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17 October 2022
Arizona Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Tymane D. Hamilton (30, Phoenix, Arizona) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Hamilton had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2022.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Hamilton was involved in a drug conspiracy with accomplices in Lake County, Florida, that imported more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 50 kilograms of cocaine, over 1 kilogram of heroin, and over 50 kilograms of marijuana that were distributed in central Florida. Between 2018 and 2019, Hamilton agreed with others to ship 49 parcels containing illegal narcotics to Florida from source states, including Arizona and California. Once they arrived, the drugs were distributed to other dealers in the Middle District of Florida. Hamilton was responsible for acquiring the drugs and packaging them in parcels. On at least two occasions, he also personally shipped packages from California containing several kilograms of methamphetamine and marijuana.
In addition to Hamilton, three other conspirators have pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Dalton as follows:
Defendant (Age, Residence)
Pleaded Guilty:
Sentenced:
Term of Imprisonment:
Devonne L. Walker (36, Lady Lake, FL)
7/28/21
11/16/21
25 years
Chauncy Stackhouse (30, Leesburg, FL)
3/25/21
5/16/22
8 years
Kanisha D. Savage (29, Phoenix, AZ)
11/10/21
4/19/22
5 years, 10 months
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, with support from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
Anchorage Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
According to court documents, Timothy Swensen, Jr., 30, sent sexually explicit text messages, including a series of images depicting his ongoing sexual abuse of a female toddler, to a vulnerable young adult whom he had previously sexually assaulted. During the interview with detectives, the adult victim shared the texts and images. Following an investigation, Swensen was arrested by the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force in May 2021. Swensen was previously convicted of sexual assault in the second degree by the State of Alaska in 2011.
“Swensen is a predatory danger to society who will now spend 45 years behind bars for actively and directly exploiting some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Although nothing can erase the indescribable trauma inflicted on the victims and their families, we hope this sentence will bring some accountability for his actions. It is also a signal to others that we will use all means at our disposal to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit and harm children.”
“This sentence reflects the severity and depravity of the defendant’s crimes, which have no place in our society,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Protecting the most vulnerable, and removing child predators from our community, will always be a priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners.”
As part of the sentence, Swensen was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution and will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
The FBI and APD, as part of the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force, conducted the investigation leading to Swensen’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Airline Mechanics Sentenced for Conspiracy to Purchase Private Jet to Transport Cocaine InternationallyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Jesus Enriquez Pimentel (41, Mexico) to five years and six months in prison and Tomas Borjas Mendez (38, Texas) to four years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine internationally. Pimentel and Mendez had pleaded guilty on June 28, 2022, and July 5, 2022, respectively.
According to information revealed during the sentencing hearings, on May 28 and December 8, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) used an undercover agent (UC) and a confidential source (CS) to negotiate with Pimentel and Mendez to purchase a private passenger jet for users in Mexico. During recorded conversations, Pimentel and Mendez told the UC and the CS that they needed to purchase the airplane in order to transport approximately 2,500 kilograms of cocaine. They explained that they would only be able to use the airplane once or twice. Then, the buyers would destroy the plane by intentionally crashing it in a jungle or the ocean. Pimentel and Mendez also attempted to bribe an individual, who they thought was an airport customs official, in order to allow cash and drugs to pass through the airport. The airport customs official was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
To conclude the purchase of the airplane, Pimentel and Mendez traveled around the Southeastern United States over a one-month period and gathered more than $600,000 in cash and provided it to the undercover law enforcement officers. Shortly after providing the final payment for the airplane Pimentel and Mendez were interviewed and arrested.
“These criminals sought to exploit their abilities as mechanics by acquiring an aircraft to figuratively fly under the radar and smuggle drugs intercontinentally, as well as move physical cash globally,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “The sentencings of these individuals demonstrate HSI’s commitment to stand on the frontlines fighting to disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics into our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
54-Year-Old Tucson Man Sentenced to 18 Months Plus Fined $5000 for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Donald Douglas Scarlett, III, 54, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on October 3, 2022, by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 18 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. In addition to his prison sentence, the government argued for, and the court ordered, Scarlett to pay a fine of $5000. Scarlett previously pleaded guilty in May 2022 to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit.
On March 19, 2022, United States Border Patrol agents observed Scarlett making U-turns and otherwise driving erratically while traveling near the Arizona-Mexico border and proceeded to conduct an immigration stop. During the stop, agents discovered six undocumented noncitizens from Mexico inside Scarlett’s vehicle.
Custom and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, Sonoita Station conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-741-TUC-CKJ-MSA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-181_Scarlett# # #
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.
15 October 2022
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on October 11, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Jordan Traversie, 32, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Traversie was indicted for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on June 24, 2022.
Traversie was previously convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. As a result of this conviction, Traversie is required to register his address in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Traversie was living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and failed to properly register his address as required.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Traversie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Adrian Fast Dog, age 42, was indicted in August of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on October 14, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about between June 21, 2022, and July 26, 2022, in the District of South Dakota, Adrian Fast Dog, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under federal law, knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Fast Dog is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Fast Dog was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
14 October 2022
York County Woman Sentenced for Fraud Related to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance BenefitsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tami Mateljan, age 47, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 11, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to two years of probation for conspiring to commit wire fraud. Mateljan was also ordered to pay $8,427 in restitution.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mateljan previously admitted that between October 2020 and December 2020, conspirators obtained pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits from Colorado and Ohio by using the names and personal information of other individuals without authorization. The states transferred the fraudulently obtained PUA benefits to accounts owned by Mateljan. She then used some of the money for her own benefit and transferred the remaining money to conspirators in other countries, including Nigeria.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about 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.
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Worcester Man Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Kevin Jean, 31, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 30, 2022, Jean and co-defendants Junior Melendez and Juan Rodriguez were convicted by a federal jury of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.
From March 2019 through early June 2019, intercepted communications revealed that Jean, Melendez and Rodriguez conspired with Angel Cordova, Antoine Mack, Carlos Richards and others to buy and sell multiple kilograms of cocaine. Melendez and Rodriguez purchased powder cocaine from Cordova, cooked a portion of that powder cocaine into cocaine base (crack cocaine), and then allegedly distributed the cocaine – using Jean and Mack as their runners – to their primary buyer, Richards in Manchester, N.H.
On Oct. 3, 2022, Rodriguez was sentenced to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2020, Mack was sentenced to 54 months in prison. Cordova is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2022. Melendez is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29, 2022. Richards remains a fugitive.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Massachusetts State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Worcester County Sheriff’s Office; Shrewsbury Police Department; Athol Police Department; Winchendon Police Department and the Pawtucket, R.I. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm, Chief of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Winston-Salem Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Israel Ramos Ponce, 24, of Winston Salem was sentenced to yesterday 151 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. On May 18, Ponce pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston-Salem Police Department received information that Ponce was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization in 2018. The organization operated in Winston-Salem, and it distributed significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine to the Goldsboro area. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Ponce was a courier who assisted co-defendant Kelvin Vincente Noyola, a/k/a “Tripp,” in the distribution of significant quantities of methamphetamine to customers of the organization. Over the course of the conspiracy, Ponce was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 933.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
Co-defendant, Kelvin Vicente Noyola, a/k/a “Tripp,” was also charged and convicted in this investigation. Noyola pled guilty on July 25, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, aiding and abetting. Noyola’s sentencing is pending.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston-Salem Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:22-CR-00010-D.
Wake County Man Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake County man was sentenced yesterday to 210 months imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release for transporting and possessing child pornography. Spencer Charles Thomas Crocker, 23, of Cary, North Carolina pleaded guilty on February 16, 2022 to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received twelve Cyber Tips regarding the uploading of child pornography to Google accounts. The IP address was being leased to Crocker’s father with an associated address in Cary. Other information included with the Cyber Tips led law enforcement to believe the person uploading the child sexual abuse material was Crocker.
Law enforcement received a search warrant for the Google account associated with the Cyber Tips. Within the Google account, they found more than 2,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. They identified the account belonged to Crocker by photos of himself and various receipts for online purchases with his information included within that account.
Based on evidence from the Google account, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Crocker’s residence. Crocker was present when the search warrant was executed and admitted he was intentionally seeking out child pornography on the dark web. Law enforcement learned Crocker had Mega, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive accounts and executed search warrants for content of all the accounts. They discovered over 4,500 additional images and videos of child sexual abuse material in those accounts.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III presided over the sentencing. Cary Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-00429-D.
U.S. Department of Justice selects Southern District of Texas office to advance “United Against Hate”Read the Press Release
HOUSTON – The Department of Justice, law enforcement and community-based organizations assembled to further advance a nationwide initiative known as “United Against Hate,” announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On Sept. 15, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland introduced the program to contest unlawful acts of hate. He selected the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) as one of the 16 cohorts to expand strategies on this initiative.
On Oct. 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) hosted a Community Organizations and Agency Forum which included academic professionals, community organizations representing groups most often targeted by hate crimes, community associations created to combat hate, law enforcement agencies and county, state and federal-level prosecution agencies.
“Hate crimes not only impact the individuals who are directly targeted, but there is community victimization,” said Lowery. “We must take a collaborative and proactive, versus reactive, approach in addressing hate speech and hate crimes in order to make our communities safer.”
The groups reviewed statistical data regarding hate crimes in and around the Houston metroplex and assessed past hate crimes investigations and prosecutions.
An interactive panel including the Anti-Defamation League – Southwest Region, Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance – Rice University, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, Montrose Center (an agency servicing the LGBTQ+ community) and USAO-SDTX welcomed audience members to participate in difficult conversations. They held in-depth discussions on issues such as lack of reporting by victims, cultural biases, sensitivity issues that may be exhibited when encountering hate crime victims, re-victimization, community awareness and training.
They further considered potential solutions to mitigate these issues including the development of a formal alliance with community partners to outline the process of educating the community, training law enforcement, increasing victim advocacy and prosecuting offenders.
The forum is the beginning of a collaborative community effort to minimize hate crimes in the SDTX through extensive awareness campaigns, thorough investigations and vigorous prosecutions.
Additionally, attendees were provided information regarding the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate Crimes website for reporting hate crimes, resources and federal grant opportunities.
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Open a Staffed Branch Office in Tri-Cities, WashingtonRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, today announced that a fully-staffed branch of the United States Attorney’s Office will be opening in Richland, Washington. At a press event earlier today, U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “The number of cases prosecuted by the Richland Division of my office has risen significantly over the last two decades. As the number of cases continued to grow, it became clear that we need dedicated Assistant United States Attorneys, who live and work in the Tri-Cities area, to support our federal, state, and local partners and ensure that criminal defendants who commit federal crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
After learning that the U.S. Attorney’s Office would opening a staffed Richland Office, Senior United States District Court Judge Edward F. Shea stated, “I am pleased to join in celebrating the expansion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richland. This expansion will strengthen the ongoing Federal-Local law enforcement efforts in Southeastern Washington for the benefit of all who live here.”
The Richland Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is in the Richland Courthouse and Federal Building, which is located at 825 Jadwin Avenue in Richland, Washington. Since 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted an average of approximately 70 cases each year arising in the Richland Division. While the U.S. Attorney’s Office has continued to prosecute a large volume of cases in Richland, the federal prosecutors handling these cases have been traveling from Spokane and Yakima to appear for hearings in Richland’s federal courthouse.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington represents the United States in federal litigation, both criminal and civil, in the twenty Washington counties east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. The Eastern District is home to approximately 1.5 million people, of which approximately 400,000 live in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for enforcing federal criminal, civil, administrative, and tax laws. The Office works closely with federal, state, and local partners with one primary purpose: To ensure that justice is done in each individual case. The Richland Office, when it is fully staffed, is expected to have two fulltime Assistant United States Attorneys and one legal assistant.
“Many of the most significant federal cases and crimes we prosecute involve conduct in the Tri-Cities area,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. She continued, “When I became the United States Attorney a little over a year ago, one of my top priorities was to build upon the work that the Department of Justice has been doing in the Tri-Cities. Today’s announcement is a realization of our goal to ensure the United States Attorney’s Office has a permanent and staffed presence serving Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties. We are fortunate to already have Special Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Holland, who has prosecuted state and federal cases in the Tri-Cities area since 2009. In the coming months, we anticipate that two additional AUSAs and will be joining SAUSA Holland in our Richland Office to pursue justice on behalf of the Tri-Cities area and throughout all of Eastern Washington.”
The following are some of the significant recent federal cases prosecuted out of the Tri-Cities area:
• Ayoola Taiwo Adeoti, 4:22-CR-06005-SAB, indictment for business email compromise, money laundering, and bank fraud conspiracy involving fraud of approximately three quarters of a million dollars from the Benton County government;
• HPM Corporation; 4:22-MJ-07038-JPH, global criminal and civil fraud settlement in March 2022 recovering $3 million from Hanford Site prime contractor for fraudulent COVID-19 relief claims under the Paycheck Protection Program;
• Ali Abed Yaser, et al., 4:21-CR-6042-SMJ, twenty-three people indicted in January 2022, for an alleged staged automobile accident scheme;
• Cody Easterday, 4:21-cr-06012-SAB, sentenced to 11 years and $244 million in restitution in October 2022 for a massive fraud scheme involving fictitious cattle;
• U.S. ex rel. Avila v. Sunrhys, LLC, 4:21-cv-05013-TOR, civil prosecution involving civil rights violations and housing fraud, resulting in July 2022 recovery of significant civil penalties and other remedial measures for a landlord in Walla Walla that was overcharging tenants and fraudulently obtaining federal subsidies intended to assist homeless veterans;
• U.S. ex rel. Yam v. Providence Health and Services; 4:20-CV-05004-SMJ, civil fraud prosecution and recovery in April 2022 of over $22.7 million for fraudulent billing of medically-unnecessary neurosurgery procedures to Medicare and Medicaid at Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center in Walla Walla;
• Trent Drexel Howard, 4:19-CR-06036-SMJ, sentenced to 23 years in federal prison in January 2022 for child pornography offenses after being extradited from Kazakhstan;
• Julio Leal Parra et. al., 4:19-CR-06061-SAB, sentenced to 16 years for a large drug-trafficking conspiracy involving ties to the Sinaloa cartel – Parra was one of five charged defendants in the case;
• Dr. Janet Sue Arnold, 4:18-CR-6044-EFS-1, sentenced to four years in federal prison in April 2022, for conspiring to distribute medically unnecessary fentanyl patches, opioid pills and other controlled substances out of her medical practice;
• Dale Gordon Black, 4:18-CR-6029-EFS, sentenced to 30 years in prison in July 2019, for producing child pornography;
• Hector Medina, 4:18-cr-06024-SMJ, sentenced to 15 years for in an overdose death and drug-trafficking conspiracy;
• Reynaldo Perez Munoz, 4:18-CR-6008-EFS, sentenced to 26 years in transnational conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and to launder money gained from illegal drug distribution;
• Josue Medina-Perez and Francisco Delgado, 19-CR-06018-EFS, ten-defendant transnational drug conspiracy, which was one of the first fentanyl conspiracies involving prosecution of an Arizona-based source of supply;
• Sami Anwar, 4:18-cr-5064-EFS, sentenced to more than 28 years in October, 2020, after a three-week trial for falsifying human clinical research data;
• Rosalio Emmanuel Sanchez, 4:17-CR-06014-WFN-6, sentenced to 22 years in prison in May 2019, for distributing illegal narcotics in the Tri-Cities area after a five day jury trial in Richland;
• Bechtel Corporation et al., 4:17-CV-5074-SMJ, civil fraud prosecution and recovery in September 2020 of $57.75 million from Hanford Site prime contractor for fraudulent overbilling on radioactive waste treatment plant project;
• Miles Barton Nichols, 4:16-CR-6033-EFS-1, sentenced to life in prison in 2018 after being convicted in two separate jury trial of drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
• U.S. ex rel. Savage v. CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company; U.S. ex rel. Savage v. Washington Closure Hanford, et al; 4:14-CV-5002-SMJ and 4:10-CV-5051-SMJ; recoveries of approximately $10 million between 2017 and 2021 from Hanford Site contractors for use of fraudulent small business front companies on Hanford Site subcontracts.
• Bechtel National Inc., 13-CV-5013-EFS, civil fraud prosecution and $125 million recovery in November 2016 from Hanford Site contractor for use of substandard materials, quality assurance violations, and improper use of federal funds for lobbying activity.
• CH2M Hill Hanford Group, 09-CV-5038-EFS, civil and criminal prosecutions of time charging fraud at the Hanford Site, resulting in twelve criminal convictions and recovery of more than $18.5 million in damages and penalties between 2012 and 2015.
Currently the Tri-Cities area is served by several federal judges: U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Salvador Mendoza, Jr.; Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edward F. Shea, U.S. District Court Judge Mary K. Dimke, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Alexander C. Ekstrom. Relatedly, many federal law enforcement agencies – to include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Department of Energy Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Marshal’s Service to name a few – have staffed offices, agents, and task force officers in the Tri-Cities area.
Regarding the federal presence in the area, U.S. Attorney Waldref added, “We will continue to support our federal, state, and local partners who have a long-established presence in Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties. We have been working closely with our law enforcement partners in Southeast Washington for years, and are thrilled to build even stronger relationships to make our growing communities in this region safer and stronger.”
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the Eastern District of Washington. She leads an office of 29 Assistant United States Attorneys: 23 in Spokane and 6 in Yakima. In the near future, that number is anticipated to grow by at least 2 in the new staffed Richland Office.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. joins the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), advocates, survivors, victim service providers, justice professionals, police and first responders, and communities across the U.S. in observing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).
Domestic violence is more prevalent than many realize. The devastating consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
“Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity for our Office to remind the community that we are here and available to support victims and survivors of the Middle District of Louisiana,” said U.S. Attorney Gathe. “Often times, the community may not know we are here to assist in these matters. We look forward to working with our local partners to strengthen our community’s awareness of available resources.”
Keeping guns out of the hands of violent offenders is a priority both locally and nationwide. Statistics indicate that domestic violence offenders who have access to firearms are five times more likely to kill their partners than those who do not have access to a firearm. Under federal law, it is unlawful for anyone convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or subject to a protective order to buy a gun. It is also against the law for offenders to possess, carry, or shoot firearms. The penalty for violating Federal firearms prohibitions is up to ten years imprisonment.
In September 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana developed a screening and referral process to identify domestic violence cases appropriate for federal prosecution. Through this initiative, our office works closely with state and local agencies to prioritize the prosecution of offenders subject to federal firearms prohibitions, and to train law enforcement on these and other federal domestic violence crimes.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces over $1 Million in Justice Department Grants to Ute Mountain Ute TribeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced grant awards of $1,194,246.00 to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Towaoc, Colorado, to fund community projects and improve services for victims of crimes. The awards are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) at the Department of Justice.
“Our partnership with tribal leaders to strengthen public safety, improve victim services, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts is a key objective for our office, and funding programs that support victims and promote public safety is a priority”, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Cole Finegan. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to making tribal communities safer and ensuring access to justice for all.”
OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe $784,000.00 under the Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program to establish a law enforcement presence in the White Mesa community in Utah. The White Mesa officers will lead the Community Response Team to address suicide prevention, domestic violence, human trafficking, child abuse, and substance use challenges, and offer quarterly awareness and education events for the public. These funds will support benefits and salaries for the officers, support the purchase of patrol vehicles, officer uniforms, and gear.
OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe $410,246.00 under the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Grant Program, part of more than $246 million in grants to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to improve public safety and serve crime victims. The program is open only to federally recognized Indian tribes and is administered via a formula. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe will use the award to implement services for victims of crime that meet needs identified by the community and reflect tribal community values and traditions.
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office's Statement on D.C. Criminal Code ReformRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today released the following statement about legislation to change the D.C. Criminal Code:
When the D.C. Criminal Code Reform Commission (CCRC) indicated that it was ready to submit its final recommendations to the D.C. Council, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which was a member of the CCRC advisory group, voted to move those recommendations forward. The recommendations comprised a once-in-a-century effort to modernize the D.C. Criminal Code. We voted to move forward—even though we had serious concerns about a number of recommendations—because the modernization was sorely needed, and we expected that we would have the opportunity to continue to engage on those recommendations that gave us concerns. We testified in great detail about those concerns before the D.C. Council as summarized here (https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/us-attorneys-office-testifies-hearing-revised-criminal-code-act-2021), and we have raised those concerns with our fellow community members and community leaders, including elected officials.
The bill that is being moved forward today in the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety represents an improvement over what the CCRC recommended and addresses several of our most significant concerns. We thank all of the D.C. elected officials who listened to our concerns, particularly Council member Charles Allen, whose leadership has been critical to moving this once-in-a-century effort forward.
We still have concerns with multiple aspects of this bill and believe that some provisions, while well-intentioned, could undermine community safety and impede the administration of justice in our courts. Despite these concerns, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia supports this bill proceeding to mark-up. Once again, our support for this bill moving forward does not mean that we agree with every provision in the massive overhaul. To the contrary, there are provisions with which we strenuously disagree, including the provisions referenced in our comprehensive testimony that continue to appear in this version of the bill. But the D.C. Criminal Code is in dire need of an update, and there is much in this bill that would help. We also recommend that the bill move forward because it is our hope that Councilmembers will continue to listen to our concerns as this bill moves forward—just as they did before introducing today’s version of the bill.
It is our sincere desire that, as this bill progresses, the provisions that give us the greatest concerns from a community safety perspective will be addressed.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee Announces $166,027 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $166,027 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The PSN grant was to the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration and is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased to be able to make this announcement today,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “The PSN program and continued collaboration with all of our law enforcement partners is key to the ongoing efforts to address the violent crime issues in our communities.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention, and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Justice Department Grant to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded more than $198,000 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the District of Oregon. The grant funds—administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs—will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in Oregon.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“The Justice Department’s grants provide resources for our state and local law partners to help protect individuals and communities from violent crime,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department is taking a comprehensive approach, recognizing that we cannot simply arrest our way out of this problem—the resources in these grants will help our state and local partners reduce gun violence through increased community trust and investments in community-based initiatives like violence intervention programs.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced today are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Young Announces $88,528 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $88,528 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the District of New Hampshire. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grant, to the New Hampshire Department of Justice, is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“Today’s grant award will hopefully be a step toward preventing violence from occurring in the future,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “It is only by a dedicated and sustained collaboration between law enforcement and community partners that we can truly address gun violence that strikes every corner of our communities.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney Weiss Announces $92,013 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Del. – U.S. Attorney Weiss announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $92,013 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the District of Delaware. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and other violent criminal activity in the district. The grant, issued to the Criminal Justice Council, is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss stated, “Project Safe Neighborhoods is the cornerstone for my district’s Community-Based Violence Intervention initiative. This funding will support continued efforts to enhance community safety by disrupting and de-escalating violent crime. I wish to thank our PSN community stakeholders and federal, state, and local law enforcement for their continued support.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. Announces $91,149 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $91,149 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Middle District of Louisiana. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grant, to Baton Rouge Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation (Foundation), is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “The Project Safe Neighborhoods grants have been an important resource in the fight against violent crime in Baton Rouge. It has provided funding for manpower and technical resources which have aided the apprehension of violent criminals.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Luger Announces Justice Department Grant to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $236,111 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the District of Minnesota. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“My office has taken a strategic approach to address violent crime in our communities, an approach that recognizes the importance of prevention, intervention and enforcement. Leveraging these Project Safe Neighborhood grant funds is another step towards breaking this trend of violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. In the District of Minnesota, PSN funds are awarded from the Department of Justice to the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs, which serves as the fiscal agent. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Leary Announces $128,947 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $128,947 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Middle District of Georgia. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence. This grant is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“Reducing gun violence in our communities will only be achieved through collaborative and strategic efforts unique to each community across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The Project Safe Neighborhoods program has been a strong bridge-builder between law enforcement and citizens, funding popular programs like the Teen Police Academy, paying for gang deterrent counseling for young people and providing hundreds of free gun locks. PSN has also provided the money necessary for important investigative tech like NIBIN to trace the criminal use of firearms and bring repeat violent offenders to justice. Through PSN, violent crime reduction ideas have become reality as we all continue to work together for safer neighborhoods.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans Announces $134,999 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $134,999 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grant, to the City of New Orleans, is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“Unfortunately, we continue to deal with the negative effects that violent crime brings to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Evans. “The announcement of this award highlights the steadfast commitment from the Department of Justice to give our state and local community partners the tools needed to enhance public safety and combat violent crime through programs that address an array of public safety initiatives.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.s. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe Announces $91,731 in Justice Department Grants to Support Local Project Safe Neighborhoods ProgramsRead the Press Release
Fairview Heights, Ill. – U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe announced today that the Department of
Justice has awarded $91,731 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Southern
District of Illinois. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grant, to Hoyleton Youth and Family Services, is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive
Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The
PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.“Partnering with organizations like Hoyleton Youth and Family Services is vital to our efforts to combat the scourge of gun violence that plagues so many of our local communities and we are proud to have a role in financially supporting the great work it does,” said U.S. Attorney Crowe. “Strong collaboration between our law enforcement agencies and community groups and organizations is the best means of fostering the safe communities which all of this district’s residents deserve.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen
Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S.
Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.s. Attorney Dawn N. Ison Announces $348,836.00 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
SAGINAW – U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $348,836.00 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Eastern District of Michigan. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grant, to Saginaw Community Foundation, Inc., is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“By focusing on the most violent offenders and the most violent places, Saginaw has the opportunity to greatly improve the quality of life for the residents of Saginaw who are most acutely affected by gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “This award is great news for Saginaw as it will provide the funding needed to help reach our goal of reducing gun violence.”
“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants 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 enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Two Oklahoma City Men Sentenced to Serve Fifty Years Collectively in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Two Oklahoma City men have been sentenced to serve 50 years collectively in federal prison for child exploitation and child pornography offenses, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment charging CHRISTOPHER JAMES LAFEVER, 36, of Oklahoma City, with Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography. LaFever later pleaded guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography. On January 6, 2022, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced LaFever to serve 20 years in federal prison, followed 20 years of supervised release. LaFever has been in federal custody since February 9, 2021.
While investigating LaFever, law enforcement uncovered his association with DAKOTA ALLEN KIDWELL, 27, of Oklahoma City. Specifically, they discovered a video in LaFever’s possession that Kidwell had created. On October 8, 2021, Kidwell was charged in a two-count Complaint with Sexual Exploitation of Children and Distribution of Child Pornography. On November 1, 2021, Kidwell pleaded guilty to a one-count Information, charging him with Sexual Exploitation of a Child. At today’s sentencing, Judge Goodwin sentenced Kidwell to serve 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Kidwell has been in federal custody since October 7, 2021.
In announcing both LaFever and Kidwell’s sentences, Judge Goodwin noted the nature and circumstances of the offenses. Both men will be required to register as sex offenders upon their release from prison.
These cases are the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Noble and Brandon Hale prosecuted Kidwell, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Stoneman prosecuted LaFever.
These cases are part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Abusive Sexual Contact with a ChildRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On October 6, 2022, Norris Jose, 40, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 87 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Jose previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.
Between May 24 and May 29, 2019, Jose, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation and a registered sex offender, engaged in sexual contact with the victim, who was 8 years old at the time. The offense occurred on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation in the village of Topawa.
The Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances M. Kreamer Hope, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0881-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-179_Jose# # #
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.
Texas Man Sentenced for Threatening to Shoot People at McCook Wal-MartRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Rogelio Salas, Jr., 26, of Weslaco, Texas, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to 33 months’ imprisonment for threatening to shoot employees and a specific victim who worked at the McCook, Nebraska Wal-Mart. After Salas, Jr.’s release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On January 8, 2022, Salas, Jr. indicated he was outside the Wal-Mart with firearms and explosives and stated that he was going to enter the store with the weapons to kill the victim. Salas, Jr. made multiple threatening calls to the store, and the store evacuated all employees and customers as a result of the threats. Investigation revealed that Salas, Jr. was, in fact, in the State of Texas at the time that the threatening calls were made to the Nebraska retailer.
Salas, Jr. began a campaign of threatening and harassing the victim that started when the victim refused to play online video games anymore with Salas, Jr. because Salas, Jr. was using homosexual slurs during the video game sessions that offended the victim. Once the victim stopped playing online games with Salas, Jr., Salas Jr. began to contact the victim on social media and determined the victim’s specific workplace at the McCook area Wal-Mart. Salas, Jr. pled guilty to transmitting threats in interstate commerce on July 21, 2022.
For this conduct, Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Salas, Jr. to a term of 33 months in federal prison, the longest sentence authorized by Salas, Jr.’s plea of guilty. Judge Gerrard noted the disturbing frequency of threat cases coming before him recently and issued the sentence in part because of the fear that the defendant caused in all of the individuals at the Wal-Mart store that day and because it was all unnecessarily done over a video game dispute.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
This case was investigated by North Platte FBI and the McCook Police Department.
Tax Fraud Lands Three Tax Preparers in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a federal district judge in Miami sentenced three tax preparers—Nixon Cyrius Cherfils, 47, Kerline Pierre, 43, and Jonas Augustin, 49, for conspiracy to file false tax returns. Cherfils, the leader of this conspiracy and owner of the tax preparation business, Cherfils Enterprises, was sentenced to a prison term of 48 months. Pierre was sentenced to 28 months in prison and Augustin was sentenced to 8 months in prison and 9 months of house arrest.
For several years, the defendants included false education credits on the vast majority of their unwitting customers’ tax returns, thereby increasing the tax refunds or reducing the tax liability of their customers in an effort to grow the business and their profits or compensation. Cherfils was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of nearly $3.5 million. Pierre and Augustin were ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $351,196 and 330,579, respectively.
Cherfils and Pierre also were convicted of wire fraud for applying for and fraudulently obtaining several loans under the CARES Act, the law passed by Congress to help small businesses weather the economic hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cherfils and Pierre submitted falsified tax returns and false information in support of their loan applications even though they had not filed tax returns during the relevant years. The Court ordered Cherfils and Pierre to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the amount of $380,232 and $319,952 respectively.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced the sentences.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee C. Jimenez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster handled asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20302.
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Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offender Registration ViolationRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Douglas Gustafson, age 36, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty.
Gustafson, who is a sex offender based on a 2008 federal conviction for recruiting and enticing a 14-year-old minor to engage in a commercial sex act, admitted that on May 28, 2022 he absconded from a residential recovery center, which was his court-ordered and registered address, and that he remained at large until he was located by law enforcement in Madison County on June 27, 2022. Gustafson’s failure to notify the state Division of Criminal Justice Services Sex Offender Registry of this change in his residence was a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which requires sex offenders to notify the registry within 3 days of any change in residence.
Gustafson also admitted to violating his federal supervised release by, among other things, absconding from the residential reentry center and committing a new crime by failing to report his change of address to the Sex Offender Registry.
Gustafson will be sentenced on February 13, 2023 before Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. For failing to update his sex offender registration information, Gustafson faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. For violating the conditions of his supervised release, Gustafson faces a potential additional penalty of up to 5 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher.
Superseding Federal Indictment Against Former Illinois Speaker of the House Adds Charge for Alleged Corruption Scheme Related to AT&T IllinoisRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has charged former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives MICHAEL J. MADIGAN with corruptly arranging for payments to be made to a political ally as part of an alleged conspiracy involving Illinois Bell Telephone Company, which does business as AT&T Illinois.
Madigan was originally indicted earlier this year on racketeering and bribery charges for allegedly using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. The initial indictment accused Madigan and his close friend – co-defendant MICHAEL F. MCCLAIN – of causing the utility company Commonwealth Edison to make monetary payments to Madigan’s allies as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan, at times in return for performing little or no actual work for the company. The initial indictment also charged Madigan with engaging in multiple schemes to reap the benefits of legal work unlawfully steered to his private law firm.
The superseding indictment unsealed today includes the prior charges and adds an additional conspiracy count against Madigan and McClain related to an alleged corruption scheme involving AT&T Illinois. The new indictment alleges that Madigan and McClain in 2017 conspired with AT&T Illinois’s then-president to corruptly arrange for $22,500 to be paid at the direction of the company to the Madigan ally. AT&T Illinois allegedly made the payments through an intermediary – a lobbying firm that performed services for AT&T Illinois – to conceal the true nature of the payments, which was to influence and reward Madigan’s efforts as Speaker to assist AT&T Illinois with respect to certain legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. Although the members of the conspiracy formulated a pretextual assignment for Madigan’s ally to disguise why the ally was being paid, the ally performed no actual work for AT&T Illinois and had no role in advancing the legislation, the charges allege.
Madigan, 80, of Chicago, and McClain, 75, of Quincy, Ill., will be arraigned on the superseding indictment on a future date to be set by the U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The former AT&T Illinois president – PAUL LA SCHIAZZA, 65 – was charged in a separate federal indictment unsealed today with participating in the conspiracy and committing other offenses, including using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity. Also today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a one-count criminal information charging AT&T Illinois with using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ashley T. Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Diane MacArthur, Timothy J. Chapman, Sarah E. Streicker, Michelle Kramer, and Julia Schwartz.
The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Seven Men from Ohio and Pennsylvania Charged with Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Eliot Gentry, Daivahn Brown, Donald Jeter, William McCree, Teqwan Scott, Donald Snowden, and Kailin Stewart have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The Indictment, returned on Oct. 11 and yesterday, charges the seven defendants with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute at least 100 grams of fluorofentanyl, 40 grams of fentanyl, five kilograms of cocaine, 28 grams of cocaine base, and a quantity of methamphetamine, from May 2021 to October 2022.
Gentry, age 25; McCree, age 19; and Scott, age 28 are Youngstown, Ohio, residents. Jeter, age 32; Snowden, age 31; and Stewart, age 36; are New Castle, Pennsylvania, residents. Brown, age 26, is a resident of Boardman, Ohio.
“My office is committed to working in partnership with federal, state, and local law, to dismantle large-scale drug trafficking conspiracies which impact our communities, as here with the New Castle and Farrell communities,” said U.S. Attorney Chung.
“These arrests disrupted a violent drug trafficking organization; a top priority within our mission,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. "These arrests are a result of the continuing and relentless efforts of the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners to rid our streets of these criminals and make our communities safe.”
“The rise of fentanyl has ripped through Western Pennsylvania and our office is determined to hold those who profit from these narcotics accountable to the law. Close collaboration with our law enforcement partners has shut down this ring of drug traffickers and led to this indictment,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “These substances ruin lives and destroy communities. We will not rest to turn the tide against this epidemic and to keep Pennsylvanians safe.”
The law provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal histories of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation resulting in the return of the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
San Fernando Valley Woman Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Defrauding Health Insurers by Submitting Claims for Botox InjectionsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley woman was sentenced today to 72 months for conspiring to defraud health insurance companies by causing millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to be submitted to provide patients with “free” cosmetic procedures, including Botox injections, and for cheating on her taxes.
Roshanak Khadem, 55, a.k.a. “Roxanne Khadem,” a.k.a. “Roxy Khadem,” of Sherman Oaks, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who also ordered her to pay $1,250,601 in restitution and a $30,000 fine.
Khadem pleaded guilty on February 8 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of subscribing to a false income tax return.
Khadem owned and operated facilities that provided aesthetic services to clients, including R&R Med Spa in Valley Village and Nu-Me Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center in Woodland Hills.
From January 2012 to April 2016, Khadem caused patients to visit her clinics to receive cosmetic procedures, including Botox injections, facials and laser hair removal. Khadem knew these procedures were not covered by the patients’ health insurers. Khadem also knew that her employees informed some patients that, if they turned over their health insurance information to the Khadem-owned clinics, the patients could receive free or discounted cosmetic procedures pursuant to a “credit” they would earn.
Health insurance information from these patients was provided to the insurance biller for the clinics, knowing and intending that the information would be used to submit false and fraudulent claims to the health insurers for medical procedures that Khadem knew were either not actually provided to the patients or were not medically necessary.
Then, based on the amount that the health insurers paid on those false and fraudulent claims, Khadem and others would calculate an amount, which the co-conspirators referred to as a "credit," that the patients could use to receive free or discounted cosmetic procedures from the clinics. Those patients would then come into the clinics to receive the free or discounted cosmetic procedures.
The proceeds from the health care fraud conspiracy were deposited into bank accounts that were held in the names of doctors who were affiliated with the clinics and who signed off on and caused to be submitted the false and fraudulent claims under their names.
Khadem took possession of the proceeds from the doctors’ accounts in two ways. First, because Khadem had signatory authority on the bank accounts, she was able to obtain the funds by writing checks on the accounts. Second, she would withdraw funds from the bank accounts using pre-signed checks that she obtained from the doctors.
From January 2012 to April 2016, Khadem and her co-conspirators submitted claims, which included false and fraudulent claims for which those companies paid out at least $1,250,601.
The scheme involving the two clinics defrauded the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association Benefit Plan, which is the health benefit plan that covers longshore workers in Southern California and their dependents. Another victim was the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which provides health insurance for federal employees.
Khadem failed to report this income on her income tax returns for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Khadem’s underreporting of her income for these three years caused a total tax loss of $453,451.
The remaining four defendants in this case each have pleaded guilty. Lucine Ilangezyan, 42, of North Hills, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health fraud, and is serving an 18-month prison sentence. Gary Jizmejian, 48, of Santa Clarita, a former senior investigator at the Anthem Special Investigations Unit, the anti-fraud unit within Anthem that is responsible for investigating health care fraud committed against the insurance company, pleaded guilty to using his cell phone to send text messages to co-defendants as part of this commercial bribery scheme. He also is serving an 18-month prison sentence.
Dr. Roberto Mariano, 64, of Rancho Cucamonga, a physician who helped operate the clinics, and Marina Sarkisyan, 53, of Panorama City, who was the office manager at the clinics, are scheduled to be sentenced on November 7.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Valerie L. Makarewicz of the Major Frauds Section and Morgan J. Cohen of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Saginaw Man Convicted of Drug and Gun Offenses in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
BAY CITY - A 21-year-old Saginaw man, Cortiyah Moore, was convicted yesterday of several drug and gun offenses by a federal jury in Bay City following a 3-day trial before the Hon. Thomas L. Ludington, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Paul Vanderplow, Special Agent in Charge of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive Detroit Field Division.
According to testimony and evidence introduced at the trial, on September 27, 2021, troopers with the Michigan State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by three men. The troopers found a loaded, semi-automatic pistol equipped with an extended magazine at Moore’s feet who was seated in the back seat. Moore had a large sum of cash on his person, as did the driver and front seat passenger. Elsewhere in the vehicle, the troopers found distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack, and a second pistol equipped with a drum magazine and an auto-sear which made the firearm a fully automatic machinegun. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts; conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Moore, a convicted felon who was on probation at the time, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of life. Moore will be sentenced by the Hon. Thomas L. Ludington on January 19, 2023.
The case was investigated by troopers with the Michigan State Police and special agents with the ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Buckley.
Real Estate Agent and Her Husband Sentenced for Fraud Using Stolen Personal Identifying InformationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Merrifield couple was sentenced today for stealing at least nine people’s identities and using the stolen personal identifying information (PII) to fraudulently buy a luxury vehicle, lease high-end residences, and obtain loans and credit.
According to court documents, Caprice Foster, 51, and Marcus Foster, 33, stole the PII of numerous people primarily through Mrs. Foster’s work as a real estate agent and timeshare salesperson. The Fosters then used the victims’ information for their own benefit. To carry out their fraud scheme, the Fosters created numerous false identification documents in other people’s names, including social security cards and driver’s licenses, and they also fabricated tax and employment documents in their victims’ names. The Fosters opened fraudulent bank accounts using stolen identities and deposited stolen and altered checks into these accounts. The Fosters also incorporated a business that they used in furtherance of the fraud. Mr. Foster even impersonated victims in state court eviction proceedings to prolong the Fosters’ stay in residences they fraudulently leased.
Caprice Foster and Marcus Foster were sentenced to 80 months and 58 months in prison, respectively.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Jerome A. Winkle, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Mid-Atlantic Region; Michael McGill, Special Agent-in-Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi B. Gesch and Carina A. Cuellar 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. 1:20-cr-178.
Prisoner Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Bloomfield Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHARLES HARRISON, 34, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to escaping from the custody of the Attorney General.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2012, Harrison was sentenced in the Northern District of New York to 120 months of imprisonment for a narcotics trafficking offense. On March 17, 2021, he was transferred to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence. On September 7, 2021, Harrison left the facility on a Day Pass and failed to return. He was located and arrested in New York on March 29, 2022.
Harrison has been detained since his arrest.
Harrison is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford on January 6, 2023. The offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda S. Oakes.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Possessing DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years (60 months) of imprisonment and four years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Raymond Moon, age 33.
According to information presented to the court, on Aug. 30, 2019, Moon possessed with the intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of acetyl fentanyl, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and quantities of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and Carfentanil.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Pittsburgh Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Moon.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted on Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and Conspiracy Against Rights Offenses for Obstruction at Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia today returned a two-count superseding indictment charging a 10th defendant, Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic blockade in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020.
The original indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 24, alleges that the nine defendants – Lauren Handy, Jonathan Darnel, Jay Smith, Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Joan Bell – engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. Several of the defendants traveled from other states to participate in the blockade, including Idoni, of Michigan; Smith and Hinshaw, of New York; and Harlow and Marshall, of Massachusetts.
According to the superseding indictment, as part of the conspiracy, Geraghty communicated with Handy to plan the blockade. Handy made lodging arrangements for her co-conspirators from Michigan, New York and Boston, and she obtained a monetary donation to pay for an Airbnb reservation for herself and Geraghty. According to the indictment, Geraghty and several co-defendants traveled from out-of-state to Washington, D.C. to participate in the clinic blockade.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Handy, Smith, Harlow, Marshall, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, Bell and Geraghty forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel live-streamed footage of his co-defendants’ activities. The indictment also alleges that all 10 defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
If convicted of the offenses, the defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $260,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington, D.C., Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and the Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted on Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and Conspiracy Against Rights Offenses for Obstruction at Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia today returned a two-count superseding indictment charging a 10th defendant, Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic blockade in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020.n alleged reproductive health care clinic blockade in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020.
The original indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 24, alleges that the nine defendants – Lauren Handy, Jonathan Darnel, Jay Smith, Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Joan Bell - engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. Several of the defendants traveled from other states to participate in the blockade, including Idoni, of Michigan; Smith and Hinshaw, of New York; and Harlow and Marshall, of Massachusetts.
According to the superseding indictment, as part of the conspiracy, Geraghty communicated with Handy to plan the blockade. Handy made lodging arrangements for her co-conspirators from Michigan, New York and Boston, and she obtained a monetary donation to pay for an Airbnb reservation for herself and Geraghty. According to the indictment, Geraghty and several co-defendants traveled from out-of-state to Washington, D.C. to participate in the clinic blockade.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Handy, Smith, Harlow, Marshall, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, Bell and Geraghty forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel live-streamed footage of his co-defendants’ activities. The indictment also alleges that all 10 defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
If convicted of the offenses, the defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $260,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington, D.C., Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Passaic County Man Convicted of Conspiracy and Two Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was convicted today by a federal jury for his role as the gunman in two armed bank robberies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jose Soto, 52, of Passaic, New Jersey, was convicted of two bank robberies, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during those robberies following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini.
According to documents in this case and the evidence at trial:
On Feb. 6, 2020, Soto and his conspirator, while wearing face coverings and holding umbrellas, entered the PNC Bank in Passaic. Soto pointed a silver and black handgun at customers and employees and began ordering everyone down on the floor. His conspirator entered the bank and jumped over the teller counter, demanding that the teller turn over all cash in the drawers. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $35,000 from the PNC Bank.
On Feb. 27, 2020, Soto and the same conspirator entered the Valley Bank in Little Falls, New Jersey. Soto again pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees and his conspirator jumped over the teller counter and began rifling through various drawers. Soto and his conspirator, at gunpoint, forced the bank employees to open the vault, and began retrieving cash from the bank vault. They then forced all employees and customers into the bank vault and fled through the rear door of the Valley Bank. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $45,000 from the Valley Bank.
For each bank robbery charge, Soto faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. For the conspiracy charge, Soto faces a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. For each count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a bank robbery, Soto faces a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Soto’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Passaic Police Department, under the direction of Chief Luis A. Guzman; the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik; the Little Falls Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert A. Thomas III; and the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma Spiro and Mark J. Pesce of the Criminal Division in Newark.
One Iowan and Two Mexicans Sentenced to Federal Prison for Agreeing to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl in WaterlooRead the Press Release
Three men who were involved in a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization were sentenced today to significant time in federal prison.
Levi Dull, age 43, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 28, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Ruben Vasquez, age 44, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a May 2, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Narciso Chinchillas Sanchez, age 23, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a March 1, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at their respective sentencings showed that Dull, Vasquez, and Chinchillas Sanchez were members of a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization that was distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Waterloo, Iowa, area. Starting no later than January 2021 and continuing until August 2021, a Mexico‑based source of supply provided Dull with at least 42 pounds of methamphetamine that was imported from Mexico. In the spring or early summer of 2021, Dull owed money to the Mexico‑based organization, so his supplier enlisted Vasquez to give Dull a pound of meth, provided he could pay for it. Dull could then sell the meth and use the proceeds to repay his debt. Vasquez distributed at least 11 pounds of methamphetamine to Dull. At some point in the early summer of 2021, the Mexico‑based supplier directed Chinchillas Sanchez to travel to Waterloo and assist in distributing methamphetamine to Dull. Chinchillas Sanchez distributed at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine to Dull.
On August 14, 2021, Dull distributed a substance containing fentanyl that eventually resulted in two men overdosing, with one of the men dying as a result. On August 18, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Dull’s home in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Dull’s storage unit in Waterloo. The officers recovered two guns, including one that was stolen, ammunition, almost 300 grams of methamphetamine, almost 2 grams of a substance containing heroin and fentanyl, and several other controlled substances.
On October 25, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Chinchillas Sanchez’s home in Waterloo. They recovered over 90 pounds of methamphetamine and almost 23 pounds of fentanyl, including approximately 34,380 pills containing fentanyl. Most of the methamphetamine seized from Chinchillas Sanchez’s house was hidden behind drywall in the basement.
Dull, Vasquez, and Chinchillas Sanchez were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Dull was sentenced to 270 months’ imprisonment, and he was ordered to serve a 5‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. Vasquez was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment, and he was ordered to serve a 5‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. Chinchillas Sanchez was sentenced to 158 months’ imprisonment, and he was ordered to serve at 5‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Methamphetamine and fentanyl ruin lives, and in some cases end them. People who distribute meth and fentanyl in our communities will always be a primary prosecutorial target of our office,” said United States Attorney Timothy Duax.
Dull, Vasquez, and Chinchillas Sanchez are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-02051.
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North Hollywood Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegally Selling Firearms, Including ‘Ghost Guns’ and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for acting as an unlicensed gun broker by selling 16 rifles and handguns – many without serial numbers – as well as various firearms accessories over a seven-week period, and for selling nearly one pound of methamphetamine, the Justice Department announced today.
Arthur Muradyan, 33, of North Hollywood, was sentenced Thursday afternoon by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin.
Muradyan pleaded guilty on May 5 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
In August 2021 and September 2021, Muradyan sold firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition to an informant working with federal law enforcement. The items sold included machine guns, semi-automatic firearms with large capacity magazines, firearms bearing no legitimate manufacturer’s mark or serial number – commonly referred to as “ghost guns” – and unregistered and unserialized short-barreled rifles.
Muradyan also sold 423.7 grams of methamphetamine to the informant on September 8, 2021, the same day he also sold a semi-automatic 9mm handgun and a machinegun conversion device commonly called a “Glock switch.”
During the final gun sale on September 29, 2021, Muradyan sold an unserialized, short-barreled AR-15-type rifle with a 3D printed machinegun conversion device attached to it, another AR-15-type rifle with an obliterated serial number, a semi-automatic 9mm handgun, and another 9mm pistol with no serial number. On this date, authorities searched his residence and recovered another 23 firearms, magazines, ammunition of various calibers, and firearms component parts and accessories. Muradyan illegally possessed those seized firearms and ammunition because he previously had been convicted of felony burglary offenses in two cases.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, which is spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Attorney’s Office. The Los Angeles Police Department provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this matter.
Normal, Illinois, Woman and Indianapolis Woman Charged with Illegally Purchasing Firearm Used to Shoot and Kill Champaign Police OfficerRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 4, 2022, charging Ashantae S. Corruthers, 28, of the 5000 block of Port Hope Drive in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Regina Lewis, 27, of the 1200 block of Major Street in Normal, Illinois, with conspiracy to illegally purchase and transfer a firearm and conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. The indictment and a related complaint were unsealed on October 14, 2022.
The indictment alleges that Corruthers and Lewis conspired with Darion M. Lafayette, now deceased, to purchase and transfer a firearm to Lafayette, who could not legally purchase a firearm himself because he was a convicted felon (commonly known as a “straw purchase”). On November 17, 2020, at the direction of Lafayette and Lewis, Corruthers purchased a Glock 48, nine-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol and Sellier & Bellot, nine-millimeter ammunition, from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in Indianapolis. According to the indictment, Corruthers falsely certified on an ATF form that she was the actual buyer of the firearm, when in fact, she purchased the firearm for Lafayette and transferred it to him.
The indictment further alleges that Corruthers and Lewis conspired with Lafayette to cover up the discovery of their illegal purchase and transfer of the firearm by having Corruthers falsely report to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on April 26, 2021, that the Glock pistol was stolen from her around March of 2021. Approximately twenty-three days after Corruthers falsely reported the firearm stolen, Lafayette used the firearm to shoot and kill Champaign Police Officer Christopher Oberheim in Champaign, Illinois. According to the indictment, Corruthers and Lewis continued the cover-up after Officer Oberheim’s death by agreeing to have Corruthers falsely tell an ATF Special Agent investigating the officer-involved shooting that she purchased the gun for herself, that it was stolen from her in March of 2021, and that she did not know Lafayette.
Corruthers and Lewis were arrested on the charges on October 13, 2022. Each appeared by video before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley in Peoria on October 14, 2022. At the hearing, both defendants asked that their detention hearings be continued; Magistrate Judge Hawley set a detention hearing for Corruthers on October 19, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. and a hearing for Lewis on that same date at 10:15 a.m. Both hearings will be by video in front of Magistrate Judge Hawley in Peoria. Magistrate Judge Hawley ordered both defendants temporarily detained pending those hearings.
If convicted, conspiracy to illegally purchase and transfer a firearm carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct carries a penalty of up to twenty years in prison. Each charge carries a penalty of up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
New York man sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted enticement of a childRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29-year-old Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Rajesh Singh pleaded guilty on April 25, 2022. He has been in custody since his arrest on April 22, 2021. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “I’m grateful that we have law enforcement officers that go online and find these people who want to hurt children.”
“The conduct in this case paints a disturbing picture of those who sexualize children and seek to abuse them for their gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “In this instance, fortunately, the child was a fiction – but Mr. Singh’s fantasies about sexual abuse were all too real. This sentence should serve as a warning to those tempted to act on such dark desires.”
According to court documents, Singh began communicating with an undercover officer in August 2020 about his desire to travel to Washington State to sexually abuse a child. The undercover agent created a fictitious daughter and Singh communicated extensively about his desire to rape the child and film the sexual assault. At various times in the chats, Singh indicated he had previously molested children. Singh was observed in New York getting on a flight to Seattle, arrived at Sea-Tac, and took a shuttle to an area hotel and was arrested there by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In asking the court to impose a 14-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Matt Hampton wrote, “Rajesh Singh travelled thousands of miles with a singular purpose: to commit unspeakable violence against a small child. This trip was not a lark or a whim but the culmination of extensive planning and chats with someone Singh thought was going to help him realize his dreams of abusing a child.”
“The fact that Singh was willing to fly across the country to complete his enticement of a 12yr old minor speaks to the danger he poses to all of our children,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI’s undercover operations in the cyber-realm are important to identify these predators and hopefully stop them before they are able to sexually abuse a child.”
Judge Jones sentenced Singh to 15 years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hampton prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Nevada Man Pleads Guilty for COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., resident pleaded guilty today to fraudulently obtaining over $500,000 in loans under the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, and then laundering the funds through family and friends to buy a house.
Brandon Casutt (51) pleaded guilty to wire fraud and concealment money laundering. U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon scheduled sentencing for January 17, 2023. Casutt faces a total maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, Casutt submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications to federally insured banks and EIDL applications to the SBA. The SBA guarantees the loans for COVID-19 relief through the PPP under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act also authorizes the SBA to provide an EIDL of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From April 2020 through July 2020, Casutt submitted at least 11 fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications, intending to obtain more than $5.7 million, on behalf of two entities he controlled. Two of these fraudulent applications actually received funding: (1) a PPP loan for approximately $350,000 in the name of a business called Sky DeSign; and (2) an EIDL for approximately $150,000 in the name of a charity called Skyler’s C.F. Foundation. The loan applications indicated that each entity had numerous employees, significant payroll expenses, and substantial revenue; however, the entities had few if any employees, paid little or no wages, and had little if any revenues.
After receiving the PPP funds, Casutt then laundered the proceeds by writing a series of fictitious payroll checks. From approximately May 18, 2020, to June 18, 2020, the Casutt wrote dozens of checks, each in the amount of $8,330, from the bank account holding the PPP loan to himself, family members, and friends. On many of the checks, he falsely wrote “pandemic pay” or “back pay” in the check memo. These fictitious paychecks were cashed or deposited, and then, within days, Casutt had the funds diverted to a bank account in the name of Skyler’s C.F. Foundation. Casutt then used the PPP funds, along with the EIDL funds, to purchase a $400,000 house in Henderson, into which he and his family moved in June 2020.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson of the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress of the IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the IRS-CI and FBI. Trial Attorney Sara Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Schmale of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Moffat Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to United States Post OfficeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced Donald Albert Renner, 71, of Moffat, pleaded guilty to willfully injuring property of the United States, a felony.
According to the plea agreement, in the early morning of July 16, 2021, the defendant used gasoline as an accelerant to start a fire outside of the Moffat Post Office, located at 17363 Highway 17, in Moffat, Colorado. Evidence of fire (smoke damage and/or thermal damage) from that fire was discovered on the exterior of the post office, inside the post office, inside a blue collection box near the entrance of the post office, and on the concrete area in front of the post office. Fire investigators recovered two carpet samples from in the interior of the post office and one sample from a mat outside the post office that contained gasoline. The fire caused approximately $12,000 of total damage.
Judge William J. Martinez presided over the change of plea hearing and set sentencing for April 26, 2023.
This case was jointly investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Buchman.
Case Number: 22-cr-00074
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For more information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr
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Missouri State Employee Accused of Stealing $140,000 in Unemployment Insurance FundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri state employee has been indicted on three federal felony charges and accused of using her position to send about $140,500 in unearned unemployment benefits to friends, relatives and others.
According to the indictment, Vicky Hefner, 63, of Jefferson County, Missouri, began work with Missouri’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Employment Security as a benefit program specialist in 2009. She worked out of her home and an office in St. Louis helping people file their claims over the phone and adjudicating issues people were having with unemployment claims.
From July to December of 2020, Hefner logged into the accounts of multiple friends, relatives or associates, the indictment says. She changed their status and used her credentials in ways that either made them eligible for unemployment benefits or increased their benefits, the indictment says,
She also triggered unemployment payments to people who were still working, the indictment says. Hefner’s friends and relatives then paid her kickbacks, the indictment says.
Hefner was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 28 on three charges of theft of public money. She pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. If convicted, Hefner will also be ordered to repay the money.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General at both the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Using Snapchat to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 420 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for producing sexually explicit videos of minors, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in March 2020, Jay Tyrell Whiteford, 40, used his cell phone and Snapchat account to communicate with at least two minors. In his communications, Whiteford used an alias and told the minor he was 16 years old. He induced the minors to create and send to him sexually explicit videos and images.
Whiteford was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud. On June 17, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and MethRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Carlos Martin Quintana-Arias of Mexico was sentenced in federal court today to 108 months in prison in connection with the record-breaking seizure of 17,584 pounds of methamphetamine and 388.93 pounds of fentanyl from a commercial trailer attempting to enter the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
The seizure, on November 18, 2021, was the nation’s largest in each drug category for the calendar years 2021 and 2022 so far, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
According to his plea agreement, Quintana-Arias admitted to driving the drug-laden tractor trailer into the United States through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He acknowledged that he knew the tractor trailer contained methamphetamine, fentanyl or some other federally controlled substance.
“This massive seizure prevented a huge quantity of deadly drugs from saturating our community,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Because of the vigilance of border officials, this fentanyl did not kill anyone, and this meth did not destroy even one life. We will continue to work with dedication and passion to intercept these drugs and prosecute the traffickers, because drug seizures mean lives are saved.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“This was a brazen attempt to smuggle a record amount of deadly narcotics into our country, and as this sentencing reflects, those persons looking to make a quick profit from narcotics smuggling will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge, HSI San Diego. “HSI, along with our federal and local partners, is firmly committed to dismantling criminal organizations who blatantly ignore the laws of this nation.”
“The San Diego and Imperial Valley ports of entry account for approximately 61 percent of all the fentanyl CBP seizes nationwide,” stated Acting Director of Field Operations for the San Diego Field Office Anne Maricich. “This significant seizure exemplifies the hard work and dedication our officers have to the mission. It is our steadfast commitment to keeping dangerous narcotics like fentanyl and methamphetamine off the streets and out of our communities. The sentencing announced today by Judge Janis L. Sammartino is a result of strong multiagency cooperation and local departments working towards a common goal.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 21-mj-4574-AHGCarlos Martin Quintana-Arias Residence: Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGESTitle 21, U.S.C., Sections 952 and 960 Importation of a Controlled Substance
Maximum penalty: Forty years in prison and a mandatory minimum of five years; and $5 million fine
AGENCIESHomeland Security Investigations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Zamora, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Zamora facilitated the delivery of 5 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover agent; and an additional pound of methamphetamine was found at his residence when agents executed a federal search warrant.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey prosecuted the case.
The remaining defendants are scheduled for trial on Aug. 14, 2023. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.