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Monday 16 May 2022
Methamphetamine death sends Great Falls drug trafficker to prison for 12 yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl to an individual, who then died of a drug overdose, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Brandie Rae Fulbright, 40, pleaded guilty in January to distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris also ordered $815 restitution.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Aug. 23, 2020, Great Falls police officers were dispatched to a camper trailer where they found a man, identified as John Doe, deceased on a bed. Co-defendant Kent Fox was on the scene. Fox was friends with John Doe, had last seen him two days earlier and had gone to check on him.
The government further alleged that Fulbright, with Fox’s assistance, conducted a drug deal with John Doe two days earlier. As part of the deal, John Doe traded a stolen AR-15 semiautomatic rifle for meth and fentanyl from Fulbright. Fulbright then gave the rifle to Fox, and Fox returned Doe to his camper. A short time later, John Doe died from an overdose of meth and fentanyl that Fulbright had provided. Fox previously was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Great Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Meth trafficking sends Shelby man to prison for five yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Shelby man who admitted to distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Shelby and Cutbank areas was sentenced today to five years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Joseph John Lequin, 65, pleaded guilty in February to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Lequin distributed a large amount of meth in rural Montana while on felony state probation. In January 2021, probation officers and drug investigators went to Lequin’s residence for a probation check and found him in a motor home on the property. A search of the motor home recovered multiple bags of meth. In March 2021, an individual was arrested with meth that the individual reported he had purchased from Lequin. Two subsequent probation searches of Lequin’s residence resulted in the recovery of meth. Lequin was arrested in December 2021 after a large bag of meth, determined to contain approximately 118 grams of meth, was found in his bedroom during the third probation search. Lequin admitted the meth was his and that he had planned to sell it.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Members of Darrin Southall Drug Organization Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL –Two members of Darrin Southall’s drug trafficking organization were sentenced in federal court on May 13, 2022, making a total of six defendants sentenced thus far. Joining Southall, Eric Alonzo Windham, Terrance Santez Malik Watkins and Willie Demarcus Oliver were Shamartess Monique Whitsett, 26, and Randale Demorris Hinton, 40, both of Mobile. Whitsett and Hinton entered guilty pleas to the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in September of 2021.
According to court documents, Southall ran a continuing criminal enterprise involving the distribution of massive amounts of controlled substances in the Mobile, Alabama, area, and the laundering of drug proceeds through bank accounts and nominees. Court documents identified Whitsett as a courier recruited by Southall to handle and transport drug money in exchange for deliveries of cocaine and heroin. Hinton, Southall’s cousin, was a large-scale cocaine distributor who also manufactured and distributed crack cocaine. According to evidence adduced at Hinton’s sentencing hearing, Hinton also carried firearms to defend members of the organization and the drugs and drug proceeds generated through drug sales.
United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose imposed a sentence of 135 months imprisonment in Hinton’s case. The judge imposed a sentence of 15 months in Whitsett’s case, citing her lesser role in the offense and the relatively short time frame of her participation in the massive conspircy. The judge further ordered that each defendant would also serve five years on supervised release following their imprisonment. As conditions of their supervision, each defendant will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and they will be subject to a search of their persons and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that each defendant pay $100 in special assessments. Each defendant’s interest in a long list of seized property was ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Saraland Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Maryland Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse and Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and first-degree child sexual abuse of a minor, with aggravating circumstances.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
Christopher Ham, 48, of Largo, Maryland, pleaded guilty in December 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Ham will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim and register as a sex offender for life.
According to the government's evidence, Ham was identified during a law enforcement investigation into the sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl. Ham entered into a relationship with a woman who resided in the District of Columbia, and who had access to the little girl. In October of 2019, he traveled from Maryland into the District of Columbia, where he took advantage of this relationship to sexually abuse the child.
Ham was arrested on April 6, 2021, and he has remained in custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Traveling to Sexually Abuse MinorsRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to life in prison for traveling from Florida to Vietnam to engage in sex acts with numerous Vietnamese minors he had met and communicated with over the internet.
Christopher Edwin Day, 52, of Saint Petersburg, pleaded guilty to two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual activity in February 2020. According to documents filed with the court and statements made in connection with Day’s plea and sentencing, on two separate occasions in 2015 and 2016, Day traveled from Florida to Vietnam to engage in sex acts with minor Vietnamese boys. According to court documents, Day flew back and forth to Vietnam under the guise that he was an English teacher, and some boys were lured to Day with promises of money and gifts while others were introduced to Day as their English teacher.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa made the announcement.
The case was investigated by HSI agents in Tampa and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Garcia Rich for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org.
Leader of multi-state identity fraud ring sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: The leader of an elaborate multi-state fraud and identity theft ring has been sentenced to federal prison.
Kenson Hunte, 39, of Canton, Ga., was sentenced to 34 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Use Five or More False Identification Documents, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Hunte to pay restitution of $104,347.16, and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Hunte led his codefendants into a theft and fraud scheme for no purposes other than to enrich themselves at the expense of innocent victims,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Prison time and the payment of substantial restitution will help hold him accountable for his crimes.”
Three codefendants – Sheryl Henderson, 39, of Norcross, Ga.; Colby Hart, 27, of Vidalia, Ga.; and Monique Laing, 23, of Atlanta – previously entered guilty pleas for their involvement in the scheme and have been sentenced.
With Hunte and the other two as passengers, Henderson was driving on State Road 27 in Glynn County on March 6, 2019, when a Georgia State Patrol trooper pulled her over for speeding. During a subsequent search, troopers found 44 fake driver’s licenses and identification cards appearing to have been issued in various states, with all of the cards using the personal information of other individuals.
Evidence presented in court showed that beginning in or about January 2019 through May 2019 in Jefferson County, in the Northern District of Alabama, Hunte and a co-conspirator used the fraudulently created identification cards to purchase cell phones and network contracts through a third-party retailer in a Wal-Mart store in Homewood, Ala. Hunte paid only a percentage of the cost up front for the phones and contracts, fraudulently purchasing approximately 127 phones.
The conspirator received employee commissions from the retailer and kickbacks from Hunte, while Hunte profited from the black market sale of the fraudulently obtained phones. The total loss amount from the conspiracy is $104,347.16 – the amount Hunte is ordered to repay.
“This sentence is the result of the determination and hard work of federal, state, and local investigators who aggressively pursue identity theft,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work hard to pursue any individual who greedily puts innocent people at financial risk for their own personal gain.”
The cases were investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Georgia State Patrol, with assistance from the Brunswick Police Department and the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Bearden and Northern District of Alabama Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin B. Mark.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and Social Security OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to misusing a Social Security number to fraudulently obtain a Massachusetts ID and driver’s license as well as MassHealth benefits.
Manuel Alejandro Pujols Diaz, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 21, 2022. Pujols was indicted in September 2021.
Pujols used the name and Social Security number of another individual to submit fraudulent applications to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in July 2016, August 2016 and September 2016. As a result, Pujols obtained a Massachusetts ID and driver’s license under the victim’s identity as well as MassHealth benefits.
The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other sentence of incarceration imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ New England Field Office; and Joe Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Files Complaint and Proposed Consent Decree to Ensure Safety of Abbott Laboratories’ Infant FormulaRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree that, if entered by a federal court in the Western District of Michigan, would allow Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) to resume manufacturing powdered infant formula at its Sturgis, Michigan, facility but also would require the company to take specific measures designed to increase safety and ensure compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Good Manufacturing Practice Requirements.
“The actions we are announcing today will help to safely increase the supply of baby formula for families,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the laws ensuring the safety of our food and other essential consumer products, and we will work alongside our partners across government to help make sure those products are available to the American people.”
In a complaint filed May 16, the United States alleged that Abbott, Division Vice-President of Quality Assurance Lori J. Randall, Sturgis Director of Quality Keenan S. Gale, and Sturgis Site Director TJ Hathaway manufactured powdered infant formula under conditions and using practices that failed to comply with regulations designed to ensure the quality and safety of infant formula, including protection against the risk of contamination from bacteria such as Cronobacter sakazakii. The Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria can live in dry foods, such as powdered infant formulas, and can cause deadly sepsis or meningitis in infants. The complaint further alleged that FDA testing of environmental samples taken in February detected Cronobacter sakazakii in the defendants’ manufacturing facility.
Abbott has agreed to resolve the complaint in a proposed consent decree of permanent injunction. Under the proposed consent decree, which must still be reviewed and entered by a federal court, Abbott must retain outside expert assistance to bring its facility into compliance with the FDCA and good manufacturing practice regulations. Among other things, the expert will assist Abbott, under FDA supervision, in the development of plans designed to reduce and control the risk of bacterial contamination, and will periodically evaluate Abbott’s compliance with the FDCA, regulations, and the consent decree. The proposed consent decree also follows a thorough FDA inspection of the Sturgis facility and ongoing efforts by Abbott to address observations made during that inspection. The proposed consent decree sets out what Abbott must do to resume safely manufacturing infant formula at the Sturgis facility, which will help to mitigate the shortage of infant formula while also protecting public health.
“Federal laws regarding the safe manufacture of food, particularly food for infants, must be rigorously enforced,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The proposed consent decree underscores the Department’s commitment to protecting our most vulnerable citizens while also ensuring access to an essential product.”
“Parents who feed their babies formula must have confidence these products are safe,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan. “This proposed consent decree aims to protect one of our most vulnerable populations. My office is fully committed to supporting FDA and working with its partners at the Consumer Protection Branch to ensure manufacturers in our district comply with FDA’s safety regulations.”
“Today’s action means that Abbott Nutrition has agreed to address certain issues that the agency identified at their infant formula production facility in Michigan,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “The public should rest assured that the agency will do everything possible to continue ensuring that infant and other specialty formulas produced by the company meet the FDA’s safety and quality standards, which American consumers have come to expect and deserve. We recognize the hardships that parents and caregivers have faced in obtaining infant formula and the FDA is focused on boosting the availability of the country’s supply of these products, including new steps regarding importation. We are also taking a look at the supply of infant formulas developed by manufacturers across the country and around the world to determine if a reallocation of their distribution can be made to help get the right product to the right place, at the right time.”
This proposed consent decree is part of the Department’s broader work to address the current infant formula shortage. As part of these efforts, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta sent a letter to state attorneys general today, urging them to use their state-law authorities to ensure that vulnerable families are not taken advantage of during this time, and encouraging them to contact the Department with any evidence of collusive price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocation. The Associate Attorney General’s letter can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/asg/page/file/1506016/download.
This matter is being handled by Senior Litigation Counsels Donald R. Lorenzen and Christina Parascandola of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hull for the Western District of Michigan, with the assistance of Senior Counsel Claudia Zuckerman of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi.
Justice Department Files Complaint and Proposed Consent Decree to Ensure Safety of Abbott Laboratories’ Infant FormulaRead the Press Release
Note: View a copy of the complaint here. View a copy of the consent decree here
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN— The United States has filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree that, if entered by a federal court in the Western District of Michigan, would allow Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) to resume manufacturing powdered infant formula at its Sturgis, Michigan, facility but also would require the company to take specific measures designed to increase safety and ensure compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Good Manufacturing Practice Requirements.
“The actions we are announcing today will help to safely increase the supply of baby formula for families,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the laws ensuring the safety of our food and other essential consumer products, and we will work alongside our partners across government to help make sure those products are available to the American people.”
In a complaint filed May 16, the United States alleged that Abbott, Division Vice-President of Quality Assurance Lori J. Randall, Sturgis Director of Quality Keenan S. Gale, and Sturgis Site Director TJ Hathaway manufactured powdered infant formula under conditions and using practices that failed to comply with regulations designed to ensure the quality and safety of infant formula, including protection against the risk of contamination from bacteria such as Cronobacter sakazakii. The Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria can live in dry foods, such as powdered infant formulas, and can cause deadly sepsis or meningitis in infants. The complaint further alleged that FDA testing of environmental samples taken in February detected Cronobacter sakazakii in the defendants’ manufacturing facility.
Abbott has agreed to resolve the complaint in a proposed consent decree of permanent injunction. Under the proposed consent decree, which must still be reviewed and entered by a federal court, Abbott must retain outside expert assistance to bring its facility into compliance with the FDCA and good manufacturing practice regulations. Among other things, the expert will assist Abbott, under FDA supervision, in the development of plans designed to reduce and control the risk of bacterial contamination, and will periodically evaluate Abbott’s compliance with the FDCA, regulations, and the consent decree. The proposed consent decree also follows a thorough FDA inspection of the Sturgis facility and ongoing efforts by Abbott to address observations made during that inspection. The proposed consent decree sets out what Abbott must do to resume safely manufacturing infant formula at the Sturgis facility, which will help to mitigate the shortage of infant formula while also protecting public health.
“Federal laws regarding the safe manufacture of food, particularly food for infants, must be rigorously enforced,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The proposed consent decree underscores the Department’s commitment to protecting our most vulnerable citizens while also ensuring access to an essential product.”
“Parents who feed their babies formula must have confidence these products are safe,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan. “This proposed consent decree aims to protect one of our most vulnerable populations. My office is fully committed to supporting FDA and working with its partners at the Consumer Protection Branch to ensure manufacturers in our district comply with FDA’s safety regulations.”
“Today’s action means that Abbott Nutrition has agreed to address certain issues that the agency identified at their infant formula production facility in Michigan,” said FDA Commissioner Robert
M. Califf, M.D. “The public should rest assured that the agency will do everything possible to continue ensuring that infant and other specialty formulas produced by the company meet the FDA’s safety and quality standards, which American consumers have come to expect and deserve. We recognize the hardships that parents and caregivers have faced in obtaining infant formula and the FDA is focused on boosting the availability of the country’s supply of these products, including new steps regarding importation. We are also taking a look at the supply of infant formulas developed by manufacturers across the country and around the world to determine if a reallocation of their distribution can be made to help get the right product to the right place, at the right time.”
This proposed consent decree is part of the Department’s broader work to address the current infant formula shortage. As part of these efforts, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta sent a letter to state attorneys general today, urging them to use their state-law authorities to ensure that vulnerable families are not taken advantage of during this time, and encouraging them to contact the Department with any evidence of collusive price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocation. The Associate Attorney General’s letter can be found here:
/media/1222801/dl?inline.
This matter is being handled by Senior Litigation Counsels Donald R. Lorenzen and Christina Parascandola of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hull for the Western District of Michigan, with the assistance of Senior Counsel Claudia Zuckerman of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi.
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Iowa City Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a firearm was sentenced May 13, 2022, to 37 months in federal prison.
Joshua Brown, age 49, of Iowa City received the sentence after a November 22, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Brown admitted that, on July 18, 2020, he knowingly possessed a pistol after having been convicted of two crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. In a plea agreement, Brown admitted that the pistol was stolen and that its serial numbers were obliterated. Brown admitted he had prior convictions for unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon in Johnson County in 1995 and possession of a firearm by a felon in Cedar County in 1996.
Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Brown was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Brown was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 21-14.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Christopher Leon Vest, also known as “Nick,” 34, admitted that he participated in the conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. Vest frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Vest provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Vest also admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to receive deliveries and to distribute the drugs.
On July 29, 2021, Vest was arrested after an indictment was returned charging multiple individuals in the investigation and a search warrant was executed at his residence on that date. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including four firearms and over $86,000 in United States currency. Vest admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. Search warrants were also executed at another residence operated by Vest. During that search, law enforcement officers seized over a kilogram of cocaine, 800 grams of fentanyl, and 450 grams of methamphetamine that Vest intended to distribute and two additional firearms.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, the Hurricane Police Department and the Marshall University Police Department with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 3:21-cr-109.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted production of child pornography. Nicholas Wilds, 38, must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilds admitted that he engaged in distributing child pornography using online chat rooms. Wilds messaged with a user of Kik, an online messaging application, and the two discussed sexually abusing young children. Wilds encouraged the other Kik user to take sexually explicit photographs of a child in the user’s care, providing graphic details with his requests. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant and found that Wilds possessed several hundred images of child pornography on his personal cell phone.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-5.
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Hotel Owner, Two Hotel Companies Sentenced for Sex and Drug Trafficking in Monroe CountyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Nazim Hassam, age 70, of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, on May 13, 2022 to 60 months in prison and a $150,000 fine for drug trafficking offenses.
Judge Mannion also sentenced Om Sri Sai, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, to five years of Probation for sex and drug trafficking violations and ordered the company to forfeit $2 million to the government. Judge Mannion also sentenced the Pocono Plaza Inn, formerly known as the Quality Inn, located in Stroudsburg, to five years of Probation and a $50,000 fine for maintaining a drug-related premises.
Hassam and the two hotel companies, along with co-defendant Faizal Bhimani, were convicted of sex trafficking and drug trafficking charges after a two-week jury trial in Scranton, Pennsylvania in October 2020.
According to United States John C. Gurganus, Om Sri Sai, Inc., a company that owned and operated a Howard Johnson hotel located at 1779 N. 9th St., Bartonsville, and Faizal Bhimani, the general manager of that hotel, were both convicted of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion and Aiding and Abetting the same, and Sex Trafficking Conspiracy, as well as Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Managing a Drug-Related Premises. The jury also found the Pocono Plaza Inn guilty of Managing a Drug-Related Premises, and Nazim Hassam, part-owner and Vice President of Om Sri Sai and managing shareholder of both hotels, guilty of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and two counts of Managing a Drug-Related Premises.
The jury further found that all property owned by Om Sri Sai, Inc. was property that facilitated the company’s sex trafficking and drug trafficking crimes and was therefore subject to criminal forfeiture. The company reached an agreement with the government to pay over a cash forfeiture in the amount of $2 million as a substitute asset in lieu of the company’s property.
Bhimani was previously sentenced to 180 months in prison. Judge Mannion also ordered Om Sri Sai, Inc. to pay restitution totaling $277,630 to two sex trafficking victims. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, restitution to victims is mandatory. The restitution in this case represents the value to the defendant and coconspirators of commercial sex services rendered, costs of future trauma counseling, medical expenses, and other costs incurred as a result of the trafficking.
These convictions marked the culmination of a six-year, joint investigation into sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and violent crime in Monroe County by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). This case began in 2014 with an FBI investigation into the Black P Stone gang, a set of the Bloods that was responsible for gun violence and drug trafficking in Monroe County at the time. Local agencies, including the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, joined the effort early on, and eventually expanded beyond the P Stones to uncover more widespread sex and drug trafficking in Monroe County.
The evidence at trial, presented through more than 35 witnesses and over 150 exhibits, established that the Howard Johnson Hotel in Bartonsville was a safe haven for criminal activity between 2011 and 2019. Bhimani, as manager of the Howard Johnson, made rooms available for sex traffickers and drug dealers, and at times took payment for the hotel directly from the proceeds of criminal activity. Hassam, Bhimani, and others placed criminal actors in the rear, first-floor hallway of the Howard Johnson to shield their activities from view from the street and from non-criminal guests. Evidence showed that Hassam accepted direct payment at times from drug traffickers and at times did not enter those individuals into the hotel’s computer records. Testimony established that Hassam was notified by employees of criminal activity, but instructed them not to call police. Police officers testified that Hassam’s hotels were considered high-crime areas and that they responded to at least six overdoses at the two hotels, at least one of which resulted in death.
Bhimani also traded discounted and free rooms for sex, which sex traffickers would direct their victims to provide. Dozens of women were compelled by multiple traffickers, sometimes called pimps, to engage in commercial sex in the hotel either by physical force, threats, false promises, or coercion, including through blackmail and drug addiction. Women who were addicted to heroin, crack, or other controlled substances were provided with just enough drugs to keep them working, and pimps used their addictions and the threat of withdrawal to control them. Several admitted sex traffickers testified at the trial, explaining how they used these various methods to compel women to sell sex and turn over all of the proceeds. Multiple survivors also testified that they were required to follow the traffickers’ rules, were forced to rely entirely on the traffickers for food, clothing, even hygiene products, and they were often punished for violations with violence, including sexual assault.
Bhimani was closely associated with several of these traffickers, the evidence showed, and knew of the methods used to compel the victims to have sex for money. Other employees at the hotel knew as well, and the evidence showed that at least two other employees engaged in sex with victims, including Hassam. Bhimani also warned sex traffickers and drug dealers when law enforcement were present at the hotel, including during the manhunt for Eric Frein in 2014. Several admitted sex traffickers and drug dealers testified to successfully evading detection by police thanks to warnings from Bhimani. The hotel allowed known criminals to check in under assumed names or even street names, and Bhimani and Hassam both took steps to obstruct police efforts to locate suspects.
The Court found that Hassam knew about the criminal activity at his hotels, directed employees not to turn drug dealers and drug users away, and actively allowed criminal actors to rent rooms at the hotels so he could make money. The Court also concluded that Hassam testified falsely at trial and enhanced his sentencing guidelines accordingly for Obstruction of Justice.
In all, forty defendants have been convicted federally as a result of this investigation, many of whom trafficked women and drugs in the Bartonsville Howard Johnson and the Pocono Plaza Inn. Other defendants have been charged and convicted in state courts. The investigation has resulted in the dismantlement of the P Stones as well as a second gang, the Brick City Brims, and the disruption of two more, the Blood Stone Villains and the Bloodhound Brims. Investigators have seized multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine, as well as quantities of fentanyl, cocaine base (“crack”), methamphetamine, marijuana, and MDMA (“molly”), and took at least 10 illegal firearms off the streets.
This prosecution is 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 disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean A. Camoni and Jenny Roberts.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. 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 heroin related offenses.
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Harrison County man admits to traveling overseas for underage sexRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Douglas Owen Law, of Spelter, West Virginia, is facing up to 30 years in prison for traveling to the Philippines to have sex with a minor, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Law, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of “Sex Tourism.” Law admitted to traveling to the Philippines to engage in sexual contact with a child. During the plea hearing, an agent testified that Law made at least 10 trips to the Philippines from 2014 to 2019. During a May 2019 trip, Law was introduced to a 14-year-old girl with whom he engaged in sexual intercourse in a hotel room. Law corresponded extensively with her via social media from his home in West Virginia. He would send money in exchange for sexually explicit video and pictures.
Law faces up to 30 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Hardy County man sentenced for role in drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Allan Evans, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 50 months of incarceration for his role in a drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Evans, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Evans admitted to having more than five grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” or “ice,” in August 2018 in Hardy County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Moorefield Police Department investigated. The task force consists of the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/hardy-county-man-appears-drug-charges
Hacker and Ransomware Designer Charged for Use and Sale of Ransomware, and Profit Sharing Arrangements with CybercriminalsRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging Moises Luis Zagala Gonzalez (Zagala), also known as “Nosophoros,” “Aesculapius” and “Nebuchadnezzar,” a citizen of France and Venezuela who resides in Venezuela, with attempted computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. The charges stem from Zagala’s use and sale of ransomware, as well as his extensive support of, and profit sharing arrangements with, the cybercriminals who used his ransomware programs.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the multi-tasking doctor treated patients, created and named his cyber tool after death, profited from a global ransomware ecosystem in which he sold the tools for conducting ransomware attacks, trained the attackers about how to extort victims, and then boasted about successful attacks, including by malicious actors associated with the government of Iran,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Combating ransomware is a top priority of the Department of Justice and of this Office. If you profit from ransomware, we will find you and disrupt your malicious operations.”
"We allege Zagala not only created and sold ransomware products to hackers, but also trained them in their use. Our actions today will prevent Zagala from further victimizing users. However, many other malicious criminals are searching for businesses and organizations that haven't taken steps to protect their systems - which is an incredibly vital step in stopping the next ransomware attack," stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
As charged in the criminal complaint, Zagala, a 55-year-old cardiologist who resides in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, has designed multiple ransomware tools—malicious software that cybercriminals use to extort money from companies, nonprofits and other institutions, by encrypting those files and then demanding a ransom for the decryption keys. Zagala sold or rented out his software to hackers who used it to attack computer networks.
One of Zagala’s early products, a ransomware tool called “Jigsaw v. 2,” had, in Zagala’s description, a “Doomsday” counter that kept track of how many times the user had attempted to eradicate the ransomware. Zagala wrote: “If the user kills the ransomware too many times, then its clear he won’t pay so better erase the whole hard drive.”
Beginning in late 2019, Zagala began advertising a new tool online—a “Private Ransomware Builder” he called “Thanos.” The name of the software appears to be a reference to a fictional cartoon villain named Thanos, who is responsible for destroying half of all life in the universe, as well as a reference to the figure “Thanatos” from Greek mythology, who is associated with death. The Thanos software allowed its users to create their own unique ransomware software, which they could then use or rent for use by other cybercriminals. The user interface for the Thanos software is shown below:[1]
The screenshot shows, on the right-hand side, an area for “Recovery Information,” in which the user can create a customized ransom note. Other options include a “data stealer” that specifies the types of files that the ransomware program should steal from the victim computer, an “anti-VM” option to defeat the testing environments used by security researchers, and an option, as advertised, to make the ransomware program “self-delete.”
Rather than simply sell the Thanos software, Zagala allowed individuals to pay for it in two ways. First, a criminal could buy a “license” to use the software for a certain period of time. The Thanos software was designed to make periodic contact with a server in Charlotte, North Carolina that Zagala controlled for the purpose of confirming that the user had an active license.[2] Alternatively, a Thanos customer could join what Zagala called an “affiliate program,” in which he provided a user access to the Thanos builder in exchange for a share of the profits from Ransomware attacks. Zagala received payment both in fiat currency and cryptocurrency, including Monero and Bitcoin.
Zagala advertised the Thanos software on various online forums frequented by cybercriminals, using screennames that referred to Greek mythology. His two preferred nicknames were “Aesculapius,” referring to the ancient Greek god of medicine, and “Nosophoros,” meaning “disease-bearing” in Greek. In public advertisements for the program, Zagala bragged that ransomware made using Thanos was nearly undetectable by antivirus programs, and that “once encryption is done,” the ransomware would “delete itself,” making detection and recovery “almost impossible” for the victim.
In private chats with customers, Zagala explained to them how to deploy his ransomware products—how to design a ransom note, steal passwords from victim computers, and set a Bitcoin address for ransom payments. As Zagala explained to one customer, discussing Jigsaw: “Victim 1 pays at the given btc [Bitcoin] address and decrypts his files.” Zagala also noted that “there is a punishment… [i]f user reboots. For every rerun it will punish you with 1000 files deleted.” After Zagala explained all the features of the software, the customer replied: “Sir, I really need to say this . . . You are the best developer ever.” Zagala responded: “Thank you that is nice to hear[.] Im very flattered and proud.” Zagala had only one request: “If you have time and its not too much trouble to you please describe your experience with me” in an online review.
On or about May 1, 2020, a confidential human source of the FBI (CHS-1) discussed joining Zagala’s “affiliate program.” Zagala responded: “Not for now. Don’t have spots.” But Zagala offered to license the software to CHS-1 for $500 a month with “basic options,” or $800 with “full options.”
On or about October 7, 2020, CHS-1 asked Zagala how to establish an affiliate program of his own using Thanos. Zagala responded with a short tutorial on how to set up a ransomware crew. He explained that CHS-1 should find people “versed…in LAN hacking” and supply them with a version of the Thanos ransomware that was programmed to expire after a given period of time.[3] Zagala said that he personally had “a maximum of between 10-20” affiliates at a given time, and “sometimes only 5.” He added that hackers approached him for his software after they had gained access to a victim network: “they come with access to [b]ig LAN, I check and then I accept[.] they lock several big networks and we wait…If you lock networks without tape or cloud (backups)[,] almost all pay[.]”
Zagala further explained that, sometimes, a victim network turned out to have an unexpected backup: “so no point in locking because they have backups, so in that case we only exfiltrate data,” referring to stealing victim information. Zagala further added that he had an associate who “knows how to corrupt tapes,” meaning backups, and how to “disable[] AV,” meaning antivirus software. Finally, Zagala offered to give CHS-1 an additional two weeks free after CHS-1’s one-month license expired, explaining “because 1 month is too little for this business…sometimes you need to work a lot to get good profit.”
Zagala’s customers favorably reviewed his products. One individual posted a message praising Thanos in July 2020, writing “i bought the ransomware from nosophoros and it is very powerful,” and claiming that he had used Zagala’s ransomware to infect a network of approximately 3000 computers. And, in December 2020, another user wrote a post in Russian: “We have been working with this product for over a month now, we have a good profit! Best support I’ve met.” Zagala has publicly discussed his knowledge that his clients used his software to commit ransomware attacks, including by linking to a news story about an Iranian state-sponsored hacking group’s use of Thanos to attack Israeli companies.
In or around November 2021, Zagala began using a third screenname – “Nebuchadnezzar.” In chats with a second confidential source of the FBI (CHS-2), Zagala stated that he had switched aliases to preserve “OPSEC… operational security” because “malware analysts are all over me.”
On or about May 3, 2022, law enforcement agents conducted a voluntary interview of a relative of Zagala who resides in Florida and whose PayPal account was used by Zagala to receive illicit proceeds. The individual confirmed that Zagala resides in Venezuela and had taught himself computer programming. The individual also showed agents contact information for Zagala in his phone that matched the registered email for malicious infrastructure associated with the Thanos malware.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years’ imprisonment for attempted computer intrusion, and five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys David K. Kessler and Alexander F. Mindlin are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MOISES LUIS ZAGALA GONZALEZ
Age: 55
Ciudad Bolivar, VenezuelaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-M-276
[1] On September 14, 2020, an FBI agent surreptitiously purchased a license for Thanos from Zagala, and downloaded the software.
[2] This server has been taken offline.
[3] “LAN” stands for “local area network” and refers to a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as an office building.
Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 8 Years for Drug Trafficking, Role in Bridgeport Courthouse ShootingRead the Press Release
DESTINE CALDERON, 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 97 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Bridgeport gang, and his role in a gang-related shooting that occurred in front of a state courthouse in Bridgeport in January 2020.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Calderon has been a member of the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, whose members and associates distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals, and celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube. GHB/Hotz members and associates also committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. From approximately 2017 until August 2020, GHB/Hotz members were aligned with members of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.
On October 1, 2020, Calderon pleaded guilty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and admitted that he participated in gang-related drug trafficking, and that he was aware of the planning and was present in a vehicle when GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members attempted to kill members and associates of the East End gang in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse on January 27, 2020. At 12:11 p.m. on that date, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala. One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist. The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.
Calderon also appears in YouTube videos and in social media posts promoting the gang.
Calderon has been detained since August 6, 2020.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Stratford and Naugatuck Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick and Karen L. Peck.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Former school aid sentenced to federal prison for child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to federal prison for receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Ramiro Vasquez pleaded guilty March 3, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane imposed a 121-month term of imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the amount of child pornography Vasquez had downloaded. The court also ordered him to pay $3,000 in restitution to each of the 20 identified victims. Judge Crane further noted Vasquez’s employment as an instructional assistant for a McAllen Independent School District elementary school. Vasquez must also serve eight years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Vasquez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In January 2020, authorities began an investigation into child sexual abuse material sharing on the internet. This led them to Vasquez and his address in McAllen.
Law enforcement executed a search at his residence and seized multiple electronic and digital devices. During this time, they noted one of the devices was currently in the process of downloading child sexual abuse material. Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of 8,601 unique images and 1,366 videos of child sexual abuse material.
Vasquez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Former O.C. Physician Assistant Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in Prison for Issuing and Selling Opioid Prescriptions to Known Drug DealersRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former physician assistant at a Fountain Valley medical clinic was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for conspiring to issue and sell prescriptions for oxycodone, a highly addictive opioid painkiller, without a medical purpose, to drug dealers, knowing the drugs would be sold on the street.
Raif Wadie Iskander, 56, formerly of Ladera Ranch, but who now resides in Ennis, Montana, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna.
Iskander pleaded guilty in November 2020 to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
From 2018 to April 2019, Iskander, who was a licensed physician assistant in California, wrote prescriptions for purported “patients” he had never met or examined. Iskander provided to drug dealers multiple paper prescriptions that he had signed, but with the patient names left blank, to be filled in by drug dealers later.
In exchange for cash, Iskander wrote fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions for co-defendants Johnny Gilbert Alvarez, 42, a.k.a. “M.J.,” of Santa Ana, who sold the prescribed drugs on the street as well as to an undercover officer.
Iskander knew that the oxycodone filled from the prescriptions would be sold to drug customers who were not using the oxycodone for legitimate medical purposes and whom he had never met or examined.
Alvarez pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Emergency Dispatcher Pleads Guilty to Producing Photos and A Video of Himself Sexually Abusing Two Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Scott Matthew Yotka (47, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to two counts of producing photos and a video depicting himself while he sexually abused two young children. Yotka faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to 60 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Yotka was arrested on September 17, 2021, and has been detained since that time. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on September 15, 2021, Yotka, using the name “Scottnjax44,” engaged in online private conversation using a particular social media application (app) with an undercover FBI task force officer in Washington, D.C. Yotka discussed his ongoing sexual exploitation of children in graphic detail, stated that he had access to two young children, and further that he enjoyed molesting them. Yotka sent the undercover officer several photos and a video depicting two prepubescent children being sexually abused by Yotka. The FBI traced this online messaging activity to Yotka’s residence and determined that the same “Scottnjax44” user account was also accessed from the offices of the City of Jacksonville located in the Ed Ball Building in downtown Jacksonville. FBI agents coordinated with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) and confirmed that Yotka was employed by JSO as a Police Emergency Communications Officer. On September 16, 2021, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant for Yotka’s residence.
During the early morning of September 17, 2021, the FBI, assisted by JSO, executed the search warrant and made contact with Yotka. During an interview, Yotka confirmed that he was the administrator of a chat room on the social media app for individuals interested in “incest fetishes, little kid things, [and] animal things.” Yotka admitted sending pornographic pictures of young children to another app user. He also admitted taking photos of these children as he molested them and used a particular object to sexually abuse them. Yotka stated “I know what I did” and “I’m not proud of what I did.” An FBI forensic examiner was able to recover from Yotka’s cellphone seven photos and a video depicting Yotka sexually abusing these two children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C. and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Traveling to Sexually Abuse MinorsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A Florida man was sentenced today to life in prison for traveling from Florida to Vietnam to engage in sex acts with numerous Vietnamese minors he had met and communicated with over the internet.
Christopher Edwin Day, 52, of Saint Petersburg, pleaded guilty to two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual activity in February 2020. According to documents filed with the court and statements made in connection with Day’s plea and sentencing, on two separate occasions in 2015 and 2016, Day traveled from Florida to Vietnam to engage in sex acts with minor Vietnamese boys. According to court documents, Day flew back and forth to Vietnam under the guise that he was an English teacher, and some boys were lured to Day with promises of money and gifts while others were introduced to Day as their English teacher.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa made the announcement.
The case was investigated by HSI agents in Tampa and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Garcia Rich for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
“The laws of the United States will still catch up to child predators who even travel to foreign countries to sexually abuse minor children,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas. “Thanks to HSI’s international investigative authorities and strong partnerships, both at HSI Tampa and HSI Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this sexual predator was stopped from harming more children and his victim will have the justice they deserve.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org.
Felon Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Selling Firearms and Assaulting a Police OfficerRead the Press Release
A man who sold three firearms to a confidential informant and assaulted a police officer was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Joshua Ray Hunley, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 27, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from a plea agreement showed that, in September 2020, Hunley, a convicted felon, sold two rifles and a shotgun to a confidential informant, who Hunley knew to be a felon and a methamphetamine user. About four months later, police officers saw Hunley outside a residence in Waterloo at approximately 11:30 p.m. As an officer was speaking with Hunley, the officer saw a small revolver on the ground by Hunley’s feet. The officer moved to detain Hunley, who tried to flee. During an ensuing struggle, Hunley hit the officer multiple times in the face and head before the officer managed to take Hunley into custody. Officers found $422 in cash, methamphetamine, marijuana, and ammunition on Hunley’s person.
Hunley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Hunley was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses
enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Hunley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and the Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-2025.
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Federal Judge Sentences Chicago Sex Trafficker to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to 30 years in federal prison for forcing women and children to engage in commercial sex acts in the city and suburbs.
From 2012 to 2014, CHARLES FEARS and a co-defendant, SAMUEL NICHOLS, operated a sex trafficking business through which they used force, fraud, and coercion to cause multiple women and children to engage in commercial sex acts and turn over the proceeds to Fears and Nichols. The men supplied the victims, some of whom were as young as 13 years old, with drugs and alcohol while coercing them to participate in the commercial sex acts. Fears and Nichols often hit, slapped, and punched the victims who worked for them, including incidents in which Fears put a victim’s head into a toilet after she broke his rules. The pair openly flaunted their roles as traffickers, flashing money in social media posts and using the trafficking proceeds to fund a Chicago-area rap group that posted music videos online.
Fears, 28, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall on Friday imposed the 30-year prison term for Fears and ordered that it be followed by court supervision for life. Judge Kendall also ordered Fears to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to the victims.
Nichols, 37, of Chicago, was sentenced in 2019 by Judge Kendall to life in prison.
Fears’s sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Carol Stream, Ill., Police Department, Downers Grove, Ill., Police Department, and DuPage County Sheriff's Office.
“Fears and Nichols controlled their victims physically and psychologically,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Michelle Petersen, and Elizabeth Pozolo argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “It is nearly impossible to comprehend the trauma Fears inflicted on his victims.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com/home or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Father and son plead guilty to attempted trafficking of guns to MexicoRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Othon Marban, Sr., and Othon Marban, Jr., have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident and making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer, in connection with their attempted trafficking of approximately 50 guns to Mexico.
“The defendants’ thwarted attempt to traffic guns to Mexico highlights the determination of our office and our law enforcement partners to stop the illegal gun trade both within and outside our district,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement for remaining vigilant and protecting our communities.”
“Stopping the trafficking of illegal guns saves lives and reduces crime, I’m pleased that we were able to stop this scheme to illegally export guns to Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Cases like this highlight the great results that can be achieved when agencies work together to protect our communities here and abroad.”
“This case is a perfect example of how our agencies work in concert to keep our communities safe,” said Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “I applaud our deputies for being alert as they were patrolling I-985, which is the busiest primary corridor in our county. They saw a problem with a basic traffic violation and pulled over the offender. As a result, we were able to get dozens of illegal weapons off our streets. I’m proud of everyone involved.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On the morning of December 3, 2021, Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped a truck travelling on I-985 South for traffic violations. Investigators recovered 51 guns wrapped in cellophane during a search of the vehicle. Marban, Sr. and Marban, Jr. admitted that they were en route to Mexico with the firearms. Further investigation of the defendants revealed that they previously purchased additional guns and that they traveled to Mexico earlier in 2021.
Othon Marban, Sr., 56, of Gainesville, Georgia, pleaded guilty on May 9, 2022, and Othon Marban, Jr., 20, also of Gainesville, Georgia, pleaded guilty on May 16, 2022. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
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.
Father and Son Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison in Large-Scale Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Springfield men were sentenced today for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking organization supplied by sources in Mexico and spanning at least four states.
Isaac Cardona, 34, and Rafael Cardona Sr., 61, were each sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 146 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On Oct. 18, 2021, the Cardonas were convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin. Isaac Cardona was also convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The Cardonas were indicted in November 2017 as part of a 14-month wiretap investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization supplied by sources in Mexico and spanning at least four states.
The Cardonas conspired with co-defendant David Cruz to traffic cocaine and heroin from Mexico, through California, to the Springfield area and into New England. Isaac Cardona owed Cruz money for one kilogram of the cocaine Cruz had distributed to him, and, in order to pay down that debt, the Cardonas and other co-conspirators conspired to import at least one kilogram of heroin (which turned out to be pure fentanyl) from sources in Mexico. In late August 2016, Isaac Cardona traveled by car to San Diego, Calif., with cash to pay for the heroin. Cruz later traveled to San Diego, retrieved the car and the cash, and, on Sept. 8, 2016, used the cash to purchase what he believed to be one kilogram of heroin. Law enforcement in California seized the vehicle and recovered approximately one kilogram of pure fentanyl.
Cruz previously pleaded guilty to drug and firearms offenses and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13, 2022.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Carlsbad (Calif.) Resident Office and the Westfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Online Purchases of Firearms and Firearm ComponentsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax County man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, throughout 2020, Babak Safavi, 59, used false names and the internet to acquire and assemble an armory of assault weapons, including at least one with no serial number, while being a convicted felon. Safavi acquired firearms, ammunition, silencers that could be affixed to firearms, suppressor tubes and adapters to manufacture his own firearms suppressors, AR-15 accessories, gun-building kits and other firearm components.
On March 15, during a court-authorized search at Safavi’s residence, law enforcement recovered an AM-15 rifle; an AR style rifle with no serial number; a Stag Arms Stag 15 rifle; a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Pro; over 2000 rounds of ammunition; 3 silencers; and other firearm components. All four firearms had threaded barrels, meaning they were able to receive a silencer, and the handgun had an illegal silencer attached. The magazines for the weapons were loaded.
Safavi is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia T. Giles accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Walutes is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-76.
Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Angie Lane Harbour, 40, was a drug courier for a methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. Harbour acted as a driver for members of the organization both locally and during resupply trips out-of-state. On August 4, 2021, Harbour was driving co-conspirators Brian D’Angelo Terry and Brittany Frances Gilbert back to West Virginia from a resupply trip to Columbus, Ohio, when they were stopped by police in Cross Lanes. Police seized approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle.
Harbour pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and is one of 17 defendants charged as a result of the investigation. Terry and Gilbert have also pleaded guilty as have Ramon David Alston, Treydan Leon Burks, Jason Robert Oxley, Jonathan Gregory Bush, James Edward Bennett, III, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, and Michael Antonio Smith. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. Scott Edward Hudson, Leo Antoine Smith and Douglas Johnathan Wesley are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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 Nos. 2:21-cr-171, 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-211, and 2:22-cr-90.
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Cedar Rapids Drug User Who Bought Thirty-One Firearms Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A drug user who bought thirty-one firearms, at least twenty-four of which were for other people, was sentenced on May 13, 2022, to five years in federal prison.
Chevelle Manuel Daudinot, Jr., age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 9, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Information from a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that Daudinot purchased thirty-one firearms between August 2020 and April 2021. Daudinot falsely stated on the paperwork he filled out to buy the guns that he was not an unlawful user of marijuana. On the paperwork for twenty-four of the firearms, Daudinot falsely stated the firearms were for himself when he was really buying them for other people. When law enforcement agents searched Daudinot’s residence in May 2021, he only had three of the firearms still in his possession. Daudinot’s cell phone contained text messages regarding his firearms dealing, including messages soliciting firearms from him, negotiating prices for firearms, and setting meetings to exchange firearms. Other text messages showed that, in addition to using marijuana, Daudinot was distributing marijuana.
Four guns that Daudinot purchased were recovered during other criminal investigations. In April 2021, Chicago police officers recovered one from a car occupied by a felon and a minor. Through ballistics testing, the firearm was linked to a homicide that occurred in Chicago in March 2021 in which a victim died of three gunshot wounds.
Daudinot was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Daudinot was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Daudinot was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 27, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-51.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Butte nurse charged with unlawfully obtaining opiates from four health care facilitiesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte nurse suspected of illegally obtaining opiates from four health care facilities in three communities appeared for arraignment on an indictment today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Shantyl Marie Giacoletto, 30, pleaded not guilty to four counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Giacoletto faces a maximum of four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Giacoletto was detained pending further proceedings.
The indictment alleges that Giacoletto unlawfully obtained oxycodone from Community Hospital of Anaconda from March 2021 to June 2021; unlawfully obtained oxycodone and hydrocodone from Copper Ridge Health and Rehab in Butte from August 2021 to November 2021; unlawfully obtained oxycodone and hydrocodone from Continental Care and Rehabilitation in Butte in October 2021; and unlawfully obtained oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine from The Ivy in Deer Lodge in November 2021.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Anaconda Police Department.
PACER case reference. 22-19.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Brockton Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking fentanyl and cocaine.
Paul Nova, a/k/a “Meagan,” 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 150 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In June 2021, Nova pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
In June 2017, Nova was found in possession of $5,000 in cash, two cell phones and fentanyl in distribution sized quantities. During a subsequent search of his apartment, a plaid bag containing 17 plastic bags containing approximately 840 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of fentanyl, multiple kilograms of cutting agents, drug distribution paraphernalia and client lists were found in a bedroom that had been locked with a deadbolt. Also found in the apartment was approximately $28,000, two digital scales, assorted packages and preparation materials, numerous cell phones and firearms: a stolen .40 Caliber Smith and Wesson model SW-40 handgun loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition; a Jimenez Arms model JA-22 handgun loaded with five rounds of ammunition; a .45 caliber Glock model 21 handgun with two high capacity magazines; a fully loaded .38 caliber Colt Cobra revolver handgun; a 9mm CZ model 75 handgun loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition; a Walter model P-22 handgun; a H&R model 929 Revolver loaded with eight rounds of ammunition; a large capacity magazine loaded with 12.40 caliber rounds of ammunition; and a 9mm high capacity magazines.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Boston Field Office; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dolan of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Belgian and Lebanese National Convicted of Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Belgian and Lebanese national holding an Illinois law license has been convicted by a federal jury of fraud and money laundering charges in connection with multiple scams that defrauded victims in several states.
Hassan A. Abbas, 55, of Belgium, was convicted following a six-day jury trial of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering, two counts of unlawful monetary transactions and two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 2022. Abbas was indicted in January 2020 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in November 2020.
“The defendant was part of a scheme that toyed with people’s emotions, deceiving them to take their money. The funds he swindled were supposed to be used as the down payment on a home or to fund a comfortable retirement. There are real victims in financial frauds and my office fights for victims. We always have and we always will.” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.
“Hassan Abbas should be ashamed of himself for using his law license as a shield to exploit the hopes and dreams of innocent victims to line his own pockets. He targeted, preyed upon, and systematically ripped them off without a second thought,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Last year, Massachusetts residents reported losing more than $83 million due to romance and business email compromise scams, and the FBI is committed to holding the criminals behind these scams accountable for the harm they do to everyday citizens and our financial institutions.”
Between June 2017 and January 2019, Abbas and others defrauded victims through a series of romance, business email compromise (BEC), and other scams designed to trick victims into wiring monies to bank accounts they controlled. A BEC scheme is a sophisticated fraud often targeting individuals and businesses involved in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques, to cause victims to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the scammers. In romance scams, perpetrators generally create fictitious online personas to develop online romantic relationships with individuals in the U.S., and then leverage those relationships to obtain money and/or property.
Abbas created sham corporate entities and opened bank accounts in the name of those entities. Under false pretenses, both individual and corporate victims were then instructed to wire funds into the accounts Abbas controlled. Some victims were in the process of buying homes and believed the funds were for that purpose, including two Massachusetts victims who were tricked into wiring money to an individual they believed was their real estate broker. Others, including a third Massachusetts victim, believed they were transferring funds on behalf of or for the benefit of their romantic partners. Corporate victims were targeted as part of the scheme as well and were deceived into remitting invoice payments to the accounts Abbas controlled.
Shortly after receiving the victim funds, Abbas transferred the funds to overseas accounts, domestic personal accounts or spent the funds on personal expenses.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property. The charge of unlawful monetary transaction provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and David Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Ames Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – Lonnie Allen Hill, age 53, of Ames, was sentenced May 12, 2022, to 216 months in prison following his guilty pleas to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. Hill’s term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release.
Between May and July 2020, law enforcement officers in Polk and Marshall Counties repeatedly encountered Hill with drugs and firearms. In two incidents, Hill led officers on high-speed vehicle pursuits in Marshalltown, including one in which Hill crashed into an occupied vehicle. In the course of these incidents, officers seized large quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, two firearms, and thousands of dollars in cash. The investigation revealed Hill was trafficking drugs, including methamphetamine, in the Marshalltown area.
Hill has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple prior felony drug trafficking convictions. Hill was serving a state term of parole when he committed the offenses charged in this case.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department, Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor to Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Jirard Quin Kincherlow, 40, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Kincherlow’s sentence was the result of a federal jury returning a guilty verdict on June 11, 2021, finding Kincherlow guilty on the sole count of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution.
“This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable, and it should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Through concerted efforts like Operation Stolen Innocence we will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
“We are grateful to see justice prevail for the victim in this case,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Kincherlow’s sentencing is a testament to the judicial system’s tireless efforts to hold accountable those who break the law and reiterate to the community that human trafficking will not be tolerated.”
“The partnership between HSI and the Tallahassee Police Department, specifically Operation Stolen Innocence, has had a marked impact in making our communities safer,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This significant sentence serves as notice, these heinous crimes will be investigated, and prosecuted, to the fullest extent of the law.”
Kincherlow’s prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.
This conviction was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation Stolen Innocence, a multi-agency coordinated effort by the United States Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of State Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit, to combat human trafficking in the Tallahassee area. First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted this case.
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.
Accountant for Manpower Agency Sentenced to 18 months in Federal Prison for CNMI Visa Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Mylene Basco Casupanan, age 42, from the Republic of the Philippines was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 18 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Defraud the Unites States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The Court also ordered 2 years of supervised release following imprisonment, 40 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
In January of 2019, Casupanan along with Alejandro Tumandao Nario created A&A Enterprises, a manpower agency business incorporated on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Nario, president of the company, and Casupanan, the accountant and business manager, operated this business which profited from the submission of more than 100 fraudulent CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) visas.
As part of the scheme, Casupanan recruited foreign workers from the Philippines and in the CNMI, and then forged documentation for submission with their CW-1 applications. Rather than provide full-time employment to these foreign workers as required under the CW-1 program, Casupanan and Nario demanded the foreign workers find their own employment in Saipan and then pay A&A Enterprises a biweekly tax of $194.
Nario was previously sentenced on February 4, 2022, to serve 21 months of incarceration in a federal prison.
“Casupanan is the final defendant to be held accountable in this complex investigation and prosecution,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Our office is actively targeting this activity in the CNMI. We will continue to bring those who abuse the CW-1 program to justice.”
“A&A Enterprises went through great lengths to defraud the United States Government and potential beneficiaries of the CW-1 visa program,” says HSI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon. “Let this be a clear message that there will be serious consequences for those who exploit our immigration system by engaging in these elaborate fraud schemes.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Albert S. Flores, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Saturday 14 May 2022
Justice Department Statement on the Mass Shooting in Buffalo, NYRead the Press Release
The Justice Department tonight released the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland:
“Tonight, the country mourns the victims of a senseless, horrific shooting in Buffalo, New York. The FBI and ATF are working closely with the Buffalo Police Department and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.
“The Justice Department is investigating this matter as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism. The Justice Department is committed to conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation into this shooting and to seeking justice for these innocent victims.”
Friday 13 May 2022
Woman Convicted of Laundering over $750,000 from Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Florida woman today for laundering approximately $786,000 in money stolen from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers as part of a sprawling health care fraud scheme in Miami.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jesmina Ramirez, 50, of Miami Gardens, laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds by cashing checks written from five fraudulent medical supply companies and returning that cash, minus a fee, to her co-conspirators. The five fraudulent medical supply companies for whom she laundered money – BF Distributors Corp.; Timely Medical Services Corp.; Ortho-Med Solution Inc.; Expedited Medical Supplies Corp.; and Prime Orthopedic Solutions Corp. – billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers more than $48 million for medical equipment the companies never actually purchased and never provided to any patients. Ramirez laundered the stolen money by cashing more than 120 checks from the fraudulent companies over more than two years.
Ramirez was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. She faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Regional Office; and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexander Thor Pogozelski and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Richard D.Westphal recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. Thisyear, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. We recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
U.S. Attorney Westphal stated, “This week we pause to recognize the daily commitment of law enforcement officers for their dedication and courage in protecting and serving our communities in Iowa. In particular, we honor the lives of Iowa State Troopers Ted Benda and Sergeant Jim K. Smith, who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and serving Iowans. We stand together in remembering the brave men and women who have died in the line of duty and will continue to support all law enforcement in their efforts to keep our communities safe.”
Trooper Ted Benda and Sergeant Jim Smith were honored at the 2022 Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony in Des Moines. Trooper Benda served the Iowa Department of Public Safety for 15 years and died in the line of duty while assisting a local law enforcement agency with the 1
apprehension of a wanted subject in Clayton County. Trooper Benda is survived by his wife and four children. Sergeant Smith was a 27-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol and was killed while attempting to arrest a subject who assaulted and disarmed another law enforcement officer during a traffic stop. Sergeant Smith is survived by his wife and two children.Nationally, the names of the 619 fallen law enforcement added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 7:00 p.m. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF .
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”"Police officers," said United States Attorney Murphy, "are our Nation’s first line of defense when it comes to the safety of our local communities. We should always remember that when an emergency arises, police officers are usually among the first people we call and the first people to arrive on the scene to aid. Our community is safer because of their efforts."
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Seven officers have died in the line of duty in the Western District of Tennessee.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 aw enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks1 were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF's website.###
United States Attorney’s Office Pays Tribute to Wyoming Law Enforcement During Police WeekRead the Press Release
In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Bob Murray will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“Our office joins the entire nation in honoring law enforcement officers across the country for their service and sacrifice in keeping our communities safe,” stated United States Attorney Bob Murray. “We recognize the commitment of Wyoming’s law enforcement partners who often place themselves in harm’s way to protect us at all times. They, and their families, have our untiring support.”
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS — In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“Each year, during National Police Week we commemorate the courageous law enforcement officers who have devoted their lives to public service. Sadly, it also marks a time to honor and pay tribute to the men and women whose names were engraved in 2022 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial,” said U.S. Attorney Luger.
This year, the names of four Minnesota law enforcement officers will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. They include Ryan Andrew Bialke, Red Lake Department of Public Safety; Charlie Louis Banks Jr., Deerwood Police Department; Sarah Ann Grell, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; and Ronald William Smith, New York Mills Police Department.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to pay my respects to so many fallen heroes and colleagues”, said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We understand the risks of law enforcement work, but we must also understand the challenges. We must join our law enforcement community in standing up against crimes large and small. We must help each other in times of need. And above all, we must protect those who have made service to others their life’s work. It is our most important priority to keep law enforcement officers safe.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Ten (10) officers have died in the line of duty in the District of Puerto Rico:
Eliezer Hernández-Cartagena, Carolina Municipal Police, 1/11/2021
Luis Xavier Salamán-Conde, Carolina Municipal Police 1/11/2021
Luis Ángel Marrero-Díaz, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) 1/11/2021
Ervin Castro-Domínguez, Carolina Municipal Police, 9/11/2020
José Ferrer-Pabón, PRPB, 12/24/2021
Erasmo García-Torres, PRPB, 6/10/2021
Juan Francisco Rosado-López, PRPB, 2/3/2021
Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua, PRPB, 1/23/2021
Juan Ramón Ramírez-Padilla, PRPB, 11/13/2020
Roberto Rodríguez-Hernández, PRPB,11/4/2020
https://nleomf.org/memorial/facts-figures/roll-call-of-heroes/
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
U.S. Attorney Avery Recognizes Law Enforcement Officers During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
New Haven – In honor of National Police Week, which this year is observed from May 11 to May 17, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“We in the U.S. Attorney’s Office are fortunate to work closely with members of federal, state and local law enforcement on a daily basis and, every day, we see first-hand their professionalism, courage and commitment to keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “It is an understatement to say that being a law enforcement officer is challenging, stressful work. Please join me honoring their commitment to service, and remember those officers who have given their life to protect ours.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
Tonight, beginning at 8:00 p.m., the names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
U.s. Attorney Delia L. Smith Recognizes Police Week in the U.s. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11, 2022, through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
"This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country," said Attorney General Garland. "We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community."
"Our police officers put their lives on the line for us every single day," U.S. Attorney Smith said. It is only fitting that we take time to recognize and thank them for dedicating their lives to keeping us safe." U.S. Attorney Smith encourages the public to show their appreciation and support for law enforcement by participating in the Police Week events, including the Virgin Islands Police Department Law Enforcement Day Parade on St. Thomas on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 3:00 p.m., beginning at the Emile Griffith Park and ending at the Richard Callwood Command "Zone A."
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Beginning in 1963, 14 officers have died in the line of duty in the District of the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks (1) were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/ TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
1 An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
Two Face Federal Drug Charges After Multi-Agency Enforcement Operation in Washington, VermontRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Nicole LeClair, 34, of Washington, Vermont, and Christopher Emmons, 51, of Washington, Vermont, were arrested today during search warrants at their residences. LeClair has been charged with distributions of controlled substances that occurred at her residence. Emmons has been charged with knowingly allowing his residence to be a drug-involved premises at which controlled substances were distributed. Both defendants are scheduled to appear before Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford on Monday afternoon.
According to court records, during the months of March and April of 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin/fentanyl and cocaine base from LeClair at her residence. LeClair used her Facebook Messenger account to arrange the transactions at her residence. A Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained a search warrant for LeClair’s residence, which was executed today. During the search, law enforcement seized approximately 170 bags of suspected fentanyl, 5 grams of suspected cocaine base, and a SCCY semi-automatic pistol.
According to court records, during the months of March and April of 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin/fentanyl and cocaine base at the residence of Emmons. Law enforcement identified Justin Llano, aka “TJ,” and Glendon Parrish-Cambell, aka “B,” as drug traffickers distributing heroin/fentanyl and cocaine base from Emmons’ residence. Emmons was present during multiple controlled purchases conducted at his residence. On one occasion in March, a confidential informant attempted to purchase drugs at Emmons’ residence. During the attempted transaction, Emmons reported to the CI that the drug traffickers had left the residence because law enforcement was conducting traffic stops in the area. A Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained a search warrant for Emmons property, which was executed today. During the search, law enforcement seized 14 firearms (including a sawed-off shotgun), approximately 28 grams of suspected cocaine base, and approximately 400 bags of suspected fentanyl.
Both Llano and Parrish-Cambell have been charged by Criminal Complaint but remain at large. Federal arrest warrants have been issued for both men.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a Criminal Complaint contains allegations only and that LeClair, Emmons, Llano, and Parrish-Cambell are presumed innocent until and unless convicted of a crime.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Montpelier Police Department, Barre City Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office provided vital assistance during execution of today’s search warrants.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Gilman and Jonathan Ophardt. LeClair is represented by Natasha Sen, Esq. Emmons is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. Llano and Parrish-Cambell have not yet retained or been appointed counsel.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime https://www.justice.gov/psn
The Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Conference Generates Positive FeedbackRead the Press Release
Chief of Police Erick Blackburn, receiving an award at the LECC Conference, provides positive feedback on the conference.The Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) Conference that was held in Lander, May 3-4, 2022, was a huge success. This year’s theme was Sharing Solutions for Stronger Law Enforcement and Safer Communities. There were eight sessions including, Seizing/Forfeiting Criminal Assets, Coping and Asking for Help After an Officer Involved Shooting, Qualified Immunity, Responding to a Mental Health Crisis, Dealing with Officer Wellness and PTSD, Recruitment and Retention, and Overdose Detection Mapping.
The conference generated positive feedback from many of the participants:
Chief of Police Scott Peters, Lander Police Department:
“The LECC Conference, co-hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office, was an excellent training opportunity and showcased the commitment to public safety partnerships among federal, state, municipal and tribal law enforcement agencies. We were honored to have the conference in Lander this year.”
United States Marshal Randall Huff:
“This is a very valuable training opportunity and great platform to highlight the exceptional criminal investigations taking place around the state. A great location to bring together federal, state, and local law enforcement for networking, collaborating, and attending topical training. The United States Attorney’s Office always does a good job sponsoring this event.”
Chief of Police Keith McPheeters, Casper Police Department
“Wyoming’s wide-open spaces and rural environment are a huge benefit to our citizens and our overall quality of life. However, these very aspects of our amazing state make the relationships that our state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies have with each other all the more important as we work together to improve public safety in Wyoming. The Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee helps us to build, maintain, and enhance those relationships, and to provide us with consistent training and best practices by which we can, together, help to maintain the high quality of life we all enjoy in Wyoming. The LECC plays a critical role in keeping the many different and varied aspects of law enforcement in Wyoming functioning a high degree of unified professionalism.”
Acting Director Rob Chapman, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office
“The COPS Office is grateful to have been a part of the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Conference. The theme of “Sharing Solutions for Stronger Law Enforcement and Safer Communities” was evident throughout the conference presentations. Law Enforcement is stronger through the teamwork of dedicated professionals. The collaboration and transparency between the levels of law enforcement in the area (federal, state, local, tribal) and their relationships with the prosecutors/US Attorneys has certainly led to safer communities throughout the state of Wyoming.”
Chief of Police Erick Blackburn, Wind River Police Department
“I thought it was a great conference and particularly enjoyed the sessions on use of force and officer involved shootings as well as officer wellness and PTSD. These are all important matters that seem to be more prevalent than ever before in law enforcement.”
The awards dinner, which recognized the outstanding achievements of Wyoming’s law enforcement officers, was held May 3, 2022. The Award Winners press release can be found here. The LECC Conference is held each spring and aims to include law enforcement agencies from across the state. For more information on the conference, email [email protected] or call Rob Gaulke at 307-772-2991.
Schertz Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Transporting a Minor for Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Yesterday, a Schertz man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, in early January 2020, Kraig David Van Winkle, 36, used a social media application to start chatting with a minor in Arkansas. Shortly thereafter, the conversation became sexual in nature. On January 9, 2020, Van Winkle arranged to meet with and ultimately brought the minor back to Texas with the intent to engage in sexual activity. During the trip back to Texas, Van Winkle made the minor throw the minor’s cell phone in a drainage ditch. He also handcuffed, bound the child with rope and placed tape across the child’s mouth when he left the victim alone in his residence.
On October 5, 2021, Van Winkle pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Van Winkle has remained in federal custody since his arrest on January 13, 2020.
“I am thankful for the FBI and Springdale Police Department’s tireless efforts in locating the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Our office will continue to hold child predators accountable and to deliver justice for survivors.”
“This sentencing sends a strong message to those who would commit these types of heinous crimes, they will face justice and be held accountable for their actions,” said FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr.
The FBI, with valuable assistance from the FBI Little Rock Field Office and the Springdale, AR Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Saipan Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for 57 months for Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendants Eugene Ka Lok Wong, age 31, a U.S. Citizen and resident of Saipan, and Dwight Lee Deleon Guerrero Aldan, age 47, also a U.S. Citizen and resident of Saipan, were each sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 57 months imprisonment for Possession with the Intent to Distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee for both defendants. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On December 18, 2020, CNMI Customs officers arrested Wong at a United States Post Office in Saipan after he retrieved a mail parcel containing methamphetamine. Lab analysis determined that the package contained 111 grams of methamphetamine with a purity of 92%. Customs officers discovered the package during joint surveillance with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The investigation revealed that Wong intended to distribute the methamphetamine to various persons in Saipan.
On December 22, 2020, again in cooperation with the DEA and United States Postal Inspection Service, CNMI Customs interdicted another parcel containing 56 grams of methamphetamine with a purity of 85%. Aldan retrieved the parcel from the post office and intended to distribute the drugs in Saipan with Wong. In total, the packages contained approximately 1,670 individual doses of methamphetamine, with a street-value of more than $83,500.
“We continue to partner with federal and CNMI law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking in our islands,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Together, we will hold those who poison our communities accountable for their conduct.”
“Methamphetamine and other highly addictive synthetic drugs pose a significant threat to the island community,” said DEA Los Angeles Division Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner. “Through the collaboration with our law enforcement partners we continue to disrupt the distribution of dangerous drugs and hold those responsible.”
Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, San Francisco Division said: “Postal Inspectors are dedicated to protecting postal customers and employees from all kinds of harmful material in the mail. We hope this sentence sends a message to drug traffickers not to use the mail to transport controlled substances to Saipan or anywhere else.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Customs. The case was prosecuted by Albert S. Flores, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Saint Louis Man Sentenced to 26 Years for Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.– Jalon J. Moore, 25, of Saint Louis, Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday, May
12, 2022, to a total of 26 years in prison for a string of robberies he committed in the Metro East
area. Moore will serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from federal
prison. Moore was also ordered to pay $132,961.74 in restitution to his victims.
In January of 2022, Moore pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robberies with a
firearm, armed robberies of Sprint in Fairview Heights, Illinois, and Marco’s Pizza in
Collinsville, Illinois, and armed bank robbery of GCS Credit Union in Collinsville, Illinois, all
of which occurred in March of 2019. Moore also pled guilty and was sentenced in the Eastern
District of Missouri for five additional armed robberies of businesses in Saint Louis. According to
court documents, Moore, Larry J. Rhines, and Garry Johnson, committed numerous “take over
style” business robberies in the Metro East area between January and March of 2019. During
these robberies, the three were armed with firearms and threatened employees while demanding money.Moore’s co-defendants, Larry J. Rhines and Garry Johnson, are set to be sentenced in June of 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the
Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven
to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work
together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop
comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts
on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for
lasting reductions in crime.This case was investigated by the St. Louis and Springfield Field Offices of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Saint Louis Metropolitan, Saint Louis County, Collinsville, and Fairview Heights
Police Departments.
The case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns.Recidivist Felon Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison After Repeatedly Endangering Community in Moses Lake and Grant CountyRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Senior Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson has sentenced Jeremy Gilbert, 35, of Moses Lake, Washington, to just over fifteen years in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release.
In August 2021, Gilbert, who has 13 prior adult felony convictions, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, stemming from an incident that occurred in August 2020 in the Grant County area. A homeowner called 911 to report that an unknown male, later identified as Jeremy Gilbert, was passed out in a vehicle in his driveway. Deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office arrived and tried to wake Gilbert. In the vehicle, deputies saw easily-identifiable drug paraphernalia. Concerned that Gilbert was impaired, the deputies blocked Gilbert’s vehicle in the driveway and attempted to rouse him. After several minutes of deputies banging on the vehicle’s windows, Gilbert finally awoke and tried to start his vehicle. Ignoring instructions from the deputies not to do so, Gilbert started the engine and crashed into multiple law enforcement vehicles as he left the driveway. Gilbert then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through the Moses Lake, Washington, area.
During the pursuit, Gilbert drove his vehicle in an incredibly dangerous manner, including driving the wrong way on Interstate 90, traveling at a high rate of speed through residential areas and school zones, and blowing through multiple stop signs and other traffic control devices. A deputy was eventually able to end the pursuit with a “PIT” maneuver. Gilbert refused repeated commands to exit the vehicle and show his hands, instead remaining in the vehicle and digging around under the driver’s seat. Eventually the window of his vehicle was broken and Gilbert was removed. After being booked into the Grant County Jail, Gilbert made a call to his wife and told her there were drugs in the vehicle.
Law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant on the vehicle, and recovered a loaded firearm with a round in the chamber, under the driver’s seat. The gun had been reported stolen out of Wenatchee, Washington. Officers also recovered approximately 103.33 grams of methamphetamine and drug use paraphernalia.
Gilbert made bail in Grant County, and was contacted again by law enforcement on December 18, 2020, when he abandoned his vehicle and fled after another pursuit with law enforcement. A few days later, officers with the Moses Lake Police Department located Gilbert and attempted to apprehend him in a traffic stop. Ultimately, they had to use spike strips in multiple locations to disable the Mercedes Benz that Gilbert was driving. Eventually Gilbert crashed the Mercedes into a parking lot and attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly arrested. Gilbert had about 80 grams of methamphetamine on his person.
At the sentencing hearing, Senior Judge Peterson noted Gilbert’s clear drug addiction and the fact that he had purportedly completed treatment three times. The Court indicated concern that despite these repeated opportunities, Gilbert continued his destructive pattern of endangering the community, including law enforcement, and concluded that Gilbert’s persistent pattern demonstrated the need to protect the public from the danger he presents to the community.
“Justice for Mr. Gilbert – and the people of Moses Lake – was finally served today, after years of misconduct, more than a dozen felonies, and repeated scares to community and law enforcement safety,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “It must have been terrifying for other drivers to see him barreling toward them at a high rate of speed in school zones, residential areas, and on the freeway, where he was traveling in the wrong direction. Even after that dangerous conduct and significant evidence of drug crimes, Mr. Gilbert engaged in another dangerous elude-and pursuit with additional methamphetamine on his person after he was granted bond and released pending trial. This significant sentence protects our community. Vehicular tragedy was avoided here only by virtue of the excellent, collaborative work of federal, state, and local law enforcement in Moses Lake and Grant County, and I commend our partnership with ATF, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Moses Lake Police Department.”
“The brazen nature of these cascading crimes truly warrant this significant sentence,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “We will always work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to investigate felons who choose to possess firearms – particularly stolen firearms – when they know they are not supposed to have them.”
Kevin J. Fuhr, Chief of Police for the City of Moses Lake, concurred: “With Mr. Gilbert’s sentencing, the Moses Lake Community will be much safer. We appreciate our longstanding partnerships with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, and the US Attorney’s Office. Our agencies will continue to work together to keep the people of Moses Lake and Grant County safe and secure.”
This case was investigated by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the Moses Lake Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
Readout of Roundtable with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and State and Local Law Enforcement LeadersRead the Press Release
Yesterday, in honor of Police Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta hosted a roundtable discussion with leaders of law enforcement organizations focused on officer safety and wellness at a time of heightened gun violence.
The Attorney General opened the meeting by recognizing the significance of Police Week, a time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities and the nation. He recognized that law enforcement has faced increased, targeted violence, and that the rise in violent crime makes the work of law enforcement more dangerous and more difficult. The Attorney General reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to officer safety and wellness, and the vital importance of law enforcement partnerships to protect communities from violent crime.
Deputy Attorney General Monaco shared the steps the Department has taken and is taking to reduce violent crime and tackle gun violence, including the importance of comprehensive firearm tracing and ballistics analysis.
Associate Attorney General Gupta highlighted the importance of these meetings, saying that the steps the Department takes to support officer safety and wellness are often based on feedback from the Department’s state, local, and Tribal partners. She closed by saying she was looking forward to strategizing together on ways to tackle violent crime next week at the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood conference.
All three Department leaders thanked those in attendance for their service and sacrifices.
Themes throughout the hour-long discussion included how the Justice Department can best help its state and local partners combat violent crime; patterns and trends law enforcement are experiencing regarding gun violence; and the biggest challenges that federal, state, and local law enforcement rank-and-file are facing every day in the field.
Along with the top three leaders of the Department, also in attendance from the Department were FBI Director Christopher Wray; USMS Director Ronald Davis; DEA Administrator Anne Milgram; ATF Acting Director Gary Restaino; ATF Deputy Director Marvin Richardson; Robert Chapman, Acting Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS); Amy Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP); and Jen Kaplan, General Counsel of the Office of Violence Against Women.
Prior to the discussion, Attorney General Garland hosted a reception for members of law enforcement. And earlier in the day, Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco attended memorials to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty from the ATF, DEA, FBI, and USMS.
Earlier this morning, the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Associate Attorney General placed a wreath at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and reflected on the sacrifices law enforcement – and their families – make in service to their communities and country. This evening, the Attorney General will attend the annual Candlelight Vigil and read names of the fallen.