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Tuesday 23 August 2022
Williamsport Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Richard Ansley, age 39, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 11, 2022, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Ansley with distribution of fentanyl on December 2, 2021, and with illegally possessing a .45 caliber Glock pistol on December 6, 2021, in Lycoming County.
The matter was investigated by the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit opioid related offenses.
The maximum penalty for the most serious offense is up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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United States Enters into Agreement with Nigeria to Repatriate over $23 Million in Assets Stolen by Former Nigerian Dictator General Sani AbachaRead the Press Release
The United States, through the Department of Justice and FBI, forfeited approximately $23 million traceable to the corruption and money laundering of former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators. This money will be returned to the Nigerian people through an agreement between the Governments of the United States and the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) signed today in Abuja, Nigeria, by U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard. This repatriation will bring the total amount forfeited and returned by the Department of Justice in this case to approximately $334.7 million.
In 2014, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates for the District of Columbia entered a judgment ordering the forfeiture of approximately $500 million located in accounts around the world, as the result of a civil forfeiture complaint for more than $625 million traceable to money laundering involving the proceeds of Abacha’s corruption. In 2020, the department repatriated over $311.7 million of the forfeited assets that had been located in the Bailiwick of Jersey. Last year, the U.K. government enforced the U.S. judgment against the additional $23 million.
“This repatriation of $23 million reflects the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to recover and return corruption proceeds laundered through the U.S. financial system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“Today’s agreement illustrates the FBI’s commitment to tracing, seizing, and forfeiting the assets of corrupt foreign officials who enrich themselves by abusing their power and violating the trust of their citizens,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The repatriation of these funds back to the people of Nigeria represent an important collaboration between the United States and Nigeria. The FBI and our partners around the world remain steadfast in protecting our financial systems from those who seek to use them as a tool to hide their corrupt, criminal proceeds.”
The forfeited assets represent corrupt monies laundered during and after the military regime of General Abacha, who became Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a military coup on Nov. 17, 1993, and held that position until his death on June 8, 1998. The complaint alleges that General Abacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha, their associate Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and others embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through U.S. financial institutions and transactions in the United States. The United Kingdom’s cooperation in the investigation, restraint and enforcement of the U.S. judgement, along with the valuable contributions of Nigeria and other law enforcement partners around the world, including the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, as well as those of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, have been instrumental to the recovery of these funds.
Under the agreement signed today, the United States will transfer 100% of the net forfeited assets to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to support three critical infrastructure projects in Nigeria that were previously authorized by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian legislature. Specifically, the funds governed by this agreement will help finance the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano road – investments that will benefit the citizens of each of these important regions in Nigeria.
The agreement includes key measures to ensure transparency and accountability, including administration of the funds and projects by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), financial review by an independent auditor and monitoring by an independent civil society organization with expertise in engineering and other areas. The agreement also precludes the expenditure of funds to benefit alleged perpetrators of the corruption or to pay contingency fees for lawyers. The agreement reflects the sound principles for ensuring transparency and accountability adopted at the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) in December 2017 in Washington, D.C., which the United States and United Kingdom hosted with support from the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the World Bank and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section working in partnership with the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Through the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement agencies seek to safeguard the U.S. financial system from criminal money laundering and to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Where appropriate and possible, the department endeavors to use recovered corruption proceeds to benefit the people harmed by acts of corruption and abuse of public trust.
Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected]. The department appreciates the extensive assistance provided by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Jersey, and France in this investigation.
Uniontown Man Charged with Possessing Meth and FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating various federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on August 16 and unsealed today following his arrest, named Michael Grieve, 41, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about Feb. 8, 2022, Grieve is alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in pill form, and a quantity of fentanyl.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police along with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Provides Update on Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike ForceRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gregory K. Harris, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, joined by other regional U.S. Attorneys, provided an update this week on the cross-jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.
The Department of Justice launched the strike force in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence. Led locally by U.S. Attorney Harris, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Central District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate outside Chicago and are illegally trafficked into the city. The strike force has strengthened coordination between law enforcement in Chicago and counterparts in the locations where many of the firearms originate. In providing the update on the strike force’s efforts, U.S. Attorney Harris was joined by U.S. Attorneys from around the Midwest.
“Preventing gun violence is a top priority in our district and region,” said U.S. Attorney Harris. “These cross-jurisdictional efforts to stem illegal firearm trafficking are an important tool in making our communities safer.”
“Firearms traffickers and straw purchasers enable violence,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. “Over the past year, the cross-jurisdictional strike force has increased collaboration with our law enforcement partners and enhanced our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”
The Chicago strike force’s efforts have been substantially enhanced by the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD’s) Gun Investigations Team.
“While I am the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, this Office will continue to recognize that combatting violent crime – particularly gun crimes – requires coordinated, multi-jurisdictional efforts among federal and state prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Clifford D. Johnson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. “We know that through these combined efforts the safety of the citizens in our respective communities is improved. We want all law-abiding citizens to be able to enjoy the many cultural, social, and recreational activities in the Chicagoland area without fear of violence.”
“Whether individuals are trafficking guns from Wisconsin into Chicago or sending guns from other states into places like Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, we are fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to hold firearms traffickers and straw purchasers fully accountable,” said Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “By working together – both within our districts and across the region – we can make all of our communities safer places in which to live and work.”
“Illegal firearms traffickers help fuel the horrific gun violence inflicted on our communities and families,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with law enforcement partners across agencies and jurisdictions, our office will continue to prioritize investigations and prosecutions that stem the tide of crime guns onto the streets of all of our communities and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
“Reducing violent crime and gun crimes are top priorities of my office,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “The statements expressed here show that violent criminals cannot avoid federal prosecution by fleeing to another state. There is literally nowhere to run. We will work with our law enforcement partners across the Midwest to hold violent criminals and gun traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”
To investigate and prosecute cases as part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). State and local partners in the Northern District of Illinois include CPD, Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockford Police Department (RPD).
In the first year of the strike force, several dozen defendants have been charged or convicted in federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, as illustrated by the examples below.
Northern District of Illinois
- ARSHAD ZAYED, of Orland Hills, Ill., was charged with illegally selling 36 firearms, including “ghost guns” and machine guns, in the Chicago area. Many of the transactions occurred in a car wash that Zayed managed in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, Ill. The investigation was conducted by FBI, ATF, CPD, ISP, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
- Two Indianapolis men – DEVANTE T. BROWN and COREY SARTIN – were charged with federal firearm violations for allegedly trafficking ten guns, including four semiautomatic rifles and two “ghost guns,” from Indianapolis to Chicago. The probe was led by ATF and CPD, with assistance from the Dolton, Ill., Police Department.
- Chicago resident ANTHONY PEREZ-FLORES was charged with trafficking more than a dozen guns, including a “ghost gun” and a machine gun, in Chicago. Perez-Flores was on parole for a state firearm conviction when he allegedly sold the guns to an undercover officer. ATF, CPD, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
- DEVON DOW, of Chicago, was charged with trafficking individually manufactured “ghost guns” in Chicago. Dow allegedly sold seven “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer on the city’s South Side. The firearms were considered “ghost guns” because they contained no identifiable serial number and had been manufactured from parts collected from various sources. HSI and CPD led the probe.
- Five men were indicted for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago. The charges accuse ROBERT NARUP, of Washington, Mo., of buying firearms at gun shows throughout the United States and illegally selling them to JEROME BOYKIN, of St. Louis, Mo. Boykin then allegedly brought the guns to Chicago and sold them to ROGELIO MANCERA, of Schaumburg, Ill., in exchange for marijuana. The charges accuse Mancera, RODOLFO ORTEGA of Chicago, and HECTOR CHACON of Chicago, with selling the guns on the streets of Chicago. ATF and CPD’s Gun Investigations Team led the probe, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- A federal jury convicted JOSEPH GHANDOUR, of Glenview, Ill., of illegally selling a “ghost gun” to a convicted felon in a suburban Chicago grocery store parking lot. Unbeknownst to Ghandour, the felon to whom he sold the rifle was cooperating with law enforcement. FBI investigated.
- A man was indicted on firearm charges for allegedly straw purchasing 27 handguns from suburban Chicago stores. MATTHEW JAMAAL JOHNSON, of Dolton, Ill., allegedly falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer, when, in reality, Johnson purchased the guns on behalf of another individual. ATF and CPD led the probe.
- Chicago resident ISMAEL SENE was sentenced to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs. In one of the transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased the gun on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. ATF led the probe, with assistance from CPD.
- A suburban Chicago man was sentenced to eight and a half years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of guns from Kentucky to Chicago. Many of the guns trafficked by JOHN PHILLIPS, of Lyons, Ill., were later discovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in Chicago. The investigation was led by ATF’s Chicago office, with assistance from ATF agents in Louisville, Ky.
- PARIS STEELE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to more than six years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing shotguns and other firearms in Chicago. While Steele was on bond and awaiting trial, he appeared in videos on social media holding a firearm and threatening violence against others. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- A Chicago man was charged with making materially false statements in the acquisition of more than 20 firearms. STOVALL BUCHANAN acquired the guns from suburban Chicago firearms dealers and allegedly lied on federal forms about his home address and the actual buyer of the guns. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Chicago resident JUSTIN GARCIA was charged in August with straw purchasing handguns in a suburban Chicago store on behalf of another individual. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Two days after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, a Hammond, Ind., man was charged with conspiring to straw purchase the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting. JAMEL DANZY pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was a straw purchaser who bought the gun from a firearms dealer in Indiana at the request of a convicted felon who was found in possession of the gun after the shootings of Officer French and her partner. Danzy is awaiting sentencing. ATF and CPD led the probe.
Central District of Illinois
- JERON C. MCNEAL, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced in October 2021 to a year in federal prison for his involvement in a burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer and for giving false statements to federal law enforcement. A mob smashed the window of the business and approximately nine people entered the store and stole 29 firearms. McNeal drove a get-away car for some of the looters. McNeal’s sister, CHAYLA MCNEAL, was sentenced on the same charges in November 2021. Chayla McNeal stood outside the business, encouraged minor individuals to enter, and appeared to record the looting with her phone. Both McNeals also later lied to federal agents. In April 2021, one of the 29 guns stolen – an FNH 40 caliber pistol – was recovered by the Chicago Police Department.
- APRIL ALEXANDRIA SORIANO, of Springfield, Ill., pleaded guilty in October 2021 to making false statements during the purchase of multiple firearms. Soriano admitted to lying on ATF forms when she indicated she was purchasing the guns for herself when, in fact, she was buying them for someone else. An ATF gun trace revealed that Soriano purchased five firearms in 2019 and 2020. A 9mm Taurus handgun she purchased in East Peoria, Ill., was later discovered by law enforcement during a search of Soriano’s then-residence in Peoria, Ill. A second firearm – a 9mm Ruger handgun – that Soriano purchased in Springfield was later discovered in Chicago following a shooting incident where a victim sustained a gunshot wound.
Northern District of Indiana
- Twenty-four individuals were charged with violating various federal firearms laws, including the straw-purchasing of more than 150 firearms, lying about their eligibility to purchase more than 100 firearms, transferring firearms to a person who resided in another state, and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Approximately 30 firearms illegally purchased in Indiana were recovered by law enforcement in Chicago and the Chicagoland area, with some of the firearms being linked to shootings and seized from prohibited persons. ATF led the investigations, with assistance from law enforcement throughout the Northern District of Indiana.
Southern District of Indiana
- Six individuals were charged with straw purchasing 90 firearms, more than 20 of which were later discovered at crime scenes in Chicago. ATF led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement in Chicago.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
- In February, a Chicago man was indicted for an armed carjacking in Milwaukee. SHAMONTE BRYANT is alleged to have stolen a firearm during the carjacking, driven the stolen car and firearm from Milwaukee to Chicago, and used the firearm during a shooting in Chicago the following day. The case was investigated by FBI and the Milwaukee Police Department.
- In April, two individuals from Racine County, Wisc., were charged with conspiring to purchase firearms, alter/obliterate the serial numbers, and sell the firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, DEANDRE L. RODGERS and VIRIDIANA GARCIA-RAMIREZ are alleged to have purchased at least eleven handguns and one rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. Garcia-Ramirez entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy in July 2022. Rodgers’s case remains pending. The matter was investigated by ATF and the Racine Police Department.
- Between July 2021 and July 2022, three previously convicted felons from Fond du Lac, Wisc. – TREON DENNIS, JASON SPINKS, and SHAKIE DAVIS – entered guilty pleas and were sentenced in federal court for conspiring to have an individual straw-purchase approximately eleven firearms. According to court records, three of the firearms were recovered at crime scenes in the Chicago area. Dennis and Davis were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2022, a fourth individual charged in the case, JONATHAN GRIFFIN acknowledged the straw purchases and entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Griffin is set to be sentenced in November. The case was investigated by ATF and the Fond du Lac Police Department.
- In July, two individuals from Milwaukee – STEPHANIE GRIFFITH and WILLIE STATEN – were charged in federal court with straw-purchasing approximately 23 firearms. Staten also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three of the firearms were recovered by law enforcement, including one in Illinois. Griffith pleaded guilty, while Staten’s case is pending. The case was investigated by ATF and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Western District of Wisconsin
- SAMUEL SCHILTZ, of Waunakee, Wisc., was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally selling two handguns installed with 30-round magazines and auto sears, which converted the guns into fully automatic machine guns. Schiltz, who was on probation for a felony drug crime at the time of the sale, told an undercover agent that he also sold cocaine and prescription opiates. Schiltz offered other firearms for sale, and he offered to install auto sears on other guns. The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and ATF conducted the investigation.
In addition to the sustained focus on firearms trafficking prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices endeavor to disrupt violent crime by seeking pre-trial detention for defendants who pose a danger to the community and by pursuing appropriate prison sentences to deter dangerous individuals from continuing to cause violence in their communities. Another critical aspect of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts is Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
“A primary goal of our office is to reduce violent crime, and we will continue to use every available federal law enforcement tool to keep people safe,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
The strike force’s efforts in Chicago and throughout the country remain active and ongoing. 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.
U.S. Attorney Launches New Public Service Announcements to Help Deter Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – As part of the federal strategy to reduce violent crime, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger released two public service announcements (PSA) to further the violent crime deterrence message.
Violent Crime PSA: https://youtu.be/VFeHe0Yn1D4
Auto Sear PSA: https://youtu.be/7IOM4JdOIRA
The Violent Crime PSA and the Auto Sear PSA are publicly available on YouTube, on the U.S. Attorney’s Office social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, and have been submitted to local media outlets. For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office (612) 664-5600.
Two Walton County Men Convicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Pensacola has convicted Kenneth Ingram, 62, and Kadeem Ingram, 32, both of DeFuniak Springs, Florida for the offenses of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Kadeem Ingram was also convicted of distribution of cocaine or cocaine base which occurred on two occasions in July 2019. The guilty verdict returned on August 17, 2022, at the conclusion of a three-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“This prosecution demonstrates the collaborative efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to remove addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “We are grateful for their dedicated public service and remain committed in our efforts to investigate and vigorously prosecute criminals bringing drugs into North Florida.”
Evidence introduced during the trial revealed that the Ingrams conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. In 2019, the Ingrams took monthly trips to South Florida to procure large quantities of cocaine. The cocaine purchased, which was, in part, converted to cocaine base, was then distributed by Kadeem Ingram and a co-conspirator. A months-long investigation culminated in law enforcement seizing approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine from a vehicle the Ingrams possessed on July 13, 2019.
The Ingrams are scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers on November 16, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Both defendants face not less than five years imprisonment to 40 years and not less than four years on supervised release for the conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute convictions. Kadeem Ingram also faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and not less than three years on supervised release for the drug distribution convictions.
"It's been a long time coming for this father and son duo," said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. "This conviction, which stems from an investigation started more than two years ago, is the result of the hard work of men and women in our agency and the DEA. We are ready to see this case put to rest and are pleased with the jury's verdict."
“Drug trafficking plagues our communities, threatening the safety and health of all of our citizens,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Through our partnerships with our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, we will continue to hold those who bring this poison into our north Florida communities accountable for their actions.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Office of Homeland Security Investigations, the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Lynn Haven Police Department, the Panama City Police Department, and the Panama City Beach Police Department. First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted the case.
The prosecution, part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) OCDETF, is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to take down criminal organizations and seize assets.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Topeka Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with three counts of false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.
According to court documents, Todd Hetherington, 26, of Topeka is accused of purchasing a total of six pistols from various licensed dealers in which he allegedly falsely presented himself as the actual transferee or buyer.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Skipper Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Tracee Casselle, 35, Anthony Massengill, 25, and Taylor Sanner, 25, all of Topeka were indicted on one count of controlled substance conspiracy. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Skipper Jacobs is prosecuting.
Fatima Jaghoori, 32, of Mildford, and Habibullah Jaghoori, 39, of Wichita were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and one count each of false statement during the acquisition of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Skipper Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Three Members of Miami Crew Charged with Defrauding Banks and Cryptocurrency Exchange of More Than $4 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) in New York, announced today that ESTEBAN CABRERA DA CORTE, a/k/a “Esteban Cabrera,” a/k/a “Esteban Da Corte,” a/k/a “Steban,” LUIS HERNANDEZ GONZALEZ, a/k/a “Luis Hernandez,” a/k/a “Luisito,” and ASDRUBAL RAMIREZ MEZA (collectively, the “Defendants”) were arrested this morning for participating in a scheme to steal millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency and trick U.S. banks into refunding them for the millions used to purchase that cryptocurrency, in part by using personal identifying information stolen from other people. CABRERA, HERNANDEZ, and RAMIREZ will be presented in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Esteban Cabrera Da Corte, Luis Hernandez Gonzalez, and Asdrubal Ramirez Meza used stolen identities to buy cryptocurrency and then doubled down by disputing the transactions, deceiving U.S. banks into believing that they themselves were the victims of someone else’s fraud. Thanks to the efforts of HSI’s El Dorado Task Force, their duplicity has been uncovered and they now face serious federal charges.”
HSI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky J. Patel said: “Cabrera, Hernandez, and Ramirez coordinated this large-scale operation to launder millions of dollars through cryptocurrency exchanges and U.S. banks, ultimately exploiting both the virtual currency market and the U.S. financial system. Today’s arrests demonstrate how HSI, along with the U.S. Secret Service and our partners at the Southern District of New York, will continue to work together to leverage the transparency of cryptocurrency transactions to follow the trail of illicit funds and pierce the veil of anonymity.”
As alleged in the Indictment[1] unsealed today, from at least in or about 2020 through at least in or about March 2020, CABRERA, HERNANDEZ, and RAMIREZ engaged in a scheme to deceive U.S. banks and a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform (the “Cryptocurrency Exchange”) by purchasing more than $4 million in cryptocurrency and then falsely claiming that the cryptocurrency purchase transactions were unauthorized, deceiving the U.S. banks and the Cryptocurrency Exchange into reversing those transactions and redepositing the money into the bank accounts that the Defendants controlled. The Defendants then withdrew the money from the bank accounts.
To effect this scheme, the Defendants opened accounts with the Cryptocurrency Exchange, frequently using photos of fake U.S. passports, fake drivers’ licenses, and stolen personal identifying information. The Cryptocurrency Exchange accounts were linked to bank accounts that the Defendants controlled. The Defendants used money that had been deposited into the linked bank accounts, frequently through a series of cash deposits made using ATMs, to purchase cryptocurrency. That cryptocurrency was then quickly transferred to other cryptocurrency wallets outside of the Cryptocurrency Exchange that were controlled by the Defendants and their co-conspirators. After the cryptocurrency was transferred, the Defendants made telephone calls to the U.S. banks during which they falsely represented that the cryptocurrency purchases were unauthorized, leading the banks to reverse the transactions.
The operation of this scheme by the Defendants resulted in U.S. banks processing more than $4 million in fraudulent reversals and the Cryptocurrency Exchange losing more than $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency.
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CABRERA, 26, HERNANDEZ, 23, and RAMIREZ, 34, all of Miami, Florida, are charged with (1) conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; (2) wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and (3) aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison, to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed. CABRERA is also charged with engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in these cases are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the Homeland Security Investigation’s El Dorado Task Force for its outstanding work on the investigation.
The matter is being handled by the Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Deininger is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] The text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Three Armed Carjackers Who Shot Federal Agents Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Barium Martin, 19, Julius Armstrong, 19, and Adairius Armstrong, 20, have pled guilty
to armed carjacking crimes. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney, announced the guilty
verdict today.According to information presented in court, in May of 2021, Barium Martin, Adairius Armstrong,
Julius Armstrong, and another co-defendant participated in a string of carjackings, which
culminated in the shooting of two federal agents.On May 5, 2021, two suspects approached victims "C.N." and "M.C." while they were sitting in C.N.'s
vehicle. One suspect, later identified as Adairius Armstrong, demanded the victims get out of the
vehicle as he pointed an assault rifle at their heads. The suspects took the victims' belongings
and fled in C.N.'s 2015 Hyundai. The suspects returned shortly and stole M.C.'s 2012 Mercedes.On May 6, 2021, Adairius Armstrong and Julius Armstrong approached victim "L.P." while she was
sitting in her 2017 Nissan. Adairius Armstrong tapped on L.P.'s window with an assault rifle and
demanded the keys. L.P. fled as Julius Armstrong got into the passenger seat armedwith a handgun.
The two then stole L.P.'s vehicle and fled the scene.On May 7, 2021, Julius Armstrong approached victim "N.R." armed with an assault rifle as she
checked the tire of her 2021 Nissan. Julius Armstrong demanded that N.R. give her phone, purse, and
keys to him. The gunman got into her car and drove eastbound on Jackson Avenue along with a Honda
CRV, driven by Barium Martin. Adairius Armstrong also participated, his fingerprints were found
inside of the carjacked vehicle. Also on May 7, 2021, at 1:40 a.m., victim “E.G.,” was traveling
south on Montgomery approaching the Parkway when a tan SUV cut her off, making the victim come to a
complete stop. A gunman stepped out of the passenger side of the SUV holding an assault rifle,
demanding her to get out of the car as he threatened to kill her. The victim got out of the vehicle and the suspect got in her car and both vehicles left traveling south. Barium Martin was identified as
the driver of the tan SUV.Later that same day, at approximately 2:30 p.m., special agents from the ATF and officers from the
Memphis Police Department Violent Crime Unit, received information that MPD patrol officers pursued
and lost track of another stolen vehicle, but later recovered the vehicle near Alabama and Mosby.
Video from the area showed that four suspects emerged from the stolen vehicle, including one
carrying what appeared to be a rifle. ATF and VCU officers observed a vehicle of interest and began
to follow it near Dunlap and Mosby. The suspect vehicle then turned on Leath and stopped. A
sergeant with MPD pulled his vehicle in front of the suspect vehicle.An ATF agent observed a man wearing a red hoodie, later identified as Barium Martin, outside of the
vehicle raise a rifle at the officers. Another witness observed Julius Armstrong raise a rifle and
begin shooting. The witness observed Julius Armstrong move toward the driveway as he shot his
weapon before he jumped a gate and ran. The suspects fired approximately 10-20 shots at the special
agent and sergeant, who were both struck by gunfire but survived their injuries and have since
returned to full duty status.On August 10, 2022, Barium Martin pled guilty to two carjackings, the use of a firearm during a
carjacking, and the shooting of the ATF agent and Memphis Police Sergeant. Sentencing for Martin is
set for November 10, 2022, before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker.On August 11, 2022, Adairius Armstrong pled guilty to four carjackings and the use of a firearm
during two of the carjackings. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years in federal prison.
Sentencing for Adairius Armstrong is set for November 10,2022, before United States District Judge
Thomas L. Parker.On August 18, 2022, Julius Armstrong pled guilty to two carjackings, the use of a firearm during a
carjacking, the shooting of the ATF Agent and Memphis Police Sergeant, and the discharge of a
firearm during the shooting of the officers. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in
federal prison. Sentencing for Julius Armstrong is set for November 9, 2022, before United States
District Judge Thomas L. Parker.There is one remaining co-defendant who is currently scheduled for trial in November 2022. The
charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty. There is no parole in the federal system.“These violent offenders victimized and terrorized five citizens and two law enforcement officers.
They repeatedly showed total disregard for human life and personal property. Carjackings and the
prevalence of guns on our streets continue to plague our communities at alarming and unacceptable
rates and the ATF will continue to work with our state, local, and federal partners to remove
violent criminals from the communities that we serve,” said Mickey French, ATF Special Agent in
Charge, Nashville Field Office.“This conviction sends a clear message that offenders who commit armed carjackings and shoot at our
law enforcement partners will be expeditiously caught, prosecuted, and ultimately held accountable
for their violent actions,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s
Memphis Division, Douglas M. Korneski. “The FBI and our federal and local partners will continue to
combine our resources and share our expertise to target those who perpetrate similar heinous acts."This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI’s
Safe Streets Task Force, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, and with assistance from the Shelby County
District Attorney’s Office.Assistant United States Attorney’s Dean DeCandia, Elizabeth Rogers, and Greg Wagner are prosecuting
this case on behalf of the government.
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Tennessee State Representative and Former Chief of Staff Charged with Bribery and Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Tennessee state representative and his former chief of staff were arrested today at their homes on criminal charges related to a bribery and kickback conspiracy.
According to court documents, State Representative Glen Casada, 63, of Franklin, and Cade Cothren, 35, of Nashville, are charged with conspiracy to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both will make initial appearances in federal court later today.
According to allegations in the indictment, beginning in and around October 2019, Casada – while representing Tennessee House District 63; Cothren; and another conspirator – also a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, engaged in a fraudulent scheme to enrich themselves by exploiting Casada and the other conspirator’s official positions as legislators to obtain state approval of a company called Phoenix Solutions as vendor to provide constituent mail services to members of the Tennessee General Assembly. Casada, Cothren, and the other conspirator further allegedly sought to obtain State funds for Phoenix Solutions, Casada’s political consulting business, and a political consulting business owned by the other conspirator. Casada and the other conspirator are alleged to have enriched themselves by obtaining bribes and kickbacks from Cothren, in exchange for securing the approval of Phoenix Solutions as a mailer program vendor.
The indictment alleges that the conspirators told members of the Tennessee General Assembly that Phoenix Solutions was run by an individual named “Matthew Phoenix,” an experienced political consultant who had previously worked for a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm. In fact, Cothren operated Phoenix Solutions, and Casada, Cothren, and the other conspirator allegedly knew that “Matthew Phoenix” was a fictitious person and secretly profited from the fraudulent venture. Casada, Cothren, and the other conspirator allegedly concealed their involvement in Phoenix Solutions by submitting sham invoices to the State of Tennessee in the names of political consulting companies owned by Casada and the other conspirator, for the purpose of secretly funneling money from the State to Phoenix Solutions through the bank accounts of these companies. In 2020, these companies and Phoenix Solutions allegedly received approximately $51,947 from the State in payments associated with the mailer program.
If convicted, Casada and Cothren each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for certain individual counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John P. Taddei of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tennessee State Representative & Former Chief of Staff Indicted in Bribery & Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –Tennessee State Representative Glen Casada, 63, of Franklin, Tennessee, and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren, 35, of Nashville, were indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday and charged with conspiracy to commit the following offenses: theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both were arrested at their homes this morning by FBI agents and will make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later today.
The announcement was made by Mark H. Wildasin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
The 20-count indictment, unsealed this morning, also charges Casada and Cothren with using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud; theft concerning programs receiving federal funds; eight counts of money laundering; six counts of honest services wire fraud; and two counts of bribery and kickbacks.
According to the indictment, beginning in and around October 2019, Casada, while representing Tennessee House District 63, Cothren, and another conspirator, also a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, engaged in a fraudulent scheme to enrich themselves by exploiting Casada and the other conspirator’s official positions as legislators to obtain State approval of Phoenix Solutions as a Mailer Program vendor to provide constituent mail services to members of the Tennessee General Assembly. Casada, Cothren, and the other conspirator further sought to obtain State funds for Phoenix Solutions, Casada’s political consulting business, and a political consulting business owned by the other conspirator. It was further part of the conspiracy for Casada and the other conspirator to enrich themselves by obtaining bribes and kickbacks from Cothren, in exchange for securing the approval of Phoenix Solutions as a mailer program vendor.
The indictment alleges that Casada and the other conspirator told members of the Tennessee General Assembly that Phoenix Solutions was run by an individual named “Matthew Phoenix,” an experienced political consultant who had previously worked for a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm. In fact, Cothren operated Phoenix Solutions, and Casada, Cothren, and the other conspirator knew that “Matthew Phoenix” was a fictitious person and secretly profited from the fraudulent venture. Casada, Cothren, and the other conspirator concealed their involvement in Phoenix Solutions by submitting sham invoices to the State of Tennessee in the names of political consulting companies owned by Casada and the other conspirator, for the purpose of secretly funneling money from the State to Phoenix Solutions through the bank accounts of these companies. In 2020, these companies and Phoenix solutions received approximately $51,947 from the State in payments associated with the mailer program.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation in which the United States seeks to recover all proceeds of the crimes, including a money judgement representing the value of the proceeds traceable to any offense of conviction.
If convicted, Casada and Cothren each face up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf and Trial attorney John P. Taddei of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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St. Petersburg Felon Sentenced to Ten Years for Possessing A Firearm During Drug RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Chris Boone (25, St. Petersburg) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Boone to forfeit a Hi-Point (model 4995) .45 ACP caliber rifle and ammunition, which are traceable to the offense. Boone had pleaded guilty on April 12, 2022.
According to court documents, in January 2020, Boone agreed to participate in the robbery of a house where narcotics were being sold. On January 2, 2020, Boone went to a house in St. Petersburg with his co-conspirators to conduct the robbery. Boone’s role was to engage in a drug deal and act as a decoy. When Boone arrived at the home, he went to one of the bedrooms to purchase narcotics. His co-conspirators then entered the home and began firing shots. Boone, a convicted felon, armed himself with a rifle while in the bedroom, and fired the weapon multiple times inside the house before fleeing. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene, searched the premises, and found a Hi-Point (model 4995) .45 ACP caliber rifle on the living room sofa. Forensic testing revealed Boone’s DNA on the rifle. During an interview with law enforcement, Boone admitted that he was a felon and that he had fired the rifle multiple times after his co-conspirators entered the residence and opened fire.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas Park Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis man sentenced to 7 years for sex act with minorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man who had sexual contact with a 15-year-old he met online to seven years in prison.
Michael S. Bakale met the then-15-year-old girl via an app in 2016. Over roughly six weeks, their conversation grew sexual and Bakale suggested the two meet. On Oct. 2, 2016, Bakale picked her up from a local mall and took her to a motel, where they engaged in oral sex.
Bakale, 39, pleaded guilty in May to a charge of coercion of a minor into an illegal sex act. There is no statue of limitations for that crime.
Bakale also faces a pending felony charge of statutory sodomy in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The FBI and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis man sentenced to 42 ½ years for drug-linked murderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man to 42 ½ years in prison for his role in a fatal drug robbery.
Jerell Henderson, 32, and four others agreed to rob Ladareace Pool, 26, of drugs and money on Oct. 3, 2017 in the 4700 block of Goodfellow Boulevard, where Henderson and the others were selling drugs. During the armed robbery, Pool tried to run away and was shot twice in the back.
Henderson pleaded guilty in April, as his trial was set to begin, to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to possess one or more firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of possession, brandishing, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking resulting in Pool’s death.
Three of Henderson’s co-defendants, Stephan Jones, Larenta Jones, and Floyd Barber, have previously been convicted in this matter. Barber awaits sentencing. Judge Autrey sentenced Larenta Jones to 30 years in prison and Stephan Jones, the driver that day, to five years on a single drug charge.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
St. Louis County man admits $281,000 worth of fraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County on Tuesday admitted using stolen identities in a series of frauds that cost victims $281,669.
From October 2019 through November 2021, Michael Worsham, 33, bought vehicles using stolen identities, took out bank loans in the names of others and stole checks and then altered and cashed them.
Worsham admitted using stolen or false identification to buy a 2015 Mustang, a black Chevy Avalanche and a 2021 Suzuki motorcycle. He also admitted paying a friend to use a stolen identity to buy a 2021 Honda motorcycle. He unsuccessfully tried to buy a $17,841 Ford Mustang GT.
Worsham also took out a series of loans, ranging from $1,300 that he obtained from Ace Cash Express to $55,000 that he spent from one bank account, his plea agreement says.
Worsham altered checks and then deposited them. In two days during July of 2021, he deposited four checks and reaped $50,230 in cash. He opened an account in the name of a business and deposited two checks totaling $35,210.
On June 11, 2021, Worsham told O’Fallon, Missouri police officers that he obtained stolen identities using information that he had purchased online and then applied for loans online, estimating that he’d committed $200,000 in fraudulent activity, his plea agreement says. Worsham said he committed fraud to buy drugs and gamble.
Worsham pleaded guilty Tuesday in front of U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry to two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Each wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The bank fraud charges each carry a penalty of up to 30 years and a $1 million fine and the identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of at least two years consecutive to any other sentence.
Worsham is scheduled to be sentenced in November. He will also be ordered to forfeit money and property equal to the losses due to his schemes.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, aided by a number of police departments including those in Maryland Heights, Arnold, O’Fallon, St. Louis County and St. Louis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
South L.A. Gang Member Who Sold Methamphetamine and Crack Cocaine at His Storefront Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the Hoover Criminals Gang pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for conspiring to distribute narcotics, including crack cocaine and methamphetamine, which were sold at his storefront in South Los Angeles.
Andrew Tate, 54, a.k.a. “Batman,” of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is the lead defendant in an indictment targeting the gang's members and associates as part of an investigation dubbed “Operation Hoover Dam.”
According to his plea agreement, Tate owned a business named TNN Market and he sold methamphetamine, crack cocaine and powder cocaine from it. Tate and co-defendant Bobby Lorenzo Reed, 58, a.k.a. “Zo” and “Z,” who owned the South Los Angeles-based store H&E Smoke and Snack Shop, referred customers to one another, supplied one another, and directed their employees to engage in drug sales and referrals in dozens of narcotics transactions from June 2017 to May 2018.
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. scheduled a December 13 sentencing hearing, at which time Tate will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
In total, federal prosecutors have secured 10 convictions in this case.
Reed pleaded guilty on June 7 to federal criminal charges in this case and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13. On June 22, co-defendant Willie Alsha Hill, 51, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna Williams and Jason Pang of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Sexual Abuse Charges Against Former Federal Prison Warden Expanded to Include Two Additional Inmate VictimsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury issued an eight count superseding indictment today charging former federal prison warden Ray J. Garcia with seven counts of sexually abusive conduct against three female victims who were serving prison sentences and one count of making false statements to government agents, announced U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Los Angeles Field Office Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan.
At the time of the eight offenses, Garcia, 55, of Merced, California, was employed as the Associate Warden or as the Warden of the Federal Correctional Institute Dublin (FCI Dublin), an all-female low security federal correctional institution in Alameda County. Garcia was initially charged by a complaint filed on September 24, 2021, that alleged he committed one count of sexual abuse of a ward. A federal grand jury thereafter issued an indictment on November 2, 2021, charging Garcia with two counts of sexual abuse of a ward who was identified only as “Victim 1.” Victim 1 was described in the indictment as a female inmate serving a prison sentence at FCI Dublin.
Today, the federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment against Garcia, now charging him with three counts of sexual abuse of Victim 1 and one count of abusive sexual contact with Victim 1, all while she was a prisoner at FCI Dublin. These counts are alleged to have occurred from December 2019 to March 2020.
The superseding indictment further charges Garcia with sexual offenses against two additional females serving prison sentences at FCI Dublin. These females are identified only as “Victim 2” and “Victim 3.” The superseding indictment charges Garcia with two counts of abusive sexual contact with Victim 2, both acts occurring in the period from January to July 2021. The superseding indictment also charges Garcia with one count of abusive sexual contact with Victim 3. The abusive sexual contact is alleged to have occurred during the period from March to September 2020.
Lastly, the superseding indictment charges Garcia with one count of making false statements to a government agency on July 22, 2021. On that date, Garcia is alleged to have stated to a government agency that he had never asked inmates to be undressed for him at a specific time nor had he ever touched an inmate inappropriately. The charge alleges that Garcia knew these statements to be untrue because he had asked multiple inmates to undress for him at a specific time and had touched Victim 1, Victim 2, and Victim 3 in a sexual manner.
Garcia is out of custody and his initial appearance on the superseding indictment has not yet been scheduled. However, Garcia is set to begin a jury trial on the charges against him on November 21, 2022, in front of United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Garcia is charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b). If convicted, he faces a maximum period of imprisonment of 15 years for each count of conviction. Garcia is also charged with four counts of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4). If convicted, he faces a maximum period of imprisonment of 2 years for each count of conviction. Garcia is lastly charged with making false statements to a government agency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). If convicted of this offense, he faces a maximum penalty of 8 years imprisonment. For each conviction of the above offenses, Garcia faces a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The case is being prosecuted by AUSAs Molly Priedeman and Andrew Paulson with the assistance of Leeya Kekona. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DOJ-OIG and the FBI.
Serial Armed Robber Who Escaped from Kentucky Jail Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY – Anthony Martinez, 32, of Scottsburg, Indiana, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbing a credit union and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in the Southern District of Indiana and robbing four banks in the Western District of Kentucky.
According to court documents, between November 13, 2015, and January 14, 2020, Martinez robbed four banks in Louisville, Kentucky and a credit union in Madison, Indiana. Armed and disguised, Martinez entered the institutions, demanded money, and threatened to shoot the employees if they did not comply with his demands. Martinez brandished his firearm, sometimes attempting to shoot it into the air, bound his victims with zip ties, and ordered them to the vault or bathroom—telling them not to come out for 10 minutes while he escaped. Martinez stole a total of $377,775.
Martinez was arrested on February 13, 2020, by the Louisville Metro Robbery Unit and detained in the custody of the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections. On September 29, 2020, Martinez escaped from jail. On October 13, 2020, federal and local law enforcement officers located and arrested Martinez in Hanover, Indiana.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Michael A. Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Louisville Metro Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Indiana State Police. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that Martinez be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison. Martinez is also ordered to pay $377,775 in restitution to the victim banks. Martinez was originally scheduled to be sentenced August 19, 2022, but the hearing was rescheduled after law enforcement officers transporting Martinez observed him attempt to remove his handcuffs, which had been tampered with using a small piece of metal in the keyhole.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley who prosecuted this case.
Rockford Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms.
KIANA MARTIN, 30, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard in Rockford.
Martin pleaded guilty on May 18, 2022, to misrepresenting to federally licensed firearms dealers that she was the actual transferee or buyer of firearms when, in fact, she was not the actual transferee or buyer of the firearms. In a plea agreement, Martin admitted that on multiple dates she knowingly made false and fictitious written statements to the firearms dealers in connection with the acquisition of firearms, and then transferred those firearms to known felons who could not legally purchase them.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Carla Redd, Chief of the Rockford Police Department. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.
Repeat Offender Is Sentenced to 9+ Years in Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A repeat offender on federal supervised release was sentenced to prison today for illegally possessing a loaded firearm, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Corey Donnell Jenkins, 37, of Gastonia, N.C., was ordered to serve 112 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in December 2021 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, Jenkins has a criminal history that includes state convictions for possession with intent to sell or deliver drugs and assault on a female, and a federal conviction for illegal possession of a firearm. On January 16, 2021, a CMPD officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle Jenkins was driving for a license plate violation. Jenkins failed to stop his vehicle and instead sped away. Law enforcement followed Jenkins and continued to attempt to pull over the vehicle. Jenkins eventually crashed into another car and then fled on foot into a nearby fast food restaurant. Court records show that, while inside the restaurant, Jenkins attempted to dispose of his loaded firearm. When CMPD officers entered the fast food restaurant, Jenkins escaped through the drive through window. He was apprehended shortly thereafter outside of the restaurant and was taken into custody. Officers also retrieved the firearm Jenkins was carrying, which was a loaded .38 special revolver that had been reported stolen. At the time of the incident, Jenkins was on supervised release stemming from a 2013 federal gun conviction and was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
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In July 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina launched Think Again, an informational campaign to educate the public on
how to prevent illegal firearms from getting into the wrong hands. The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with the ATF in this initiative, in a joint effort to reduce gun-induced violence and to increase reporting of illegal firearms. The campaign encourages the public to submit an anonymous tip about illegal firearms and other criminal activity to the ATF by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), via text at 63975, or online at WWW.ATF.GOV/ATF-TIPS.
For additional information about our Think Again initiative, please visit our website. You can view our Think Again Public Service Announcements here.
Repeat Felon from Indianapolis Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Domestic Disturbance CallRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – James Hoskins, 41, of Indianapolis, was indicted by a federal grand jury for the federal crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on June 20, 2022, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) were dispatched to South Belmont Street on a report of a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers learned that Hoskins and his wife had been arguing, and that during the argument, Hoskins had threatened, physically assaulted, and pointed a handgun at his wife. Police located the gun and arrested Hoskins.
Hoskins is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony convictions. Hoskins was convicted of forgery and theft in 2012, escape and burglary in 2016, and synthetic identity deception in 2018, all felony convictions in Marion County, Indiana.
Hoskins made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
The ATF is investigating the case. IMPD provided valuable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Fugate who is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Remaining Defendants Convicted in Conspiracy to Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen WhitmerRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – A federal jury today convicted two men charged in connection with a conspiracy to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.
Adam Fox, of Wyoming, Michigan, and Barry Croft Jr., of Bear, Delaware, were found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap the governor and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property. Croft was additionally convicted of knowingly possessing an unregistered destructive device, specifically an improvised explosive wrapped in pennies for shrapnel.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fox and Croft intended to kidnap Governor Whitmer from her vacation cottage near Elk Rapids, Michigan and use the destructive devices to facilitate their plot by harming and hindering the governor’s security detail and any responding law enforcement officers.
“Today’s verdict confirms this plot was very real and very dangerous,” said former U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge for the Western District of Michigan, appointed to oversee the trial. “These men posed a threat not only to the Governor personally but also to bystanders. No elected leader should have to contend with what Governor Whitmer faced here. She deserves to live in safety, not in fear, just like everyone else in our State. All of our elected leaders deserve that, and the Justice Department will not tolerate violent extremist plots of this nature seeking to undermine our democracy”
“These defendants believed their anti-government views justified violence,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Today’s verdict sends a clear message that they were wrong in their assessment. Violence is never the answer. The FBI will continue to investigate anyone who seeks to engage in violence in furtherance of any ideological cause and hold them accountable.”
Co-conspirator Ty Garbin was sentenced to six years in prison in August 2021 after pleading guilty to the original indictment charging him with conspiracy to kidnap Governor Whitmer. Co-defendant Kaleb James Franks also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to kidnap charge in February 2022 and is awaiting sentencing. Co-defendants Daniel Joseph Harris and Brandon Michael-Ray Caserta were acquitted of charges at trial earlier this year.
The kidnapping conspiracy and the conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction are punishable by up to life in prison. Possession of an unregistered destructive device and the possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle are each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The presiding judge, Judge Robert Jonker, will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Detroit Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including Michigan State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nils Kessler and Chris O’Connor conducted this retrial with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and Taryn Meeks of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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Readout of Justice Department Officials’ Remarks to National Association of Election OfficialsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. met today with a bipartisan group of election officials at the 37th Annual National Conference of The National Association of Election Officials.
Assistant Attorney General Polite discussed the ongoing work of the department’s Election Threats Task Force, including sharing intelligence, data, and analysis.
Assistant Attorney General Polite told participants that over the past year, the task force has held approximately 40 meetings, presentations, and trainings with the election community, state and local prosecutors, state and local law enforcement, vendors providing services to support election administration, and major social media companies.
Assistant Attorney General Polite thanked the election community for engaging directly with the task force in various ways over the past year. He stressed the importance that those lines of communication stay open ahead of election season and reminded the election community of the individual points of contact they have in every FBI field office in the country.
Assistant Attorney General Polite also briefed the election community on available funds for enhanced security for election offices, and the availability of additional resources from both academic and non-governmental organizations. Assistant Attorney General Polite and Principal Deputy Chief John Keller of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section also highlighted recent federal charges against an individual accused of making a threat to an Arizona election official.
Putnam County Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Jason Lloyd Sweat (41, Palatka) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for receiving visual depictions of a minor forced to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The court also ordered Sweat to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to forfeit the cellphone he had used in the commission of the offense. Sweat had pleaded guilty on March 8, 2022, and has been detained since his arrest on January 14, 2022.
According to court documents, in September 2021, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information documenting the upload of nine files of child sexual abuse material over the internet. Further investigation led agents to an online account used by Sweat for which HSI obtained a federal search warrant. Upon a search of the account, agents found the reported files as well as multiple additional files depicting child sexual abuse.
Agents interviewed Sweat at the Putnam County jail, where he was serving a term of incarceration for nonpayment of child support. Sweat acknowledged that he viewed child sexual abuse files and claimed to do so as a “dope-infested curiosity.” Sweat said he downloaded the files from an online chatroom and had viewed them three to four times. The files showed the abuse of young children, including infants and toddlers.
At sentencing, the United States introduced evidence of Sweat engaged in sexual conduct with adults while discussing the sexual abuse of children. Sweat also viewed child sexual abuse material while engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“The vigilant efforts of technology providers and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children assisted in the identification and prosecution of this predator. The uploading of child sexual abuse material continues the abuse of the innocent victims,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to our outstanding law enforcement partnership with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, this predator will now pay for his deviant actions.”
This case was investigated by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Oregon white supremacist pleads guilty to hate crime and false statement chargesRead the Press Release
Seattle – An Oregon man pleaded guilty yesterday to hate crime and false statement charges in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Randy Smith, 42, pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime for his participation in the assault of T.S., a Black man, which occurred because of the man’s actual and perceived race. Smith assaulted T.S. at a bar in Lynnwood, Washington on Dec. 8, 2018.
In his plea agreement, Smith admitted that, at the time of the assault, he was a member of a white supremacist support group. On December 8, 2018, Smith entered a bar in Lynnwood, Washington, with others, including fellow support group members as well as members of a higher-level white supremacist group. Smith wore clothing and patches indicating his group membership and gave a “Nazi salute” as he entered the bar. While inside, Smith assaulted T.S, a Black man who was serving as the disc jockey at the bar, because he believed that T.S. was being disrespectful to the members of the white supremacist groups. Smith repeatedly punched T.S., while others punched, kicked, and/or stomped on T.S. and called T.S. racial slurs. As a result of the assault, T.S. suffered bodily injuries. Two bystanders attempted to intervene to help T.S. and stop the assault. Both bystanders were assaulted by members of the white supremacist groups, and both sustained injuries.
In addition to the hate crime charge, Smith pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about circumstances surrounding the assault. Specifically, Smith falsely claimed to the agents that he did not remember anyone calling T.S. a racial slur during the assault. This statement was false, in that Smith knew he and others called T.S. racial slurs before, during, and after the assault. Smith made this false statement to the FBI because he wanted to cover up the motive for the assault, which was the bias that he and others had against T.S.’s race.
Smith will be sentenced on November 18. The hate crime charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. The false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
Smith was charged in an indictment that was unsealed on December 18, 2020. The seven-count indictment also charged three other men, each aiding and abetting one another, with punching and kicking T.S. while making derogatory comments about his actual and perceived race. The indictment further charged Smith and the three other men with assaulting two men who intervened to protect T.S. during the attack, as well as with making false statements to the FBI during the course of their investigation. Two of these three men, Jason DeSimas and Daniel Dorson, previously pleaded guilty in this matter.
Smith also pleaded guilty to an unlawful possession of a firearm charge, arising from conduct in Oregon in 2020. In the plea agreement, Smith admitted that he unlawfully possessed a Ruger 9mm pistol despite knowing that he had being previously convicted of a felony. The indictment for this charge was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in August 2020 and later transferred to the Western District of Washington. The unlawful possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William McLaren of the District of Oregon.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown of the Western District of Washington and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI, with the support of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Cohen and Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Oregon White Supremacist Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime and False Statement Charges in Connection with Assault of a Black ManRead the Press Release
An Oregon man pleaded guilty to hate crime and false statement charges in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Randy Smith, 42, pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime for his participation in the assault of T.S., a Black man, which occurred because of the man’s actual and perceived race. Smith assaulted T.S. at a bar in Lynnwood, Washington, on Dec. 8, 2018.
In his plea agreement, Smith admitted that, at the time of the assault, he was a member of a white supremacist support group. On Dec. 8, 2018, Smith entered a bar in Lynnwood, Washington, with others, including fellow support group members as well as members of a higher-level white supremacist group. Smith wore clothing and patches indicating his group membership and gave a “Nazi salute” as he entered the bar. While inside, Smith assaulted T.S, a Black man who was serving as the disc jockey at the bar, because he believed that T.S. was being disrespectful to the members of the white supremacist groups. Smith repeatedly punched T.S., while others punched, kicked, and/or stomped on T.S. and called T.S. racial slurs. As a result of the assault, T.S. suffered bodily injuries. Two bystanders attempted to intervene to help T.S. and stop the assault. Both bystanders were assaulted by members of the white supremacist groups, and both sustained injuries.
In addition to the hate crime charge, Smith pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about circumstances surrounding the assault. Specifically, Smith falsely claimed to the agents that he did not remember anyone calling T.S. a racial slur during the assault. This statement was false, in that Smith knew he and others called T.S. racial slurs before, during and after the assault. Smith made this false statement to the FBI because he wanted to cover up the motive for the assault, which was the bias that he and others had against T.S.’s race.
Smith will be sentenced on Nov. 18. The hate crime charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
Smith was charged in an indictment that was unsealed on Dec. 18, 2020. The seven-count indictment also charged three other men, each aiding and abetting one another, with punching and kicking T.S. while making derogatory comments about his actual and perceived race. The indictment further charged Smith and the three other men with assaulting two men who intervened to protect T.S. during the attack, as well as with making false statements to the FBI during the course of their investigation. Two of these three men, Jason DeSimas and Daniel Dorson, previously pleaded guilty in this matter.
Smith also pleaded guilty to an unlawful possession of a firearm charge, arising from conduct in Oregon in 2020. In the plea agreement, Smith admitted that he unlawfully possessed a Ruger 9mm pistol despite knowing that he had being previously convicted of a felony. The indictment for this charge was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in August 2020 and later transferred to the Western District of Washington. The unlawful possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William McLaren of the District of Oregon.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown for the Western District of Washington made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI, with the support of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Cohen of the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Weapons ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant, DARIUS WILLIAMS a/k/a “D-Nice,” of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on August 10, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk to a prison term of eighty (80) months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, 922(g)(1). Judge Africk also ordered that WILLIAMS be placed on supervised release for a term of three (3) years following his release from imprisonment. WILLIAMS was also ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to documents filed in federal court, on October 30, 2020, WILLIAMS was observed openly brandishing a weapon while walking through the Pigeon Town neighborhood of New Orleans by New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) detectives. In 2019, WILLIAMS was convicted of drug possession in Jefferson Parish, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than one year. As such, WILLIAMS is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisted NOPD in the arrest of WILLIAMS on October 30, 2020.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Multi-Convicted Felon with Ghost Ar-15 Pistol Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Keo Ibua Mike (29, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Mike faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on or about November 7, 2019, law enforcement officers arrested Mike on outstanding warrants at an Ocala house that smelled strongly of marijuana. Investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and MDMA from the home. They also located three loaded firearms in the attic, including an AR-15 “ghost” pistol (with no manufacturer markings) and an AK-47 rifle. Photos from Mike’s social media account showed him holding the AR-15 pistol hours before the arrest. DNA testing by the FBI later conclusively linked him to other two firearms. Mike’s prior felony convictions include aggravated assault with a firearm (2009) and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (2014). As a convicted felon, Mike is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Mount Dora Convicted Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Woodrow Milton Butler (39, Mount Dora) on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Butler has nine prior state felony convictions, including armed burglary of a dwelling (2002), sale of cocaine (2008), and fleeing and eluding law enforcement (2012). On March 21, 2019, Butler possessed a Glock pistol. As a convicted felon, Butler is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the City of Eustis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Michigan man admits trafficking fentanyl on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Michigan man admitted on Aug. 22 to bringing fentanyl pills to the Rocky Boy’s Indian reservation for distribution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Romeiro Mased Williams, aka Rico, 30, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Williams faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for Dec. 8. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Williams was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2020, the FBI was investigating a number of individuals from the Detroit area who were suspected to be distributing fentanyl on and around the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. The FBI learned in mid-December that one of the individuals from this group, identified as Williams, was picked up at the Great Falls airport and taken to a home on Rocky Boy’s. Williams and John Doe, the resident of the home, were seen with pills and cash. The FBI executed a search warrant at the residence. Williams, John Doe and others were present. Officers seized about $920 in cash from Williams’ pocket and a bag of fentanyl was found on the floor. Williams claimed to have traveled from Michigan to Rocky Boy’s looking for a better place to live and denied ever seeing pills and knowing anything about drug trafficking. John Doe and others at the residence stated that Williams, had in fact, brought the pills that were seized. John Doe also admitted to helping Williams connect with local drug purchasers. Approximately 179 pills were submitted for DEA testing, and all tested pills contained fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Tri Agency Task Force, Russell Country High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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Mexican national faces federal drug trafficking charges in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Carlos Arturo “Ochenta” Quintana, 40, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the United States.
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Quintana, along with 10 other co-defendants, on July 23, 2015. According to the indictment and other court records, in February and March 2011, Quintana, Jesus Salas-Aguayo, Elmy Hermosillo, Raul Corella-Hernandez and Jorge Adrian Ortega-Gallegos allegedly distributed over 100 kilograms of marijuana to be imported into the United States for the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization (VCFO).
The VCFO is a transnational criminal enterprise based in Chihuahua, Mexico, and is responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics into the United States. The VCFO is one of the oldest and most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico. Since its beginnings, the cartel has focused on drug trafficking, but has expanded into other criminal activities such as human trafficking, arms trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and large-scale commercial gasoline theft from the Mexican government.
Quintana was extradited to the United States and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on Aug. 18. Quintana made an initial appearance in federal court on Aug. 19, and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Quintana faces a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Las Cruces-Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Quintana from Mexico, and the Department thanks the Government of Mexico for the extradition.
U.S. Attorney Uballez and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Randy Castellano are prosecuting the case.
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Marmaduke Woman Sentenced to a Year of Home Confinement for False Social Security StatementsRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Marmaduke woman who fraudulently obtained more than $96,000 in Social Security Administration funds was sentenced yesterday afternoon for making false statements to the United States government. United States District Court Judge Lee Rudofsky sentenced Tammy Jean Hogan, 58, to five years of probation with one year to be served in home confinement. Judge Rudofsky also ordered Hogan to pay a $9,600 fine and $96,397 in restitution as well as perform 400 hours of community service.
In February 2020, a referral to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit alleged that Hogan, who served as representative payee for her husband, was concealing numerous properties the couple owned from 2009 through 2021. Investigation revealed that Hogan intentionally concealed household income and resources in order to maintain her husband’s eligibility from August 2009 through March 2021, resulting in $96,397 being paid to Hogan.
A grand jury indicted Hogan in May 2021, and she pleaded guilty in April 2022. The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration OIG, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Jegley.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Marion County Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Justin Heath Griffin (34, Ocklawaha) on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Griffin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Griffin has eight prior state felony convictions, including possession of a firearm by a violent offender (2006) and armed robbery (2007). On March 3, 2022, Griffin possessed a firearm and assorted ammunition. As a convicted felon, Griffin is prohibited from possession either firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Louisville Woman Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Mailing Threatening Communications to NeighborsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment last week charging a local woman with mailing communications containing threats to injure others in November and December of 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court yesterday, Suzanne Craft, 54, sent multiple threating communications via the United States Postal Service to a family that lived in her neighborhood. Many of these communications contained threats of violence and racial slurs.
Craft is charged with five counts of interstate communication with threat to kidnap or injure in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 876(c). The defendant made her initial court appearance on August 19, 2022 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, and, after a hearing held yesterday, Craft was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Craft faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the Louisville Field Office, and U. S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the United States Postal Inspection Service made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lottery and Romance Fraud Scheme Participant Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RODNEY THOMAS, JR., 31, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in lottery and romance scams that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars.
According to the evidence presented during a trial in this matter, in a lottery scam, scammers notify victims by telephone, through online communications, or by mail, that they have won the lottery. The victims are then told that in order to collect the prize they must pay fees for things like taxes, shipping and processing. Often, once a victim sends a small amount of money, a scammer will ask for larger sums of money with a promise of more winnings. The victims never receive winnings. In a romance scam, scammers take advantage of people looking for companionship by pretending to be prospective companions. Scammers typically create fake online profiles on dating websites that include false personal details such as the death of a spouse, or military service, to lure victims to trust them. Once they have gained the trust of victims, scammers will ask victims for money, falsely claiming to need money for medical or business emergencies, for travel to see the victim, or other purposes.
Between approximately August 2015 and March 2020, Farouq Fasasi and others used lottery scams, romance scams and other fraudulent means to induce elderly victims to provide them with money, gifts and personal details. Fasasi recruited Thomas into the scheme in 2017. Victims sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut, and also wired or deposited money into bank accounts in Connecticut controlled by conspiracy members and their associates.
Fasasi, Thomas and other co-conspirators lived together for a time at a residence on Sherman Avenue in New Haven, where many packages containing cash, checks and money orders from victims were delivered. Fasasi and Thomas recruited others into the scheme, including those who served as “money mules.” These individuals used personal bank accounts, and also established and used bank accounts in the names of businesses and charitable organizations, to launder money obtained from fraud victims.
The investigation revealed that these scams defrauded more than 200 victims across the U.S. of more than $5 million. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable, and some victims lost their life savings. One Connecticut victim lost more than $1 million.
Judge Underhill will issue a restitution order after additional court proceedings.
On February 15, 2022, Fasasi and Thomas were found guilty of multiple charges stemming from this scheme. On August 8, 2022, Judge Underhill sentenced Fasasi to 14 years of imprisonment and ordered him to pay more than $5.9 million in restitution.
Four other individuals have been charged and convicted of offenses stemming from their participation in this scheme.
Thomas has been detained since May 31, 2022, when his bond was revoked for violating conditions of his release.
“This defendant was an active participant in a scheme that involved the cruel theft from numerous seniors and other vulnerable individuals, and this prison term is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I thank all of our law enforcement partners who investigated this case and helped achieve some justice for the victims of these crimes. The Justice Department has made it a priority to investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes. If you suspect that you or someone you know may be falling victim to one of these schemes, I encourage you to call your local police department or 833-FRAUD-11 for assistance.”
“Lottery scams and romance scams cost Americans millions every year,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “Losses can be monumental and entire fortunes, inheritances and retirement security can be wiped-out. This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of our agency along with our law enforcement partners to bring unscrupulous scam artists to justice.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who impersonate Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees or who use the IRS’s tax collecting authority to scam others, especially seniors and other vulnerable populations,” said Trevor Nelson, TIGTA’s Deputy Inspector General for Investigations. “The defendants in this case did just that, targeting and victimizing the most vulnerable in our society. Our mission at TIGTA is to protect the integrity of our nation’s system of tax administration. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who endeavor to corrupt federal tax administration are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). For more information, please visit. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Army-CID, and New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Stephanie T. Levick.
Lithonia man operating federal student loan discharge scam sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – De’reek Banks has been sentenced for operating a scheme that caused approximately $48,000,000 in outstanding federal student loans to be fraudulently discharged by exploiting a program intended for disabled military veterans. Banks illegally pocketed about $891,000 in payments from more than 500 student loan borrowers. Many of these borrowers mistakenly believed that they had paid Banks for legitimate student debt relief services.
“This defendant brazenly stole funds from innocent student loan borrowers by exploiting a financial aid program intended to assist military vets who sacrificed their health for the security of our country,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “He tricked borrowers into believing that he could legitimately obtain federal student loan discharges for them while attempting to defraud the U.S. government of almost 50 million dollars.”
“The sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the US Postal Inspection Service to bring to justice fraudsters who seek to exploit victims and federal programs for their own personal gain,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We are proud to work with our law enforcement partners to unravel and stop this type of fraudulent scheme.”
“I’m proud of the OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement colleagues whose efforts brought about this action,” said Reginald J. France, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office. “The OIG is committed to fighting student aid fraud in all its forms and we will continue to work with our partners to pursue anyone who participants in these types of crimes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: De’reek Banks offered to help student loan borrowers obtain discharges for federal student loans in exchange for a fee. Banks claimed that special government programs existed for authorizing the discharge of the borrowers’ loans. But Banks’s business relied on false statements he made to Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education responsible for providing billions in financial aid to students.
Banks made false representations to the agency, and fabricated hundreds of Department of Veterans Affairs letters using a fake letterhead, claiming that the borrowers were military veterans who were eligible for student loan discharges due to a total or permanent disability (“TPD”). Banks then used these letters to apply for special TPD discharges with Federal Student Aid that caused the student loan borrowers’ debts to be erased even though the borrowers did not lawfully qualify for the discharge. Banks caused approximately $48,000,000 in student loans to be fraudulently discharged through his scheme.
On August 22, 2022, De’reek Banks, 41, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $910,416.69. He pleaded guilty to theft of government property.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal, Deputy Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section, prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Las Vegas Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of A Machine Gun and "Ghost Guns"Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Alfonzo Lee Womack (29) pleaded guilty yesterday to felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a machine gun. U.S. District Judge Ann R. Traum scheduled sentencing for November 21, 2022.
According to court documents, on October 5, 2020, in a desert area near Sloan, Nev., Womack possessed and fired four firearms, including: (a) a .40 caliber pistol, modified with a Glock Auto Switch, turning it into a machine gun; (b) a 9mm semi-automatic pistol; (c) a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a mounted laser and light; and (d) a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Additionally, Womack admitted that he possessed and fired two unserialized Privately Made Firearms, including a 5.56mm pistol and 5.56mm short-barreled rifle. While shooting the firearms, Womack used high-capacity magazines. Womack has prior felony convictions in Clark County, Nev. and Sacramento County, Calif. He is prohibited by law from possessing any firearm.
Womack faces a total statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a period of supervised release, and a fine.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig is prosecuting the case.
If you have information about illegal firearms activity, you are urged to submit a tip to ATF by calling the hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app.
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Kingman Man Sentenced to over Five Years for Possession of Firearms and Ammunition as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Todd Gehman Howard, 60, of Kingman, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Howard was previously found guilty of being a Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition following a jury trial in May 2022.
On October 11, 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence in Kingman, Arizona. Inside the residence, agents discovered 23 firearms, including 21 in a safe in Howard’s bedroom closet, and approximately 7,600 rounds of ammunition. Howard’s firearms included various types of revolvers, shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles. One of the guns in the safe was a Privately Made Firearm (PMF), FAL-type .308 caliber semiautomatic rifle, sometimes referred to as a “ghost gun.” Evidence presented at trial showed the receiver of that firearm was forged in Australia, and that the completed firearm had traveled from the State of Washington to Arizona.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Koehler and William Rubens, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-8033-PHX-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-145_HOWARD# # #
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.Kentucky Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Homeowners in Three StatesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William T. Hurst, 45, of Morehead, Kentucky, was sentenced today to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Hurst was also ordered to pay $35,218 in restitution to his eight victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hurst falsely agreed to build pole barns for a pair of residents in Putnam and Jackson counties in March 2021. Hurst received checks as down payments totaling $10,186. Hurst admitted that he cashed or deposited the checks at area banks for his personal use, with no intention of building either barn.
Hurst further admitted that between February 22, 2021, and March 23, 2021, he similarly scammed six other property owners in Ona and Lesage, Cabell County; Charleston, Kanawha County; Coolville and Willow Wood, Ohio; and South Shore, Kentucky. Hurst agreed to build a pole barn or other structure in each instance, but never began any work or bought any needed supplies. These residents paid Hurst a total of $25,032, which he kept for himself. Hurst eventually stopped communicating with the victims.
“This office takes fraud against homeowners and other individuals seriously, and this case reflects our commitment to hold scammers accountable,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for conducting the investigation, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia Department of Revenue for providing assistance, and Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich for the case’s successful prosecution.”
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-41.
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Jury Finds Three Rock Hill Men Guilty of Large Multi-State Drug OperationRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —A federal jury in Columbia convicted Gabriel L’Ambiance Ingram, a/k/a “Big Shot”, a/k/a “Big Shot Rock”, a/k/a “Rock”, 33, Darrell Larod Crockett, a/k/a “Unc”, a/k/a “Croc”, 50, and Carl Michael Mann, II, a/k/a “Pike”, 39, all of Rock Hill for multiple drug and gun charges relating to a multi-state drug operation out of the Rock Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina area.
Evidence presented during the seven-day trial showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California. Based upon the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte area. After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers. This group shipped more than 255 packages containing the drugs from California during a one-year time period and distributed more than five kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one kilogram or more of heroin, and more than a 1000 grams of marijuana.
Testimony at the trial showed that the group used the fentanyl to make more than 1 million counterfeit Roxicodone pills, which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Atlanta, Ga. Nineteen defendants were charged in this case. Sixteen defendants pled guilty to their involvement.
More than 250 exhibits were entered into evidence during the trial, and more than two dozen witnesses travelled from California, Charlotte, New York, Georgia, and South Carolina to testify.
The jury ultimately convicted all of the defendants on all charges. Ingram was convicted of being involved in the conspiracy with the others. He was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Crockett was convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Mann was also convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. All of the defendants are facing a maximum of life imprisonment for their involvement.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the FBI, York County DEU, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Elliott B. Daniels, Elle E. Klein, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case.
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Jury Convicts Five Traffickers for Attempting to Smuggle More Than $20 Million of Cocaine in International WatersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Isaac Enriquez Oyando (34, Mexico), Romeo Santos Hernandez (36, Mexico), John Macias Agua (34, Ecuador), Jaime Velez Arcentales (40, Ecuador) and Eddy Anchundia Velez (32, Ecuador) guilty of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The sentencing hearings have been scheduled for November 18, 2022. The defendants had been indicted on January 21, 2021. A sixth defendant was severed due to a COVID-19 exposure during the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants were part of a seven-person crew smuggling 760 kilograms of cocaine from South America to Mexico. On January 14, 2021, aerial surveillance spotted a suspicious vessel in international waters more than 200 miles south of Huatulco, Mexico. A law enforcement detachment from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Steadfast interdicted the vessel and found seven men onboard – including the five convicted at trial – in the process of trying to throw bales of cocaine overboard.
During the trial, the defendants from Mexico claimed that they were tricked into going on a drug trip and the defendants from Ecuador claimed they were adrift at sea and were rescued shortly before the USCG showed up. At trial, the jury heard evidence that investigators learned of a plan that one of the seven co-conspirators would plead guilty and then provide false information to law enforcement exonerating the others. Bran-Lopez was that person, and testified for the defense that he had tricked his co-defendants into thinking they were going on a fishing trip because his family had been kidnapped. However, the timeline of events in Bran-Lopez’s testimony did not match evidence obtained from searches of cellphones and GPS data showing that he and his coconspirators were at sea days before he claimed the kidnapping happened.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Indiana Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stefanie Marie Wells, 37, of Jasonville, Indiana, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identify theft, after obtaining or attempting to obtain $17,550 using stolen checkbooks and driver’s licenses at West Virginia banks.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wells wrote a $2,700 check from a stolen checkbook and cashed it at a bank in Mount Hope by presenting a stolen driver’s license on October 19, 2020. Wells admitted to obtaining the stolen license and checkbook some time prior to October 19, 2020.
Wells further admitted to cashing three additional checks totaling $7,400 from the stolen checkbook on October 19, 2020. Wells used the same stolen driver’s license to cash the stolen checks at banks in Beaver and Beckley, and a different stolen driver’s license to cash the third stolen check at a Montgomery bank. Wells admitted to unsuccessfully attempting to cash a $2,650 check from the stolen checkbook while using one of the stolen driver’s licenses at a Charleston bank on October 20, 2020. Wells also admitted to attempting to cash a $2,300 stolen check at a Beckley bank and attempting to withdraw $2,500 by presenting a stolen driver’s license at a Summersville bank on November 23, 2020. Both attempts were unsuccessful.
Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1,250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Park Police, the Beckley Police Department, and the Summersville Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-191.
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Helena-West Helena Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Providing Support to Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Helena-West Helena man has been sentenced to 65 months in prison for providing material support to a terrorist organization. Bilal Al-Rayanni, 31, a naturalized citizen originally from Yemen, was sentenced Friday by United States District Judge Susan Webber Wright. Judge Wright also sentenced Al-Rayanni to 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
In July 2014, Al-Rayanni traveled from the United States to Yemen to visit his family, where he stayed until January 2015. While Al-Rayanni was in Yemen, a terrorist organization known as Al Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known as Ansar al-Sharira (AAS), began to sweep south from the capital of Sanaa in armed conflict with Houthi rebels. Al-Rayanni admitted to federal agents that while he was in Yemen, he drove a vehicle in an armed convoy as part of an AAS recruiting mission.
Images from Al-Rayanni’s time in Yemen include him with a dagger at his waist bearing the AAS emblem, images of him with the ISIS flag, and images of him in front of a convoy vehicle with an ammunition belt, two rifles, and an AK-47 automatic weapon resting against the vehicle. Al-Rayanni admitted to federal authorities that he drove an AAS recruiter from village to village to recruit fighters to oppose the Houthis.
"While overseas, Bilal Al-Rayanni willingly volunteered to serve as a driver in an armed AQAP/AAS recruitment convoy,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “His lengthy federal prison sentence should serve as a warning to other potential supporters of designated foreign terrorist organizations. FBI Little Rock investigators on the Joint Terrorism Task Force remain dedicated to investigating and preventing acts of domestic and international terrorism which target our Arkansas communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Grand Rapids Man Arrested on Federal Straw Purchasing and Firearm Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —United States Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Jerreil Lamounta Martin has been arrested on charges involving alleged straw purchasing and illegal sale of firearms.
A “straw purchase” is an illegal firearm sale where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses another person who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm. The indictment alleges that between September and October 2021, Martin straw purchased at least 11 handguns from licensed firearms dealers and falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer of these guns. In reality, the indictment alleges, Martin purchased those handguns on behalf of other individuals, then transferred them to his customers, collecting a fee for his illegal service. Numerous guns that were allegedly illegally purchased and trafficked by Martin were later used in crimes.
“We face an epidemic of gun violence in Michigan, like other states across the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. He continued: “No person should fear for their lives merely by going for a walk in their neighborhood, but that fear is real for some families. The recent surge in gun violence is driven, in part, by individuals who illegally supply firearms to violent criminals. When you illegally buy a gun for someone else, you could buy yourself 10 years in federal prison. My office will continue to use federal laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for trafficking illegally purchased firearms.”
“Straw purchasing is a serious crime. Straw purchasers put firearms in the hands of felons and trigger-pullers, and they directly enable the violence that follows,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Resident Special Agent in Charge Andrew Holt. “Our agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to stop the flow of guns to individuals who cannot legally purchase them.”
The United States Attorney’s Office and the ATF in the Western District of Michigan are focused on prosecuting those individuals who are putting guns in the hands of dangerous criminals.
This case was investigated by the ATF as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement work closely together to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for driving violent crime in our communities to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Individuals with information or concerns about violent crime or firearms offenses should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit: https://www.justice.gov/psn
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 21 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Milton Leroy Harvey, Jr., 42 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Harvey was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 1, 2016, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Harvey in Gary, Indiana. As Harvey retrieved his identification from his pocket, an officer observed a butt of a handgun protruding from Harvey’s waistband which was a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. Harvey’s criminal history revealed he has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Nicholas J. Padilla.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Franklin Man Arrested and Charged with Illegally Manufacturing and Selling “Ghost Guns,” Including Machine Guns and “Glock Switches”Read the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Alexander Clark, 26, of Franklin, Indiana, was charged by criminal complaint for the federal offenses of dealing firearms without a license, possession and/or transfer of machine guns and manufacturing machine guns.
According to court documents, in May of 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began an investigation into Clark for unlawfully manufacturing and selling privately made firearms, including machine guns. Over the course of the next several months, ATF agents conducted a covert investigation and purchased several 3-D printed Glock style firearms and devices capable of converting semiautomatic rifles to fully automatic machineguns from Clark. A search warrant was executed at Clark’s residence on August 22, 2022, in conjunction with the criminal complaint, and Clark was subsequently arrested.
During the search of Clark’s residence, law enforcement officers seized approximately 30 firearms including several 3-D printed firearms, several “Glock switches” used to convert firearms into machine guns, a suspected fully automatic AR-15 rifle, 3-D printing filament, a laptop with a Glock frame on screen connected to a 3-D printer, and a silencer.
Clark does not possess a Federal Firearms License authorizing him to sell firearms and he had not registered the weapons in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as is required for this category of firearms. 3-D printed firearms of this type are untraceable and are referred to as “ghost guns.” Ghost guns are unserialized, privately made firearms increasingly recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes across the country. Because ghost guns lack the serial numbers marked on other firearms, they are impossible for law enforcement to trace through the ATF’s National Tracing Center.
Clark made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and was ordered detained pending a hearing. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
ATF is investigating this case in collaboration with the Columbus (Indiana) Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson McGrath who is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s National Ghost Gun Initiative. The initiative was launched in February 2022 in response to the proliferation of ghost guns in our communities, and the growing number of criminals who unlawfully use or possess these untraceable weapons. The Attorney General directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to train a national cadre of prosecutors as experts to lead investigations and prosecutions of crimes involving ghost guns. These ghost gun coordinators will also share investigation and prosecution tools with other prosecutors and law enforcement officers. As part of the initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana will focus its investigation and prosecution resources on combatting the illegal possession, use, and sale of ghost guns.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former oil and gas mineral rights investment fund manager charged with fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 41-year-old Spring resident is set to appear in federal court on charges of fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Christopher Russell Bentley is expected to make his initial appearance today at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheldon.
The criminal information, filed Aug. 16, charges him with one count of fraud. From February 2019 through April 2021, Bentley managed different oil and gas mineral rights investment funds, according to the charges. During that time, he allegedly inflated the value of oil and gas mineral rights he sold to investment funds and used their money to obtain a loan of $6.5 million for personal benefit.
The charges further allege he fraudulently obtained $3,972,492 from investors.
If convicted, Bentley faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting the case.
An information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Former St. Louis alderman admits taking cash, car, phone as bribesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former St. Louis alderman pleaded guilty Tuesday to all charges against him and admitted taking bribes in the form of a series of cash payments, a car, a phone and campaign contributions to help a local business owner get a property tax abatement.
John Collins-Muhammad pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark to two bribery-related charges and one charge of honest services bribery/wire fraud. As part of his plea, he admitted assisting a business owner obtain a multi-year property tax abatement. The business owner, referred to in court documents as “John Doe,” was developing a property in Collins-Muhammad’s 21st ward.
Beginning in January 2020, Collins-Muhammad accepted a total of $13,500 in cash, $3,000 in campaign contributions, a Volkswagen CC sedan and an Apple iPhone 11 from Doe in exchange for his continued agreement, assistance and use of his official position to provide the property tax abatement for Doe’s property.
After Doe’s development in Collins-Muhammad’s ward received opposition from residents of his ward, Collins-Muhammad falsely represented to the residents that he would not put forward the development for tax incentives. Nonetheless, Collins-Muhammad continued to take legislative action to provide the tax abatement for the development and continued to accept cash and other things of value from Doe.
While the legislative actions were pending, Collins-Muhammad told Doe not to start construction so Doe wouldn’t jeopardize the promised tax break.
His co-defendant, former Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, joined Collins-Muhammad’s efforts to obtain the promised tax incentive for Doe during August 2021. Thereafter, Doe made cash payments to Reed and continued the cash payments to Collins-Muhammad, the plea agreement says. Reed even promised to override a mayoral veto to pass the tax abatement legislation, the plea says.
Ultimately, in 2022, the efforts of Collins-Muhammad and Reed paid off, and the Board of Aldermen passed legislation providing the promised tax abatement for John Doe’s property development.
Collins-Muhammad did not report the campaign contributions to the Missouri Ethics Commission or deposit any of the cash payments into a bank account.
Collins-Muhammad also introduced Doe to other public officials and suggested he pay cash for their official assistance for other projects. After a June 18, 2020 meeting arranged by Collins-Muhammad with a public official who could purportedly help Doe win government contracts for his trucking company, Doe gave the official $10,000. Collins-Muhammad got $3,000 for setting up the meeting.
The official returned the cash that day and told Collins-Muhammad to instead have Doe write two $5,000 checks to the official’s campaign account. The checks were never cashed or deposited and Doe never received any contracts. Collins-Muhammad then told Doe that the official wanted $2,500 in cash, but Collins-Muhammad used the money to buy a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer for his own use.
Collins-Muhammad also introduced Doe to co-defendant Jeffrey Boyd, the alderman of a ward in which Doe wished to purchase city-owned property for a development, and told Doe to give Boyd $2,500 cash. Doe gave Collins-Muhammad $1,000 for setting up the meeting, and began providing cash payments to Boyd, the plea agreement says. Boyd ultimately helped Doe purchase the property and also passed legislation in the Board of Aldermen to provide a tax abatement for Doe’s proposed development, the plea agreement says.
Collins-Muhammad is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 6. The honest services bribery/wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. One of his bribery charges carries a 10-year maximum and the other has a five-year maximum.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Former Oxnard Resident Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Enticing Girl into Sending Him Sexually Explicit Images of HerselfRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former resident of Ventura County was sentenced today to 235 months in federal prison for using Instagram to entice a 10-year-old girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself.
Barry Bryant Rossman, 63, a.k.a. “Ben,” formerly of Oxnard and Santa Rosa, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also placed Rossman on lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay $427.50 in restitution.
At today’s hearing, Judge Blumenfeld said Rossman’s actions were “clearly planned, clearly sophisticated, and clearly manipulative” and he committed his crimes “knowing that he was elevating his own base needs above the most vulnerable people in society: children.”
Rossman pleaded guilty on May 24 – on what was supposed to be the first day of his trial – to one count of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography.
In late December 2019 and early January 2020, Rossman, then 60 years old, posed as “Ben,” purportedly a 21-year-old man, and used the Instagram account “itsben6969” to contact the victim – a 10-year-old girl in Colorado. When Rossman first contacted the victim, he pretended to have a 13-year-old brother who had mischievously taken his phone and reached out to the victim.
Rossman engaged in conversation with the victim, using flattery and discussing topics such as Christmas gifts. Over the following days, Rossman’s conversations with the victim became increasingly sexually explicit, and Rossman convinced the victim to send him sexually exploitative photographs of herself.
After Rossman and the victim exchanged photographs, videos, and messages, Rossman instructed the victim to delete her messages, claiming that his little brother might get into his Instagram account and Rossman did not want his little brother “loving” the photos like he did. Shortly thereafter, the victim’s mother discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone and called the police.
In May 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rossman’s residence in Oxnard and found evidence linking his iPhone to the Instagram account used to contact the victim. A federal search warrant affidavit on Rossman’s “itsben6969” Instagram account revealed that Rossman used the account to contact at least hundreds of minors and used the same ruse that he used with the 10-year-old victim approximately 1,633 times, sometimes translating it into other languages.
“For his sexual gratification…Rossman lied to, groomed, and manipulated children to engage in sex acts they were far too young to even understand,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “The wreckage [Rossman] leaves in his wake for even one family aptly speaks to the severity of this offense and the public threat it poses in an Internet-reliant era.”
The FBI and the Erie (Colorado) Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Former Louisville, Kentucky, Police Detective Pleads Guilty to a Federal Crime Related to the Death of Breonna TaylorRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Kelly Goodlett, 35, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to commit two federal crimes. Goodlett admitted that she conspired with another former LMPD detective, both to falsify an affidavit to obtain a warrant to search Breonna Taylor’s home without probable cause, which resulted in Taylor’s death, and to cover up the false warrant by lying to criminal investigators after Taylor was killed.
According to the plea agreement, Goodlett acknowledged that she helped another LMPD detective, and their supervisor obtain a warrant to search Taylor’s home, despite knowing that the officers lacked probable cause to do so. To establish probable cause, information in an affidavit accompanying a search warrant must be truthful and timely. Goodlett admitted that she knew that the affidavit in support of the warrant to search Taylor’s home was false, misleading and stale.
First, Goodlett admitted that key information in the warrant affidavit was false and misleading. For example, the other LMPD detective claimed in the warrant affidavit that a U.S. Postal Inspector had verified that a target of LMPD’s narcotics investigation, J.G., had been receiving packages at Taylor’s home. Goodlett knew this claim was false because the other detective told her he had learned that “there’s nothing there” and that the Postal Service had not flagged Taylor’s address for receiving any suspicious packages.
The warrant affidavit also claimed that J.G. used Taylor’s home “as his current home address.” Goodlett admitted that this claim was misleading because officers knew that J.G. did not live at Taylor’s home. In fact, Goodlett acknowledged that she and the other detective knew of no evidence that J.G. had even visited Taylor’s home for several weeks before the warrant was obtained.
In addition, the warrant affidavit requested permission for officers to make a “no-knock” entry at Taylor’s home because the alleged drug dealers that LMPD was investigating had a history of fleeing from the police and destroying evidence. Goodlett admitted that all of the information in the warrant affidavit justifying a no-knock entry for Taylor’s home was false as it related to Taylor. Goodlett was not aware of any valid reason to seek a no-knock warrant at Taylor’s home.
Further, Goodlett admitted knowing that the warrant for Taylor’s home would be executed at night by officers with their weapons drawn, creating a risk that a person in the home could be injured or killed.
In addition, Goodlett admitted that the warrant affidavit was “stale” because it lacked up-to-date information showing probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime would be found in Taylor’s home. For example, the affidavit used to obtain a warrant suggested that there was an ongoing relationship between Taylor and J.G. However, as noted in the plea agreement, Goodlett knew that the police had no evidence that J.G. had even visited Taylor’s home for weeks at the time the officers requested a warrant. Before the warrant affidavit was finalized, Goodlett told the other LMPD detective that the warrant affidavit did not have enough current information to connect Taylor or her home to J.G.’s alleged narcotics activity. Goodlett also knew that, the day before officers obtained the warrant, her supervisor had conducted surveillance outside of Taylor’s home in part to search for new information that could freshen up the warrant affidavit, but her supervisor reported that he did not find anything new to connect J.G. to Taylor or her home.
Second, Goodlett admitted that she and the other detective conspired to obstruct justice by providing false information to investigators after Taylor was shot and killed. Specifically, in the plea agreement, Goodlett stated that she and the other detective provided a false “investigative letter” to criminal investigators, repeating the false and misleading claims from the warrant affidavit about J.G. receiving packages at Taylor’s home and using Taylor’s home as “his residence.” Goodlett admitted that she had hoped the false investigative letter would clear her and the other detective of suspicion of wrongdoing.
In her plea agreement, Goodlett also acknowledged that, approximately two weeks after they submitted the false investigative letter, she and the other detective agreed again to provide false information in response to allegations in the media that the other detective had lied in the warrant affidavit. On May 16, 2020, about two months after Taylor’s death, media outlets reported that the Postal Inspector had specifically denied the other detective’s claim, made in the warrant affidavit, that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service had told police that J.G. received packages at Taylor’s home. The next day, the other detective texted Goodlett that a criminal investigator wanted to meet with him. Goodlett further admitted that she and the other detective arranged to meet in the detective’s garage that night. During the garage meeting, the other detective told Goodlett that they needed to get on the same page because if he went down for the false warrant, she would go down too. Goodlett admitted that she and the other detective agreed to repeat a false cover story to others. Specifically, after the garage meeting, Goodlett falsely claimed to criminal investigators that, in January 2020, an LMPD sergeant had told her and the other detective “in passing” that he had verified that J.G. was receiving packages at Taylor’s home.
Goodlett pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings. Goodlett will be sentenced at a hearing to be scheduled at a later date. According to the plea agreement, Goodlett faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Michael J. Songer and Anna Gotfryd of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky.