Antione Lamont Hawkins, 38, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry to two counts of assaulting an officer.
Hawkins admitted that on Feb. 28, 2021, Park Rangers made a lawful traffic stop of a vehicle in the Old Cathedral parking lot. Hawkins was in the driver’s seat. An open beer bottle was in the vehicle and an open beer carton was in the backseat.
Hawkins gave his name to the rangers but refused to provide identification and refused to keep his hands on the steering wheel before becoming confrontational. He admitted that he had been drinking.
When rangers tried to handcuff Hawkins, he struggled and resisted, stomping on one ranger’s foot and kicking him in the leg. When rangers tried to put him in a patrol vehicle, he kicked a ranger in the face.
During a struggle in jail, Hawkins grabbed a different ranger by the throat.
At his sentencing March 23, Hawkins could face up to eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both on each count.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
EDVA Takes Action Against COVID-19 Fraud in 2022Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), announced an update on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s criminal and civil enforcement efforts to combat COVID-19 related fraud, including schemes targeting the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, and Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs.
“Our country has been dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic for over two years now, but there is still considerable work to be done,” said Aber. “We continue to uncover more CARES Act fraud almost every day. The COVID landscape has changed dramatically in the past year but what has not changed is our dedication to recovering every possible dollar defrauded from these programs. We will continue to use a range of civil and criminal tools, in addition to interagency partnerships, to meet this goal.”
Since the start of 2022, EDVA has charged over 50 defendants in at least 26 cases of fraud schemes connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. These cases involve attempts to defraud almost $125 million from the U.S. government. The success of these cases reflects a degree of reach, coordination, and expertise emblematic of EDVA’s and the Justice Department’s response to COVID-19-related fraud.
In March 2020, Congress passed a $2.2 trillion economic relief bill known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anticipating the need to protect the integrity of these taxpayer funds and to otherwise protect Americans from fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Justice immediately stood up multiple efforts dedicated to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting such fraud.
On criminal matters, EDVA’s efforts to combat COVID-19-related fraud schemes in 2022 have proceeded on numerous fronts, including:
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud: The PPP fraud cases charged in EDVA this year involve a range of conduct, from individual business owners who inflated their payroll expenses to obtain larger loans than they otherwise would have qualified for, to a serial fraudster applying for multiple loans using false claims about business entities and income. Some charged defendants misappropriated loan proceeds for prohibited purposes, such as the purchase of houses, cars, jewelry, and other luxury items. In one case, U.S. v. Quin Ngoc Rudin, the Secretary, Director and CFO of a tax preparation business filed over 80 fraudulent PPP loan applications seeking over $100 million.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) fraud: EDVA has also focused on fraud against the EIDL program, which was designed to provide loans to small businesses, agricultural and non-profit entities. Nationally, fraudsters have targeted the program by applying for EIDL advances and loans on behalf of ineligible, newly created, shell, or non-existent businesses, and diverting the funds for illegal purposes. In U.S. v. Darakshan, the defendants wrongfully obtained over $3 million, which they used to invest in the stock market, fund a home construction project, travel to Cancun, purchase a car, and pay other personal expenses.
- Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020 through April 2022, DOL-OIG reports nationally roughly $16 billion paid in potentially fraudulent UI benefits. Early investigation and analysis indicate that international organized criminal groups have targeted these funds by using stolen identities to file for UI benefits. Domestic fraudsters, ranging from identity thieves to prison inmates, have also committed UI fraud. In U.S. v Huffman, the defendant operated a fraud scheme to obtain over $2 million in pandemic-related unemployment benefits from multiple state workforce agencies, such as the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC).
EDVA has also used numerous civil tools to address fraud in connection with CARES Act programs. For example, EDVA obtained a civil settlement of $107,347 to resolve allegations that Latifa Brooks, of Superb Movers, Inc., received two PPP loans and subsequently fraudulently obtained forgiveness on both loans. Another civil settlement of $31,000 with Zen Solutions Inc. was obtained this year to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining more than one PPP loan.
“The many cases included in this announcement highlight the unwavering commitment of the federal law enforcement community to hold accountable those who chose to defraud vital pandemic relief programs intended to help individuals through a challenging health and economic crisis,” said Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “As the primary federal agency responsible for investigating fraud against the Unemployment Insurance program, the Office of Inspector General is committed to supporting the prosecution of those who seek to undermine the integrity of the program. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Aber, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Virginia Employment Commission, and our other law enforcement partners for their invaluable support of our mission.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic was one of America’s most vulnerable moments. Many businesses and individuals needed federal emergency assistance to stay afloat, but some fraudsters saw it as an opportunity to enrich themselves instead,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “Our work through 2022 highlights the FBI and our partners’ dedication to finding those who commit pandemic-related fraud and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
“Over the past two years, the FBI and our partners have relentlessly identified and investigated those who have defrauded the programs designed to assist those who were in need during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding those accountable who attempt to fleece the government for their own personal benefit.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented opportunity for fraudsters to prey on the very programs designed to provide economic stability to businesses and individuals during this crisis,” said Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office. “The FBI is committed to investigating fraudulent activity and working with our partners to hold accountable those who flagrantly disregard the purpose and need of these programs for the sustainability of our community's economy.”
“Through focused collaboration with law enforcement partners, fraudsters that stole from SBA programs and American taxpayers are being brought to justice,” said the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“Postal Inspectors have worked aggressively to investigate all types of pandemic related frauds occurring via the U.S. Mail. Our continued commitment to investigate these frauds will bring the offenders to justice and serves as a deterrent to those who attempt to exploit these benefit programs,” said Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington Division.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented law enforcement with a new and changing criminal environment,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, fraud has become the ‘go-to crime’ for many perpetrators. Whether it means preventing fraudsters from selling counterfeit treatments, vaccinations, and protective equipment; or abolishing fraudulent websites deceiving the public; or prosecuting financial criminals attempting to defraud the American public; HSI will continue to adapt in order to respond to the evolving criminal environment ushered in by this pandemic. We remain vigilant in our mission to protect the members of our communities from any type of threat.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate criminal exploitation of this national emergency for personal gain,” said Cynthia L. Hearn, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office. “To take advantage of governmental programs designed for those truly in need during the COVID-19 pandemic is incomprehensible and despicable. Those who do so will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Some of the major COVID-19-related cases prosecuted by EDVA in 2022 are as follows:
CaseCase number
Program Targeted
Intended Loss to Taxpayer
US v. Rudin
1:22-cr-46
PPP
$100,000,000
US v. Mitchum*
4:22-cr-47
EIDL, PPP, UI
$5,807,577
US v. Darakhshan
1:22-cr-22
PPP, EIDL
$3,500,000
US v. Huffman
3:22-cr-8
UI
$3,500,000
US v. Mitchell
3:22-cr-44
PPP, EIDL, UI
$1,800,000
US v. Mathews
3:22-cr-43
PPP
$1,700,000
US v. Wilhoit*
1:22-cr-191
UI
$1,500,000
US v. Rosser*
4:22-cr-91
PPP, EIDL
$1,164,999
US v. Parker
2:22-cr-10
UI
$760,921
US v. Obadeyi*
1:22-cr-102
EIDL
$438,000
US v. Crockett*
3:22-cr-32
UI
$318,727
US v. Smith
3:22-cr-20
UI
$223,984
US v. Carter
4:22-cr-60
PPP, UI
$176,829
US v. Jenkins
4:21-cr-69
UI
$141,632
US v. Jafari*
1:22-cr-197
PPP
$124,000
US v. Sherwood
3:22-cr-73
UI
$109,000
US v. Hargrove*
4:22cr49
PPP
$79,165
US v. Davis
4:22-cr-45
UI
$66,232
US v. Kokolis
2:21-cr-55
PPP
$54,112
US v. Ward
2:22-cr-111
UI
$27,000
US v. Toro
4:22-cr-1
UI, EIDL
$16,910
*pending sentencing
In addition to these efforts, last year, the Newport News Financial Crimes Task Force, led by the USPIS and in partnership with EDVA, the FBI Norfolk Field office through its Resident Agency in Newport News, and the Washington Regional Office of DOL-OIG, launched a joint pandemic counter-fraud operation focused on the Virginia Peninsula region. This collaborative initiative targets the trend of criminal organizations and networks incorporating pandemic-related fraud into their other illegal activities. As of October, this operation has resulted in 30 arrests of suspected fraudsters, 24 of whom have been convicted and sentenced, and $1,561,840 of court-ordered restitution.
All these efforts have been made possible through the diligent work of a wide range of law enforcement partners from the FBI (Washington, Norfolk and Richmond Field Offices), DOL-OIG, Department of Homeland Security, USPIS, the International Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), and the Office of the Inspector General of the SBA.
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 the government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force is a federal and state partnership led by the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia along with fraud investigators from the FBI and Virginia State Police. The task force’s mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing pandemic. The task force reviews and investigates all credible leads of fraud associated with COVID-19, focusing on schemes to exploit vulnerable populations, including the elderly and concerned citizens.
EDVA continues its fight against COVID-19 related fraud. To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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.
EDVA Forfeits over 164 Illegal Firearms and Prosecutes 250 Illegal Firearms Offenders in 2022Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced that over the course of the past year, EDVA’s litigative efforts have resulted in the forfeiture of at least 164 illegally owned, possessed, used, or obtained firearms. Firearms that are criminally forfeited are removed from the possession of a convicted criminal defendant and relinquished to the government for disposal, including potentially the return of the firearm to a rightful owner.
“Removing illegal firearms from the hands of felons and other prohibited people is a significant tactic in our office’s efforts to reduce gun violence and keep our communities safe,” said Aber. “If not taken out of circulation, the same weapon can be passed along and used in multiple crimes by many people. The forfeiture of these illegal firearms ensures they will not be used in the future against our law enforcement partners or community members.”
Since the start of 2022, EDVA has charged approximately 250 defendants with federal firearms offenses, including possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and straw purchasing of a firearm. These successes are a result of close cooperation between prosecutors and partners at federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). EDVA also partners with the Virginia State Police and local police and sheriffs across the District.
EDVA’s efforts to seize and forfeit illegal firearms in 2022 was the result of multiple investigative and prosecutorial efforts, including Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which seeks to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), whose purpose is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
“The criminal possession and illegal use of firearms plague the very communities in which we reside and often result in tragic loss,” said Christopher Amon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division. “We will continue to utilize intelligence driven approaches as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to combat gun violence in an effort to maintain safety and security in our communities.”
“We know the significant harm illegal firearms can pose, as well as the harm felons can inflict when they obtain those weapons. That’s why the forfeitures listed here today are so critical to keeping our communities safe,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “The FBI and its partners will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to fight violent crime, including through the reduction of gun violence.”
"Every day the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners work toward our shared goal of combating violent crime," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division. "As violent criminals continue to threaten our communities, removing firearms from their hands helps us prevent gun violence and ensure our homes and neighborhoods are safe places to live and work."
“I’m grateful for the hard work of the DEA teams, EDVA’s litigative efforts, and our law enforcement partners, with whom we were able to execute dozens of arrests and seize illegal firearms from violent drug trafficking organizations. With these actions, these unscrupulous offenders were held accountable, making our communities safer from gun violence and drug trafficking,” mentioned Jarod Forget, DEA Washington Division’s Special Agent in Charge.
“HSI Washington, D.C. remains committed to leveraging federal resources to help dismantle firearms trafficking operations and keeping illegal weapons off our streets,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of HSI Washington, D.C. “HSI is focused on disrupting the illicit international flow of firearms, firearms components, and ammunition to the Unites States. HSI special agents investigate individuals and criminal organizations that are responsible for the financing, procurement, brokering, transportation, and dissemination of these components in support of transnational criminal organizations. Our aim is to enable law abiding residents to enjoy safety and peace in their communities, while holding criminals, especially those who seek to use a firearm in the commission of a crime, accountable for their actions.”
Some of the major firearms-related cases prosecuted by EDVA in 2022 are as follows:
Defendant
Case #
Conviction
Sentencing info
Patrick Tate Adamiak, 28, of Virginia Beach
2:22-cr-47
receiving, possessing, and transferring unregistered machineguns, and possession of four destructive devices
Sentencing March 21, 2023
Max sentence 10 years
Tre’shawn Brooks, 22, of Richmond
3:22-cr-110
straw purchase conspiracy
Sentenced December 16 to 12 months
Babak Safavi, 59, of Fairfax County
1:22-cr-76
felon in possession of a firearm
Sentenced September 22 to 27 months
Darren Walker, 34, of Suffolk
2:21-cr-89
aiding and abetting the making of a materially false statement during the purchase of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm
Sentenced March 10 to 156 months
Kevin Staton, Jr., 24, of Chesapeake
2:21-cr-141
conspiracy to make false statements in connection with 45 firearm transactions
Sentenced July 6 to 18 months
Tyereis Smith, 19, and Jhaimeek Carter, 19, of Virginia Beach
2:21-cr-92
trafficking firearms
Sentenced February 10 to 2 years
Sentenced January 26 to 30 Months
Rakeim T. Richardson, 27, of Hanover Maryland
1:21-cr-284
making false statements in an attempt to acquire 11 firearms
Sentenced March 2022 to 15 months
Jonathan C. Long, 39, of Hampton
4:22-cr-37
drug conspiracy, possession of over 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and maintaining a drug premises
Sentencing on April 24, 2023
Minimum penalty 35 years
On July 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice has launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region, and Washington, D.C. The strike force helps ensure sustained and focused coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, including in the Eastern District of Virginia, with their counterparts in locations where many of the firearms originate.
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.
District Court Orders Oklahoma Drug Compounder to Comply with Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal court today issued an order prohibiting Qualgen LLC, an Oklahoma company, Shaun P. Riney, Qualgen’s Chief Executive Officer, and Jasen Lavoie, Qualgen’s Director of Quality, from manufacturing and distributing drugs that are not in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
In a civil complaint filed on December 6, the United States alleged that Qualgen, Riney, and Lavoie violated the FDCA at the company’s facilities in Edmond, Oklahoma, by manufacturing and distributing adulterated drugs. As an outsourcing facility registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Qualgen makes and distributes sterile drug products, including Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy pellets (testosterone, estradiol, and testosterone/anastrozole). The United States alleged that the defendants violated the FDCA by, among other things, failing to follow written procedures applicable to the quality control unit, failing to reject drug products that did not meet specifications, and failing to follow appropriate procedures in handling complaints about its drug products. The complaint also alleged that the FDA inspected the company’s facilities five times, in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022, and that many of the violations were repeat violations the FDA had identified in earlier inspections.
The FDCA’s current good manufacturing practice regulations mandate that manufacturers control the processes and procedures by which their drugs are manufactured, processed, packed, and held, to ensure that the drugs have the identity, strength, quality, purity, and other attributes necessary for their safe and effective use. Drugs not made in conformance with current good manufacturing practice regulations are deemed adulterated under the FDCA. According to the United States’ complaint, the FDA issued Qualgen several warnings, including during meetings with the FDA and in a warning letter to the company in 2016, regarding alleged deficiencies at its facilities.
"Drugs compounded in outsourcing facilities must be manufactured in conformance with applicable regulations," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with the FDA and take action against compounding drug manufacturers who fail to abide by laws designed to protect public health."
"Failure to manufacture drugs in strict compliance with FDA requirements endangers the very people who need and rely on the quality of those medications," said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. "We gladly partner with the FDA to enforce their regulations in order to ensure public safety is maintained in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounding process."
"While drugs compounded by outsourcing facilities are not subject to pre-market review and approval by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, they must comply with rigorous manufacturing quality assurance requirements," said Acting Director Jill P. Furman, J.D. of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "The FDA’s commitment to ensuring compliance with current good manufacturing practice requirements is a critical protection for patients. We will remain vigilant and hold all manufacturers accountable to best protect the public health."
Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, the defendants agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. The negotiated consent decree entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the FDCA, and prohibits, among other things, the defendants from manufacturing, compounding, processing, labeling, holding, or distributing adulterated drugs.
Senior Trial Attorney Natalie N. Sanders of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gallegos for the Western District of Oklahoma handled this matter, with the assistance of Senior Counsel Paige H. Taylor of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims resolved by the resolution announced today are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
District Court Orders Oklahoma Drug Compounder to Comply with Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActRead the Press Release
A federal court today issued an order prohibiting Qualgen LLC, an Oklahoma company, Shaun P. Riney, Qualgen’s Chief Executive Officer, and Jasen Lavoie, Qualgen’s Director of Quality, from manufacturing and distributing drugs that are not in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
In a civil complaint filed on Dec. 6, the United States alleged that Qualgen, Riney, and Lavoie violated the FDCA at the company’s facilities in Edmond, Oklahoma, by manufacturing and distributing adulterated drugs. As an outsourcing facility registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Qualgen makes and distributes sterile drug products, including Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy pellets (testosterone, estradiol, and testosterone/anastrozole). The United States alleged that the defendants violated the FDCA by, among other things, failing to follow written procedures applicable to the quality control unit, failing to reject drug products that did not meet specifications, and failing to follow appropriate procedures in handling complaints about its drug products. The complaint also alleged that the FDA inspected the company’s facilities five times, in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022, and that many of the violations were repeat violations the FDA had identified in earlier inspections.
The FDCA’s current good manufacturing practice regulations mandate that manufacturers control the processes and procedures by which their drugs are manufactured, processed, packed, and held, to ensure that the drugs have the identity, strength, quality, purity, and other attributes necessary for their safe and effective use. Drugs not made in conformance with current good manufacturing practice regulations are deemed adulterated under the FDCA. According to the United States’ complaint, the FDA issued Qualgen several warnings, including during meetings with the FDA and in a warning letter to the company in 2016, regarding alleged deficiencies at its facilities.
“Drugs compounded in outsourcing facilities must be manufactured in conformance with applicable regulations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with the FDA and take action against compounding drug manufacturers who fail to abide by laws designed to protect public health.”
“Failure to manufacture drugs in strict compliance with FDA requirements endangers the very people who need and rely on the quality of those medications,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “We gladly partner with the FDA to enforce their regulations in order to ensure public safety is maintained in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounding process.”
“While drugs compounded by outsourcing facilities are not subject to pre-market review and approval by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, they must comply with rigorous manufacturing quality assurance requirements,” said Acting Director Jill P. Furman, J.D. of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Office of Compliance. “The FDA’s commitment to ensuring compliance with current good manufacturing practice requirements is a critical protection for patients. We will remain vigilant and hold all manufacturers accountable to best protect the public health.”
Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, the defendants agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. The negotiated consent decree entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the FDCA, and prohibits, among other things, the defendants from manufacturing, compounding, processing, labeling, holding, or distributing adulterated drugs.
Senior Trial Attorney Natalie N. Sanders of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gallegos for the Western District of Oklahoma handled this matter, with the assistance of Senior Counsel Paige H. Taylor of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims resolved by the resolution announced today are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Dayton woman admits to stealing identities of local victimsRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton woman pleaded guilty in federal court here today to stealing the identities of several young women in the Dayton area and using those identities to commit various types of fraud.
Tiffany Lewis, 29, was charged federally in September 2022. She pleaded guilty today to three counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, in March and April 2021, Lewis stole the identities of two area women and used their information to obtain approximately $8,000 total in personal loans from Lendmark. Lewis cashed out those loans at Checksmart locations in Fairborn and Monroe, Ohio. Lewis was photographed at each Checksmart location and is covering her distinctive neck tattoos in each of the photographs.
In June and July 2021, Lewis used a third stolen identity to commit various acts of fraud.
For example, Lewis used the victim’s identity to obtain a fraudulent Ohio driver’s license and a car loan for approximately $48,000.
In addition, Lewis used the identity on two separate occasions to rent Chevrolet Silverado trucks from Uhaul in Dayton. One of the trucks was later discovered at Lewis’s residence and had been spray-painted black.
Lewis also used the third victim’s identity to write fraudulent checks at Menards in Fairborn totaling more than $3,500. When questioned at the store by a Fairborn police officer, Lewis presented her fake driver’s license, which was flagged as fraudulent in the officer’s computer.
As part of her plea, the parties involved have recommended a sentence of two years in prison. Lewis has agreed to pay restitution as follows:
- $7,999 to Lendmark,
- $67,800 to UHaul,
- $47,596 to Carmax, and
- $3,590.50 to Menards.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Andrew Boockmeier, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) announced the plea. The U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, and Dayton, Fairborn, Whitehall and Riverside police departments all contributed to this investigation.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
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D.C. Corrections Officer Charged with EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Defendant Accused of Stealing from Labor Union while Serving as its Chairman
WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia Department of Corrections Officer was arrested today after being charged in federal court with embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a D.C. Department of Corrections Labor Union.
Andra Parker, 64, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, is charged with wire fraud in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was arrested this morning at the District’s Central Detention Facility and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) .
Charging documents allege that between June 2018 and May 2019, Parker served as chairman of the D.C. Department of Corrections Labor Committee, a labor organization that represents all members of the D.C. Department of Corrections. As chairman, Parker had full access to the Labor Committee’s bank accounts and was issued a debit card. He is accused of defrauding the Labor Committee by using Committee funds to pay for personal travel, lodging, and entertainment expenses. For example, charging documents allege that he spent more than $7,000 on a trip to New York city for his friends and him, including $4,000 on rooms and expenses at a Times Square hotel, more than $370 on tickets to a New York Knicks game, and an additional $616 on tickets to Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct for purposes of establishing probable cause, but it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the DOL-OIG. Assistance was also provided by the DOL - Office of Labor-Management Standards.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Gauri Gopal of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
Cut Bank woman admits involuntary manslaughter, assault charges in vehicle crash on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Cut Bank woman today admitted to charges stemming from the death of a passenger and the injury of another individual when the vehicle she was driving crashed head on into another vehicle in East Glacier, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Feather Lynn Stillsmoking, 32, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Stillsmoking faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 11, 2023. Stillsmoking was detained pending sentencing.
In court documents, the government alleged that on March 12, Stillsmoking was driving a 2003 Oldsmobile west on US 2 into East Glacier at a high rate of speed when the vehicle crossed the centerline and collided head on with an eastbound Nissan. A passenger, identified as John Doe, who was in the Oldsmobile, died at the scene of blunt force injuries. Another individual, identified as Jane Doe, who was the driver of the Nissan, suffered serious injuries. An analysis of Stillsmoking’s blood found alcohol, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Stillsmoking told investigators that she drank a fifth of vodka prior to the crash. Investigators determined that the Oldsmobile was traveling at 102 mph five seconds before impact. The speed limit at the crash location is a 25-mph restricted speed zone.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Curtis Boyd, 28, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on March 8, 2021, Memphis Police officers initiated a traffic stop at Jackson and North Watkins and observed a 2012 Infiniti M37x traveling at a high rate of speed. The license plate was registered to a different vehicle.
Upon approaching the vehicle, officers saw Boyd, the driver, reaching between his legs. An officer asked Boyd what he was reaching for, to which he responded, “My gun.” As Boyd was removed from the car, a Glock 9mm pistol fell to the ground.
Officers recovered 181.6 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, a box of plastic baggies, two 10mg oxycodone pills, and $1,650 in cash. The gun was loaded with one live round in the chamber and 9 live rounds in the magazine.
As a result of a prior felony conviction, Boyd is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Boyd pled guilty on June 16, 2022.
On December 7, 2022, United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Boyd to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF and DEA.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin, who prosecuted this case.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow@WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A repeat convicted felon has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly possessing a firearm, multiple rounds of ammunition and fentanyl intended for distribution while on federal supervised release.
Francisco Gabriel Diaz, 32, of Boston, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Diaz was charged by criminal complaint in December 2021.
According to the charging documents, on June 24, 2021, a search of the residence where Diaz was staying resulted in the recovery of a black Taurus G2S 9mm firearm, a 9mm magazine containing seven live 9mm rounds, a 9mm magazine containing one live 9mm round, over 40 grams of fentanyl, several plastic bags containing crack cocaine, a box of sandwich bags and a digital scale. Diaz is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions, including an October 2017 conviction for possession with intent to distribute a Class B Substance. Diaz was on federal supervised release at the time of the search.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chinese National Sentenced to Five Years for Cyberstalking and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Chinese national was sentenced to 60 months in prison for cyberstalking a female Minnesota college student, and a concurrent 54 months’ imprisonment sentence for stealing the victim’s identity as a part of his cyberstalking scheme, followed by three years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between January 2020 and November 2021, Ki Cheung Yau, 28, created multiple online accounts on various websites, including social media platforms, dating websites and pornography websites, using the name, photos, and personally identifying information of the victim. Yau used these accounts to communicate with strangers on the internet while posing as the victim. Yau falsely portrayed the victim on social media, dating and sexually focused websites as a young woman soliciting submissive or violent sexual relationships.
Yau then communicated with strangers online and tried to help them locate the victim and follow through on his invitations for dominating and violent sexual encounters. According to court documents, on two separate occasions in January 2021, a man went to the victim’s residence and asked for the victim by name, presumably because he believed he was meeting the victim for a sexual encounter. Also, Yau’s cyberstalking resulted in strangers directly messaging the victim in response to explicit accounts and posts made by Yau posing as the victim. Further, the victim’s family and friends’ names, photos, and contact information were also included in Yau’s stalking scheme. The victim was forced to move to a new residence and change her phone number.
On June 23, 2022, Yau pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and one count of identity theft. As part of his plea agreement, Yau admitted to cyberstalking seven additional victims outside of Minnesota, in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021.
Yau was sentenced on December 16, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Wright stated that Yau’s “actions are predatory and purely evil,” showing “a disregard for the safety and well-being of the victims and disregard for the law.” In imposing the statutory maximum sentence for cyberstalking, Judge Wright reflected on the impact of Yau’s cyberstalking on victims and told Yau, “The injuries you cause do not heal easily.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the St. Paul Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
Chinese Manufacturer and U.S. Companies Admit Scheme to Evade U.S. Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A company based in the People’s Republic of China, along with three businesses located in New Jersey and New York, entered into settlement agreements with the United States, admitting they took steps to avoid paying customs duties, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to the admissions and contentions of the United States in the settlement agreements:
United Silica Products Inc. (USP) is a company based in Franklin, New Jersey. From July 22, 2015, and Oct. 6, 2020, USP purchased certain merchandise that was manufactured by Noble Brand Holdings Ltd. (Noble) in China. In connection with the sale of its products, Noble generated two sets of invoices – one that showed the amount actually paid by USP and another, false invoice, that undervalued the products sold to USP. Noble provided USP with the invoices showing the amount actually paid and sent the false invoices to Argos Express Ltd., a New York-based freight forwarding company. Argos then provided the false invoices to USP’s New York-based customs broker, United Way International Inc. for purposes of making customs declarations on USP’s behalf.
In entering goods into the United States, customs brokers and importers of record are required to provide true and accurate disclosures concerning the value of the goods being imported. In the settlement agreements, the companies admitted that the false statements on the customs forms reduced the customs duties paid to the United States.
In the settlement agreements announced today, Noble agreed to pay $500,000; USP and its owner, Lynnmarie Boccuzzo, agreed to pay $20,000 and $5,000, respectively; Argos and United Way agreed to pay $15,000 each. The payments resolve the parties’ potential liability under, among other statutes, the False Claims Act.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Chandler Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Defrauding InvestorsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 12, 2022, Jeffrey D. McHatton, 68, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 33 months in prison. McHatton was previously found guilty by a jury on 10 counts of Securities Fraud.
One of McHatton’s co-defendants at trial, Robert Sproat, 60, of Mesa, Arizona, was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison. Prior to trial, a third co-defendant, Robert Moss, 56, of Gilbert, Arizona, pleaded guilty to his involvement in the scheme and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that, between 2012 and 2014, McHatton, Sproat, and Moss used a religious charitable organization as a front to entice victims to invest over $1.2 million. Several of the victims targeted in the scheme were elderly. McHatton, Sproat, and Moss fraudulently promoted investments in the recovery of low alpha lead from Central America, gold from the Philippines, and diamonds from Africa, though none of the items were ever produced. McHatton, Sproat, and Moss used large portions of the investment funds for their own personal use. The victims never received a return on investments other than minimal “interest” payments derived from other victims’ money.
The FBI and the Arizona Corporation Commission conducted the investigation in this case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-2220-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-224_McHatton et al.# # #
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.
Bộ Tư Pháp Công Bố Chính Sách Mới Về Việc Cơ Quan Thực Thi Pháp Luật Chủ Động Trong Việc Tiếp Cận Ngôn NgữRead the Press Release
Bộ Tư Pháp công bố việc ban hành chính sách về việc Cơ Quan Thực Thi Pháp Luật Chủ Động Trong Việc Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ, một nỗ lực trên toàn quốc nhằm hỗ trợ các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật hoàn thành nghĩa vụ của mình trong việc cung cấp sự hỗ trợ có ý nghĩa về ngôn ngữ cho những người có trình độ Anh ngữ hạn chế (Limited English Proficient, LEP). Chính sách này dựa trên những nỗ lực từ bấy lâu nay của bộ nhằm đảm bảo rằng các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật đều tuân thủ theo những nghĩa vụ về tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của mình.
“Việc cung cấp cho các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật những công cụ cần thiết để đảm bảo sự tiếp cận ngôn ngữ hữu hiệu và có ý nghĩa đẩy mạnh và nâng cao sự an toàn cho những người có trình độ Anh ngữ hạn chế,” Trợ Lý Tổng Chưởng Lý phụ trách Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp, Bà Kristen Clarke đã nói. “Thông qua Chính Sách này, chúng ta có thể chia sẻ với các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật trên cả nước những phương pháp hay nhất trong vấn đề tiếp cận ngôn ngữ và những thông tin tương tự.”
Chính Sách này sẽ do Bộ Phận Tuân Thủ và Phối Hợp Liên Bang (Federal Coordination and Compliance Section) của Ban Dân Quyền hợp tác với các Văn Phòng Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ cùng hướng dẫn thực hiện. Nói một cách cụ thể, Chính Sách này sẽ:
- Phát triển những nguồn tài nguyên và các công cụ hỗ trợ kỹ thuật có thể trợ giúp những cơ quan thực thi pháp luật địa phương và tiểu bang trong việc nỗ lực cung cấp sự tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho LEP và những cộng đồng thuộc phạm vi thẩm quyền của mỗi cơ quan.
- Ủng hộ những cơ quan thực thi pháp luật muốn xem lại, cập nhật, và/hoặc củng cố các chính sách, kế hoạch, và chương trình huấn luyện về vấn đề tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của mình.
- Thúc đẩy sự hợp tác với các Văn Phòng Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ để các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật thực hiện những chương trình huấn luyện trong các cộng đồng trên cả nước nhằm nâng cao nhận thức về nghĩa vụ trong việc tiếp cận ngôn ngữ và khuyến khích việc áp dụng rộng rãi những phương pháp hay nhất.
- Thắt chặt quan hệ và sự tương tác giữa bộ với các cơ quan hữu quan và cộng đồng LEP.
Ngoài việc công bố Chính Sách của ngày hôm nay, Bộ Tư Pháp và Văn Phòng Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ Quận Colorado còn công bố thỏa thuận giải quyết cuộc điều tra về những cáo buộc nói rằng Sở Cảnh Sát Denver (Denver Police Department, DPD) có hành vi phân biệt đối xử với những người LEP dựa trên nguồn gốc quốc gia, vi phạm Tiêu Đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền năm 1964. Tiêu Đề VI nghiêm cấm sự phân biệt đối xử về chủng tộc, màu da, và nguồn gốc quốc gia của những người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính của liên bang.
“Thỏa thuận này với Sở Cảnh Sát Denver sẽ giúp các nhân viên cảnh sát thi hành nhiệm vụ của mình,” Ông Matthew Kirsch, Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ tại Quận Colorado, thực thi thẩm quyền được trao chiếu theo mục 515 Bộ Luật Hoa Kỳ 28 (28 U.S.C. §515), đã nói. “Dù là trong quá trình tiếp cận cộng đồng hay bắt giữ những kẻ bị buộc tội vi phạm pháp luật, sự tiếp cận các dịch vụ ngôn ngữ chuẩn xác luôn sẵn có sẽ giúp các viên chức phục vụ và bảo vệ tất cả các thành viên trong cộng đồng, bất kể trình độ ngôn ngữ của họ.”
Cuộc điều tra DPD của Bộ Tư Pháp khởi đầu sau khi các thành viên trong cộng đồng bày tỏ quan ngại về các biến cố liên quan đến những cư dân LEP nói tiếng Miến Điện và Rohingya sống tại vùng East Colfax thuộc Denver. Cuộc điều tra cho thấy nhiều trường hợp các viên chức của DPD đã không cung cấp sự hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ cho những cá nhân LEP hoặc cung cấp sự hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ không có hiệu quả hay không phù hợp. Ví dụ, cuộc điều tra phát hiện ra những trường hợp phải trông cậy vào con cái, người trong gia đình và người ngoài để được sự hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, bao gồm những tình huống mà lẽ ra phải được sự hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ đáng tin cậy và khách quan hơn.
Theo thỏa thuận dàn xếp này, DPD đồng ý thực hiện một loạt các thay đổi trong chính sách, thủ tục và huấn luyện về tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, bao gồm:
- Cập nhật Chính Sách và Kế Hoạch Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ nhằm thiết lập các thủ tục giao tiếp với những người LEP, bao gồm các nhân chứng và nghi can, và nghiêm cấm việc sử dụng con cái, người trong gia đình, hoặc người ngoài để giao tiếp với những người LEP, trừ trường hợp khẩn cấp;
- Bổ nhiệm Nhân Viên Điều Phối LEP đầu tiên và thiết lập các Điểm Liên Lạc về Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ (Language Access Points of Contact, LAPCs) tại mỗi quận của DPD;
- Huấn luyện tất cả các nhân viên của DPD và những người vừa được tuyển mộ cách nhận biết, giao tiếp với, và ghi chép lại các cuộc trao đổi với những người LEP; và
- Lập nên một Ủy Ban Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ bao gồm các đối tượng hữu quan đại diện cho lợi ích của cộng đồng LEP.
Những thông tin khác về Ban Dân Quyền được đăng tại trang mạng www.justice.gov/crt và thông tin về trình độ Anh ngữ hạn chế và Tiêu Đề VI được đăng tại www.lep.gov. Công chúng có thể trình báo những vụ việc có khả năng là hành vi vi phạm dân quyền tại https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Brookfield Counselor Admits Defrauding Medicaid of More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY C. BANKS, 50, of Brookfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Banks owned and operated North East Counseling & Trauma Services and Gregory Banks Counseling, LLC. North East Counseling & Trauma Services, which had an office in Danbury, provided counseling services to individual patients, including those with mental health and trauma issues. Banks was enrolled individually as a Behavioral Health Clinician provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”), but North East Counseling & Trauma Services and Gregory Banks Counseling LLC were never enrolled as providers in Medicaid.
Between January 2018 and July 2022, Banks submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for counseling services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients. Specifically, Banks submitted claims for dates of service when no services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims.
In October 2020, the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) audited Banks and his businesses and requested documentation from Banks for six sample clients. In response, Banks made multiple false statements for the purpose of delaying the progress of DSS’s audit and to conceal his offense. For example, in February 2021, Banks sent an email to DSS in which he falsely represented that one of the files DSS requested was destroyed by a water leak above his office when, in fact, no such water leak had occurred.
Through this scheme, Banks defrauded Medicaid of $1,044,387.08. As part of his plea, Banks has agreed to pay full restitution.
Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2023, at which time Banks faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Banks is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney Avery acknowledged the valuable cooperation of the Connecticut Department of Social Services in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Delivery of More Than 1,000 Bricks of Fentanyl to SyracuseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Marvin Antonio Lantigua, age 32, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to serve 10 years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute a kilogram of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Lantigua admitted that in early November 2021, he was in contact with a drug dealer in Syracuse via Facebook. After discussion, Lantigua agreed to deliver 1,000 bricks (50,000 bags) of fentanyl from New York City to Syracuse for $75,000.00. On November 8, 2021, DEA Special Agents, Syracuse Police Detectives, and Syracuse Police Patrol Officers stopped two vehicles on the Court Street exit of Route 81 North, one of which was being driven by Lantigua. A subsequent search of one of the vehicles located two large bags that were found to contain 1,007 bricks (50,350 bags) containing fentanyl that totaled approximately one kilogram in weight. After waiving his Miranda rights, Lantigua admitted that he was delivering the fentanyl to Syracuse from New York City as part of a drug deal. At the time of his arrest, Lantigua was under New York State Parole supervision in connection with a prior New York State drug felony conviction.
Lantigua was also sentenced to a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
This case was investigated by United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Syracuse Police Department-Special Investigations Division (SPD-SID), with assistance from Investigators of the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Detectives of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol Agents, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.
Bronx Man Arrested for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bronx man has been arrested for travelling to the Worcester area to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl.
Jose Luis Lopez Genao, 30, of Bronx, N.Y., was charged with one count of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Genao was arrested on Dec. 8, 2022 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson, was detained pending a hearing set for Dec. 20, 2022.
According to the charging document, Genao travelled from New York to the Worcester area to deliver approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. Genao was arrested on site and the kilogram of fentanyl was seized by law enforcement.
The charge of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised released, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the FBI with its law enforcement partners including members of the OCDETF Strike Force and Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Easthampton Police Department and the Hampden and Berkshire County Sheriff's Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Mazur and Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bogalusa Resident Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JEROME SHAQUILLE WILSON, aka “Rome,” age 27, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 15, 2022 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits individuals who have been convicted of certain crimes from possessing firearms after being convicted.
If convicted, WILSON faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu.
Bisaror Difármén e Kanun Soñloíyallá Nuwa Zuban Lootfaíbar Monsubar Élan GoíjjeRead the Press Release
Audio fileBisaror Difármén e kanun soñloíyallá nuwa zuban lootfaíbar monsuba salúgorar élan goíjje, zíyan oílde furá decollá kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkolore iítarar zimmadari adaí goítto hom Ingilíc zanoya (LEP) maincore hamdefan zubani modot díbar kucíc. É monsuba gan difárménor daíman hamot taíbo zéne kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkole iítarar zuban lootfaídíbar zimmadari adaí gorágan tagit gorazá.
Bisaror Difárménor Jomhuri Hokukor Divícon ór Nayeb Ethorni General Kristen Clarke hoíyede, “Kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkolore munasef ar hamdefan zuban lootfa tagit goítto iítarar zorurot oóde thúl (saman) díle hom Ingilíc zanoya maincollá becí hefazoti báríbo”. “É monsubar zoríya, añára e zuban loótfaíbar béhtor toriká ar endhillá sáman ókkol kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkolor hase cíiar gorí faíjjum.”
E monsuba gan Amerikar Ethorni ókkolor Ofís ókkolor Jomhuri Hokukor Divícon ór Fedherél Koórdhinécon ar Komplaíns Sekcon or matahte solíbo. Khásgori, monsuba yían zin goríbo:
- Teknikél modot or saman ar thúl ókkol toíyar goribó zin elakaíyi ar estheíth ór kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkolore kucícot modot gore zéne tara nizor matahátor (hom Ingilíc zanoya mainuíc) LEP illá hamdefan zuban loótfaíbar entezam gorífare.
- Kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkolore sóiyi báfe córik gore zara hítarar zuban loótfaíbar polísi, plan, arde thénning foríkka, apdheith, ar/yá mozbut goítto saá.
- Amerikar Ethorni ókkolor Ofís ór fúañti ham gorar moukare estemal gori zuban loótfaíbar zimmar baabote hucíari baraíbollá furá decot comaj ókkolor maze thénning do ar kanun soñloíya éjensi ókkolor torfottú aambafe béhtor toríka ektíarir rokbot doo.
- LEP comajor hossádoya arde LEP maincolloi difárménor rabeta ar cirkotore mozbut goró.
Aíjjar monsuba yíanor élanor baadeyó, Bisaror Difármén arde Colorado District ór Amerikar Ethorni ókkolor Ofís e ekkan razinama élan goíjje zeçe en cekáyotor tahákik goítto faísela loíbo zeçe Denver Police Department (DPD) e 1964 cónor Jomhuri Hokukor Kanun or Title VI (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) tajawuz goríyore zaator asól saíyore LEP maincore forók goijje. Title VI ye zaat, rong, ar zaator asól loí fedheralor mali modot foyare forók gorá maná gore.
“Denver Police Department loí e razinama gan fulic ofísar ókkolore hítarar zimmadari adaí goítto modot goríbo,” hoíyede Matthew Kirsch ye, zíba Colorado District ólla 28 U.S.C. §515 mozin kémota faíya Amerikar Ethorni, Toítta. “Comajor hase fóilon oók yá kanun amol nogórar cekáyot loí oók, sohí zubani hédmot loótfa tagit goílle ofísar ókkole Ingilíc ór mehéri sinta no gorí comajor har membórore hédmot di ar hefazot gorifaríbo.”
Bisaror Difármén ór torfottú DPD re tahákik gorá cúru oíye zehon comajor maince gothónar baabote mockil tulí doijje zeçe Denver ór East Colfax ót takoíya Bormar arde Ruhaínggya-zubanwala LEP bacinda camel ase. Tahákik ót beci háalot ókkol zana gíye zeçe DPD ofísar ókkol LEP maincor hase zubani modot dí nófare yáto bémunsef yá nakam zubani modot díye. Mesál hísafe, tahákík ót en háalot zana gíye zeçe baícca, fémli membór, ar gobá ókkolor oure zubani modot ólla bórusa gorágil, zeçe en háalot ókkol camel ase zeçe aró bórusa gorífarede arde zaheri zubani modot díya foítto.
E sulánamar hissá hísafe, DPD ye hítarar zuban loótfaíbar polisí, toríka, arde thenning ót kessú tobdil aníto razi oíye, zeçe ase:
- Zuban loótfaíbar Polisí arde Plan apdheith gorá zéne LEP maincolloí rabeta goríbar toríka kayem goráza, zeçe gobá arde cóndogoíjja manuíc camel taíbo, ar baícca, fémli membór yá gobá ókkolore LEP manuíc loi rabetagorá maná goríbo, emarjensi háalot sára.
- Foítto DPD district ót foílabar hísafe LEP Kóordhinéthar mutaíyen gorá ar Rabetagoríbar Zuban Loótfaíbar Hédmotor Zaga (LAPCs) kayem gorá;
- Har DPD hamgoroya arde noya aiccede hamgoroyare LEP manuícor forísoi gorar, rabeta gorar, ar hótabattra dokúmen goríbar baabote thenning díya;
- Uggwá Zuban Loótfaíbar Komithí banon zeçe LEP comajor fáaída tulídoroya hossádoya ókkol camel ase.
Jomhuri Hokukor Divícon ór baabote aró maalumat websaíth ót fazaíbo eçe www.justice.gov/crt ar hom Ingilic ór máheri arde Title VI baabote maalumat fazaíbo eçe www.lep.gov. Aam membór ókkole mumken jomhuri hokukor tajawuzi repouth gorí faríbo eçe https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Bennington Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Unlawfully Possessing a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Gavin Wilcox, 31, of Bennington, Vermont was sentenced today to 30 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III ordered Wilcox to begin his sentence today, without credit for time served, due to Wilcox having been on furlough from the Vermont Department of Corrections at the time of the federal offense. Judge Sessions also ordered Wilcox to serve a 2-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.
According to court records, on March 31, 2022, while investigating an unrelated report of violent crime, Bennington Police observed Wilcox engage in a suspected drug transaction in the Dollar General parking lot. Officers knew Wilcox to have an active arrest warrant for violations of his furlough, and therefore approached Wilcox to detain him. When Wilcox was handcuffed, he dropped 11 white bags wrapped in a rubber band, which contained fentanyl. Wilcox’s backpack was seized and a subsequent search of the backpack revealed a stolen Smith & Wesson .357 magnum Pro Series revolver and drug paraphernalia. Before his March 31, 2022 arrest, Wilcox had sustained felony convictions for DUI-3 (2013) and heroin possession (2020). These felony convictions prohibited Wilcox from possession of a firearm under federal law.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bennington Police Department.
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Wilcox was represented by Kevin Henry, 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
Bay St Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Bay St Louis man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Joseph Henry, 45, pled guilty on December 15, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, On December 2, 2021, Hancock County Sheriff's Deputies served an outstanding warrant on Joseph Henry at his residence in Bay St Louis. While serving the warrant, deputies observed two digital scales in plain view along with a strong odor of marijuana inside the residence. During a subsequent search of the residence, narcotics agents over one pound of marijuana, 848 dosage units of MDMA, and 312 dosage units of counterfeit Oxycodone which later was tested at the lab and found to be 41.77grams of Fentanyl.
Henry will be sentenced on March 16, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5M fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Baton Rouge Woman Sentenced to 75 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Shawnda Augustus, age 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 75 months in federal prison following her convictions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent scheme to obtain unemployment benefits. The Court further sentenced Augustus to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $361,074 to state unemployment agencies in Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and New Mexico.
According to admissions made as a part of her guilty plea, following the floods of 2016, Augustus engaged in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money from FEMA by submitting fraudulent applications for disaster unemployment assistance (DUA) benefits to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, both in her own name, and in the names of other victims, without their knowledge or consent. As a result of the scheme, Augustus submitted or caused to be submitted approximately forty (40) fraudulent DUA claims.
Beginning in March 2020 and continuing through at least January 2021, Augustus engaged in multi-state fraud scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits to which she was not entitled. Augustus submitted fraudulent applications for PUA benefits in Louisiana, and in multiple other states, including Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Nebraska, among others. Augustus also obtained the personal identifying information of victims, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. Using these stolen identities, Augustus submitted approximately twenty-nine (29) false and fraudulent applications for PUA benefits to state unemployment agencies in the names of those victims both in Louisiana and in multiple other states.
According to the plea agreement, Augustus received approximately $123,908 in false claims for PUA benefits. Augustus withdrew the funds as cash, or used the funds to pay for hotels, airline tickets, and purchases at restaurants and retail stores.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Labor and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen L. Craig.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Submitting Fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act Relief Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Dana Lamar Antonio Hayes, Jr., age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal wire fraud charge related to a scheme to obtain a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Relief loan application (EIDL loan) and several Paycheck Protection Plan loan applications (PPP loans), under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, from two financial institutions (Bank1 and Bank 2).
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, between March 2020 and October 2021, Hayes submitted a fraudulent EIDL loan application and PPP loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and two financial institutions (Bank1 and Bank 2).
Specifically, in March 2020, Hayes submitted a fraudulent EIDL loan application on behalf of his previously forfeited and recently revived company, D&L Investment Properties Inc. The EIDL loan application contained false statements regarding the number of D&L employees and the payroll expenses of D&L. In addition, the application asked: “For any criminal offense…have you ever been convicted plead guilty, plead nolo contendere, been placed on pretrial diversion, or been placed on any form of parole or probation (including probation before judgment)?” Hayes answered “No,” even though Hayes knew that, on April 30, 2019, Hayes was placed on probation for a firearm offense, specifically for possession of a stolen firearm. Hayes also claimed to have company expenses of $15,000 and equipment costs of $35,000, when in fact, the company had been inactive since 2019.
The SBA initially denied Hayes’ EIDL application, and for the next 18 months, Hayes regularly contacted the SBA to have his EIDL application approved. On the basis of false and fraudulent information, the SBA ultimately approved Hayes’s EIDL application and provided Hayes $15,000 in COVID-19 CARES Act loan funds on behalf of D&L. Once the funds were deposited into D&L’s bank account, Hayes transferred all of the loan proceeds from D&L’s bank account into his personal savings account.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in June 2020 and January 2021, Hayes applied for PPP loans with Bank 1 and Bank 2 on behalf of D&L. In these PPP loan applications, Hayes included false statements regarding the number of employees for his business, falsified tax forms, lied about his probation status, and provided false payroll expenses of D&L. On the basis of fraudulent information, Bank 1 and Bank 2 each approved a PPP loan for D&L, depositing a total of $35,036, in D&L’s bank account. Hayes quickly transferred the loan proceeds into his personal savings account.
In preparing the January 2021 PPP loan for Bank 2, Hayes admitted that he used the name and Preparer Tax Identification number of Victim 1 to submit a fraudulent tax form to Bank 2 without Victim 1’s knowledge or consent. Victim 1 had been previously hired by Hayes to prepare D&L and Hayes’ personal tax returns, however, Victim 1 claims that they have never prepared Form 941’s for D&L, and federal records indicate no such form was ever filed. Hayes admitted that he applied for a second fraudulent PPP loan to Bank 1 in January 2021, but that loan was not approved.
On November 4, 2021, Hayes applied on behalf of D&L to Bank 1 for PPP loan forgiveness for the first draw loan, falsely stating that D&L had spent the entire loan amount, $12,500, on payroll costs. Hayes’s forgiveness application was not approved.
In February 2022, while the alleged COVID-19 relief scheme was ongoing, Hayes applied to become the Chief of Fiscal Services for the Baltimore City Police Department. Hayes was subsequently hired for the position in April 2022 and terminated shortly thereafter.
“The defendant’s guilty plea should reflect our continued resolve to investigate and prosecute those who try to exploit a national emergency to steal taxpayer-funded resources by using the global pandemic as an opportunity to defraud the United States Government,” said Darrell J. Waldon, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office. “IRS Special Agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively uncover and disrupt criminals who conspire to abuse these programs for personal gain.”
Hayes faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison for wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for Hayes on April 17, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
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. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the IRS- CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Auburn Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Sexually Exploiting 2 Children and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Devin Nau, age 28, of Auburn, New York, was sentenced today to serve 50-years in federal prison for sexually exploiting 2 children and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.
As part of his guilty plea, Nau admitted to engaging in sex acts with two minor victims that he filmed and photographed using his cellular telephone. Nau further admitted that after recording the sex acts, he used a social media messaging application on his cellular telephone to distribute the depictions to other individuals over the internet.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will start after Nau is released from prison, and a $400 special assessment. Nau will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Nau’s case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Investigators of the New York State Police-Computer Crimes Unit (NYSP-CCU), the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Auburn City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J.L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Akron Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Dog Fighting, Drug Trafficking, and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
AKRON – Ronald Smith, 39, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to more than 10 years – or 123 months – in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after he pleaded guilty to a 22-count indictment charging him with dog fighting, drug trafficking, and illegal possession of a firearm.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Adams ordered Smith to pay $233,367.70 in restitution to K2 Solutions, located in North Carolina, for the care and rehabilitation of the impacted dogs.
Smith was charged in May 2022 with 15 counts of possession and training of dogs for the purposes of an animal fighting venture; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; distribution of a controlled substance; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Smith owned and maintained two residential properties in Akron, one on Fultz Street and the other on Herman Avenue.
In April and May of 2022, authorities found Smith to be in possession of items used to train and prepare dogs for participation in dog fighting, including two treadmills designed for dogs; a caged rabbit placed in front of a treadmill; performance-enhancing and first-aid-related dog medication; numerous "break sticks" spattered with blood and baring teeth marks and a walled pit spattered with blood at the Fultz Street and Herman Avenue residence.
Authorities recovered eight pit bull-type dogs from the Fultz Street residence and seven pit bull-type dogs from the Herman Avenue residence.
Smith was also found to have illegally possessed three firearms and participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess oxycodone, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues.
Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions of aggravated assault, burglary, possession of cocaine, trafficking heroin, having weapons under disability, and disrupting public services in the Summit and Medina County Courts of Common Pleas.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG), Akron Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the Humane Society of Summit County (HSSC).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad J. Beeson and Marc D. Bullard.
18 December 2022
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces the Seizure of 23 More Domain Names that Allegedly Violated Copyrights by Illegally Live Streaming the World CupRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has announced the seizure of 23 websites for allegedly live streaming the World Cup games, an infringement of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) copyrights. Individuals visiting the sites will now see a message that the site has been seized by the federal government and be redirected to another site for additional information. This is the second round of seizures. On December 10, 2022, 55 websites were seized and these additional sites were seized on December 16, 2022.
The seizure of the domain names was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations – Baltimore; and Director James R. Mancuso of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizures, FIFA is the international governing body of association football and holds the exclusive rights to sanction and stage the FIFA World Cup 2022, which is being hosted in multiple cities in Qatar. Beginning in September 2022, HSI received information from a representative of FIFA identifying a number of sites being used to distribute and transmit copyright-infringing content, without FIFA’s authorization. After the initial round of seizures executed on December 10, HSI Agents in Maryland observed public internet messages and social media posts identifying additional, alternative sites offering illicit streams of World Cup matches. Agents then reviewed World Cup games and other infringing content being offered through these sites and confirmed a list of additional domain names subject to seizure.
As detailed in the affidavit, free access to live sports-related copyright-protected content can attract heavy viewing traffic, which makes websites offering such content a potentially lucrative way to serve advertisements. Based on the pervasive use of advertising on each site, the affidavit alleges that the purpose for distributing the infringing content is the private financial gain to these websites’ operators. By seizing the subject domain names, the government prevents third parties from acquiring the name and using it to commit additional crimes, or from continuing to access the websites in their present forms.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite commended HSI for its work in this investigation and thanked the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center and the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance for their assistance. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Stephanie Williamson and Trial Attorneys Jason Gull and Bryce Rosenbower of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, who are handling the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Colorado Man Shares Warnings about Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the ATF and the Denver Police Department, are joining forces to raise awareness about gun violence that is taking innocent lives. Illegally owned, privately made firearms or “ghost guns” are part of the problem. “Ghost guns” are guns that do not have serial numbers, making them harder to trace if used in a crime. These guns are often purchased without a background check, even though such purchases are illegal. “Untraceable firearms are being used to commit crimes. People who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get a gun because of their age or background, are getting ahold of these weapons,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge David S. Booth. The Department of Justice reports 45-thousand privately made firearms are known, including 692 guns linked to murder or attempted homicide investigations. One defendant is warning others about the dangers of getting caught up in this criminal activity.
Saul Ramirez Escobedo used to build ghost guns. Escobedo said a close relative recruited him to buy parts, make the weapons, and sell them. Escobedo said, “When COVID hit, my job slowed down a lot. I was struggling to pay my bills. He taught me how to build firearms. You construct your own firearm, you go out, shoot it, it works. I’ve never been in trouble with the law before. Never done this kind of stuff before. The way he explained it to me, you won’t get in trouble. It was more cause like it was cheaper selling it from outside than going to the store and going through the whole process.” But Escobedo did get in trouble. He was arrested and pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to deal firearms without a license. Escobedo received leniency for his willingness to accept responsibility and Judge Christine M. Arguello sentenced Escobedo to four years of probation, and he is now a convicted felon. “Right now, you look at the media, there’s a lot of killings going on, you see a lot of people shooting each other, mass killings and stuff. I started looking into that and thought, ‘man that could be one of the guns I put out on the streets’, and it’s really scary,” Escobedo said.
Co-defendant, Luis Daniel Marquez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Arguello sentenced Marquez to 90 months in federal prison.
“We will use all available tools to tackle gun violence. We remain committed to saving innocent lives by enforcing federal firearms laws,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said, “In Denver, it is illegal to possess or manufacture non serialized firearms. And the Denver Police Department is committed to recovering illegal guns, to include ghost guns, to keep people safe and prevent gun violence in our community.“
Dealing firearms without a license is illegal. Call the ATF at 888-ATF-TIPS to report illegal firearms activity.
Ghost Gun Public Service Announcement
Ghost Gun PSA "In His Own Words"
This public service announcement 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.
On April 11, 2022, the Attorney General signed ATF final rule, Definition of “Frame or Receiver” and Identification of Firearms, which modernizes the definition of a firearm. This rule went into effect late this summer and clarifies that parts kits that are readily convertible to firearms are subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms. These regulatory updates will help curb the proliferation of “ghost guns,” which are often assembled from kits, do not contain serial numbers, and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace and easy to acquire by criminals. More information can be found here: ATF Definition of “Frame or Receiver” and Identification of Firearms
CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-0014
16 December 2022
Youth Rehabilitation Center Agrees to Pay over $3.4 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Pathway, Inc. and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC have agreed to pay $3,496,331.92 to resolve allegations that Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC wrongfully billed Medicaid for services it did not actually provide, in violation of the False Claims Act.
Pathway, Inc. is a private corporation that operates Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC. Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC provides services to certain Medicaid-eligible youth recipients through a contractual arrangement with the Alabama Department of Youth Services, which in turn contracts with the Alabama Medicaid Agency. Pathway of Baldwin County billed Medicaid for individual basic living skills services that it did not actually provide.
“Ensuring that taxpayer money is spent appropriately is a responsibility the Justice Department takes seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello. “The False Claims Act is an important tool that we and our agency partners rely on to stop practices that misuse public funds.”
“Submitting false claims to Medicaid undermines the integrity of federal health care programs and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles, at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG remains committed investigating and holding accountable bad actors who attempt to defraud federal health care programs.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against Pathway, Inc. and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement if the government takes over the case and reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Richard Sheppard v. Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC and Pathway, Inc., No. 1:17-cv-00355-KD-N (S.D. Ala).
The resolution obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Gray investigated the matter on behalf of the United States.
Watertown Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Rafael Rondon, age 25, of Watertown, New York pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea today, Rafael Rondon admitted that on June 29, 2021, he possessed an unregistered sawed-off shotgun hidden at a relative’s property in Lewis County, New York. The sawed-off shotgun was recovered after FBI Agents, U.S. Capitol Police, and New York State Police executed a federal search warrant at Rondon’s residence in Watertown, New York on June 29, 2021, for evidence related to criminal activity at the United States Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. During the search of the Rondon residence in Watertown, the cut barrel of a 12-gauge shotgun was discovered. While being questioned, Rondon admitted that he possessed a sawed-off shotgun, and later took Agents to a relative’s property in nearby Lewis County where the unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge firearm was recovered from an outbuilding.
Sentencing for his conviction for possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun is scheduled for April 21, 2023, in Syracuse, New York, at which time Rafael Rondon faces a maximum sentence of up to 10-years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Rafael Rondon also pled guilty December 5, 2022, in United States District Court for the District of Columbia to Obstruction of an Official Proceeding (felony), for his activities inside the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. Sentencing on that case is scheduled for March 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C., at which time he faces a maximum sentence of up to 20-years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.
The Northern District of New York case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Capitol Police, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the New York State Police. The indictment charging Rafael Rondon in United States District Court for the Northern District of New York is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Green and Richard Southwick. The case involving the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach charge is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Waterloo Woman Who Abused a Power of Attorney to Steal from a Victim Suffering from Dementia Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who abused her position as an elderly victim’s power of attorney was sentenced on December 9, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.
Shanan Smith, age 56, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 30, 2022 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Smith became the victim’s power of attorney after the victim began to suffer from dementia. Smith eventually began to steal the victim’s money and use it for her own purposes. This included gambling with the victim’s money. Smith’s misspending of the victim’s money caused the victim’s nursing home bill to become thousands of dollars in arrears. Smith eventually sold the victim’s house to bring the nursing home bill current. Smith then spent the remainder of the proceeds from the sale of the house on her own expenses. Smith has three prior felony convictions and fourteen theft convictions.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Smith was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $51,000 in restitution to relatives of the victim. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Smith was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-2014.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Wallace, Nebraska Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Russell announced that Wesley S. Cassidy, 27, of Wallace, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Judge John M. Gerrard for armed bank robbery. Cassidy was sentenced to 50 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. There is no parole in the federal system.
On August 19, 2021, Wesley Cassidy entered Flatwater Bank in Gothenburg, Nebraska and demanded money from a bank teller using a bladed knife. The teller provided Cassidy money from two teller drawers. Cassidy left the bank with the money on foot and was apprehended shortly thereafter. He later admitted to robbing the bank during a Mirandized interview.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Valliant, Oklahoma Couple Sentenced to Thirty Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Pay Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Valliant, Oklahoma residents, Joseph Barton Milligan, (a/k/a Jody Milligan), age 52, and Kerensa Chantay Milligan, age 47, were each sentenced to 30 months in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons after they entered guilty pleas to an Information charging them with twenty counts each of Failure to Account and Pay Over Employment Tax.
The Information to which the defendants pled guilty alleged that beginning in January 2015, they collected payroll taxes from the employees of their jointly operated trucking company, Joseph Milligan Trucking, Inc. The defendants were jointly responsible for filing the employment tax returns and paying over the taxes due to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), including federal income, Medicare, and Social Security taxes. The defendants willfully chose not to pay the taxes collected from their employees to the IRS for the years 2015 through 2019. As part of the plea agreement, the defendants admitted the total unpaid amount to the IRS was more than $1.8 million.
The criminal charges arose from an investigation by the IRS-Criminal Investigations after the defendants had previously been assessed a civil penalty by the IRS for failing to pay over more than $346,000 in payroll taxes in 2007 and 2008.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the sentencing hearing.
United States Sues Michigan-Based NH Learning Solutions Corporation for Submitting False Claims for Inflated Post 9/11 GI-Bill Tuition BenefitsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against NH Learning Solutions Corp (NHLS). The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that NHLS violated the FCA by knowingly submitting false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for inflated tuition benefits under the Post-9/11 GI-Bill. Michigan-based NHLS provides technology education courses at approximately 15 locations in the Midwest and Northeast.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important part of our promise to support our nation’s veterans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s complaint demonstrates our commitment to hold accountable companies that improperly seek to profit from this promise and the women and men who have served our country.”
“The U.S. government provides veterans with access to programs for higher education through the Post-9/11 GI Bill,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our office is prepared to pursue those who flout the rules that safeguard the integrity of important veterans’ programs.”
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA pays tuition and fees directly to qualifying schools on behalf of enrolled students. The VA pays the actual net cost for tuition and fees charged by the school after it has applied any scholarships, waivers, grants or other assistance designed to defray the cost of tuition and fees. This requirement is commonly referred to as the “Last Payer Rule,” and ensures that the VA is the payer of last resort and receives the benefit of any tuition-based, financial support available to a student.
The government’s complaint alleges that NHLS knowingly submitted false claims for inflated tuition and fees in violation of the Last Payer Rule at five of its school locations in Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. More specifically, the complaint alleges that NHLS repeatedly reported tuition and fees to the VA on student invoices where it failed to deduct the tuition scholarships, grants or waivers it provided to certain veterans, thereby causing the VA to overpay NHLS for educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI-Bill for these veterans.
“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds is a top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley of Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Central Field Office. “The VA-OIG is committed to investigating allegations of fraud that would impact VA’s programs and services.”
The lawsuit is captioned United States v. NH Learning Solutions Corp., No. 22-cv-13045 (E.D. Mich.), and is being handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Department of VA-OIG provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The United States is represented in this matter by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Wilson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Spaccarotella for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
United States Sues Michigan-Based NH Learning Solutions Corporation for Submitting False Claims for Inflated Post 9/11 GI-Bill Tuition BenefitsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against NH Learning Solutions Corp (NHLS). The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that NHLS violated the FCA by knowingly submitting false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for inflated tuition benefits under the Post-9/11 GI-Bill. Michigan-based NHLS provides technology education courses at approximately fifteen locations in the Midwest and Northeast.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important part of our promise to support our nation’s veterans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s complaint demonstrates our commitment to hold accountable companies that improperly seek to profit from this promise and the women and men who have served our country.”
“The U.S. government provides veterans with access to programs for higher education through the Post-9/11 GI Bill,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our Office is prepared to pursue those who flout the rules that safeguard the integrity of important veterans’ programs.”
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA pays tuition and fees directly to qualifying schools on behalf of enrolled students. The VA pays the actual net cost for tuition and fees charged by the school after it has applied any scholarships, waivers, grants or other assistance designed to defray the cost of tuition and fees. This requirement is commonly referred to as the “Last Payer Rule,” and ensures that the VA is the payer of last resort and receives the benefit of any tuition-based, financial support available to a student.
The government’s complaint alleges that NHLS knowingly submitted false claims for inflated tuition and fees in violation of the Last Payer Rule at five of its school locations in Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. More specifically, the complaint alleges that NHLS repeatedly reported tuition and fees to the VA on student invoices where it failed to deduct the tuition scholarships, grants, or waivers it provided to certain veterans, thereby causing the VA to overpay NHLS for educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI-Bill for these veterans.
“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds is a top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley of Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Central Field Office. “The VA-OIG is committed to investigating allegations of fraud that would impact VA’s programs and services.”
The lawsuit is captioned United States v. NH Learning Solutions Corp., No. 22-cv-13045 (E.D. Mich.), and is being handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The United States is represented in this matter by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Wilson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Spaccarotella for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Two women sentenced to prison for armed robbery of Billings casinoRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — Two women who admitted to stealing liquor at gunpoint from a Billings casino, firing a warning shot while fleeing and discarding two loaded firearms on elementary school property were sentenced this week to prison terms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Makyla Shayd Fetter, 28, of Harlem, was sentenced on Dec. 14 to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $745 restitution. Fetter pleaded guilty in August to robbery affecting commerce, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a firearm in a school zone.
Co-defendant Taliah Jeneane Ramirez, 22, of Billings, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $745 restitution. Ramirez pleaded guilty in August to robbery affecting commerce, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a firearm in a school zone.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
“As we continue to combat gun violence in Billings, everyone should take notice that if you use a gun while committing a crime, you will be aggressively prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice. Not only did one of these defendants discharge a gun during this robbery, but the defendants unconscionably used a playground to ditch the guns while trying to evade law enforcement. As shown by these sentences to prison, they did not succeed,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 20, Fetter and Ramirez entered the Magic Diamond Casino in the Billings Heights, and Fetter removed five bottles of Southern Comfort liquor from a shelf. When an employee asked to see Fetter’s identification, Fetter pulled out a loaded pistol, pointed it at the clerk and said, “here’s your (obscenity) ID.” As the defendants escaped in a vehicle, Ramirez took out a pistol and fired a round into the air. A high-speed pursuit with law enforcement ensued before officers stopped to avoid risks to civilians. The defendants’ vehicle crashed after going through a fence at Ponderosa Elementary School, and both women discarded their loaded guns on the school grounds. Officers found one of the firearms. The next day, a student found the second firearm and notified a faculty member. Both firearms were determined to have been stolen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Two Tennessee Men Arrested for Planning Attacks on Law Enforcement Personnel and the FBI’s Knoxville Field OfficeRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Edward Kelley, 33, of Maryville, Tennessee, and Austin Carter, 26, of Knoxville, Tennessee, with conspiracy, retaliating against a federal official, interstate communication of a threat, and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. Kelley and Carter made their initial appearance in federal court today in Knoxville before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook. Both defendants have been detained. Carter has a detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 21.
According to court documents, Kelley, who is facing charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia related to his assault on a law enforcement officer during the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, obtained a list of law enforcement personnel who participated in that criminal investigation. In conversations with a cooperating witness, Kelley and Carter discussed collecting information and plans to kill the individual law enforcement personnel on the list that included an attack on the FBI’s Knoxville, Tennessee Field Office.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Francis M. (Trey) Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Arrowood and Kyle Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorneys David Smith and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Tennessee Men Arrested for Planning Attacks on Law Enforcement Personnel and the FBI's Knoxville Field OfficeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Edward Kelley, 33, of Maryville, TN, and Austin Carter, 26, of Knoxville, TN, with conspiracy, retaliating against a federal official, interstate communication of a threat, and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. Kelley and Austin made their initial appearance in federal court in Knoxville, TN, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook. Both defendants have been detained. Carter has a detention hearing scheduled for December 21, 2022.
According to court documents, Kelley, who is facing charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia related to his assault on a law enforcement officer during the breach of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, obtained a list of law enforcement personnel who participated in that criminal investigation. In conversations with a cooperating witness, Kelley and Carter discussed plans to kill the individual law enforcement personnel on the list. Those plans included an attack on the FBI’s Knoxville, Tennessee Field Office.
“Federal law enforcement agents put their lives on the line every day to protect the public,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Planning and threatening violence against them is among the most serious of crimes. It is absolutely unacceptable and will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.
“The FBI continually assesses the full spectrum of potential threats that come to our attention and that includes those whose intent is to harm bureau employees. The arrests were a result of an amazing team effort across the division along with our local, state, and federal partners. The partnership with the FBI Counterterrorism Division, the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Tennessee and the District of Columbia were instrumental in the success of the operation. We remind the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity regardless of the intended target,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Arrowood and Kyle Wilson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorneys David Smith and Jacob Warren from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Two Tennessee Individuals Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances ActRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging BEVELYN BEATTY WILLIAMS and EDMEE CHAVANNES (together, the “Defendants”) with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (the “FACE Act”) and conspiring to do the same in connection with a multi-year campaign to interfere with individuals seeking to obtain and provide lawful reproductive health services in New York and in several other states. WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES surrendered today and will be presented in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants repeatedly attempted — including by using threats, and on at least one occasion, force — to prevent individuals from accessing their legal right to reproductive health services. This Office will remain committed to ensuring that healthcare facilities, their staff, and those seeking to obtain reproductive health services can continue to do so without unlawful interference.”
FBI Assistant District in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As we allege today, Ms. Williams and Ms. Chavannes violated the FACE Act by willfully interfering with individuals seeking to obtain or provide lawful reproductive health services. In one instance, Ms. Williams injured a health-center employee while obstructing access to the reproductive health center. The FBI will continue to investigate these types of allegations to ensure individuals who seek legal reproductive health services may do so without fear or intimidation.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2019 up to and including at least in or about 2022, WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES agreed to and did use unlawful means — including force, threats of force, and physical obstruction — to injure, intimidate, and interfere with individuals because those individuals were seeking to obtain lawful reproductive health services or were providing such services.
As part of that agreement, on or about June 19, 2020, and June 20, 2020, WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES threatened and used force against patients and staff members at a reproductive health center located in lower Manhattan (the “Health Center”), and blocked patients and staff members from accessing the Health Center. In one instance, WILLIAMS pressed her body against the door of the Health Center’s patient entrance and refused to move, preventing a Health Center volunteer from entering the Health Center. As a Health Center staff member (“Victim-1”) attempted to open the door for the volunteer, WILLIAMS purposefully leaned against the door, crushing Victim-1’s hand. Victim-1 yelled, “She’s crushing my hand,” but WILLIAMS remained against the door, trapping Victim-1’s hand and injuring it.
At various times on June 19 and 20, 2020, WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES stood directly in front of the Health Center entrances. WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES initially blocked the main entrance used by patients, causing the Health Center to have to divert patients to enter through the staff entrance. WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES responded by moving in front of the staff entrance and directing others to do so as well. In addition, on or about June 19, 2020, CHAVANNES threatened Victim-1 by leaning her body toward Victim-1 at close range, forcing Victim-1 against metal barricades, while yelling “do not touch me” within inches of Victim-1’s face.
WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES livestreamed some of their conduct on June 19 and 20, 2020, on a social media account. On the livestream on June 19, 2020, WILLIAMS stated, in part, “This is going to be a wonderful day. We are going to terrorize this place. And I want the manager to hear me say that. We are going to terrorize this place. More people are coming.” The following day, WILLIAMS stated, in part, “We gonna stand here and we ain’t moving. We not moving. We’re standing here, so I guess no women will be coming in for abortions today. It’s a warzone.”
In addition to the defendants’ conduct in Manhattan, New York, WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES’ unlawful agreement to use prohibited means to injure, intimidate, and interfere with individuals because those individuals were seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services has extended to other locations, including Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Brooklyn, New York. For example, in January 2022, WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES travelled to and were present outside a health center in Fort Myers, Florida, where they directed other individuals to block health center entrances. In addition, in July 2022, WILLIAMS and CHAVANNES blocked patient access to a health center in Atlanta, Georgia, by standing inside the center’s vestibule and yelling threatening comments at individuals believed to be health center patients.
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WILLIAMS, 31, and CHAVANNES, 41, both of Ooltewah, Tennessee, are charged with conspiracy to violate the FACE Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In addition, WILLIAMS is charged with violating the FACE Act through force, threats of force, and physical obstruction, resulting in bodily harm, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. CHAVANNES is charged with violating the FACE Act through threats of force and physical obstruction, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Bagliebter is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.