Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
26 October 2022
Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud and Secure ElectionsRead the Press Release
Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today provided information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, and National Security Division, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or fraud in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.
Civil Rights Division
The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; the National Voter Registration Act; the Help America Vote Act; and the Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
- Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status.
- Prohibit intimidation of voters.
- Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union).
- Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions.
- Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities.
- Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books.
- Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad.
- Require covered States to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail; and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
On Election Day, the Civil Rights Division will implement a comprehensive program to help ensure the right to vote that will include the following:
- The Civil Rights Division will conduct monitoring in the field to observe compliance with the federal voting rights statutes.
- Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. Attorneys in the division will coordinate within the department and will take appropriate action concerning these complaints before, during, and after Election Day.
- Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at: 800-253-3931, and also can submit complaints through a link on the department’s website at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
- Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY), or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at ada.gov.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.
Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices
The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.
The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election fraud, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division).
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in the respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.
From now through Election Day, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will work with specially-trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election fraud are handled appropriately. Specifically:
- In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
- Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorneys’ Offices or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/districts/. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
- Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.
All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.
National Security Division
The department’s National Security Division supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:
- The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt, including computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure; covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
- The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.
As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from both National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should also be reported to the department.
Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election fraud, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.
For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit Voting | Department of Justice and Election Crimes Branch | Department of Justice.
Justice Department Awards over $90 Million to Combat Human Trafficking and Support VictimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs today announced over $90 million in funding to combat human trafficking, provide services to human trafficking victims and support research and evaluation on responses to human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a global problem that affects communities throughout our country, causing immeasurable trauma to victims and their loved ones,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen A. Henneberg. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to supporting state and local efforts to combat human trafficking operations, remove victims from harm and help survivors access the services they need to begin the journey to healing and recovery.”
Programs supported by OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime are a centerpiece of the Justice Department’s work to tackle the challenges posed by human trafficking. OVC manages the largest amount of federal funding dedicated to addressing the needs of victims of human trafficking and supporting multidisciplinary responses to this crime in the U.S., supporting more than 500 awards to organizations serving thousands of clients every year. Informed by the voices of survivors, OVC strengthens the victim service response to human trafficking through grant funding, training and technical assistance and leadership in the field.
“Survivors of human trafficking deserve easy access to the full-range of trauma-informed and victim-centered services,” said OVC Director Kristina Rose. “The Office for Victims of Crime is committed to meeting the immediate and long-term needs of survivors and ensuring that service providers have all the tools at their disposal to meet victims of human trafficking wherever they are on their healing journey.”
OVC is awarding more than $90 million in grants to empower communities to respond to human trafficking and offer essential services to survivors of human trafficking to aid them in their recovery. OJP’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will also continue to build knowledge of what works to combat human trafficking and serve trafficking victims. NIJ grants will support a multi-site evaluation of the Enhanced Collaborative Model to combat human trafficking and study the replication potential of a screening tool designed to help first responders identify human trafficking survivors.
The funded programs and their amounts are listed below. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clinking on the links.
- OVC is awarding over $32.6 million under the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program to develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs for victims of human trafficking.
- OVC is awarding nearly $16.4 million under the Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program to support housing assistance for victims of all forms of human trafficking throughout the United States.
- OVC is awarding $21.6 million under the Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program to develop, expand or strengthen multidisciplinary task forces to fight human trafficking. Task forces include victim and social service providers, law enforcement and prosecution personnel, survivors and a range of governmental and non-governmental partners that work together to identify trafficking victims, connect them to services and bring traffickers to justice.
- OVC is awarding $3.1 million under the Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Program to assist OVC Human Trafficking Grant Program grantees and other antitrafficking stakeholders through the provision of training and technical assistance and the development of tools and resources. This includes the development of anti-trafficking standards of care for victim service providers in partnership with the Office on Trafficking in Persons at the Department of Health and Human Services. It also includes training and technical assistance to support grantees in developing and implementing meaningful employment and economic empowerment practices for trafficking survivors, and in engaging individuals with lived experience to enhance anti-trafficking programming.
- OVC is awarding $1.3 million under the Services to Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking program to develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs for minor victims of labor trafficking, whose victimization occurred when they were under age 18.
- OVC is awarding $6.3 million under the Field-Generated Strategies to Address the Criminalization of Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking program to end the criminalization of minor victims of sex trafficking and develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs to support victim-centered, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate and evidence-based responses to minor victims of sex trafficking.
- OVC is awarding nearly $5.5 million under the Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking by integrating human trafficking policy and programming at the state or Tribal level, and enhancing coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to serving trafficked youth.
- OVC is awarding nearly $3.5 million under the Preventing Trafficking of Girls program to develop or enhance prevention and early intervention services based on best practices to focus on the needs of girls who are at risk or are victims of sex trafficking.
- NIJ is awarding $1.6 million under its Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons program, which proposes to help better understand, prevent and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States, focusing on projects with clear implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Jury Finds Ivins Man Guilty of Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SAINT GEORGE – On October 19, 2022, a federal jury in the District of Utah found Stanley Beckstrom, 56, of Ivins, guilty of distribution of methamphetamine.
At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Beckstrom traveled to California to obtain methamphetamine. On July 21, 2021, Beckstrom delivered methamphetamine to a local restaurant in downtown St. George. The methamphetamine was tested in a drug lab. It was 100% pure and weighed one pound. The court scheduled Beckstrom’s sentencing for January 6, 2023.
The Washington County Drug Task Force investigated Beckstrom and others involved in the drug trafficking-organization. A federal grand jury charged Beckstrom and three others with crimes related to methamphetamine trafficking. On January 24, 2022, Dail Brady, 55, of St. George, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2022. On April 5, 2022, Christopher Brugada, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2022. Jonathon Antonio Chairez is currently scheduled for a jury trial to begin on November 21, 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Jay T. Winward of the St. George Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah represented the United States at Beckstrom’s trial. Narcotics detectives from the Washington County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation into the drug-trafficking organization.
Jury Convicts Portland Repeat Offender on Federal Drug, Gun, and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal jury in Portland found a local man with several prior felony convictions guilty today on multiple drug, gun, and money laundering charges.
Dontae Lamont Hunt, 41, a Portland resident, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute fentanyl analogue, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, and two counts each of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and money laundering.
In September 2005, Hunt was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison and eight years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In October 2016, Hunt was released from prison early after receiving a presidential sentence commutation.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in December 2017, Hunt was shot multiple times outside an apartment building in Eugene, Oregon. A surveillance video of the shooting showed Hunt walking in a nearby parking lot while talking on a cellphone and carrying a satchel. Immediately after the shooting, Hunt’s girlfriend came to his aid, retrieved the satchel, and placed it in a vehicle used to drop Hunt off at a Eugene hospital.
After departing the hospital, the vehicle was stopped by Eugene Police Department officers for a traffic violation and searched. Officers recovered a bloodstained satchel containing two loaded firearms, both of which were determined to have Hunt’s DNA on them. Back at the shooting scene, officers found a large amount of blood and an iPhone near where Hunt was shot.
On the phone, which was linked to Hunt, investigators found evidence of drug trafficking, including text messages and photos of what appeared to be counterfeit Oxycodone pills. Further investigation revealed that Hunt distributed counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing carfentanil, a powerful fentanyl analogue, in and around Portland and that his drug trafficking was connected to a fatal drug overdose in June 2018.
In September 2018, investigators searched three properties linked to Hunt, including his residence in Northeast Portland. At his residence, Hunt refused commands to surrender and remained alone upstairs for approximately 15 minutes. After he was taken into custody, Portland Police Bureau officers found blue pills adjacent to an upstairs toilet, consistent with and indicative of him disposing of evidence. Agents also located several dozen additional blue pills concealed in a jar of baby ointment, three firearms, and a gun box labeled with the make, model, and serial number of one of the firearms found in the bloodstained satchel in Eugene. Lab reports later confirmed the pills seized contained fentanyl analogue. Additional cellphones seized from Hunt’s residence also contained evidence of his drug trafficking activities. Agents also recovered more than $40,00 in cash and seized multiple vehicles.
Hunt will be sentenced on February 10, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.
While awaiting trial, Hunt was housed at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Sheridan, Oregon. During this time, a federal corrections officer used his position to introduce contraband—including narcotics, designer sneakers, and a cell phone—into the prison for the benefit of Hunt and other inmates. The now-former corrections officer pleaded guilty in May 2022 for his role in the bribery and contraband smuggling scheme.
This case was investigated jointly by the Portland Police Bureau, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and FBI with assistance from U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Peter Sax, Gary Sussman, and Suzanne Miles, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture litigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarrett.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jury Convicts Mounds Man of Shooting a Former Girlfriend in 2021Read the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Mounds man Wednesday in federal court for shooting his girlfriend when she tried to end their relationship in 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Jeffrey Sutton, 54, was found guilty of carrying, using, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and assault with dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.
“More than 4 million American women have reported being threatened with a firearm in homes with domestic violence. Access to firearms by a domestic abuser makes it five times more likely that an abuser will kill his partner,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Thankfully, the victim in this case survived Jeffrey Sutton’s attack and testified against him at trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Briden and Kristin Harrington’s dedication to protecting domestic violence victims is to be commended. Together, with our law enforcement partners, they ensured Mr. Sutton’s conviction this week in federal court.”
On December 2, 2021, the defendant, Jeffrey Sutton returned to his Mounds home and found that his girlfriend, the victim, had moved her belongings out onto the front lawn. She had decided to move out of the house after multiple arguments occurred between the two.
Sutton and the victim argued outside their residence. Then Sutton drew a 9mm handgun and fired at least eight times toward the victim. One of the shots stuck the victim in the chest near her armpit. She retreated into the house, and Sutton chased her, threatening to kill her and “all her people in Bixby.”
Sutton continued to threaten to shoot the victim while in the house and refused to call 911.
The victim then fled outside to her neighbor’s house. Sutton again chased her and shouted toward the neighbors, “I’m not trying to shoot you; I’m just trying to shoot her.” The neighbors allowed the victim inside, hid her in a closet and called 911.
A deputy from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department was the first to respond to the scene and found Sutton in the front lawn. Sutton was still carrying the firearm, which was empty at that point. He called the victim an expletive and stated that she “was trying to kick me out of the house.” Sutton was taken into custody.
Law enforcement applied pressure to the victim’s wound at the crime scene and described the victim as “in shock.” She was then transported to the hospital, where it was determined that her chest injury had an entry wound and then a graze pattern, but the bullet was no longer inside her. She was treated and later released from the hospital.
An investigator from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene and identified eight shell casings outside near Sutton’s truck. He further found multiple bullet holes and defects in the front of the house, in the victim’s belongings on the front lawn, and inside the house.
A trajectory analysis showed that several shots were fired from the direction of the truck that struck the residence door where the victim was retreating to.
In closing arguments, the defense argued that the victim was not credible and that Sutton was only trying to protect himself and deescalate the situation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden reminded the jury that Sutton was the owner of a Bixby gun store and trained in handling a firearm, and that the only one trapped and scared during the shooting incident was the victim. Sutton, he argued, picked out a firearm from his vehicle that was fully loaded with a 17-round magazine then closed the distance between himself and the victim when he chased her and fired at her again and again. He then reminded the jury that the victim’s testimony, witness testimony, and the trajectory analysis at the crime scene all pointed to the same thing— that Sutton was guilty on all counts.
The FBI, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven J. Briden and Kristin F. Harrington are prosecuting the case.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men report having experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Further, about 1 in 5 women and 1 in 13 men have experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner. Data from U.S. crime reports suggest that over half of female homicide victims in the United States are killed by a current or former male intimate partner.
To learn about domestic violence resources or seek help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233; https://www.thehotline.org/ In a domestic violence emergency, dial 911.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man, Michael Germaine McClinton was sentenced to 110 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. Following his imprisonment, McClinton was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Michael Germaine McClinton, age 26, was a distributor of marijuana and edibles containing THC in the Iowa City area. Following a traffic stop, McClinton admitting to purchasing a stolen firearm. A search of McClinton’s phone revealed videos of him handling guns as far back as November 2019 while he was on supervision for a violent crime in state court. On June 2, 2022, McClinton pleaded guilty to the charge.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Johnson County Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man who was inebriated when he fired a pistol from his apartment patio pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing a stolen firearm.
Reggie L. Teagues, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of possessing a stolen firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Teagues admitted that he possessed a Kel-Tec 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Nov. 12, 2020. Independence police officers were called to his residence at approximately 4:05 p.m. that day in response to a neighbor’s 911 report of shots fired. The neighbor heard three gunshots, which he originally thought were fireworks. When he went out to his patio to investigate, he saw Teagues holding a handgun.
When officers arrived, Teagues was slumped over on the living room floor in his apartment, near the sliding glass door leading to the patio. Teagues told officers he had consumed approximately one pint of tequila since noon that day, as well as using PCP. Teagues had an injury to his elbow, which he apparently received when he fell into the bedroom window while on the patio. Officers found two spent shell casings on the patio and another spent shell casing on the floor beside Teagues.
Teagues’s girlfriend told officers the firearm belonged to her and that she had it secured in her bedroom closet on a shelf where Teagues had taken it without permission. She had rushed home after getting a frantic phone call from her daughter. She saw the firearm lying on the kitchen table, put it in her purse, and was attempting to get Teagues into the bedroom when officers arrived.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Teagues agree to a sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Idaho Springs Man Indicted for Million Dollar PPP Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Denver - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Edward Baker Harrington, age 59, of Idaho Springs, was arrested after being indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and money laundering.
According to the indictment, from April 2020 through September 2021, the defendant submitted a number of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program, (PPP), applications to seven banks and one lender on behalf of business entities that he purportedly controlled. These PPP applications contained a number of false and fraudulent certifications and representations. The defendant obtained more than $1,000,000 in PPP loans as a result of the scheme. He falsely represented that all PPP funds would be used to pay eligible business expenses, when, in fact, the proceeds were used for his personal benefit to purchase goods and property, including real estate and vehicles. The defendant also sought loan forgiveness for PPP loans by submitting loan forgiveness applications in which he made false representations and certifications regarding his businesses and his compliance with the PPP program rules, including rules related to the eligible uses of PPP loan proceeds.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act created PPP, a program administered by the Small Business Administration that provided loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules.
The defendant made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge James O’Hara today. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Cassidy and Martha Paluch.
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.
Case Number: 22-cr-00324
Honeywell to Pay $3.35 Million for Alleged False Claims for Zylon Bullet Proof VestsRead the Press Release
Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell), headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, has agreed to pay $3.35 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling defective material for bullet proof vests used by law enforcement officers, the Justice Department announced today.
The United States alleged that, between 2000 and 2005, Honeywell sold its patented Z Shield material to Armor Holdings, a bullet proof vest manufacturer, despite Honeywell knowing that Z Shield degraded quickly over time in heat and humidity and was not suitable for ballistic use. Armor Holdings’ vests containing Honeywell’s Z Shield were purchased by federal agencies under a General Services Administration (GSA) contract, and by various state, local and Tribal law enforcement authorities that were partially funded by the Justice Department’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership program.
“This settlement and the Justice Department’s industry-wide investigation demonstrate the department’s resolve to hold accountable those businesses and individuals who supplied Zylon-containing bullet proof vests, even after learning that the material degraded in a way that could compromise its ability to stop a bullet,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The safety of law enforcement officers is of paramount importance, and we are committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars go only to the high-quality ballistic protection our first responders deserve.”
“It is completely unacceptable for a company to produce and sell faulty products that law enforcement officers rely on for their safety,” said Inspector General Carol F. Ochoa of the GSA Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG). “I appreciate the relentless efforts GSA OIG employees and our law enforcement partners dedicated to this case.”
The settlement concludes over a decade of litigation and ends the Justice Department’s long-running investigation of the body armor industry’s sale of defective Zylon bullet proof vests to the government. The United States previously recovered over $133 million in settlements with 17 entities and individuals involved in all stages of the body armor supply chain.
The resolution obtained in the Honeywell litigation was the result of efforts by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the GSA-OIG; the Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the U.S. Criminal Investigative Command; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; and the Defense Contracting Audit Agency.
Fraud Section Attorneys Alicia Bentley, Jennifer Chorpening and Tom Morris handled the litigation and settlement.
The lawsuit is captioned United States v. Honeywell International Inc., No. 08-0961 (PLF) (D.D.C.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Hacker and Dark Market operator arraigned on federal chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Daniel Kaye has been arraigned on charges of access device fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Kaye’s charges arise from his alleged operation of The Real Deal, a Dark Web market that sold, among other things, hacking tools and stolen login credentials, and his laundering of funds he received from that market.
“While living overseas, this defendant allegedly operated an illegal website that made hacking tools and login credentials available for purchase, including those for U.S. government agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This case is a timely reminder, during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, that federal law enforcement will make those accused of breaking U.S. laws face their day in court, regardless of where they reside in the world.”
“This case is an example of our persistent determination to work with our international partners to hold criminals accountable no matter how sophisticated their cyber fraud or their geographic location,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Let this indictment be a message that the FBI and our partners place a high priority on the investigation and prosecution of hackers who intrude into our infrastructure and threaten the personal security of our citizens.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Kaye allegedly operated The Real Deal, a Dark Web market for illicit items, including stolen account login credentials for U.S. government computers; stolen account login credentials for social media accounts and bank accounts; stolen credit card information; stolen personally identifiable information; illegal drugs; botnets; and computer hacking tools. The market was organized into categories, such as “Exploit Code,” “Counterfeits,” “Drugs,” “Fraud & More, “Government Data,” and “Weapons.” The market allowed vendors to create accounts and list their products. These vendors maintained profile pages offering a rating system where buyers could rank vendors.
The indictment alleges that Kaye listed for sale on The Real Deal login credentials for U.S. government computers belonging to the U.S. Postal Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the U.S. Navy. The indictment further alleges that Kaye, along with an individual (or individuals) known as “thedarkoverlord,” trafficked in stolen social security numbers; and that Kaye possessed 15 or more stolen login credentials for Twitter and LinkedIn. Finally, the indictment alleges that Kaye laundered cryptocurrency he obtained from The Real Deal through Bitmixer.io, a website that offered Bitcoin “mixing” services and, through its “mixing” algorithm, sought to keep its users anonymous, private, and immune to Bitcoin blockchain tracing analysis.
On April 13, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Kaye with five counts of access device fraud for unauthorized solicitation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(6), one count of using and trafficking in unauthorized access devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(2), two counts of possession of unauthorized and counterfeit access devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(3), and one count of money laundering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Kaye was overseas at the time the indictment was filed and, in September 2022, consented to his extradition from Cyprus to the United States.
Daniel Kaye, also known as “Popopret,” “Bestbuy,” “TheRealDeal,” “Logger,” “David Cohen,” “Marc Chapon,” “UserL0ser,” “Spdrman,” “Dlinch Kravitz,” “Fora Ward,” and “Ibrahim Sahil,” 34, of London, England, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Also the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, Cyprus Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Cyprus Police, German Bundeskriminalamt, and United Kingdom National Crime Agency, assisted in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case.
October is recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Unfortunately, criminals continue to victimize people online by exploiting their personal security, financial safety, and identity. To help victim service providers and allied professionals better serve victims of cybercrime and keep them safer online, the Office for Victims of Crime Training & Technical Assistance Center offers many resources to update the field about cybersecurity and the tools available to serve victims. Please visit their website to learn more: https://www.ovcttac.gov/.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Grandview Man Pleads Guilty to $4.1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a $4.1 million drug-trafficking conspiracy, which is linked to two murders, and which distributed approximately 520 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas.
Markus Michael A. Patterson, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Monday, Oct. 24, and admitted that between Jan. 1, 2017, and September 1, 2018, he participated with others in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds, and to possessing a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Patterson was arrested on Aug. 30, 2018, at a hotel in Phelps County, Mo. Officers found approximately one pound of methamphetamine (what remained from two pounds of methamphetamine Patterson brought to Phelps County from Kansas City, Mo.), $8,742 in cash, and drug paraphernalia in Patterson’s hotel room and car. The cash seized by officers was the proceeds of drug sales, which Patterson was supposed to return to his source in Kansas City.
The drug-trafficking organization with which Patterson was associated was responsible for two murders. In August 2018, James Hampton was seized by members of the same drug trafficking conspiracy that supplied Patterson with the Phelps County methamphetamine. Patterson was in St. Louis, Mo., with this group when Hampton was seized. Hampton was seized because conspirators thought he could help find the drugs and money stolen by co-conspirator David Richards. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, he was restrained and beaten. Hampton was then transported from St. Louis to Kansas City, in the trunk of his car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten and restrained, was also taken to Kansas City.
On Aug. 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Mo. On Aug. 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered by the Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head. Witnesses and video identified Patterson following co-defendant Gerald Ginnings, 42, of Kansas City, Mo., in a co-conspirator’s car as Ginnings drove Hampton’s car to Bates City. Ginnings pleaded guilty on Friday, Oct. 21, to the same charges as Patterson.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony crime to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Patterson has prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter, distributing a controlled substance, and tampering with physical evidence.
Patterson is among 30 co-defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case and its companion case.
Patterson must pay a money judgment not to exceed $4,160,000, which represents the proceeds he received from the drug-trafficking conspiracy, as determined by the court at the time of his sentencing. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 520 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average price of $8,000 per kilogram.
Under federal statutes, Patterson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Sni Valley Fire Department, the Jackson, Lafayette, Buchanan, and Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Departments, the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. James, Mo., Police Department.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking and Extorting Women for Sexually Explicit Interactions and PhotographsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Georgia man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for engaging in a cyberstalking and extortion campaign in which he used anonymous social media accounts to harass and victimize women, including a Boston-area woman whom he cyberstalked and extorted for videos, photographs and communications of a sexual nature.
Gary E. Leach, 25, of Athens, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2021, Leach pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking and one count of extortion through interstate threats. Leach was arrested and charged on April 23, 2021 and has been on home detention since he was released from custody on May 18, 2021.
“Justice was served today. Mr. Leach is a coward who hid behind anonymous online accounts to harass, exploit, and terrorize women for his own sick gratification. His disturbing and calculated conduct caused immeasurable trauma on multiple victims – one of whom was kept in a persistent state of fear for over a year,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Cyberstalking is a serious offense that has profound consequences for victims – many of whom are women. My office and our law enforcement partners will not stand idly by. Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their community – whether that community is in-person or online. The cloak of internet anonymity is not impenetrable. Bad actors who cyberstalk and victimize innocent individuals will be identified, prosecuted and brought to justice.”
“The victims in this case did not let fear silence them. They courageously came forward and worked with the FBI to help bring Gary Leach’s cruel cyberstalking campaign –one that inflicted intense trauma—to an end. We’d like to encourage other victims of online threats to do the same,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Sadly, the FBI is seeing a surge in sextortion cases, with people of all ages being targeted. It’s a serious crime, and we will continue to work hard to unmask predators like Leach to ensure they are held accountable for their cowardly acts.”
From October 2019 until his arrest in April 2021, Leach, then a graduate student at the University of Georgia, targeted a Boston-area woman in an online cyberstalking and extortion campaign. Leach used anonymous Instagram accounts to obtain private video calls and photographs of a sexual nature from the victim – falsely promising payment in exchange – and surreptitiously recorded the victim during these calls. Leach subsequently resurfaced under a different anonymous account and threatened the victim that he would send the recording to the victim’s family if she did not comply with his demands. These demands included participating in sexual and degrading acts over video calls with Leach and sending photographs similar in nature upon his request. In exchange for her unwilling compliance, Leach promised the victim that he would delete the previous recording. However, during the subsequent interactions, Leach surreptitiously gained additional recordings and photographs of the victim which he used to repeatedly extort the victim for more sexual and degrading interactions under new Instagram aliases.
Leach also cyberstalked other women on social media, including a woman residing in Canada. Leach recorded a video call of a sexual nature with this victim and sent the recording to her roommate. He repeatedly contacted the victim and used the recording to attempt to solicit additional interactions with her. Throughout 2019 and 2020, Leach attempted to solicit video performances of a sexual nature from at least a dozen Instagram users. Additionally, Leach initiated unsolicited video calls with at least 20 other Instagram users for the purpose of exposing himself masturbating and sent unsolicited photographs and/or videos of himself masturbating to users who did not answer the video calls.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Union Official Sentenced to More Than a Year and a Half in Federal Prison for Receiving Unlawful Cash Payments from Chicago BusinessRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former high-ranking official in a labor union was sentenced today to more than a year and a half in federal prison for accepting $325,000 in unlawful cash payments from a Chicago business and failing to report the payments on his tax returns.
JOHN T. COLI SR., 63, of Putnam, Ill., pleaded guilty pursuant to a cooperation plea agreement in 2019 to one count of receiving a prohibited payment as a union officer and one count of making a false income tax return. The government recommended a sentence of 19 months in prison and U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer imposed that term after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John Morales, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet S. Bhachu.
Coli served from 2000 to 2017 as the Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local Union 727. Coli admitted in a plea agreement that from 2014 to 2017, he received quarterly payments of $25,000 from a Chicago business that employed workers represented by Local 727. Coli acknowledged in the plea agreement that had law enforcement not intervened, he expected to receive four more quarterly payments from the company and then retire from the union.
The tax count pertained to Coli’s knowing and willful failure to report the secret payments as income for the calendar years 2014 through 2016. This conduct resulted in a federal tax loss of approximately $105,000 and a State of Illinois tax loss of approximately $12,500.
In addition, Coli acknowledged in the plea agreement that he received other income and benefits from representatives of businesses that dealt with Local 727 that were not properly disclosed to the U.S. Department of Labor. The benefits included meals in Las Vegas and other cities, free box seat tickets to National Football League and Major League Baseball games, use of a yacht in the U.S. and Italy, and periodic cash payments.
Former Tribal Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) pleaded guilty today to a bribery scheme in which he admitted to soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, Randall Jude Phelan, 58, of Mandaree, North Dakota, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council, the governing body of the MHA Nation, from around November 2012 through the middle of 2020. Beginning around 2013 and continuing through 2020, Phelan solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Reservation. In exchange for the payments, Phelan used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
Phelan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota; and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.
###
Former Putnam County Librarian Sentenced to over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Kurt Batucan Sheldon (31, Interlachen) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for production and distribution of child sex abuse images. Sheldon was also ordered to serve a life-term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. In addition, the court ordered $13,000 in restitution for the victims of Sheldon’s offenses. Sheldon was arrested on September 4, 2020, and ordered detained during the proceedings in the case. He had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022.
According to court documents, this case was initiated when parents of a minor female child made a report to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office about sexually explicit messages being sent by an adult to their child on two different social media applications. The adult referred to himself as “K t,” and used the username “tacticfallout.” “K t” originally began communicating with the minor child on a social media application and represented himself as a male, between 25-29 years of age. The minor child told him that she was 15 years old. “K t” told the minor child that his name was “Kurt” and that he lived in Putnam. The child told “Kurt” she lived with her parents and was in school. Their conversation later moved to another social media platform, over which “K t” requested child sex abuse material—images and videos—from the minor child and directed the child on how to take the images and how to pose. Approximately 50 images and/or videos were sent to “K t” at his direction.
Further investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations identified Sheldon’s residence as the source of the IP address used by the account, “tacticfallout,” and for other associated accounts.
On September 4, 2020, HSI agents and deputies and detectives from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Sheldon’s residence. Sheldon admitted there would be child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices and that he was attracted to children. He also admitted to asking girls he met via online applications, who he knew to be underage, to send him nude photographs, including a 15-year-old female. Forensic examination of his devices identified more than a thousand images and several hundred videos depicting child sex abuse.
During the same investigation, HSI also learned of a 2016 St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigation involving Sheldon’s IP address and residential address engaging in peer-to-peer file sharing of child sex abuse materials. Law enforcement accessed and downloaded files that contained child sex abuse materials that were later connected to Sheldon. Sheldon also admitted his involvement in this conduct.
“Men who use the anonymity of the internet to prey on the vulnerability and innocence of children are a special kind of evil,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Through our partnerships with the Clay County, Putnam County and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Offices, we will remain vigilant in targeting these dark web predators, bringing them to justice to face their crimes.”
This case was investigated by Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Bossier City Police Officer and President of Bossier City Police Union Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Harold W. Sanford, Jr., 52, of Bossier City, Louisiana, appeared before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter today and pleaded guilty to charges related to his recent arrest and involvement in stealing funds from the Bossier City Police Union and obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
Sanford was arrested on August 26, 2022 as the result of a criminal complaint charging him with fraudulently obtaining prescriptions for a controlled substance. On September 13, 2022, Sanford was indicted by a federal grand jury, along with his co-defendant Mitchell Morehead, and charged with conspiracy to obtain controlled substances by fraud and distribution of a controlled substance. Subsequently, a bill of information was filed on October 20, 2022 charging Sanford with an additional count of conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States. He is pleading guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States and one count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
According to information presented in court, Sanford was a Sergeant with the Bossier City Police Department and the President of the Bossier City Police Local 645 of the International Union of Police Associations (Bossier Police Union). Sanford’s co-defendant, Morehead, was a fundraiser for the Bossier Police Union who directly reported to Sanford. An investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that Morehead would solicit money from area businesses and other individuals by telling them that he was raising money to support the charitable purposes of the Bossier Police Union. While acting in his capacity as President of the Bossier Police Union, Sanford agreed to pay Morehead 50% of all funds received as compensation.
Sanford would present checks payable to Morehead to tellers at the bank where the Bossier Police Union account was held and then pay Morehead in cash. The endorsement on the back of these checks were made in Morehead’s name but written by Sanford. On occasion, Sanford would keep all or some of the money from these checks. Employees at the bank eventually told Sanford that he could no longer cash checks payable to Morehead without Morehead being present. Thereafter, Sanford would write checks payable to Morehead for an inflated amount, have him endorse the checks, and take Morehead to the drive-through lane at the bank branch to cash them. Sanford would then keep some of the money for himself and provide the remainder to Morehead.
Once Sanford took over the payments of money to Morehead for the Bossier Police Union in July 2020, the financial records indicate the percentage of money paid to Morehead increased from about 50% to about 75% of the charitable contributions collected. The loss amount from this scheme is $31,740.
Agents with the FBI also learned through their investigation that Sanford fraudulently obtained prescription drugs, to include hydrocodone and oxycodone, with the assistance of Morehead. Specifically, on August 22, 2022, Sanford drove Morehead to the office of a Shreveport physician referred to in the indictment as Individual A. While at Individual A’s office, Morehead falsely represented that he needed a Schedule II controlled substance and obtained a prescription for Percocet 10-325 mg. Sanford paid for Morehead’s office visit with Individual A. Thereafter, Morehead filled the prescription and provided 23 of the Percocet tablets to Sanford.
Sanford faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, for conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States. In addition, he faces up to 4 years in prison for obtaining controlled substances by fraud. Sentencing has been set for February 24, 2023 at 11:15 a.m.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney.
# # #
Former Blairsville Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Pistol and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH- A former resident of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release on his conviction of felony possession of a firearm and ammunition, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Justin McConnell, 37, currently incarcerated at Indiana County Jail.
According to information presented to the Court, McConnell, who had previously been convicted of incest, on or about March 30, 2007, at Docket Number 33-2007, in the Court of Common Pleas, Indiana County, unlawfully possessed a firearm on Oct. 2, 2019. The firearm, a GSG pistol, and ammunition were seized from McConnell’s residence after being located by agents with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole during a search of McConnell’s residence. Due to his prior felony conviction, McConnell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McConnell.
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.
Final defendant pleads guilty to wrap up prosecution of Middle Georgia methamphetamine-trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: With a final guilty plea to federal charges entered in U.S. District Court, all charges have been resolved against 30 defendants involved in a Laurens County methamphetamine-trafficking ring indicted just over a year ago.
Robert Anthony Justice, 38, of Chester, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Use of Communication Facility, related to using a cell phone to conduct illegal drug trafficking activity, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. With Justice’s plea, 25 of 30 indicted defendants in Operation Monroe Doctrine have pled guilty; four defendants entered Pre-Trial Diversion; and one defendant passed away.
“Operation Monroe Doctrine is a textbook example of a well-coordinated law enforcement operation to identify and shut down a major drug-trafficking conspiracy and alleviate the violent crime it spawned throughout the Dublin area,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It speaks volumes that every defendant admitted guilt without trial, and all of them are now being held accountable.”
The indictment of 30 defendants in USA v. Monroe et. al, dubbed Operation Monroe Doctrine, was handed down by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury in July 2021. The operation was the culmination of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that identified a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy throughout Laurens and Telfair counties and beyond, operating from at least January 2020 through January 2021.
As described in court documents and testimony, the defendants coordinated to import and distribute illegal drugs throughout the greater Dublin and Laurens County community. Key sentences in the operation include:
- David Alex Monroe, 32, of Dexter, Ga., the leader of the local drug trafficking organization, is serving 84 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Monroe forfeited a machine gun, an illegal short-barrel rifle, and two silencers seized during the investigation, and abandoned his interest in 54 additional firearms.
- Jorge Hernandez-Pena, 46, of Atlanta, the conspiracy’s source of supply, is serving 240 months in prison, followed by deportation, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- David Kates, 46, a Jamaican citizen who was incarcerated at Rogers State Prison, is serving 108 months in prison, followed by deportation, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Christopher Forbes, 31, of Dublin, is serving 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Forbes forfeited his interest in 21 firearms and two silencers seized during the investigation.
- Carl Davis, 48, of Jacksonville, Fla., is serving 88 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.
“Prior to the people of Laurens County electing me as sheriff, I promised I would work hard to eliminate the dangerous drug dealers from our community,” said Laurens County Sheriff Larry Dean. “I have and will continue to do so. My deputies will continue to work with other agencies on the local, state and federal level to ensure strong, swift convictions to the ones who choose to peddle dope here. My hat goes off to everyone who had a role in this case, from my staff all the way to the DEA and the U.S. Attorney's Office. I thank you all.”
“The insidious drug methamphetamine destroys families and communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to protect and serve those communities. This investigation was a success because of the collective effort between DEA, and its local, state and federal law enforcement counterparts.”
“There is no initiative more critical to ATF than increasing the safety of our communities. Cases which result in the arrests and prosecution of criminals are fundamental to continuing this initiative while simultaneously shows criminals that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not falter in this mission.” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “We will pursue criminals such as these wherever they may operate, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Harper III, Frank M. Pennington II, and Southern District of Georgia OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Federal Officials Close Review of the Death of Jamal SutherlandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it will not pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against two former Charleston, South Carolina, sheriff’s deputies for the tragic death of Jamal Sutherland. Sutherland died on Jan. 5, 2021, after deputies forcibly extracted him from his cell at the Charleston County Detention Center.
Officials from the Justice Department informed representatives of the Sutherland family of this determination.
Experienced federal prosecutors at the Justice Department reviewed evidence obtained by the FBI and state investigators to determine whether the force used against Sutherland violated any federal laws, focusing on the application of 18 U.S.C. § 242, a federal criminal civil rights statute that prohibits certain types of official misconduct. They conducted an analysis of the evidence, including reports, law enforcement accounts, witness statements, physical evidence reports, training materials, photographs and videos of the incident. They also reviewed the Charleston County Solicitor’s Office’s public report on Sutherland’s death, including the expert force and medical analyses referenced in that report, which laid out the reasons why the state declined to pursue criminal charges.
Under the applicable federal criminal civil rights laws, prosecutors must establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that an officer willfully deprived an individual of a constitutional right, meaning that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. This is the highest standard of intent imposed by the law. Neither accident, mistake, fear, negligence nor bad judgment is sufficient to establish a willful federal criminal civil rights violation. After this review, prosecutors determined that insufficient evidence exists to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that deputies willfully violated the federal criminal civil rights statutes. Accordingly, the review of this incident has been closed without a federal prosecution. This decision is limited strictly to an application of the high legal standard required to prosecute cases under federal civil rights laws; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the incident that led to Sutherland’s death.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the Civil Rights Division and the FBI are committed to investigating allegations of civil rights violations by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources required to ensure that allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated. The department will aggressively prosecute criminal civil rights violations whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Local Physician and LPN with Illegally Obtaining and Distributing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Dr. Jeffrey L. Evans, Jr., 65, of Mansfield, Louisiana, and Debra E. Craig, 66, of Converse, Louisiana, were each indicted by a federal grand jury in Shreveport today for illegally obtaining and distributing controlled substances, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Evans was a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of Louisiana with an office in Mansfield, and Craig was an LPN who worked in the medical clinic and was assigned to work with Evans. The indictment alleges that beginning on or about January 2, 2014 and continuing until on or about March 9, 2022, Evans and Craig conspired together and with other persons to obtain hydrocodone and Adderall, both Schedule II controlled substances, by fraud.
It is alleged in the indictment that Evans would write prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances to an unnamed person identified as “Individual 1” and to his co-defendant and LPN, Craig. The controlled substances prescribed included hydrocodone-acetaminophen tablets, hydrocodone-homatropine syrup, and Adderrall. According to the indictment, Individual 1 would fill the prescriptions at a Mansfield, Louisiana area pharmacy and then provide the Adderrall to Evans, who would split the controlled substance containing hydrocodone with Individual 1.
The indictment further alleges that Craig would fill the prescriptions at a Mansfield, Louisiana area pharmacy using the name “Debbie Craig.” Evans would provide cash to Craig to pay the pharmacy for the Schedule II controlled substances and after filling the prescriptions, Craig would in turn provide them to Evans.
It is alleged in nine counts in the indictment that Evans obtained controlled substances by fraud from December 2017 through August 2018. In addition, Evans and Craig are both charged with five counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraud between September 2020 and March 2022. Finally, the indictment alleges that Evans distributed controlled substances through prescriptions that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose between February 2018 and August 2018.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Evans faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, Craig faces a sentence of up to 4 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney.
# # #
Former Wayne County Employee Charged with Stealing over $1.7 Million in County FundsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A former Wayne County Roads Division employee was charged in an indictment today with conspiring to steal over $1.7 million in county funds, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Worthy and Ison were joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington, and Warren C. Evans, Wayne County Executive. Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans and his administration have been assisting and cooperating with the ongoing investigation since they first learned of fraudulent activity within their organization.
The indictment charges John L. Gibson, 54, of Detroit with one count of conspiring to embezzle county funds and three counts stealing county funds. Together, Gibson and his supervisor, Kevin Gunn, 64, of West Bloomfield, defrauded Wayne County out of nearly $2 million in taxpayer funds. Gunn, Gibson, and others were engaged in a scheme to use taxpayer dollars to make unauthorized purchases of generators and other power equipment from retailers in southeast Michigan which they then sold for personal profit. Last week, the government filed an information charging Gunn for his involvement in the criminal activity.
In March of 2021, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation into the misuse of taxpayer dollars. The Sheriff’s Department then solicited the assistance of the FBI to investigate the criminal actions of Gunn, Gibson, other employees of the Wayne County Roads Division, and vendors to Wayne County. At the beginning of the investigation, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office secured a search warrant which exposed Gunn’s role in the embezzlement scheme. Subsequent investigation by FBI revealed Gibson’s involvement in the conspiracy. Investigators with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office have played an ongoing and important role in the investigation.
As part of the scheme to defraud, between January 2019, and August 2021, Gunn and Gibson solicited approved Wayne County vendors to purchase generators and other power equipment from local retailers on behalf of Wayne County. The vendors would then submit invoices for these items to Wayne County. In order to conceal the scheme to defraud, Gunn instructed the vendors to falsify the invoices they submitted to the Roads Division, and list items the vendors were authorized to sell to the county under their contracts, rather than the generators and power equipment they were unlawfully acquiring at Gunn’s and Gibson’s request. Roads Division employees would then approve and pay each vendor’s invoice with taxpayer funds. After these fraudulent purchases were verified and approved by Roads Division employees, Gibson took possession of the equipment, paid Gunn for the items, and resold the generators and other items for personal profit.
A review of invoices from Wayne County vendors revealed that between January 16, 2019, and August 3, 2021, Wayne County vendors purchased 596 generators, and a variety of other power equipment including lawnmowers, chainsaws, and backpack blowers. The purchase of these items was not authorized under any vendor contract with Wayne County nor were the items ever provided to or used by Wayne County. The total value of equipment purchased as part of the scheme was approximately $1.7 million in taxpayer funds. Gibson and Gunn were arrested in May by FBI agents, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Investigators, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies.
Conspiracy to commit federal program theft carries a maximum sentence of up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Each count of embezzlement of county funds carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
“We must be ever vigilant about rooting out corruption wherever we find it. Especially when it lands close to home. CEO Warren Evans, my detectives and I share a vision of a corruption free Wayne County,” said Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
United States Attorney Dawn Ison said, “Today’s indictment demonstrates the ability of our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to work together to seek justice for the citizens of the Eastern District of Michigan. We thank Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans for their unwavering efforts to eradicate corrupt public officials who steal from hardworking taxpayers and elevate their own greed over the best interests of the public.”
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said, “Criminal behavior will not be tolerated in Wayne County government. Betraying the trust of Wayne County citizens as an employee will result in the harshest penalties. I’ve remained committed to seeking justice at the highest level which includes long-term prison sentences and financial restitution to the citizens of Wayne County. Our citizens deserve and expect better.”
The alleged actions of this individual is nothing short of disgraceful,” said Sheriff Raphael Washington. “To brazenly steal from hardworking taxpayers and fraudulently line his own pockets while holding positions of public trust make these crimes all the more deplorable. Today’s indictment is another example of our strong commitment to working together.”
“Public officials should be trusted to use taxpayer money for its intended purpose and not for their personal gain,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I commend the Wayne County Prosecutor, Wayne County Executive, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s office for their early work on this investigation and for their ongoing collaboration and commitment to holding Mr. Gibson and his co-conspirators accountable for their federal crimes.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, and the Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Michigan Attorney General's Office, Detroit Police Department, Customs & Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Eleven people arrested in Washington and California in connection with cartel connected drug trafficking schemesRead the Press Release
Seattle – Three significant drug trafficking groups responsible for trafficking more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills are facing federal charges tonight, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Two indictments charging a total of eleven defendants were unsealed late yesterday following law enforcement activity in two states. Six additional defendants were indicted and arrested in September. Despite the arrests tied to a wire-tap investigation, the traffickers named in the most recent indictments continued their trafficking activities.
“These individuals were bringing large loads of meth, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from Mexico across the border and up I-5 to the Pacific Northwest,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “Even when an RV loaded with drugs was pulled off the highway and seized by law enforcement, they weren’t deterred. The wiretap revealed various organizations continued to recruit drivers and vehicles to transport their drugs throughout our District.”
“Dangerous people are filling our streets with guns and drugs – and people are dying,” said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Z. Diaz. “The entire SPD, including its officers and investigators, have made getting firearms and illegal narcotics off our streets a top priority. We know this months-long investigation, arrests, and seizures will result in lives saved. With more than 350,000 fentanyl pills taken by SPD’s narcotics unit alone this year and shootings in Seattle up 29% in 2022, we thank our local and federal partners for their help in prioritizing this life-saving work.”
Even before yesterday’s search of 14 locations in Washington and California, the drug, gun, and cash totals seized by law enforcement were significant: 1,016 pounds of meth; 9 kilos of fentanyl powder and 330,000 fentanyl pills; 25 kilos of cocaine; and 15.5 kilos of heroin. Law enforcement seized 43 guns and more than $1 million in cash.
Drug dog with seizure“This operation would be considered a success purely by the volume of illegal drugs taken off the streets” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “When we consider a drug trafficking organization was dismantled and the number of illegal firearms recovered through our federal and local partnerships, the positive impact to the Puget Sound region will be immediately felt.”
“The amount of dangerous narcotics seized during this investigation is staggering,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “Just looking at the fentanyl seized, since four out of 10 fake pills contain a lethal dose, that was enough to kill 132,000 people. This investigation shows our state, local and federal partnerships are needed so we can keep our communities safe, healthy, and free from these dangerous narcotics.”
Those named in the indictments unsealed yesterday include:
- Jose Paleo, 29, of La Mirada, California
- Octavio Guzman, 24, of Huntington Park, California
- Glauco Guardado Rodriguez, 25, of Seattle
- Araceli Salas, 30, of Maywood, California
- Maria Rangel Aguilar, 44, of Huntington Park, California
- Miguel Thomas, 33, of Tukwila, Washington
- Tad Fulton, 48, of Seattle
- Ryan Holmquist, 34, of Issaquah, Washington
- Timothy Hursh, 38, of SeaTac, Washington
- Ryan Terry, 44, of Duval, Washington
- Abel Cruz, 32, of Des Moines, Washington
Six defendants were arrested earlier this year on a September 21, 2022, indictment:
- Agustin Gutierrez Valencia, 32, of Kent, Washington
- Daniel Vazquez Arroyo, 32, of Kent, Washington
- Rosalio Reynoso Arellano, 51, of Los Angeles
- Ernesto Casillas, 46, of Los Angeles
- Benigno Hernandez aka Ivan Santos Arellano, 32, of Kent, Washington
- Jesus Toledo Pardo, 56, of SeaTac, Washington
Two additional defendants were arrested on criminal complaints yesterday:
- Luis Valenzuela-Haro, 32, of Seattle
- Michael Kinzel, 37, of Renton, Washington
As for totals from the searches yesterday, law enforcement seized more than two kilos of fentanyl, 4.5 kilos of heroin, ten pounds of methamphetamine and 67 firearms. Also taken by law enforcement: high-capacity rifle magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition, two sets of body armor, one ballistic shield.
Guns SeizedThe defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Because of the amount of drugs involved, many face a mandatory minimum ten years in prison. One defendant is charged with carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, which leads to an enhanced sentence. One group of defendants is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigations were led by the FBI field offices in Seattle and Los Angeles, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Seattle Police Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and Homeland Security Investigations, both the LA and Seattle offices.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti, Lyndsie Schmalz, and Marci Ellsworth.
Drug “Take Back Day” to Take Place Saturday, October 29 in the Eastern District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane – United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Vanessa Waldref announced that Saturday, October 29, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This marks the 23rd bi-annual event in the eleven-year history of the Drug Take Back initiative. Drug Take Back Day gives the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will be partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Spokane Police Department, and other community partners at Northtown Mall, 4750 North Division, located in the northwest corner of Division Street and Queen Avenue in Spokane.
At its last Take Back Day in April 2022, the DEA collected more than 720,000 pounds of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications. Over the 11-year span, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has brought in more than 15.9 million pounds of prescription drugs. With studies indicating a majority of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets, clearing out unused medicine is essential. Of those numbers, Washington State collected prescription drugs at approximately 117 collections sites operated by the DEA and its state and local law enforcement partners.
“I am committed to reducing tragic drug overdose deaths. By participating in events like Prescription Drug Take Back Day, federal, state, local, and tribal community leaders can help remove expired narcotics from our communities, prevent medication misuse, and make Eastern Washington safer and stronger,” U.S. Attorney Waldref stated. “Drug take back events are one way our community can positively impact the opioid crisis and protect loved ones. Prescription drug misuse and overdose deaths do not discriminate – they can impact individuals of any age, race, gender or demographic.”
“The DEA is committed to making our communities safer and healthier by driving down overdose deaths and poisonings through targeted enforcement and community-based initiatives like DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “For over a decade, National Take Back Day has encouraged the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a first step in preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting. This year there are 76 collection sites in Washington, 26 of them are in Eastern Washington.”
“Everyday our community sees the fallout from drug addiction. Many Spokanites have lost loved ones to overdose deaths, and these numbers are only increasing,” Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl stated. “In 2021, the Spokane County Medical Examiner reported an astonishing 285% increase in overdose deaths compared to 2020 in our county. Drug Take Back Day is one of many approaches we are taking to limit exposure of our loved ones and friends to drugs that may be easily accessible or are no longer needed.”
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day. The FDA provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. To find out where year-round disposal sites are located, go to https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.
For more information about Annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day, go to www.DEATakeBack.com
Driver Convicted of Striking Motorcyclist at over 100 MPH, Resulting in AmputationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted an Alexandria man today on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, reckless driving, and speeding.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 8, 2022, Menyelek M. Maynard, 26, was driving his white Toyota Camry on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, at over 100 miles per hour, in an area with a posted speed limit of 45 miles an hour. Maynard struck 20-year-old victim J.V.’s motorcycle from behind, sending J.V. flying more than 30 feet through the air. Maynard rolled his own vehicle multiple times, narrowly missing pedestrians in the Parkway’s footpath before coming to rest upside down in the Potomac River. Because of Maynard’s actions, J.V. lost his left leg below the knee, had to have steel rods inserted in both arms and his back, and lost feeling in his left arm and left side. J.V.’s life was saved by motorists who stopped to help him and the rapid response of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Maynard faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on January 24, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Stock, Acting Chief of U.S. Park Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the verdict.
Special thanks to the Fairfax County Police Department for their assistance in this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Pungello and Molly Picard and Assistant U.S. Attorneys April N. Russo and Nicholas J. Patterson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-136.
Don’t be Silent on Environmental Violations. Make your Voices Heard.Read the Press Release
In South Florida, we are blessed to live in an amazing environment full of natural beauty and the weather to enjoy it year-round. This combination makes South Florida one of the premiere areas of our country within which to live, work, and raise our families. Ensuring our parks, natural resources, and surroundings are preserved for future generations requires our continued attention. We must act as a community to protect our aquatic assets, agricultural lands, and public spaces to maintain the quality of life that has drawn so many to our communities. That is why each one of us should look out for environmental violations and report them promptly. Notifying our law enforcement partners and my Office helps us protect our communities from harmful violations of federal health and safety laws. It also ensures everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and has equal access to a healthy environment.
Who to contact:
- If the violation impacts air quality, climate change, chemicals, health, water, land, waste, and cleanup, report the violation to the Environmental Protection Agency at https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.
- Workplace conditions such as chemicals or noxious fumes? Contact Occupational Safety and Health Administration at (800) 321-6742.
- Harm to wildlife by pesticides? Dial (800) 344-9453 for U.S. Fish & Wildlife.
- Illegal harming/harassing wildlife? Call U.S. Fish & Wildlife at (305) 526-2620.
- Wetland destruction? Contact U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at (800) 832-7828.
- If the violation concerns medications and other products for human consumption, contact Food & Drug Administration at (888) 463-6332.
- Contact the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802 to report an oil or chemical spill.
Residents encouraged to also contact the USAO at (305) 961-9001 or by email at [email protected] when contacting local, state, or federal agency hotlines or websites to report concerns.
As Floridians, we know what makes this area special. Let’s do what we can to keep it that way. Let your voices be heard.
Dickinson resident sentenced for having hundreds of child pornography filesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Dickinson man has been handed a significant sentence for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Richard Blake Howard pleaded guilty Feb. 16.
Today, U.S. District Judge Brown sentenced him to 174 and 120 months for the receipt and possession of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 174-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that Howard was not deterred even after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in March 2019, seized his electronic devices and arrested him on an unrelated state warrant. The court then heard how Howard continued to receive, distribute and view child pornography using his Xbox until law enforcement executed a second search warrant in February 2021. The court also heard how Howard had a collection of children’s panties that he would steal from when he babysat young children. The court heard how Howard morphed images to create his own child pornography and took candid photos of women’s buttocks.
Howard will further be ordered to pay restitution to the victims in an amount to be determined later and will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Howard will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In December 2018, authorities began an investigation after receiving a cyber tip from a cloud storage company. They determined Howard’s location based on the IP address he used to receive and distribute child pornography to several storage accounts.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence and seized laptop computers and cell phones. A search of his electronic devices revealed he received and distributed child pornography via his cloud storage accounts. Further investigation showed he received images from a particular website that is known by authorities to be a platform for child pornography.
Howard possessed approximately 973 images of prepubescent minors, bondage and bestiality involving minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He also had 1,203 videos with some over five minutes in length.
Howard has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Galveston and members of the Houston Metro Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly A. Leo prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man, Colique Depree Brown, age 28, was sentenced to 60 months in prison on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Following his imprisonment, Brown was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
At approximately 4:00 a.m. on September 19, 2021, law enforcement observed two vehicles racing in Davenport. When a trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle in which Brown was a passenger, the vehicle fled into Bettendorf, eventually crashing in a residential neighborhood. Brown was one of four occupants in the vehicle and fled on foot carrying a t-shirt. Brown ignored law enforcement’s directives, requiring an officer to tase him. As he was tased, the t-shirt flew out of his hands and landed in a nearby yard. After officers transported Brown to the Scott County Jail, he made a phone call in which he requested someone return to crash site and retrieve the handgun and to do so “before the sun come[s] up.” At approximately 6:30 a.m., a homeowner reported finding cocaine in their yard, which another occupant of the vehicle had discarded. When officers retrieved the cocaine, they also found a handgun near where Brown had been tased. The handgun had been reported stolen. Review of surveillance video showed the t-shirt land on the ground and an object bounce out of it. Brown pleaded guilty on May 2, 2022.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bettendorf Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol investigated the case.
Danville Woman Sentenced for Embezzling More Than $66,000 from Saint Anselm CollegeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Renee Crawford, 35, of Danville was sentenced to 2 years of probation with six months of home confinement and ordered to pay full restitution for embezzling $66,114.02 from Saint Anselm College, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Crawford was employed as the Assistant Vice President of Finance for the College. In her role, Crawford had authority to manage invoice approvals, enter vendor information, and had oversight of the Finance Office’s credit card program.
Crawford used her access to submit fraudulent invoices for a company that she created, receiving more than $44,000 from the College which she used for personal purchases. In addition, Crawford used two College issued credit cards to make personal purchases, such as family vacations and theme park tickets, totaling nearly $22,000.
According to statements made in court, Crawford is making full restitution to Saint Anselm College today.
“As the Assistant Vice President of Finance for St. Anselm College, Renee Crawford went to great lengths to submit phony receipts for thousands of dollars in personal purchases, including family vacations and theme park tickets,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Defrauding her employer not only exhibited poor judgement, but it is a federal crime for which she has now been held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Goffstown Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy
###
District Election Officer Appointed for the November 2022 General ElectionRead the Press Release
Virgin Islands - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. Huston has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of the Virgin Islands and, in that capacity, is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. U.S. Attorney Smith said, "Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff members must be able to serve without being subjected to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process."
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers and election fraud and will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice when the voters need assistance because of a disability or inability to read or write in English.
"The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Huston can be reaced at (340) 713-4878 while the polls are open", U.S. Attorney Smith said. Additionally, the FBI will have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. On St. Thomas FBI special agents can be reached at (340) 777-3363, and on St. Croix at (340) 712-3400. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by phone at (800) 253-3931, or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
U.S. Attorney Smith said, "Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice." Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidatin, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdicion over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day October 29Read the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona joins the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 29. The biannual event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at sites across Alabama.
For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has provided an easy, no-cost opportunity to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to misuse and theft.
Opioid misuse remains at epidemic levels in the United States. According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend.
“The national opioid epidemic devastates families every day,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We can help protect our loved ones by properly disposing of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs in our possession. It’s free, easy, and anonymous.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, “Drug poisoning deaths continue to climb at record rates. Sadly, the majority of the misuse and addiction starts with prescription drugs found in home medicine cabinets. DEA’s Take-Back event provides citizens a convenient and safe way to rid their homes of unneeded medications, protecting the health and safety of our communities. I urge you to do your part to keep prescription drugs off the streets and help spread awareness in your community.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, approximately 107,622 people died as the result of a drug poisoning last year. This means that someone in the United States is dying of a drug poisoning every five minutes.
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. The event will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.
A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to 15,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses prescription disposal locations. In addition, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.
DEA Gears up for National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 23rd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.
For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has provided an easy, no-cost opportunity to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to misuse and theft.
Opioid misuse remains at epidemic levels in the United States. According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend.
“I encourage everyone across the country to dispose of unneeded medications to help keep our communities safe and healthy,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The Take Back campaign is part of DEA’s continued efforts to combat the drug poisoning epidemic and protect the safety and health of communities across the United States.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, “Drug poisoning deaths continue to climb at record rates. Sadly, the majority of the misuse and addiction starts with prescription drugs found in home medicine cabinets. DEA’s Take-Back event provides citizens a convenient and safe way to rid their homes of unneeded medications, protecting the health and safety of our communities. I urge you to do your part to keep prescription drugs off the streets and help spread awareness in your community.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, approximately 107,622 people died as the result of a drug poisoning last year. This means that someone in the United States is dying of a drug poisoning every five minutes.
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. The event will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.
DEA Gears up for National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
Event Aims to prevent addiction and reduce poisoning death
Memphis, TN –The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 23rd National Prescription Drug Take
Back Day on Saturday, October 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop- off locations nationwide. One of these locations is the Kroger store in Bartlett, Tennessee, at 7615 Highway 70. United States Attorney
Kevin Ritz will participate in Drug Take Back Day at location with law enforcement partners, beginning at 10:00 a.m.For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has provided an easy, no-cost opportunity to dispose of medicines stored in the home that are susceptible to misuse and theft.
Opioid misuse remains at epidemic levels in the United States. According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend.
“I encourage everyone across the country to dispose of unneeded medications to help keep our communities safe and healthy,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The Take Back campaign is part of DEA’s continued efforts to combat the drug poisoning epidemic and protect the safety and health of communities across the United States.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, approximately
107,622 people died as the result of a drug poisoning last year. This means that someone in the
United States is dying of a drug poisoning every five minutes.On Saturday, October 29, 2022, DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes,
sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. The event will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.
A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to 15,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses prescription disposal locations. In addition, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.
# # #Contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Cusick Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Antoinne James Holmes, age 23, of Cusick, Washington, to 168 months in federal prison after Holmes had pleaded guilty on April 7, 2022 to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. Holmes’ sentence will run concurrently with a 151 month sentence imposed for related conduct in Idaho. Holmes was also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison time and to pay restitution.
According to court documents, Holmes, along with a co-defendant, was a distributor of fentanyl laced pills in both Eastern Washington and Idaho. On both May 14, 2020 and November 16, 2020, Holmes was contacted by law enforcement in Eastern Washington and found to be in possession of fentanyl laced pills and firearms. Holmes’ fentanyl trafficking directly impacted many lives in Eastern Washington and Idaho. On August 28, 2020, Holmes distributed fentanyl to a sixteen-year-old in Bonner County, Idaho, who subsequently died of a fentanyl overdose. Holmes was prosecuted for that distribution in the District of Idaho and sentenced to a concurrent 151 months’ imprisonment. On November 16, 2020, Holmes and his co-defendant used fentanyl in the presence of a five-month-old baby. The child overdosed on fentanyl but survived. Holmes was also identified as a fentanyl distributor to a Newport, Washington man, who subsequently died of a fentanyl overdose.
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref, who is the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the Eastern District of Washington, stated, “Our hearts go out to every person and family affected by this terrible drug. As a result of Mr. Holmes’ involvement in distributing fentanyl, a family is morning the loss of their sixteen-year-old child. This significant sentence reflects how Mr. Holmes was caught with fentanyl not once, but twice, and put other children at risk. I am grateful for the joint efforts of our law enforcement partners, who work every day to keep Eastern Washington safe and strong by removing this poison from our communities.”
“Unfortunately, this is another tragic example that One Pill Can Kill,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “We will continue to work with all our state, local, and federal partners to hold accountable individuals like Mr. Holmes and ensure we keep our communities safe and healthy.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office, the Newport Police Department, the Sandpoint Police Department, and the Idaho State Police. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Criminal Division Announces First Arrest and Charges by the New England Prescription Opioid Strike ForceRead the Press Release
A Maine doctor was arrested today in Kennebunk on criminal charges related to her alleged illegal distribution of opioids and other controlled substances.
According to court documents, Merideth C. Norris, D.O., 52, of Kennebunk, allegedly prescribed opioids, and other controlled substances, outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Due to her dangerous prescribing, as a condition of her release, Norris cannot prescribe any Schedule II-V controlled substances.
Norris is charged in an indictment with 10 counts of illegal distribution of opioids and other controlled substances. The defendant made her initial court appearance on Oct. 26. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Administrator Anne Milgram of the DEA; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI Boston Field Office made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG, DEA, and FBI are investigating the case.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Kilby Macfadden and Trial Attorneys Patrick Queenan and Thomas Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force operates as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts of the Criminal Division, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents and investigators with HHS-OIG, DEA, FBI, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances.
Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis, please call or text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs 802-651-1550. All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Couple Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Steal Government PropertyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Irvis Jorge, age 44, and Pamela Febo, age 38, of Keansburg, New Jersey, each pled guilty today to conspiring to steal government property. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Anthony J. Annucci, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS); and New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) Commissioner Roberta Reardon.
The defendants admitted to a conspiracy in which they agreed to, and did, submit a fraudulent unemployment insurance claim to NYSDOL using Jorge’s personal identifying information, at a time when Jorge was an inmate in DOCCS custody. Febo submitted the application at Jorge’s direction in October 2020 and continued to re-certify Jorge’s benefits eligibility each week for approximately four months. Each weekly certification indicated that Jorge was “able and available to start work immediately” even though Febo knew Jorge remained incarcerated and could not work. NYSDOL paid the defendants $27,348 based on the repeated false certifications.
The charge to which the defendants pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. Sentencing will take place before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Both defendants agreed to pay restitution for the full amount of funds stolen as well as forfeiture of the proceeds they still have.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the DOCCS Office of Special Investigations, and the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner.
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.
Convicted Felon Who Returned Fire After Being Shot at Sentenced to over Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a gun that he used to return fire at two others in broad daylight was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.
Timothy Postley, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 17, 2022 guilty plea to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon.
Evidence at multiple hearings in the case showed that, on June 6, 2021, three individuals exchanged gunfire at approximately 10:00 a.m. outside an apartment building in Cedar Rapids. Prior to the gunfire, Postley had fought physically with a second man. Following that fight, a relative of the second man opened fire at Postley with an automatic rifle and the second man fired at Postley with a handgun. Postley then temporarily fled, but returned with a handgun and shot back at the two.
Officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department responded to the scene. Postley had his girlfriend retrieve a bag from the nearby apartment building. The girlfriend tried to walk away from the scene with the bag. Officers attempted to stop her, but she ran. Officers caught up to her and found that she had thrown the bag under a nearby car. Officers found a handgun and marijuana in the bag. The serial number on the handgun had been obliterated.
This conviction is Postley’s second federal criminal conviction. He was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in 2005. He spent over a decade in federal prison because of that conviction.
Postley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Postley was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Postley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-34.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Tommarion Latrez Williams, 28, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on February 11, 2020, at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers with the Bolivar Police Department were dispatched to a disturbing the peace call at E.
Margin St. in Bolivar. After responding to the scene, one of the officers knocked on the front door while another officer walked to the back of the residence. The officer that went to the rear of the home heard people talking inside the residence and they appeared to be arguing.That officer then stepped off the porch and began walking toward the north side of the residence to speak with his fellow officers about what he had observed, when he heard someone open the back door. The officer pointed his Taser in that direction and observed a man, later identified as the defendant, Tommarion Latrez Williams, walk through the back door onto the porch with a gun aimed at him. The officer determined that it was too late to draw his firearm, so he deployed his Taser at
Williams, and Williams fired his gun directly at the officer. Fortunately, Williams did not hit the officer with his fired round.Officers were soon able to subdue Williams and placed him in custody. Williams' firearm was located next to a tree in the backyard. The gun, a Taurus Model PT-111 Millenium Pro, 9mm pistol, was reported stolen during an automobile burglary in Bolivar on August 16, 2016.
A check of Williams' criminal history revealed that he is a convicted felon. On May 8, 2013, Williams was previously convicted of aggravated burglary in Madison County, Tennessee, and he was convicted of the same offense in Hardeman County, Tennessee, on May 24, 2017. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Williams is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
An ATF agent conducted an analysis of Williams' firearm and determined that it was manufactured outside the state of Tennessee.
On April 7, 2022, Williams pled guilty to being a convicted felon-in-possession of a firearm in violation of federal law.
On October 19, 2022, United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Williams to 120 months' imprisonment -- the highest sentence allowed by law for this offense -- to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bolivar Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###Contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Clearfield Mail Carrier Received Meth and Marijuana for Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Amy Bortot, age 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and a quantity of marijuana before United States District Judge
Christy Criswell Wiegand. Bortot was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Bortot used her position as a United States mail carrier to receive parcels on behalf of Derek Hillebrand, the leader of the drug trafficking organization, that were shipped from California to the Western District of Pennsylvania. In total, Bortot received parcels containing approximately 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 80 kilograms of marijuana.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Bortot on Feb. 28, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
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.
Cambria County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Blandburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Kenneth Gillam, age 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine before United States District Judge
Christy Criswell Wiegand. Gillam was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Gillam was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 350 grams and 500 grams of methamphetamine from Derek Hillebrand as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users. Gillam also obtained a quantity of cocaine from Hillebrand that he unsuccessfully attempted to sell.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Gillam on March 6, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of forty years in prison, 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 offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
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.
Brackenridge Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Social SecurityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Brackenridge, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to 180 days of home detention and three years’ probation on her conviction of theft of government funds, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Tamara A. Rounce, age 50.
According to information presented to the court, Rounce, as a representative payee for her children, embezzled approximately $74,575.67 SSI benefits which were designated for the care of her three minor children who were living in foster care.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Social Security Administration - OIG for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rounce.
Barton Residence Searched and Woman Arrested on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Vermont resident Erika Desormeaux, 36, was arrested and held in federal custody following the search of her residence on Maple Hill Road in Barton, Vermont this morning. Desormeaux is charged in a criminal complaint alleging she conspired with two other individuals, Nathaniel Jamal “JJ” Jones and Jermaine R. “Bear” Douchette, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine and fentanyl, between August 28, 2022 and today. Jones and Douchette—both formerly of Springfield, Massachusetts—were not located during the search of the Barton residence, and warrants remain active for their arrest in this case. Desormeaux is scheduled to make her initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in the Burlington federal courthouse tomorrow.
According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, Desormeaux distributed controlled substances from her Barton residence and allowed other individuals to do the same—including Jones and Douchette, whom she regularly hosted at the residence. Investigators arranged the purchase of cocaine and fentanyl from the defendants on multiple occasions between August and October 2022, and most of those transactions occurred at Desormeaux’s residence. As alleged in the affidavit, witnesses described the conspirators’ possession and acquisition of firearms during the investigation, and Desormeaux herself purchased a firearm in June 2022 that she traded for fentanyl.
The charges in the criminal complaint against Desormeaux, Jones, and Douchette are accusations only, and they are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in further proceedings. If convicted of the crime of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, each defendant would face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force (NVDTF) and thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for planning and executing this morning’s search. NVDTF and ATF also collaborated with and received support from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, the Newport Police Department (NPD), and Homeland Security Investigations.
“This case involves not only the distribution of deadly substances but also the acquisition and transfer of firearms to the drug distributors,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest. “Our community is too familiar with the drug-fueled violence that has made its way into our cities and into smaller towns throughout Vermont. We will continue to investigate and charge the individuals who host drug dealers in their homes and straw purchase firearms for them.”
Orleans Sheriff Jennifer Harlow commented on the property and violent crime resulting from drug trafficking in Orleans County. “The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department is committed to working with our state and federal partners to combat drug and firearms trafficking,” she said. “Drug addiction and the often-violent drug dealers taking advantage of our community have a perilous impact on all of us. It is important for us to collaborate to fight dangerous drugs and to keep firearms out of the hands of those who would do harm with them.”
“We know that violence and drug trafficking are frequently associated with each other,” said Paul Massock, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “By working with our local, state, and federal partners in operations like the one today, ATF is one step closer toward reversing the devastating trends of overdoses and drug-related violence threatening Vermont. ATF will continue to work diligently alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that our communities are safe from drug and firearm trafficking, and the violent crime that often goes along with it.”
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Lasher. Natasha Sen, Esq. has been appointed to represent Desormeaux for her initial appearance. Counsel will be selected by or appointed for Jones and Douchette upon their arrests and initial appearances.
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
Attorney General Garland Announces Revised Justice Department News Media PolicyRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced significant revisions to the Justice Department’s regulations regarding obtaining information from, or records of, members of the news media.
The regulations, among other things, codify the policy announced by the Attorney General in his memorandum on July 19, 2021, pursuant to which seeking compulsory legal process for the purpose of obtaining information from, or records of, members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering is prohibited except under limited, specified circumstances.
“These regulations recognize the crucial role that a free and independent press plays in our democracy,” said Attorney General Garland. “Because freedom of the press requires that members of the news media have the freedom to investigate and report the news, the new regulations are intended to provide enhanced protection to members of the news media from certain law enforcement tools and actions that might unreasonably impair newsgathering.”
“This revised policy is the result of a rigorous, year-long review process informed by multiple perspectives,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The discussions and input received from internal and external stakeholders, including federal prosecutors and media representatives, were vital to shaping the final policy.”
The Attorney General’s memorandum announcing the revisions can be found here. The revised regulations can be found here.
Anchorage Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Stealing 22 GunsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison for stealing 22 firearms from an Anchorage gun store in 2019. In handing down the sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason noted this was a series of criminal acts that “put so many people at risk.”
According to court documents, Hans Mikaele Wells, aka “Mika,” 26, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to stealing 22 firearms from Granny’s Guns, a federally licensed firearms dealer located in Anchorage, on June 6, 2019, along with three co-conspirators.
Wells and the three co-conspirators drove a stolen Chevy Trailblazer to Wrightway Auto Carriers in Anchorage where they broke into the building and stole license plates, filing cabinets and a GMC Sierra pickup. Wells and a co-conspirator then got into another stolen vehicle, a Chevy Suburban and drove it through the front window of Granny’s Guns. The two other co-conspirators drove the stolen pickup alongside the broken window and loaded 22 firearms into the back of the truck and drove away. They later transferred the stolen firearms from the truck into a black GMC Denali and lit the stolen GMC Sierra pickup on fire in an effort to destroy evidence.
Later the same day, officers with the Anchorage Police Department tried to stop the GMC Denali and an associated gold pickup when multiple shots were fired from the gold pickup, occupied by Wells and a co-conspirator. On June 18, 2019, Wells and two others attempted to recover an impounded vehicle which contained one of the stolen firearms from the Granny’s Guns burglary. All four co-conspirators were indicted in October 2020 and subsequently arrested on the charges.
“Stolen firearms are a threat to the safety of all Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The blatant disregard for public safety and law enforcement both during and after this series of violent crimes by Wells and his co-conspirators show just how dangerous they are to our community. We will continue to work closely with local, state and federal law enforcement to fight violent crime and keep our communities safe from people who endanger our neighborhoods.”
“All of the involved defendants demonstrated a complete indifference to the safety of others through their actions in their violent crime spree,” stated Police Chief Michael Kerle. “From the theft of multiple vehicles, to firing shots in public, driving erratically on our streets, and stealing multiple firearms; it is imperative they are held accountable for their behavior. Wells’ sentencing is a big part of that. We are grateful for the efforts of all our law enforcement partners who were involved in seeing this case through.”
Co-conspirators in this case include:
- Muna Junior Rode, 23, pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from a licensed dealer and is awaiting sentencing.
- Gian Carlo Pangilinan, aka “G,” 26, pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from a licensed dealer and is awaiting sentencing.
- Kao Chiang Saelee, aka “Robbie,” 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed dealer and is awaiting sentencing.
The Anchorage Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Albany Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael P. Fish, age 27, of Albany, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for obstruction of justice.
The announcement was made by 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 June 27, 2022 guilty plea, Fish admitted that he submitted seven fraudulent character letters to United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in December 2019, in an effort to deceive the Court and obtain leniency during his sentencing in a now-concluded criminal case in which Fish was convicted of computer hacking, identity theft and child pornography crimes. Fish admitted that he doctored four letters, including one from a priest, and fabricated another three letters, including ones purportedly from his mother and grandparents.
In his underlying criminal case, Fish was sentenced to 111 months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his hacking of online social media accounts and theft of nude images of dozens of female victims, as well as possession of child pornography. Fish’s term of imprisonment for obstruction of justice will begin immediately after his prison sentence in the underlying case concludes.
This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Albany Felon Admits to Possessing Cocaine and Heroin for Distribution, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Rodney Matthews, age 49, of Albany, pled guilty today to possessing and intending to distribute cocaine and heroin, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department (APD).
As part of his plea, Matthews admitted to possessing 306 grams of cocaine and 95 grams of heroin at his apartment in Albany, as well as approximately $12,000, which represented the proceeds of his drug trafficking. Matthews, a previously convicted felon, further admitted to possessing a loaded, privately manufactured .357 caliber semi-automatic pistol (a/k/a a “ghost gun”) in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and proceeds. Matthews was initially arrested by APD officers after he was observed firing the pistol into a telephone pole outside of his residence.
Matthews faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life, when he is sentenced on February 22, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including APD. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
23 Individuals Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Prescription PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON –Twenty-three individuals in Massachusetts have been charged in connection with a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly manufactured and distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing narcotics.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances.
According to the charging documents, in 2018, law enforcement identified brothers Lawrence Michael Nagle and Christopher Nagle as leaders of a DTO distributing various controlled substances throughout the North Shore region of Massachusetts. It is alleged that the Nagle DTO distributed significant quantities of various controlled substances, including, Adderall (both pharmaceutical-grade pills and counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine), methamphetamine, Xanax, Oxycodone (both pharmaceutical-grade and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl), cocaine and marijuana, among others.
The Nagle DTO allegedly distributed controlled substances to a small network of individuals who would then redistribute the drugs to other traffickers, including separate, but interconnected, organizations headed by Nelson Mora, Javier Bello and Anthony Bryson. It is alleged that Mora, Bello and Bryson obtained their drug supply from other sources at times and that Mora and Bryson had access to pill press machines used to create counterfeit pills.
The investigation resulted in numerous seizures of controlled substances, including: over 74,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, weighing more than 24 kilograms; 591 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine; 1,000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl; and 101 counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.
During the execution of federal search warrants yesterday morning, investigators seized a pill press hidden under a sheet in a basement laundry room, plastic bags containing approximately three to four kilograms of suspected powdered fentanyl in various colors, various quantities of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine and various quantities of suspected counterfeit oxycodone containing fentanyl. Many of the suspected counterfeit pills were packaged for sale. A firearm and additional suspected counterfeit pills containing controlled substances were also seized from inside a furniture hide.
"Since taking office 10 months ago, we have worked tirelessly in collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to combat the deadly drug and opioid crisis poisoning our Commonwealth. Last year we lost over 2000 lives. Loved ones taken, stolen from us. And to be clear – counterfeit prescription pills being sold on the street are part of the problem. Swallowing a deadly drug can have the same fatal outcome as injecting one. These charges are an important step in slowing and ending the near constant stream of illegal drugs flowing into our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We allege the defendants participated in a large-scale drug ring that was prepared to distribute tens of thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine in addition to the counterfeit Adderall pills and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that they were actually distributing into neighborhoods on the North Shore. Disguised to look like your average prescriptions from the pharmacy, these pills contained deadly narcotics – including fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine, and methamphetamine, which also has been responsible for countless overdose deaths. As a result of this investigation, North Shore residents are safer now with more than 74,000 potentially deadly pills removed from their streets.”
“Massachusetts is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis as deaths from deadly fake pills soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those who are contributing to the crisis,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put other callous distributers behind bars.”
“The practice of disguising fentanyl and other dangerous drugs as prescription medication is especially nefarious for the dangers it poses to unsuspecting users and the new addictions it fuels. I commend the DEA, our Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Trafficking Reduction and Enforcement task force, and the multiple partner agencies for their superb work interdicting this drug organization. The neighborhoods of the North Shore are safer today for their efforts,” said Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and 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.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, DEA SAC Boyle, MSP Superintendent Colonel Mason, Melrose Police Chief Michael L. Lyle, Lowell Police Interim Superintendent Barry Golner and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Billerica, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold, Ann Taylor, and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering 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 documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Addendum
The following defendants have been charged:
- Lawrence Michael Nagle, a/k/a “Mikey,” 32, of Saugus;
- Christopher Nagle, a/k/a “Cuda,” 28, of Revere;
- Nelson Mora, a/k/a “Nellie,” 29, of Lynn;
- Javier Bello, a/k/a “Javi,” 27, of Beverly;
- Anthony Bryson, 33, of Billerica;
- Frantz Adolphe, 28, of Lynn;
- Raymond Kulakowski, 36, of Lynn;
- Soyanna Lages, 33, of Somerville;
- David Muise, a/k/a “Pinky,” 35, of Swampscott;
- David Delauri, 30, of Haverhill;
- Savannah Lee Bartone, 35, of Peabody;
- Lawrence M. Nagle Sr., a/k/a “Michael L. Nagle,” a/k/a “Tony Dias,” 54, of Lynn;
- Alexander Villar, 33 of Danvers;
- Kion Shepherd, a/k/a “Kilo,” 31, of Salem;
- Melvin Nieves, 23, of Lynn;
- Erick Solis Lopez, a/k/a “Wichy,” 24, of Salem;
- Christopher Tejeda, 21, of Lynn;
- Edward Ortiz, 32, of Swampscott;
- Justin Westmoreland, 24, of Saugus;
- Yaira Ramos-Rivera, 39, of Billerica;
- Jose Garcia, 45, of Roslindale;
- Anna Bryson, 59, of Saugus; and
- Chevon Dorce, 43, of Lynn.
22-Year-Old Man Charged for Assaulting a Customs and Border Protection Helicopter PilotRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. –On October 13, 2022, United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents arrested Hugo Alexander Garcia-Sales, 22, of Guatemala, for Assault on a Federal Officer With a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon and Improper Entry by an Alien.
The complaint alleges that on October 13, 2022, USBP agents responded to a remote area near Henrick’s Well after receiving reports of two suspected undocumented noncitizens. When agents arrived on the scene, the individuals ran, and a USBP helicopter was called in to assist in the search. While the pilot hovered above the ground, Garcia-Sales threw five softball-sized rocks at the helicopter. Although Garcia-Sales failed to hit the helicopter, one rock came within several feet of striking the aircraft, creating a severe risk of injury or death to the victim pilot. USBP agents arrested Garcia-Sales and confirmed he was a non-U.S. citizen without legal permission to enter or remain in the United States. The other individual evaded apprehension.
Assault on a Federal Officer carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Improper Entry by an Alien carries a maximum penalty of six months in federal prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: MJ-22-07776-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-191_Garcia-Sales# # #
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.
25 October 2022
Youngstown Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN – Raphael Ortiz, 40, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, to more than 13 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after Ortiz pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in January 2021, law enforcement officers with the FBI, Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force (MVVCTF) and the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force (MVLETF) executed a search warrant at the Ortiz’s Youngstown-area residence. During the execution of the warrant, investigators obtained a semi-automatic pistol and approximately $26,000 in cash.
That same day, authorities executed a second and third search warrant at two additional residences known to be used for the distribution and storage of narcotics by Ortiz. During the execution of these search warrants, authorities discovered approximately 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl, two semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun and two semi-automatic rifles.
Ortiz is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2008 conviction for drug trafficking and 2004 convictions for possession of heroin and assault on a peace officer.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI and Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.
York County Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicole Botterbusch, age 32, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 60 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on July 2, 2020, Botterbusch was stopped in a vehicle in York County, with over 400 grams of methamphetamine. She was in the car with her codefendant, Jeremy Michael Kohler.
Both Kohler and Botterbusch previously entered guilty pleas to drug trafficking. Kohler was previously sentenced by Judge Wilson to 130 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio 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.
# # #
Williamsburg Wellness Center Owner Sentenced for $2M Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. –A Williamsburg wellness center owner was sentenced today to 7 years in prison for defrauding Virginia Medicaid and other health care programs out of over $2 million.
According to court documents, Maria Kokolis, 48, of Williamsburg, owned and operated Pamisage, Inc., a center for integrative behavioral health and medicine, with a focus on weight management issues. Beginning in or about 2018, and continuing through February 2020, Kokolis executed a scheme to defraud and overbill various health care benefit programs and the Virginia Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid). She did so by charging 45 minutes to an hour of face-to-face psychotherapy services for noncomparable services, like sending messages through the company’s smartphone app or monitoring a client’s data. Kokolis billed these psychotherapy services for times when she was out of the country on vacation and when the clients were out of state or sick in the hospital. Kokolis also billed for months of services for people who met her one time and then never enrolled in the program. The fraudulent billing became so extensive that on 332 separate occasions, Kokolis billed for services that exceeded 24 hours in a single day.
Kokolis used the names, Medicaid ID numbers, and other identifying information of her clients in submitting these false claims to the health care benefit programs. Kokolis received a total of at least $2,202,627.77 in fraudulent health care benefit program reimbursements, a portion of which came from the U.S. government.
In a separate fraud scheme, in June 2020, Kokolis applied for a Payment Protection Program (PPP) loan falsely certifying that her monthly payroll was $25,000 and she had 6 employees, when she had only one employee and her monthly payroll was not $25,000. As a result of the false application, Kokolis received a PPP loan in the amount of $54,112.50, to which she was not entitled.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright-Allen
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph L. Kosky and Clare P. Wuerker prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-55.