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22 June 2022
Armed Bank Robber from Floyds Knobs Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Committing Five Robberies in Ten WeeksRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Daniel Wilkinson, 30, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, was sentenced yesterday to twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to five different Indianapolis area bank robberies, and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents, between September 5 and November 17, 2020, Wilkinson robbed five different Chase Bank branches in the Indianapolis area. During each robbery Wilkinson entered the bank alone and gave a teller a note announcing that he was robbing the bank and demanding money. During his bank robbery spree, Wilkinson stole a total of at least $30,805.
On November 13, 2020, Wilkinson entered a Chase Bank branch on Castle Creek Parkway Drive and handed a teller a hand-written note stating, “Stay calm stay quiet this is a robbery open your teller drawer and take all the money out I will shoot my way out if I have too.” Wilkinson then lifted his shirt to show a black handgun in his front pocket to the first teller, who handed Wilkinson cash from a bank register. Wilkinson later showed his handgun to another teller, who also handed Wilkinson approximately $2,263 in cash from another bank register.
On November 17, 2020, Wilkinson entered a Chase Bank branch on Kentucky Avenue and handed a teller a hand-written note stating, “Stay calm this is a robbery take all the money out of the drawer and any underneath…Place it in envelopes No tracers or Dye Packs If I have too I’ll Shoot.” The teller then handed Wilkinson cash from another bank register. Immediately following the bank robbery, IMPD SWAT officers located Wilkinson in the getaway car and stopped and arrested him. At the time of the arrest, Wilkson was armed with a black, 9mm handgun in his front pocket. IMPD officers searched the getaway car and recovered $6,377 inside Chase Bank envelopes, clothing worn in the robberies, and a notebook with writing impressions of a robbery demand note.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief Randal Taylor, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Wilkinson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison and pay $30,805 in restitution to JP Morgan Chase Bank.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Amherst County Veterinarian Sentenced for Opioid TheftRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A former veterinarian, who admitted to stealing opioids, was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison.
Patrick Gries, 54, of Madison Heights, Virginia, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of adulteration of a drug held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce and one count of distribution of a controlled substance without a written prescription.
“When health care professionals put the well-being of others at risk, they violate the trust placed in them by the public and will be held accountable. My Office will continue to prioritize these cases throughout the Western District of Virginia,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today.
“Health care professionals, including veterinarians, who take needed medications from their patients not only harm the patients but also put at risk the trust that consumers have in those who provide medical care to their companion animals,” said Special Agent in Charge George Scavdis, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations - Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put the safety and health of pets at risk by tampering with their patients’ medications.”
According to court documents, from 1994 through 2021, Gries practiced as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at VCA Amherst Animal Hospital in Amherst County, Virginia. The animal hospital maintained supplies of Dilaudid, an opioid generically known as hydromorphone, primarily for use in treating pain in animal patients following surgeries.
As the hospital’s primary surgeon, Gries had full access to the hospital’s supply of hydromorphone and began withdrawing a portion of the highly addictive drug from the vials and injecting it into himself. He would replace the stolen hydromorphone with another substance, usually either saline or butorphanol, and then return the altered narcotic back to the hospital inventory.
The Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration - Diversion Control Division, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Baudinet prosecuted the case.
21 June 2022
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Highlights Importance of Protecting Southern District of Iowa SeniorsRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – The Department of Justice commemorated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by emphasizing its commitment to protecting elderly individuals against abuse, fraud, and neglect by advancing elder justice. Elder abuse takes many forms, including financial exploitation (abuse and fraud), caregiver neglect, and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.1
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “The Department has a strong elder justice history that I continue to fully support. We all know an older family member or friend who has been the victim of financial fraud, either domestically or internationally, and we’ve witnessed first-hand how financial loss impacts older adults. Some older adults cut down on their prescription medications harming their health or they are unable to pay their rent and may have to move into senior subsidized housing, impacting their sense of independence. That is why the Department has devoted significant personnel and resources specifically to combat financial fraud committed against older Americans.”
1. What is Elder Abuse (Elder Justice Website); Overview of Elder Abuse (National Institute of Justice).
To prevent and prosecute crimes against the elderly, each of the 94 U. S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide have appointed Elder Justice Coordinators assigned to prosecute crimes against elderly individuals and educate the public about elder abuses. To assist older victims in recovering from crime victimization, the Department provides Victims of Crime Act funding to states for crime victim services programming, with a significant portion of those funds assisting older victims. At the federal level, Victim Specialists serve alongside Elder Justice Coordinators in facilitating services for older victims.
“Ensuring the safety and security of elderly individuals is of the highest priority for this office,” stated U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal. “Significant efforts have been made in the Southern District of Iowa to educate seniors about harmful fraud schemes and to prosecute the perpetrators of such scams. Our office regularly meets with members of the public and employees of financial institutions to inform them about elder financial exploitation and we have had recent success in criminally prosecuting fraudsters who stole from seniors.”
In January 2022, Chelsea Lynn Gless, of Princeton, Iowa, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for mail fraud and ordered to pay over $2.9 million in restitution to victims. The majority of Gless’ 71 victims were elderly individuals. Gless was the manager and part-owner of Royal Metals Group, a business that purported to buy and sell precious metals for customers. Over a period of nearly four years, Gless made false representations to clients and instead of delivering and paying clients for precious metals, Gless misappropriated clients’ funds and precious metals.
In March 2022, Jeffrey M. Carley, of Treynor, Iowa, was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $1,364,163.02 in restitution to the victims of his wire fraud scheme. Carley was a financial investment counselor. Carley encouraged his clients to move money from their traditional IRA accounts to a “self-directed” IRA. Carley then advised his clients to move their money from the “self-directed” IRA to investment opportunities Carley owned or had ownership interest in and advised clients they would receive a financial return. Carley never told his clients that he owned or had an interest in the investments he promoted. Carley also failed to invest the clients’ money and instead used the funds for his personal expenses. Nine of the eleven victims of this investment scheme were elderly. The sentencing judge noted the length of time the scheme lasted and the harm and age of the victims as some of the aggravating factors in imposing the five-year sentence.
To learn more about the Department’s elder justice efforts, please visit the Elder Justice website.
If you need assistance or to report elder abuse, please contact the Iowa Adult Protective Services Hotline at 1-800-362-2178. To report elder fraud, Iowa Adult Protective Services may be contacted, as well as the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center , or contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
Wolf Point man who shot man in the back was sentenced to 16 years in prison for murderRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point man who admitted to fatally shooting another man in the back on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 16 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Doratello “DJ” Juan Fischer, 37, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to second degree murder as charged in an information.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 27, 2020, Fischer shot the victim in the back with a .22-caliber rifle, killing him. Fischer had been driving around Wolf Point drinking alcohol with his girlfriend and other person that evening. While driving down an alley, Fischer told his girlfriend to stop the car and he then got out. The victim was standing outside of a residence near the alley. Fischer shot the victim in the back with a .22-caliber rifle, back, got back into the vehicle with his girlfriend and sped away. The rifle was never found.
The victim was transported to Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the back.
The shooting occurred following a Nov. 24, 2020 incident at a Wolf Point bar where law enforcement responded to the victim brandishing a firearm and pointing it at Fischer. The day before Fischer shot the victim, Fischer used social media to communicate with another individual about the victim pointing the gun at him. Fischer said that he was planning on “coming to town to go hunting.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Harper Suek and Jared C. Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation and Wolf Point Police Department.
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Wheeling man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Edgar Eugene Hatten, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hatten, 41, pleaded guilty In February 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location.” Hatten admitted to selling methamphetamine near Clator Playground in Wheeling on July 20, 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Wetzel County woman sentenced to more than 10 years for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Mary Elizabeth Luongo, of Paden City, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 121 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced
Luongo, 49, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Luongo admitted to selling methamphetamine in December 2020 in Tyler County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Waynesburg Woman Charged with Theft of MailRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal mail theft laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Teresa Drummond, age 47, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on June 2, 2021, Drummond, did steal and take from and out of any mail route and other authorized depository for mail matter a letter addressed to T.W. in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 5 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Castello is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Resolves Groundbreaking Suit Against Meta Platforms, Inc., Formerly Known as Facebook, to Address Discriminatory Advertising for HousingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced today that the Justice Department has entered into a settlement agreement resolving allegations that Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc., engaged in discriminatory advertising in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The agreement would resolve a lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging that Meta’s housing advertising system discriminates against Facebook users based on their race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. The proposed settlement is subject to the review and approval by a district judge in the Southern District of New York.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “When a company develops and deploys technology that deprives users of housing opportunities based in whole or in part on protected characteristics, it has violated the Fair Housing Act, just as when companies engage in discriminatory advertising using more traditional advertising methods. Because of this ground-breaking lawsuit, Meta will—for the first time—change its ad delivery system to address algorithmic discrimination. But if Meta fails to demonstrate that it has sufficiently changed its delivery system to guard against algorithmic bias, this Office will proceed with the litigation.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said: “As technology rapidly evolves, companies like Meta have a responsibility to ensure their algorithmic tools are not used in a discriminatory manner. This settlement is historic, marking the first time that Meta has agreed to terminate one of its algorithmic targeting tools and modify its delivery algorithms for housing ads in response to a civil rights lawsuit. The Justice Department is committed to holding Meta and other technology companies accountable when they abuse algorithms in ways that unlawfully harm marginalized communities.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria McCain said: “It is not just housing providers who have a duty to abide by fair housing laws. Parties who discriminate in the housing market, including those engaging in algorithmic bias, must be held accountable. This type of behavior hurts us all. HUD appreciates its continued partnership with the Department of Justice as they seek to uphold our country’s civil rights laws.”
Among other things, the complaint alleges that Meta uses algorithms in determining which Facebook users receive housing ads, and that those algorithms rely, in part, on characteristics protected under the FHA. This is the Justice Department’s first case challenging algorithmic bias under the FHA.
Under the settlement, Meta will stop using an advertising tool for housing ads (known as the “Special Ad Audience” tool) which, according to the complaint, relies on a discriminatory algorithm to find users who “look like” other users based on FHA-protected characteristics. Meta also will develop a new system over the next six months to address racial and other disparities caused by its use of personalization algorithms in its ad delivery system for housing ads. If the United States concludes that the new system adequately addresses the discriminatory delivery of housing ads, then Meta will implement the system, which will be subject to Department of Justice approval and court oversight. If the United States concludes that the new system is insufficient to address algorithmic discrimination in the delivery of housing ads, then the settlement agreement will be terminated.
This settlement marks the first time that Meta will be subject to court oversight for its ad targeting and delivery system.
The United States’ Lawsuit
The United States’ complaint challenges three key aspects of Meta’s ad targeting and delivery system. Specifically, the complaint alleges that:
- Meta enabled and encouraged advertisers to target their housing ads by relying on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin to decide which Facebook users will be eligible, and ineligible, to receive housing ads.
- Meta created an ad targeting tool known as the “Lookalike Audience” or “Special Ad Audience.” The tool uses a machine-learning algorithm to find Facebook users who share similarities with groups of individuals selected by an advertiser using several options provided by Facebook. Facebook has allowed its algorithm to consider FHA-protected characteristics—including race, religion, and sex—in finding Facebook users who “look like” the advertiser’s source audience and thus are eligible to receive housing ads.
- Meta’s ad delivery system uses machine-learning algorithms that rely in part on FHA-protected characteristics—such as race, national origin, and sex—to help determine which subset of an advertiser’s targeted audience will actually receive a housing ad.
The complaint alleges that Meta has used these three aspects of its advertising system to target and deliver housing-related ads to some Facebook users while excluding other users based on FHA-protected characteristics. The complaint further alleges both disparate treatment and disparate impact discrimination. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Meta is liable for disparate treatment because it intentionally classifies users on the basis of FHA-protected characteristics and designs algorithms that rely on users’ FHA-protected characteristics. The complaint also alleges that Meta is liable for disparate impact discrimination because the operation of its algorithms affects Facebook users differently on the basis of their membership in protected classes.
Settlement Agreement
These are the key features of the parties’ settlement agreement:
- By December 31, 2022, Meta must stop using an advertising tool for housing ads known as “Special Ad Audience” (previously called “Lookalike Audience”), which relies on an algorithm that, according to the United States, discriminates on the basis of race, sex, and other FHA-protected characteristics in identifying which Facebook users will be eligible to receive an ad.
- Meta has until December 2022 to develop a new system for housing ads to address disparities for race, ethnicity, and sex between advertisers’ targeted audiences and the group of Facebook users to whom Facebook’s personalization algorithms actually delivers the ads. If the United States concludes that this new system sufficiently addresses the discriminatory disparities that Meta’s algorithms introduce, then Meta will fully implement the new system by December 31, 2022.
- If the United States concludes that Meta’s changes to its ad delivery system do not adequately address the discriminatory disparities, the settlement agreement will terminate and the United States will litigate its case against Meta in federal court.
- If the new system is implemented, then the parties will select an independent, third-party reviewer to investigate and verify on an ongoing basis whether the new system is meeting the compliance standards agreed to by the parties. Under the agreement, Meta must provide the reviewer with any information necessary to verify compliance with those standards. The court will have ultimate authority to resolve disputes over the information that Meta must disclose.
- Meta will not provide any targeting options for housing advertisers that directly describe or relate to FHA-protected characteristics. Under the agreement, Meta must notify the United States if Meta intends to add any targeting options. The court will have authority to resolve any disputes between the parties about proposed new targeting options.
- Meta must pay to the United States a civil penalty of $115,054, the maximum penalty available under the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit is based on an investigation and charge of discrimination by HUD, which found that all three aspects of Facebook’s ad delivery system delivered housing ads based on FHA-protected characteristics. During its investigation, HUD found that Facebook allowed housing advertisers to exclude users from receiving housing-related ads through targeting options that referenced FHA-protected characteristics, and that Facebook’s machine-learning algorithm excluded users from receiving housing-related ads, even when advertisers sought to target a diverse group of Facebook users. On March 28, 2019, HUD issued a charge of discrimination at the conclusion of its investigation, and Facebook elected to have that charge heard in federal court, resulting in this lawsuit. Prior to filing this suit, this Office, consistent with its standard practice, sought to resolve these issues without litigation.
On March 29, 2019, the day after the HUD charge was issued, a judge in the Southern District of New York approved the settlement of a private litigation that addressed certain of the issues raised in the HUD charge, in National Fair Housing Alliance et al. v. Facebook, Inc., 18 Civ. 2689. Although that settlement reduced the potentially discriminatory targeting options available to advertisers, thus overlapping with some of the issues raised in the complaint the Justice Department files today, it did not resolve other problems raised in the Department’s complaint―Facebook’s discriminatory delivery of housing ads through machine-learning algorithms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York had filed a Statement of Interest in support of the National Fair Housing Alliance case on August 17, 2018, arguing that the Communications Decency Act does not shield Facebook from liability for the delivery of housing ads.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and Assistant Attorney General Clarke thanked the Department of Housing and Urban Development for its efforts in the investigation.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is available at www.justice.gov/usao-sdny. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination may submit a report to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York online at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/civil-rights or by telephone at (212) 637-0840; may submit a report online to the Department of Justice atwww.civilrights.justice.gov; or may contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website at www.hud.gov.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Blain, David J. Kennedy, Jacob Lillywhite, and Christine S. Poscablo filed the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office hosts roundtable to combat sexual harassment in housingRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division hosted a roundtable today for community organizations to discuss the problem of sexual harassment in housing, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
U.S. Attorney Parker is asking anyone in the public who has witnessed or experienced sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager, maintenance worker, or anyone with control over housing to report that conduct to the Department of Justice.
The roundtable event included state and local fair housing agencies and numerous community organizations. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa Taiwo (Criminal Division) and Michael Downey (Civil Division) and Trial Attorney Lauren Marks (Civil Rights Division, Housing and Civil Enforcement Section) outlined for the audience the unique roles the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office play in enforcing the Fair Housing Act.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act. For example, it is illegal for landlords to request sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, to make unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, or to evict tenants who resist their sexual overtures.
“My office is working closely with the Civil Rights Division to ensure that victims experiencing sexual harassment or who have previously experienced sexual harassment in housing in the past know how to connect with federal resources,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, and we stand ready to investigate such allegations and pursue enforcement actions where appropriate.”
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is an effort to combat sexual harassment in housing led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.
The Initiative has resulted in lawsuits filed across the country alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing and recovered millions of dollars in damages for harassment victims.
U.S. Attorney Parker encourages anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, to contact the Civil Rights Division by calling 844-380-6178 or emailing [email protected].
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may also provide information to the U.S. Attorney’s Office using the referral form at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh.
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U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero Names Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today a new executive leadership team to lead the Office’s enforcement mission.
“This seasoned leadership team of career public servants will bring to bear an extraordinary breadth and depth of experience and judgment to meet the threats our communities face. Whether addressing gun violence, the flow of fentanyl, opioids and other dangerous drugs, domestic and international terrorism, ruinous financial fraud and schemes, corrupt officials, or the exploitation of our vulnerable communities, each member of this team has dedicated their professional life to seeking and doing justice with integrity and impartiality. Always seeking to do the right thing, the right way, and for the right reasons, they will continue to vigorously and tirelessly work together to protect our communities and to seek justice for victims,” U.S. Attorney Romero said.
Ms. Romero named Assistant U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr. as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Mr. Thayer joined the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in 1993 through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. As a Trial Attorney in the Division’s Criminal Section, he investigated and tried hate crime and law enforcement brutality cases across the country, including U.S. v. Davis, the first capital civil rights prosecution and conviction. In 1998, Mr. Thayer joined the Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting a wide variety of crimes as a member of the Narcotics Unit, and in 2002, transferred to the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he served as a line prosecutor and then as Deputy Chief of its public corruption unit. In 2005, Mr. Thayer took a leave of absence to prosecute war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, where he spent six years prosecuting and convicting at trial eight high-level Bosnian Serb military commanders for their roles in the 1995 genocide of over seven thousand Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, the largest massacre on European soil since The Holocaust. Upon returning to the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2011, Mr. Thayer served as Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton branch office, then as Deputy U.S. Attorney, responsible for overseeing the office’s mission in New Jersey’s twelve middle and southern counties. In 2015, Mr. Thayer returned to the Office, where he served in the National Security and Cyber Crime unit. Mr. Thayer has received numerous Department of Justice and agency awards, including the Department of Justice Director’s Award twice, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Director’s Award, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director’s Award, and the Department of Justice John Marshall Award. Mr. Thayer earned a B.A., cum laude with Distinction in the Major, from Yale University, and his J.D. as a Public Interest Scholar from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Ms. Romero named Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Barrett as Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Barrett joined the Office in 1990, and has served in a variety of supervisory positions, including Chief of the Firearms unit; Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for Violent Crime, Firearms and Narcotics; and Chief of the Corruption, Civil Rights and Labor Racketeering unit. Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Barrett served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for five years in the Rape Prosecution unit. Mr. Barrett has prosecuted and tried numerous notable public corruption cases, and recently received the Department of Justice’s John Marshall Award for his work in United States v. Linda Weston, at al. Weston and her four co-defendants were convicted of racketeering and historically significant violations of the Shepard/Byrd/Hate Crime Act for targeting mentally disabled victims over a period of ten years while stealing their disability and Social Security payments; beating them; confining them in locked closets, basements, and attics; depriving them of adequate food and medical care, and directly causing the deaths of two, who died while in captivity. Mr. Barrett is also an Adjunct Professor at Temple University School of Law, where he teaches courses in Corruption Law and Policy, International Criminal Law, and Trial Advocacy. He is the co-author of Lessons of Yugoslavia Rape Trials: A Role for Conspiracy Law in International Tribunals, 88 Minnesota Law Review 30 (2003). Mr. Barrett earned a B.A. from Temple University, and his J.D. from Temple University School of Law, where he was on the Law Review.
U.S. Attorney Romero also named two veteran prosecutors in the Office as Deputy Criminal Chiefs who will report to Mr. Barrett.
U.S. Attorney Thomas R. Perricone was named as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for Narcotics and Violent Crime. Mr. Perricone joined the Office in 1994, most recently serving as Chief of the National Security and Cyber Crime unit since 2018, and is the Office’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council Coordinator. He previously served as Chief of Narcotics and Organized Crime from 2005 to 2018. Mr. Perricone has prosecuted and tried numerous significant cases in the Office, including complex fraud, narcotics, and violent crime, including murder for hire, and received the Department of Justice’s Director’s Award. Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Perricone was an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for eleven years, the last four of which were in the Homicide unit. For the past fifteen years, Mr. Perricone has also been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, teaching Trial Advocacy and coaching its Mock Trial Team. Mr. Perricone has also been an instructor at the National College of District Attorneys and at the National Advocacy Center. He earned a B.A. from Princeton University and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Ms. Romero named Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine E. Sykes as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for White Collar Crime. Ms. Sykes joined the Office in 1997, serving in the Organized Crime Strike Force for eleven years. She has most recently served as the Deputy Chief of the National Security and Cyber Crime unit. Ms. Sykes previously served for eight years as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for Narcotics, Organized Crime, and Violent Crime, and as Senior Litigation Counsel. Ms. Sykes has prosecuted numerous organized criminal enterprises, including Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra, outlaw motorcycle gangs, national and international narcotics traffickers and money launderers, and murder for hire conspiracies. Ms. Sykes has received the Attorney General Award for Special Achievement, and the FBI Director’s Award, among others. Ms. Sykes began her career with the Department of Justice in 1992 as an Honors Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Section, and then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. She earned her B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, and her J.D. from Temple University School of Law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory David will continue to serve as Chief of the Civil Division. Prior to his selection as Civil Chief in 2018, Mr. David led several significant civil cases on behalf of the Office, including a multi-district False Claims Act investigation that resulted in a $150 million settlement with Amedisys, the largest DOJ recovery ever against a home health company. Mr. David has been involved in numerous other affirmative civil enforcement resolutions, and has also defended the United States in a variety of different cases that the Office handles. Mr. David is a member of the Civil Chief’s Working Group, a component of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, and also chairs its Frauds Subcommittee. Mr. David earned a B.A. with high distinction from the University of Virginia and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was a senior editor of the Law Review and Order of the Coif. He began his legal career serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Anthony J. Scirica, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and then worked as a litigator for the Philadelphia law firm Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller before joining the Office.
Two experienced Deputy Civil Chiefs will continue to report to Mr. David
Susan R. Becker is the Deputy Chief for Defensive Litigation. She joined the Office in 2002, and has served as Deputy Chief since 2016. She has taught numerous appellate writing classes at the National Advocacy Center and regularly teaches deposition skills and tort law programs for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Prior to joining the Office, Ms. Becker clerked for the Honorable Harvey Bartle, III, U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, then practiced labor and employment law at Ballard Spahr, LLP. Ms. Becker earned a B.A. from Williams College and her J.D. from George Washington Law School.
Charlene Keller Fullmer is the Deputy Chief for Affirmative Litigation. Ms. Fullmer joined the Office in 2007, and has served as Deputy Chief since 2014. Ms. Fullmer led the team that investigated off-label promotion by Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, resulting in a $2.2 billion global settlement, the largest settlement for a single drug. Ms. Fullmer also served on the team that investigated off-label promotion and kickback allegations against Pfizer, leading to a $2.3 billion civil and criminal settlement, at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in DOJ’s history. For these efforts, Ms. Fullmer was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention, among others. She is also the recipient of the Attorney General Award for Exceptional Service. Ms. Fullmer began her federal service career in the Honors Program in 1996, and served as an Attorney Advisor for the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, followed by six years in private practice at Duane Morris, LLP. Ms. Fullmer earned a B.A., cum laude, from Lehigh University, and her J.D., cum laude, from Temple University School of Law, where she was on the Law Review.
Two Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Destruction of Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two men were sentenced to prison today for aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility, a known mine located across Boone and Lincoln counties. Christopher Priestley, 44, of Boone County, was sentenced to one year in prison while Earnest Wriston, 56, of Ohio, was sentenced to two years in prison. Both face three years of supervised release after their prison terms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Priestley, of Seth, and Wriston, of Sidney, Ohio, each admitted to working with others to steal multiple pieces of specialized mining equipment from the known mine in 2019. These thefts forced the mine to shut down for a period of two weeks as the mine was unable to function without the stolen pieces of equipment. The thefts also resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the mine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the cases.
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-219 and 2:21-cr-269.
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Two of Three Defendants Who Kidnapped A Postal Carrier Are Going to PrisonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mark Rogers, 39, and Joseph Way a/k/a Gus, 36, both of Rochester, NY, who were convicted of kidnapping a federal employee, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Rogers was sentenced serve 210 months in prison and Way was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison. A third defendant, Tashara Levans, who was also convicted of kidnapping a federal employee, is scheduled to be sentenced July 8.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that on November 16, 2019, in the area of Second Street and Central Park in Rochester, the defendants kidnapped a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier while she was delivering mail. Rogers and Way confronted the mail carrier about a package she delivered to them. The package did not contain cocaine, which Rogers and Way were expecting, and the two men accused the mail carrier of taking the narcotics. Rogers and Way directed the mail carrier to a vehicle driven by Rogers’ girlfriend Tashara Levans. Over the next two hours, Levans drove Rogers and Way as they threatened to shoot and kill the mail carrier and her children if she did not provide either the cocaine, they believed she had stolen, or $70,000, which was the street value of the cocaine. Eventually, the mail carrier was released unharmed.
Today’s sentencings are the result of an investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith.
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Two Huntington Residents Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Huntington residents were sentenced to prison today for federal drug crimes. Erica Antoinette Kirker, 35, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Marcus Allen Johnson, 37, was sentenced to two years of prison to be followed by one year of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2021, Kirker possessed approximately 1.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 138 grams of fentanyl, and over $84,000 in cash at her Third Avenue residence. Kirker admitted to placing the items in a vehicle and parking the vehicle in a parking garage in downtown Huntington. Investigators conducted a search of the vehicle on that date and seized the methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cash. Kirker admitted that she intended to sell the drugs and that the currency constituted proceeds from prior drug sales. Kirker pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Johnson admitted that on June 5, 2021, he used a telephone to assist a co-conspirator involved in cocaine sales in Huntington. Johnson admitted that he was contacted and enlisted by the co-conspirator to find purchasers for kilogram quantities of cocaine. During the calls, Johnson agreed to market the cocaine to prospective purchasers. Johnson pleaded guilty to using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.
Kirker and Johnson are among 18 indicted individuals who have all pleaded guilty after a long-term investigation disrupted a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that had distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, oxycodone, heroin, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
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 Department, 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 sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
This case was 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 No. 3:21-cr-109.
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Two Former LMPD Officers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate Civil Rights; One Also Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Two former Louisville Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) officers charged with conspiring to violate the civil rights of Louisville pedestrians through the arbitrary use of force pled guilty in federal court today. One of them also pled guilty to engaging in a cyberstalking conspiracy to hack computer applications for compromising photographs of female victims and then using those photographs to extort additional compromising photographs from the victims.
Bryan Andrew Wilson, 36, and Curt Flynn, 40, both pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to violate civil rights in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 241.
According to court documents, from August 2018 through September 2019 and while working as detectives with the LMPD Ninth Mobile Division, Wilson and Flynn engaged in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of numerous civilians in Louisville through oppression and intimidation. As part of the conspiracy, Wilson, Flynn, and others, while on duty, dressed in clothing identifying them as LMPD officers, and driving unmarked LMPD vehicles, assaulted and attempted to assault civilian John Does and Jane Does by throwing large beverages, including the container and/or its contents, at the civilians. Wilson and Flynn would obtain the beverages, bring them into their cars, and then, after identifying a target, Wilson, Flynn, or another driver of the unmarked LMPD vehicle, would slow down and drive closer to the sidewalk or the edge of the street where the civilian was located. At various points Wilson or Flynn would announce on the police radio words to the effect of, “someone was thirsty” or “thirsty fam,” and then Wilson or Flynn would throw the beverage, including the container and/or its contents, at the targeted civilian, and the driver of the unmarked LMPD vehicle would then accelerate the car and flee the scene.
On many occasions, the civilian was hit with the beverage, and on at least one occasion, a civilian was knocked down to the ground from the impact of being hit with the beverage and container. Wilson and Flynn would record or instruct others to record their actions on video using their cell phones, sometimes from inside the car from which the beverage was thrown, and sometimes from an LMPD car following closely behind the car from which the beverage was thrown. Wilson subsequently displayed these videos to other members of the LMPD Ninth Mobile Unit.
Wilson also pled guilty today in a separate case to one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 2261A(2)(B). According to court documents in Wilson’s second case, between September and October 2020, Wilson conspired with others to use an electronic communication service with the intent to harass and intimidate another person, and to engage in conduct that caused substantial emotional distress to another person. As part of the conspiracy, Wilson identified computer applications belonging to women and hacked those computer applications and stole compromising photographs, videos, and other information. Wilson then contacted the women via text messages and threatened to publish the stolen compromising photographs and videos unless those women provided additional compromising material to him. Throughout the course of the cyberstalking conspiracy, Wilson had at least six female victims from whom he stole compromising photographs, videos and other information and attempted to extort additional material on threat of publication.
Wilson and Flynn are both scheduled to be sentenced on September 30, 2022. Wilson faces a combined maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on both cases. Flynn faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Weiser and Stephanie Zimdahl are prosecuting the cases.
Two Detained on Meth Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Two men were detained in federal custody today, following their arraignment in U.S. District Court in an ongoing Rhode Island FBI Safe Streets Task investigation that has resulted in the seizure of more than one pound of methamphetamine to date, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Charles Bersch, 38, of Providence, RI, and Peter Walkovich, 37, of Pepperell, MA, are charged by way of federal criminal complaints with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to charging documents, it is alleged that, on May 23, 2022, at the direction of members of the Safe Streets Task Force, a vehicle carrying Bersch and Walkovich was stopped in Cranston; allegedly inside the vehicle were three backpacks and a camouflage bag, each containing, among other items, significant quantities of crystal meth. It is alleged that during the traffic stop and during a subsequent court-authorized search of the vehicle law enforcement seized a total of 491.9 grams of crystal meth; approximately 75 grams of fentanyl; nearly 48 grams of fentanyl laced cocaine; and more than $21,700 in cash.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Two Convicted Felons from Shreveport Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men from Shreveport were sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for illegally possessing firearms.
Damontra Vonravious Mandigo, 22, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Shreveport Police Department officers were patrolling an area in Shreveport on March 15, 2021 and observed a vehicle parked in the driveway of a vacant residence. Officers made contact with the individual in the driver’s seat, later identified as Mandigo. A search was conducted of his vehicle and law enforcement officers found a Zastava 7.62x39mm pistol. Officers were aware that Mandigo was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. He was arrested and later admitted to agents that the firearm was his. Mandigo’s prior felony convictions were for illegal use of a weapon in 2011, and attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2018.
Tramarciea Jovan Ruffins a/k/a “JJ,” 29, was sentenced to 50 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Ruffins was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 13, 2021 and he pleaded guilty to the charge on February 28, 2022. Officers with the Shreveport Police Department and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) attempted to make contact with Ruffins and another individual in a vehicle in the Cooper Road area of Shreveport on March 11, 2021. When the driver saw police, he drove off and fled the scene. Police chased the vehicle until it crashed. Both Ruffins and the driver jumped out after the crash and fled on foot. Police used K-9 dogs to locate them hidden in an exterior utility closet on Tulsa Street in Shreveport. Ruffins and the driver were arrested and advised of their Miranda rights. Officers searched the area and located firearms loaded with ammunition against the side wall of the residence where they were hiding. Ruffins admitted to law enforcement officers that he had been in possession of the Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol. Ruffins was previously convicted of aggravated battery in 2014, and felon in possession of a firearm in 2018.
Both of these cases were investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Three Defendants who Participated in Kickback and Bribery Schemes Involving Federal Housing Grant Programs Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Charles “Chuck” Willys Mincey, Jr., 65, of Flora, Mississippi, Karl Henry Zerbst, Jr., 62, of Mount Pleasant,, and Brian Daniel Herndon, 46, of Summerville, were sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty for their roles in various kickback and bribery schemes involving federal housing grant programs in the Charleston area.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that from December of 2014 until at least March of 2019, Mincey and Zerbst participated in a scheme to unlawfully profit from their work on certain Affordable Housing Program grants disbursed by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta to low income households of United States Military veterans and spouses of veterans for house rehabilitation.
In 2014, Mincey approached Zerbst to be an intermediary for grants for which Mincey and his company, Palmettos at Folly, was the designated contractor. As an intermediary, it was Zerbst’s role to locate prospective program participants, hire and manage the contractors conducting the rehabilitative work, and hire and manage third-party inspectors to inspect the work and assess it for cost reasonableness. As part of their arrangement, Mincey and Zerbst agreed to split the profits they made from the grants 50/50. This agreement was in violation of the express rules of the grant program, which prohibited an intermediary from receiving more than 12% of the grant funds, and also prohibited any conflict of interests or appearance of a conflict of interest with any other party to the grant application.
During the relevant time period, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta sent the grant funds to community member banks, who then disbursed the funds to Zerbst’s company KHZ. Zerbst retained his intermediary fees and then wrote checks for construction costs to Mincey’s company, Palmetto’s at Folly. Mincey then funneled grant money back to Zerbst, by writing checks from Palmetto’s at Folly to Charleston Strategic Consultants LLC, a company controlled by Zerbst. In total, Mincey funneled at least $246,689.99 in unlawful kickbacks to Zerbst.
Evidence showed that Mincey also participated in a bribery scheme with a City of Charleston employee Brian Herndon in order to win construction bids for housing projects funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a Project Manager for housing rehabilitation at the Charleston Department of Housing and Community Development, Herndon had access to non-public information regarding cost estimates generated for each project grant, which he shared with Mincey in exchange for cash payments between $200 and $500. In total, Herndon accepted at least $15,000 in bribe money.
Senior United States District Court Judge Margaret B. Seymour sentenced all three individuals. Mincey was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, and ordered to pay $91,990 in restitution. Zerbst was sentenced to five years of probation, and paid $246,689.99 in restitution prior to his sentencing. Herndon was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by a year of court-ordered supervision. Judge Seymour also granted a money judgment against Herndon in the amount of $15,000, equal to the amount of bribe money that Herndon received from Mincey from 2014 to 2020. There is no parole in the federal system.
The two cases were investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allessandra Stewart prosecuted the cases.
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Tax Centers of America Franchisee Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – The owner and operator of a Pittsburgh-area tax preparation business has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ incarceration and two years’ supervised release on his conviction of Aiding or Assisting in the Preparation or Filing of False Federal Income Tax Returns, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on John C. Thornton, age 75, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Thornton owned and operated Tax Centers of America franchises in Pittsburgh. Between 2012 and 2017, IRS investigators uncovered high pattern of personal income tax returns containing Schedule C forms. Investigators uncovered falsification of Schedule C forms prepared and filed by Thornton and tax preparers at his business.
Judge Horan also ordered Thornton to make restitution in the amount of $511,718.50.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thornton.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Second Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Senior United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Brian D. Knight, 47, of Spokane, Washington, to 7 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography, the highest sentence available under the terms of Knight’s plea agreement. Judge Peterson also ordered Knight to serve 10 years on federal supervision after he is released from prison. Knight pleaded guilty late last year.
According to court documents and proceedings, undercover FBI agents downloaded numerous images of child pornography from Knight in 2019 before executing a search warrant at his residence in Spokane. Agents found numerous digital devices containing child pornography that Knight appeared to have downloaded between 2017 and 2019. Knight also sustained a prior conviction for possession of child pornography under Washington law in 2009 after a minor girl disclosed that Knight had sexually abused her. In that case, Knight was sentenced to 14 months in state custody. In addition to having a prior child pornography conviction, Knight had also bookmarked multiple child rape stories, including one called “baby Sex Is the Best.tx.” He also had an “incest/underage sex permission form” on one of his devices. Knight also created – under an alias – a foundation called “Fish4Kids,” which was allegedly designed to give aquariums to autistic children. This purported foundation never actually provided any aquariums, but presumably would have put Knight in contact with autistic children. He also lied to law enforcement about his child pornography conduct, wiped his devices to hide the true volume of his child pornography collection, and had prior convictions for domestic violence assaults, interference with domestic violence reporting, and cyberstalking.
In imposing the highest sentence available under the terms of Knight’s guilty plea, Judge Peterson described his conduct as predatory and rejected defense arguments that he should receive a lower sentence because of certain medical ailments. The Court also expressed concern about Knight’s prior convictions and potential lack of commitment to sex offender treatment opportunities.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, commended the FBI’s investigation. “All children should be safe from sexual predators, particularly those who have offended before,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Protecting children from harm, especially online exploitation, remains a priority of my office and is critical to building a safe and strong Eastern Washington community.”
“This is not the first time Mr. Knight has demonstrated disregard for the law and acted on his sexual interest in children,” said Donald M. Voiret, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle Field Office. “The materials our agents recovered from his devices were chilling, and show why it is so important that the FBI continues to relentlessly seek out child pornography defendants.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
ꞏ Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
ꞏ Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
ꞏ Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
ꞏ Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
ꞏ Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the FBI, and was prosecuted by David M. Herzog, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Six Years in Federal Prison for Man Who Illegally Possessed Stolen Handgun in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who illegally possessed a stolen semi-automatic handgun in Chicago has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.
DEANDRE MORRISON illegally possessed the loaded firearm on Nov. 23, 2019. Chicago Police pulled over the vehicle Morrison was driving after a suspected traffic violation in the 7800 block of South Essex Avenue in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Police discovered the gun wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console of the vehicle. The gun had previously been reported stolen in Indiana.
Morrison, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of illegal firearm possession. Morrison had previously been convicted of multiple state felonies, including a robbery, and was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold imposed the federal prison sentence June 16, 2022, after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
“The illegal possession of firearms by felons is a very serious offense that threatens the safety of the public,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Felons who carry loaded firearms will face real consequences — and real punishment — including meaningful time in prison.”
Retired School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Richard W. Scherer, 71, of Depew, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that on June 28, 2021, Scherer, a teacher for approximately 25 years in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools, arrived at a local grocery store to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old female. Scherer had been communicating online with the supposed 13-year-old girl for approximately two months, during which they discussed different sexual acts. When Scherer arrived, he was confronted by a concerned citizen who had been posing online as the 13-year-old female. Law enforcement officers were notified of the incident and Scherer was arrested. A search of Scherer’s cellular telephone resulted in the seizure of an image of child pornography.
The criminal plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Stephen Belongia, Special Agent-in-Charge, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gould.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2022, 1:30 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Refuse Company Co-Owner Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Income Tax Returns that Underreported Business IncomeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of West Alexander, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 6 months’ imprisonment and one-year supervised release on her conviction of filing a false income tax return, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Tina L. Beck, age 53, of West Alexander, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Beck filed federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the calendar years 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018, on which she willfully underreported gross receipts by more than $980,000 from the operation of the garbage collection business she jointly operated with her husband known as “Beck’s Refuse Service”. In February 2022, Beck pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return for 2018 on which she underreported business income resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of more than $50,000. She further accepted responsibility for tax losses incurred by the IRS in 2014, 2015, and 2017, totaling more than $232,000.
Judge Horan ordered Beck, following imprisonment, to serve the first six months of supervised release in home detention with electronic monitoring and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $252,034.08.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beck.
Postal Worker Charged with Theft of Mail MatterRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal mail theft laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named James Ancell, age 29, of the City’s Brighton Heights neighborhood, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on November 25, 2021, Ancell a United States Postal Service employee, did embezzle a letter, postal card, package, mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which had come into the defendant’s possession intended to be conveyed by mail
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 5 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Castello is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
]The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pasco Man Indicted for Fentanyl Trafficking, International Money Laundering, and Possession of an AR-15 Assault PistolRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Mojica Rojas (45, Zephyrhills) with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, money laundering, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. If convicted on all counts, Mojica Rojas faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 40 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Mojica Rojas that the United States intends to forfeit $92,195, an AR-15 type pistol, and ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to the offenses.
According to court records, on May 9, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Mojica Rojas’s residence. Inside the master bedroom, agents seized an AR-15 assault pistol and a loaded drum magazine for an AR-15. Cocaine was also found in the master bathroom. Agents seized over 800 grams of suspected fentanyl in powdered form, and another 100 grams of counterfeit prescription drugs containing suspected fentanyl from a shed and camper in the backyard. The indictment further alleges that in August 2021, Mojica Rojas was part of a conspiracy to internationally launder drug proceeds to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the drug proceeds.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Plant City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
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.
Paducah Doctor Admits to Violating the False Claims Act and Being Liable for Millions for His Role in a Telehealth Scheme by Ordering Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Genetic TestsRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – Patrick C. Finney, M.D., located in Paducah, has agreed to pay $561,800 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare, knowingly making, using, or causing to be made or used, false records and statements to obtain payment from Medicare, and conspiring to defraud Medicare by causing the submission and payment of false or fraudulent claims.
“I commend HHS-OIG and AUSAs Malloy and Weyand for their outstanding work in this case,” said Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. “We will continue to aggressively pursue medical providers engaged in illegal kickback schemes as such fraudulent conduct puts vulnerable patients at risk of harm and drains the taxpayer funded Medicare program of money intended for legitimate claims.”
“This provider leveraged his professional status to pursue illegitimate personal profit, undermining both patient trust and the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable any perpetrator of health care fraud.”
The government’s complaint alleged that, between November 16, 2017, through August 28, 2020, Dr. Finney knowingly caused to be submitted, and conspired to submit and cause the submission of, more than three million dollars in false claims to Medicare. He did so by:
(a) entering into financial arrangements with Barton Associates, a locum tenens physician staffing firm, to provide telehealth services for clients of Barton Associates, related to the referral of Medicare patients for the furnishing of DME and genetic testing items and services and ordering or arranging for the ordering of DME and genetic testing items and services;
(b) receiving illegal remuneration from Barton Associates and its telehealth clients in exchange for referring Medicare patients and ordering or arranging for the ordering of DME and genetic testing items and services, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b; and
(c) causing to be billed to Medicare false claims for DME and genetic testing, because the claims were tainted by kickbacks and were not medically necessary, as he did not engage in the treatment of the Medicare beneficiaries, had no physician-patient relationship with the beneficiaries, often did not speak with the beneficiaries, and knew his prescribed goods and services were not medically necessary.
Through the Stipulation and Order signed by the parties and to be entered by the Court, Dr. Finney has admitted that he violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by knowingly causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare. He also admitted to knowingly making, using, or causing to be made or used, false records and statements to obtain payment from Medicare, and conspiring to defraud Medicare by causing the submission and payment of false or fraudulent claims. Finally, he admitted that these actions caused damages for which he is liable to the United States in the amount of $11,025,088 under the False Claims Act (which allows for damages in the amount of three times the government’s loss, plus penalties). The terms of the Stipulation and Order allows Dr. Finney to fulfill his obligation to pay the Consent Judgment by paying $561,800.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. C. Malloy and A. Matthew Weyand investigated the matter.
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Ohio man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Darrion Dabon Isimemen Ojezua, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced today to 63 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Ojezua, 25, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Ojezua admitted to selling methamphetamine in Wetzel County in October 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronrico Lionel Farmer (33, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Farmer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Farmer had been indicted on September 28, 2021.
According to court documents, on or about April 17, 2021, an Ocala police officer conducted a traffic stop of an automobile being driven by Farmer for a traffic infraction. Farmer gave the officer a false name to conceal his suspended license. A subsequent search of the automobile revealed a substance (fentanyl) on the driver’s floorboard, which Farmer referred to as “children’s candy.” Also on the floorboard, the officer discovered a loaded 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. The FBI conducted a DNA analysis of the recovered firearm and determined that Farmer’s DNA was on the weapon. As a multi-convicted felon, Farmer is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
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.
Newport News Pharmacy Agrees to Pay Civil Penalty under the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Hidenwood Pharmacy, Inc., located in Newport News, and its owner, Anne Hutchens, of Seaport, have agreed to pay $125,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from alleged record-keeping violations associated with controlled substances.
The government alleged that the Hidenwood Pharmacy failed to comply with various recordkeeping requirements under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) mandated for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrants who handle controlled substances. The alleged violations included the failure to validate DEA registrations, resulting in prescriptions being dispensed under invalid or incorrect DEA numbers; failure to maintain records of distributions with the required information; failure to maintain a current self-certification in violation of the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005 and to provide documentation of employee self-certifications; failure to display the warning notice regarding pseudoephedrine purchases on the electronic signature device; and failure to maintain a system to detect orders of unusual size or frequency.
The recordkeeping requirements under the CSA are designed to protect the health and safety of the public from dangers posed by highly addictive or dangerous controlled substances, such as opioids, being diverted into the illicit market, while also ensuring that patients have access to pharmaceutical controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes. In a separate agreement with the DEA Diversion Group, Hidenwood Pharmacy agreed to take a number of measures to prevent the violations from reoccurring.
The resolution obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the DEA, Washington Division, Norfolk District Office.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker.
The civil claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
New Orleans Man Charged for Forged Check Scam and Theft of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREGORY JOSEPH HERNANDEZ, age 67, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on June 10, 2022 for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, six counts of Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344(2), and two counts of Theft of Mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708. The indictment was previously sealed and unsealed on June 17, 2022.
According to the indictment, HERNANDEZ stole checks from the mail and forged information on the stolen checks. HERNANDEZ and his co-conspirators then deposited and cashed the altered checks at financial institutions in the New Orleans area.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, HERNANDEZ faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years of imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud; a maximum of thirty (30) years of imprisonment, followed by up to five (5) years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count of Bank Fraud; and a maximum of five (5) years of imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for each count of Theft of Mail. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count also applies.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Orleans Police Department in this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.
Montgomery Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking and Offenses Tied to a Scheme to Compel Victims, Including a Minor, to Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, a federal jury found defendant Lonnie Dontae Mitchell, 36, from Montgomery, Alabama, guilty of numerous offenses relating to the defendant’s involvement in coercing several victims, including a minor, to engage in prostitution over the course of several years. Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted Mitchell of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion of five victims. The jury also found the defendant guilty of sex trafficking a minor, and three counts of coercing and enticing an individual to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution purposes. Two other defendants previously pleaded guilty.
According to the evidence presented in court, defendant Lonnie Mitchell targeted vulnerable victims who struggled with drug addictions, and then manipulated their drug addictions for his benefit. He increased the victims’ use of heroin and encouraged them to use it intravenously. He then did not provide heroin to the victims if they violated one of his many controlling rules or otherwise did not see enough commercial sex clients. Other consequences of violating defendant Mitchell’s rules or failing to provide him with sufficient money from prostitution included violence, threats of violence, and threats to send embarrassing information, photos, or videos to the victims’ loved ones. In addition, defendant Mitchell regulated the amount of food the victims could eat, when they could eat, and also confiscated their identity documents and credit cards all as part of his coercive scheme to control the victims.
Defendant Mitchell’s co-defendant and sister, Nettisia Mitchell, was aware of her brother’s scheme and facilitated it. Nettisia Mitchell had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. According to court documents, Nettisia witnessed Lonnie’s violence against a victim, yet harbored the victim and received the proceeds from the victim’s involvement in commercial sex. A third co-defendant, Donna Emmons, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Both Nettisia Mitchell and Emmons await sentencing. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison and mandatory restitution.
“Motivated by control, power, and greed, this defendant targeted and recruited vulnerable victims who were struggling in life, and used their vulnerabilities and unspeakable violence to sell them over and over again for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sex trafficking and forced prostitution are heinous crimes that have no place in our society today. The Department of Justice remains committed to using our human trafficking laws to protect those who are the most vulnerable members of society and vindicate their rights.”
“Mitchell beat, threatened, manipulated, and exploited his victims,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “He took advantage of their suffering and addictions to force them into prostitution and drug dealing, all for his own personal gain. The damage caused was not only physical, but also emotional. Undoubtedly, the victims will long be haunted by Mitchell’s actions. My office is committed to helping our law enforcement partners identify and prosecute those who prey on the young and vulnerable. I am grateful for today’s verdict and for the victims who told their stories during the trial. Because of their bravery, Mitchell will be held accountable for his crimes.”
“This verdict means Mitchell is facing justice for the many horrors that he inflicted upon his victim, in the name of profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thankfully, he will no longer be able to prey upon innocent children. This is another example of not only the great partnership HSI has with its law enforcement partners, but also the great work we do to protect our communities.”
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled in this matter. Defendant Mitchell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and a maximum sentence of life. Restitution is also required under federal law.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama made the announcement.
Lonnie Mitchell was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm when law enforcement found him with a handgun while executing a search warrant connected with this case in September 2020. He was sentenced to 108 months in prison for that crime last week.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Patrick Lamb, and Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryLou Bowdre for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
Molina Healthcare Agrees to Pay over $4.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Molina Healthcare, Inc. (Molina) and its previously owned subsidiary, Pathways of Massachusetts (Pathways), have agreed to pay $4.625 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting reimbursement claims while violating several regulations related to the licensure and supervision of staff.
Molina is a managed care health services company that provides health care plans to various state and federal health care programs including MassHealth, the joint federal and state Medicaid program. Between November 2015 and March 2018, Molina owned and operated Pathways, a group of mental health centers located in Springfield and Worcester. During that period, the government contends that Molina and Pathways improperly submitted claims for reimbursement to MassHealth and care entities managed by MassHealth while failing to properly license and supervise mental health center staff, including social workers and psychological associates, and failing to provide and timely document the provision of adequate clinical supervision to clinicians requiring supervision.
The settlement also resolves allegations brought in a lawsuit filed by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG, made the announcement today. The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem, of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, and Assistant Attorneys General Ian Marinoff and Matthew Jones, of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Division.
Modesto Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Burglarizing Calaveras Post OfficeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Thomas Day, 41, of Modesto, was sentenced today to two years in prison for burglarizing a United States Post Office, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on the night of July 2, 2020, Day broke into the post office at 8271 Camanche Parkway South in Wallace, a town in Calaveras County. He used a glass breaking punch tool to shatter the glass on the door to the lobby area of the post office and then stole packages and keys to post office boxes belonging to other people and businesses.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Michigan Department of Corrections Prisoner Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Mailing Threatening CommunicationsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Nathon James Zink, 34, was sentenced to 112 months in federal prison for mailing threatening communications to state and federal judges. U.S. District Court Judge Hala Y. Jarbou imposed the sentence and ordered that it be served consecutively to the state court sentences Zink is currently serving with the Michigan Department of Corrections. After release from prison, Zink will be on supervised release for three years.
In August and September 2020, Zink was an inmate at a Michigan Department of Corrections facility when he sent threatening letters through the U.S. Postal Service to state and federal court judges. The letters included threats to extort, kidnap, sexually assault, and kill judges and their family members. One letter, which was sent to the U.S. District Court in Kalamazoo, Michigan, stated it contained the biological agent anthrax. Authorities investigated and determined the letter was safe and did not contain any anthrax. On March 8, 2022, Zink pled guilty to one count of mailing a threatening communication and one count of mailing a threatening communication to a federal employee.
While sentencing Zink, Judge Jarbou emphasized the extremely serious nature of the threats Zink made, noting they were “vulgar and violent” and that his extensive criminal history indicated he was “capable of hurting others.”
“Mailing threatening communications is a serious federal crime and Mr. Zink’s threats were especially depraved. No one should have to live in fear based on threats like these,” said Mark Totten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. “My office will not hesitate to prosecute these crimes, especially when the targets are public officials who play a critical role upholding our democracy.”
“Nathon Zink’s actions were intended to incite fear and intimidate members of our state and local judicial system,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Threats of violence against public servants have no place in our society and the FBI will use every available resource to disrupt and investigate those threats.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations with important additional assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, and the Michigan Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Lauren Biksacky.
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Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Demario Barker, 33, of Kokomo, Indiana, was sentenced late last week to twenty-five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers began investigating Barker’s drug trafficking activities in 2019. On June 22, 2020, and July 31, 2020, Barker distributed methamphetamine from his residence in Kokomo. On November 30, 2020, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and Kokomo Police Department officers executed a search warrant at Barker’s Kokomo residence, and a second Kokomo residence that Barker used in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. During the execution of those search warrants, law enforcement officers seized approximately one pound of methamphetamine, as well as seven firearms.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Kokomo Police Chief Douglas Stout made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Kokomo Police Department investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. As part of the sentence, Judge Barker ordered that Barker be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Brady who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Massachusetts Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Steal FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Ethan Ayala, 20, of Methuen, William Mejia, 19, of Lawrence and Johariel Quezada, 18, of Methuen, were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 13, 2022, and charged with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from New Hampshire Federal Firearm Licensees, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
Ayala was arrested in Methuen on June 16, 2022, and today was released to a third-party custodian on conditions of electronic monitoring and a 6:00pm to 8:00am curfew.
Mejia was arrested in Lawrence today and released on conditions of home detention with electronic monitoring.
Quezada has not yet been arrested but is currently in custody in the Essex County House of Corrections on Massachusetts charges.
The indictment filed in court alleges that between on or about August 29, 2021 and on or about October 4, 2021, in the District of New Hampshire and elsewhere, the three men conspired to steal firearms from three New Hampshire Federal Firearms Licensees, those being: Milford Firearms, Second Amendment Arms and MacPherson Firearms. During the course of the conspiracy, the group stole over 40 firearms. Some of the stolen firearms have been recovered in Massachusetts.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Andover Police Department, the Brentwood Police Department, the Haverhill Police Department, the Lawrence Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Methuen Police Department, the Milford Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Salem (NH) Police Department, the Somersworth Police Department, the Saugus Police Department, the Wellesley Police Department, and the Windham Police Department.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeremiah McCrimmon, 24, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was sentenced today to 32 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a child who was 13 years old at the time of the incident, and for violating a court-issued protection order.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McCrimmon pleaded guilty in September 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges of kidnapping, first-degree sexual abuse, and interstate violation of a protection order. He was sentenced by the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
In November 2017, McCrimmon inappropriately touched the victim’s breasts and attempted to further sexually assault her at a home in Maryland. As a result, the victim’s mother sought and obtained a protection order, which was signed by a Maryland judge. The order required McCrimmon to stay away from the child and her mother and to have no further contact with them. At the time, McCrimmon was employed as a special police officer.
On Dec. 18, 2018, McCrimmon waited for the then 13-year-old victim to return from school, and in broad daylight, abducted her from a parking lot in Capitol Heights, Maryland. McCrimmon forced the victim into his car, handcuffed her, took and disassembled her cell phone, and drove into Washington, D.C. to a dark and filthy abandoned home. He forcibly raped the victim multiple times. He finally released the victim three hours later, and the victim immediately reported the attack to family members. Forensic testing revealed the presence of McCrimmon’s DNA on swabs collected from the victim’s body during a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. A search warrant executed on the defendant’s vehicle recovered the handcuffs and other items of evidential value.
McCrimmon was arrested on Jan. 9, 2019, and remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended those who investigated the case from 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, including from MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division. 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.
They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section; Jodi Lazarus, Acting Chief of the Superior Court Division; Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for Policy and Legislative Affairs; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Yvonne Bryant; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones, Tiffany Fogel, and Candace Battle, and Forensic Child Interviewer Tracy Owusu.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of Kathleen Kern, Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section, Anthony Scarpelli, of the Office’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa West, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Martinsburg man admits to cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Douglas F. Harris, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Harris, 44, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base.” Harris admitted to working with others to sell 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” from February 2020 to June 2021 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Harris faces at least five years and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. 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 Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marshall County man sentenced for meth chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – John David Crow, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months of incarceration for selling methamphetamine, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Crow, 53, pleaded guilty in May 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Crow admitted to selling methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” in November 2021 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Marfa Man Found Guilty of Meth PossessionRead the Press Release
PECOS – A federal jury sitting in Pecos convicted a Marfa man last week for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Stephen Dudley Brunson, 63, was stopped for a traffic violation. Brunson was subsequently arrested for Class C offenses involving the license plate and temporary permit displayed on the vehicle he was driving. When Brunson was searched incident to arrest, several knives and brass knuckles were found on his person as well as over 27 grams of methamphetamine.
A sentencing date has not been scheduled yet. Brunson faces up to 20 years in prison. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest on February 18, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard, El Paso Office, made the announcement.
The DEA and the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy L. Greenbaum and Sarah Spears are prosecuting the case.
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Man admits to enticing South Texas minor into commercial sexRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 23-year-old man has entered a guilty plea for enticement of a minor online, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, Malcom Lenard Thomas, Houston, admitted he communicated via Instagram with whom he thought was a 15-year-old female.
He connected with the individual in October 2021. In those conversations, he conveyed his expectations to recruit her to engage in commercial sex in Houston for his own financial benefit, calling it the rules of “the game.”
Through numerous exchanges over social media and other means, he instructed her how to send him money. He then purchased a bus ticket for her to travel to Houston. He made arrangements to pick her up on Oct. 29, 2021. Upon his arrival, law enforcement took him into custody.
As part of his plea, he admitted to sending the bus ticket knowing the minor was coming to Houston to engage in commercial sex. He claimed his role would be to provide her with protection.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge will impose sentencing Sept. 15. At that time, Thomas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Thomas will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) conducted the investigation.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting this case.
Kissimmee Man Surrenders on Federal COVID Relief Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Levelle Joseph Harris (36, Kissimmee) has surrendered pursuant to an indictment charging him with 14 counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Harris had been indicted on June 7, 2022.
According to the facts presented in court, between May 27, 2020, and June 2, 2021, Harris applied for 14 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act using false information. As part of his scheme, Harris made false representations on his PPP applications and electronically submitted the applications over the internet. The fraudulent loans were approved, and Harris received more than $1 million in internet wire transfers.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case is being prosecuted as part the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act relief programs. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the two programs that were developed through CARES Act is the PPP. It provides funding to businesses through PPP loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses. The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis.
KC Man Sentenced After Selling Four AR-15s, Marijuana to Undercover OfficerRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who sold four AR-15 style rifles and marijuana to an undercover law enforcement officer was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Paul N. Ortiz, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 20, 2021, Ortiz pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ortiz admitted that he sold a Palmetto PA-15 Multi Rifle and marijuana to an undercover police detective for $1,300 on April 9, 2018. The rifle had previously been reported stolen.
Ortiz also admitted that he sold three other AR-15 style rifles to the undercover detective on separate occasions, as well as marijuana on several occasions. Ortiz sold a Romak-Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco 7.62x39mm for $1,000 on Feb. 15, 2018. Ortiz sold a Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco 7.62x39mm rifle and 47.4 grams of marijuana for $1,400 on April 3,2018. Ortiz sold an Armalite AR-style rifle and 60.4 grams of marijuana for $1,500 on May 17, 2018.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ortiz has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Justice Department Secures Groundbreaking Settlement Agreement with Meta Platforms, Formerly Known as Facebook, to Resolve Allegations of Discriminatory AdvertisingRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has obtained a settlement agreement resolving allegations that Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook Inc., has engaged in discriminatory advertising in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The proposed agreement resolves a lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging that Meta’s housing advertising system discriminates against Facebook users based on their race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status and national origin. The settlement will not take effect until approved by the court.
Among other things, the complaint alleges that Meta uses algorithms in determining which Facebook users receive housing ads, and that those algorithms rely, in part, on characteristics protected under the FHA. This is the department’s first case challenging algorithmic bias under the Fair Housing Act.
Under the settlement, Meta will stop using an advertising tool for housing ads (known as the “Special Ad Audience” tool) that, according to the department’s complaint, relies on a discriminatory algorithm. Meta also will develop a new system to address racial and other disparities caused by its use of personalization algorithms in its ad delivery system for housing ads. That system will be subject to Department of Justice approval and court oversight.
This settlement marks the first time that Meta will be subject to court oversight for its ad targeting and delivery system.
“As technology rapidly evolves, companies like Meta have a responsibility to ensure their algorithmic tools are not used in a discriminatory manner,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement is historic, marking the first time that Meta has agreed to terminate one of its algorithmic targeting tools and modify its delivery algorithms for housing ads in response to a civil rights lawsuit. The Justice Department is committed to holding Meta and other technology companies accountable when they abuse algorithms in ways that unlawfully harm marginalized communities.”
“When a company develops and deploys technology that deprives users of housing opportunities based in whole or in part on protected characteristics, it has violated the Fair Housing Act, just as when companies engage in discriminatory advertising using more traditional advertising methods,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Because of this ground-breaking lawsuit, Meta will — for the first time — change its ad delivery system to address algorithmic discrimination. But if Meta fails to demonstrate that it has sufficiently changed its delivery system to guard against algorithmic bias, this office will proceed with the litigation.”
“It is not just housing providers who have a duty to abide by fair housing laws,” said Demetria McCain, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “Parties who discriminate in the housing market, including those engaging in algorithmic bias, must be held accountable. This type of behavior hurts us all. HUD appreciates its continued partnership with the Department of Justice as they seek to uphold our country’s civil rights laws.”
United States’ Lawsuit
The United States’ complaint challenges three key aspects of Meta’s ad targeting and delivery system. Specifically, the department alleges that:
- Meta enabled and encouraged advertisers to target their housing ads by relying on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status and national origin to decide which Facebook users will be eligible and ineligible to receive housing ads.
- Meta created an ad targeting tool known as “Lookalike Audience” or “Special Ad Audience.” The tool uses a machine-learning algorithm to find Facebook users who share similarities with groups of individuals selected by an advertiser using several options provided by Facebook. Facebook has allowed its algorithm to consider FHA-protected characteristics — including race, religion and sex — in finding Facebook users who “look like” the advertiser’s source audience and thus are eligible to receive housing ads.
- Meta’s ad delivery system uses machine-learning algorithms that rely in part on FHA-protected characteristics — such as race, national origin and sex — to help determine which subset of an advertiser’s targeted audience will actually receive a housing ad.
The complaint alleges that Meta has used these three aspects of its advertising system to target and deliver housing-related ads to some Facebook users while excluding other users based on FHA-protected characteristics.
The department’s lawsuit alleges both disparate treatment and disparate impact discrimination. The complaint alleges that Meta is liable for disparate treatment because it intentionally classifies users on the basis of FHA-protected characteristics and designs algorithms that rely on users’ FHA-protected characteristics. The department further alleges that Meta is liable for disparate impact discrimination because the operation of its algorithms affects Facebook users differently on the basis of their membership in protected classes.
Settlement Agreement
These are the key features of the parties’ settlement agreement:
- By Dec. 31, 2022, Meta must stop using an advertising tool for housing ads known as “Special Ad Audience” (previously called “Lookalike Audience”), which relies on an algorithm that, according to the United States, discriminates on the basis of race, sex and other FHA-protected characteristics in identifying which Facebook users will be eligible to receive an ad.
- Meta has until December 2022 to develop a new system for housing ads to address disparities for race, ethnicity and sex between advertisers’ targeted audiences and the group of Facebook users to whom Facebook’s personalization algorithms actually deliver the ads. If the United States concludes that this new system sufficiently addresses the discriminatory disparities that Meta’s algorithms introduce, then Meta will fully implement the new system by Dec. 31, 2022.
- If the United States concludes that Meta’s changes to its ad delivery system do not adequately address the discriminatory disparities, the settlement agreement will terminate and the United States will litigate its case against Meta in federal court.
- The parties will select an independent, third-party reviewer to investigate and verify on an ongoing basis whether the new system is meeting the compliance standards agreed to by the parties. Under the agreement, Meta must provide the reviewer with any information necessary to verify compliance with those standards. The court will have ultimate authority to resolve disputes over the information that Meta must disclose.
- Meta will not provide any targeting options for housing advertisers that directly describe or relate to FHA-protected characteristics. Under the agreement, Meta must notify the United States if Meta intends to add any targeting options. The court will have authority to resolve any disputes between the parties about proposed new targeting options.
- Meta must pay to the United States a civil penalty of $115,054, the maximum penalty available under the Fair Housing Act.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit is based in part on an investigation and charge of discrimination by HUD, which found that all three aspects of Meta’s ad delivery system violated the Fair Housing Act. When Facebook elected to have the HUD charge heard in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Justice Department for litigation.
This case is being handled jointly by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and U.S. Attorney Damian Williams thanked the Department of Housing and Urban Development for its efforts in the investigation.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is available at www.justice.gov/usao-sdny. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination may submit a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov, or may contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website at www.hud.gov.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault While Armed for Shooting Woman in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nikko Drake, 33, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed for shooting a woman outside a Northwest Washington nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Drake was also found guilty of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and related firearms offenses. The verdict was returned on June 17, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan set sentencing for Sept. 23, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, at 11:25 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2020, Drake got into an argument with the female victim, who was then 21, outside a nightclub in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, in the Shaw area. Drake punched the victim, knocking her to the ground. After a physical struggle, Drake shot her twice in the abdomen. The victim was taken to Howard University Hospital, where she required emergency trauma surgery. MPD officers spotted Drake in the area in response to a look-out and apprehended him within fifteen minutes of the offense.
Drake was arrested on Jan. 24, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long, Mark Hobel, and Daniel Lenerz; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Fretto Lingwood; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist R. Renee Prather; Lead Paralegal Specialist Tameka S. Garcia; Paralegal Specialists Crystal L. Waddy and Debra McPherson; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez; Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Nicole G. H. Conte, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Jury Convicts KC Man of Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been convicted by a trial jury of the armed robbery of a Church’s Chicken restaurant after his DNA was recovered from gun parts recovered at the scene of the robbery.
Justin Domonique Davis, 30, was found guilty on Thursday, June 16, of aiding and abetting one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to evidence introduced during the trial, Church’s Chicken, 11500 Blue Ridge Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo., was robbed at gun point by two robbers on Dec. 12, 2013. Two men walked into the restaurant that evening, produced handguns, and demanded money from the employees. One man fired his revolver at least once at which point there was a malfunction that caused the firearm to fall apart, and parts of the handgun fell to the floor behind the counter. The second thief kept his firearm pointed at the manager, still demanding money from the cash drawer. After they were given the money, both men fled on foot in the same direction from whence they came. That happened to be the direction of Davis’ residence.
When officers arrived, crime scene personnel collected the parts of the revolver for DNA processing and fingerprinting. DNA found on the revolver parts matched to Davis.
Davis was arrested on June 11, 2014, on unrelated municipal charges. At the time of the robbery, according to court documents, Davis was on probation for an unrelated robbery through Jackson County, Mo.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts on both counts to U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, ending a trial that began Wednesday, June 15.
Under federal statutes, Davis is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce A. Rhoades and Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, and the FBI.
Johnstown Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison and 5 Years of Supervised Release for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 15 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on his conviction of failure to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Andrew Gere, 52.
According to information presented to the court, from on or about Feb. 2, 2021, to on or about July 20, 2021, Gere traveled in interstate commerce, and did knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, fail to register and update a registration, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the United States Marshals Service for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Gere.
Jennifer Faith Sentence to Life for Murder for Hire in Husband’s DeathRead the Press Release
Jennifer Lynne Faith, the Oak Cliff woman who convinced her boyfriend to shoot her husband to death, was sentenced today to life in federal prison for orchestrating the murder, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In February 2021, prosecutors charged Ms. Faith, 49, with obstruction of justice. In September 2021, they added a charge of use of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire, an offense that carries a potential death sentence. In return for her plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the obstruction charge and to recommend a sentence of life imprisonment. Ms. Faith pleaded guilty in February and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who also ordered her to pay $6,500 in restitution to her late husband’s family to cover funeral expenses and a $250,000 fine.
At her sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a video of Ms. Faith describing the killing to Dallas Homicide Detective Chris Walton the morning of her husband’s murder.
“I turned around and I just saw this person shoot and shoot. I couldn’t believe – I didn’t know him. Like, why?” she said, sobbing. “A lot of shots, five, six, maybe, I feel like. And he just kept going, and I’m like, stop it!”
“And then I saw the person turn and like, just, dark eyes, coming toward me. And so I started – I yelled no, and I started to run. And he tackled me to the ground,” she continued. “He was trying to attack me the whole time I was screaming.”
Prosecutors also introduced into evidence surveillance audio of Ms. Faith screaming during the attack and video of her crying hysterically afterwards.
According to plea papers, Ms. Faith subsequently admitted that her boyfriend, Darrin Ruben Lopez, 49, gunned down her husband, American Airlines technology director Jamie Faith, on Oct. 9, 2020 in front of his home in Oak Cliff. (Mr. Lopez has been charged by the state with murder and by the feds with a gun crime. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Like all defendants, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
Ms. Faith admitted that she knew Mr. Lopez – whom she called her “one and only love” – had suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, leaving him disabled. Both before and after the murder, she sent Mr. Lopez money and gifts, and even provided him with two credit cards which she paid off using the proceeds of a “Support Jennifer Faith” GoFundMe fundraiser launched in the wake of her husband’s death.
She also admitted that before the murder, she used two phony email accounts to correspond with Mr. Lopez, assuming the identities of her own husband and one of her friends in order to falsely convince Mr. Lopez that her husband was physically and sexually abusing her. (In plea papers, Ms. Faith stipulated that no such abuse ever occurred.) Ms. Faith admitted that she downloaded stock images depicting injuries from the internet and attached them to some of the emails to convince Mr. Lopez that the abuse was actually occurring.
After her arrest, she continued to maintain the fiction. At Tuesday’s sentencing, prosecutors introduced a handwritten note she sent to Mr. Lopez dated October 19, 2021 – less than a month after court documents outlined the email scheme:
“Just a quick note to say I never lied to you and I never sent you emails from any account but mine, as me,” she said. “There is a ton more I wish I could say, but I can’t right now.”
Seven months into her relationship with Mr. Lopez, Ms. Faith exited her home with her husband to walk their dog, she acknowledged in plea papers. One minute into their walk, Mr. Lopez – who allegedly drove from his home in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, to the Faiths’ home in Dallas, where he laid in wait at a neighbor’s home – allegedly shot Mr. Faith seven times before fleeing the scene in his black Nissan Titan pickup truck, which had a distinctive “T” decal on the back window.
After she learned that law enforcement was aware of the “T” decal, Ms. Faith appeared on DFW’s ABC affiliate, WFAA, and plead with the public to help investigators locate the decaled truck. Following the interview, Ms. Faith texted Mr. Lopez and encouraged him to remove the sticker from his truck, she admitted.
“I woke up in a bit of a panic… Something is eating away at me telling me you need to take the sticker out of the back window of the truck,” she texted him. “I don’t normally overreact like this… really think you need to get that sticker off ASAP, like today.” Mr. Lopez allegedly removed the sticker the following day.
Meanwhile, approximately one month after her husband’s death, Ms. Faith admitted, she initiated a claim with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company seeking approximately $629,000 in death benefits Mr. Faith had through his employer. She periodically updated Mr. Lopez on the status of the claim. In text messages, the pair discussed using the money to apply for a residence in her name in Tennessee.
In January 2021, shortly after she was asked to come in for questioning by investigators, Ms. Faith reached out to Mr. Lopez to coordinate their cover stories, she admitted in plea papers.
At her sentencing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a text message from Ms. Faith to Mr. Lopez dated January 10, 2021:
“Don’t text me Monday. I am going to factory reset my phone on Sunday night after deleting texts,” she wrote.
“Ok sounds good,” Mr. Lopez responded. “Big hug.”
ATF agents arrested Mr. Lopez on murder charges in Cumberland Furnace on Jan. 11, 2021. The firearm used to kill Mr. Faith was recovered inside Mr. Lopez’s home.
On Feb. 2, 2021, shortly before she was charged, Ms. Faith contacted a third party and asked that a message be forwarded to Mr. Lopez, who at the time was in custody in Dallas.
“I am with him, will always be with him regardless of whatever has happened. I’ve needed to be cautious because every communication is being monitored,” the message read in part. “Please tell him ASAP I will always be his.”
“Ms. Faith put on quite a performance in the wake of her husband’s murder. She poured out her sob story to reporters and law enforcement, then headed home to orchestrate her coverup,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “But crocodile tears didn’t stop the feds. We were committed to getting justice for Jamie, and with the Judge’s imposition of a life sentence this afternoon, we’re one step closer.”
“No amount of time in federal prison will ever be able to bring Mr. Faith back, however this sentencing shows the gravity of Ms. Faith’s criminal acts. Her spineless attempt to sway law enforcement and public opinion will forever be etched into the hearts of those affected by her monstruous crime. I would like to personally thank the Dallas Police Department Detectives, the Assistant United States Attorneys, and the ATF Special Agents that were ultimately responsible for bringing this villain to justice” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
After hearing evidence presented by the prosecutor, United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle admonished Ms. Faith calling her “pure evil” before imposing her life sentence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department’s Homicide Unit conducted the investigation with the assistance of the ATF’s Nashville Field Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Aviation Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. NDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.
Copies of public sentencing exhibits are available to credentialed media upon request.
Jacqueline C. Romero Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Jacqueline C. Romero, who has served as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for over 16 years, was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the District.
The Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Juan R. Sánchez, administered the oath of office to Ms. Romero, who was nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Attorney on April 21, 2022 and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on June 13, 2022. A public investiture ceremony will be held on a date to be announced in the coming weeks.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and I am humbled by the opportunity to lead an office in which I have worked for so many years,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “I look forward to continuing to work with the dedicated men and women in the Justice Department, and those in law enforcement agencies at state and local levels, in pursuit of our shared values of protecting Americans’ civil rights, public safety, and the rule of law.”
Prior to her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Romero was an Assistant United States Attorney representing the government in both affirmative and defensive civil litigation, as well as criminal prosecutions and appeals. She prosecuted cases involving firearms, drugs, fraud, environmental, civil rights, and tax matters, and defended cases including tort, employment, civil rights, and administrative law matters. For the past seven years, Ms. Romero served as the Civil Rights Coordinator for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, supervising all civil rights investigations in the District. She was also assigned to the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Strike Force, focusing on fraud, opioid abuse, and civil rights prosecutions. Finally, Ms. Romero also had collateral duties with Federal Reentry Court (STAR program), Philadelphia Youth Court, and the Office’s Hiring Committee. In addition to her work at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Romero has taught as an Adjunct Professor at Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law Trial Advocacy Program for over five years, and has been a volunteer faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy for the last four years.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Romero previously served as Senior Counsel for the United States Mint where she served as in-house counsel giving advice to the Mint on manufacturing processes, the unionized workforce, and international e-commerce; as a Trial Attorney with the Justice Department’s Commercial Litigation Section; and as a Litigation Associate with the firm Lowenstein Sandler PC in New Jersey. She is a former fellow of both the German Marshall Fund and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, has served as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania in 2018 and has served on its Board, as well as the Board of the LGBTQ Bar Association of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Judicial Commission. Further, she is a lifetime member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and served on its Special Commission on Law Enforcement Reform and Racial Justice and on its Latina Commission.
As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Romero is the chief federal law enforcement officer responsible for all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which is one of the nation’s most populous districts with over 5 million people residing within its nine counties (Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties), covering about 4,700 square miles. Ms. Romero supervises a staff of approximately 140 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and a similar number of non-attorney support personnel at offices in Philadelphia and Allentown.
Jennifer Arbittier Williams, who for the past 18 months served as Acting U.S. Attorney and then as Court-appointed U.S. Attorney, announced that she will remain with the Office for a period of time to assist with the transition before moving on. Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., was appointed to serve as the Office’s First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Ms. Romero is the 40th U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, an office that was established in 1789. She resides in Philadelphia, PA, and is the first woman to be appointed by a President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the position. She is also the first woman of color and the first person to identify as LGBTQIA+ to lead the Office. Ms. Romero earned her B.A., magna cum laude, with a major in English and a minor in Political Science from the College of New Jersey, and earned her J.D. from Rutgers Law School, Newark.
Indiana Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Unregistered Destructive Devices During Portland ProtestsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Indiana man was sentenced to federal prison today for repeatedly and intentionally jeopardizing the lives of police officers, destroying public property, and encouraging others to commit violence during protests that occurred in Portland in 2020.
Malik Fard Muhammad, 25, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
“In the summer of 2020, a historic protest movement in Portland was marred by violent rioters taking advantage of the momentum built by thousands of peaceful demonstrators. Sadly, this violence drastically changed the narrative around these protests and what they accomplished. In the lead up to and during protests, federal law enforcement is focused on doing everything we can to support the First Amendment rights of individuals while keeping all demonstrators, other community members, and law enforcement officers safe. Holding accountable those individuals whose sole focus is violence and destruction, like Mr. Muhammad, is central to our ongoing effort to support the rights of all Oregonians,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“Malik Fard Muhammad intentionally planned and committed acts of violence that threatened other protestors, members of the public, and law enforcement officers. This type of violence has no place in our community,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Kieran Ramsey. “The FBI is committed to apprehending and charging violent instigators who plan, promote, and commit acts of violence and destruction. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the peaceful expression of free speech throughout Oregon.”
“The right to protest peacefully is absolute,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “But it is clear Mr. Muhammad didn’t come to exercise his rights. He came from out-of-state to bring violence to our community. This sentence should send a clear message to those who want to engage in violence that it will not be tolerated, and ATF will investigate these acts whenever they occur.”
“The risk of a law enforcement officer or community member being seriously hurt or killed by the actions of this individual was very real,” said Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. “I’m gratified to know that he is being held accountable for the danger his criminal actions caused. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the investigators and prosecutors whose diligent, meticulous work made this sentence possible, as well as the members of PPB and other agencies who put themselves at risk to protect our city against violence and destruction during this period of time.”
According to court documents, in late summer 2020, Muhammad traveled to Portland with his girlfriend from their home in Indianapolis to violently engage in area riots. On September 5, 2020, during a large civil disturbance in east Portland, demonstrators threw dangerous objects at police, including commercial grade fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and bottles. Muhammad later pleaded guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court to seriously burning a demonstrator by throwing a Molotov cocktail and providing baseball bats to members of the crowd.
Following Muhammad’s arrest in October 2020, law enforcement seized his cell phone and found messages where he bragged about providing the baseball bats to other rioters. The cell phone also contained a shopping list including common supplies used to make a Molotov cocktail. The day after the demonstration, police located a discarded baseball bat with a Goodwill price tag in the area where the event occurred. Police found the Goodwill store where the bat was purchased and obtained surveillance footage showing Muhammad and his girlfriend buying the bats and several “growler” bottles.
On September 21, 2020, during a large demonstration near the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Penumbra Kelly Building, law enforcement observed an individual light on fire and throw an object toward the building. One officer observed the burning object flying through the air toward his vehicle, landing approximately 15 feet from a police sound truck. Officers recovered the unexploded device. It consisted of a yellow glass growler with a Goodwill sticker on the bottom, a cloth wick, and an ignitable liquid. It was later determined that the growler was one of the items purchased at Goodwill by Muhammad and his girlfriend. A DNA analysis also linked the growler to Muhammad.
On September 23, 2020, protesters set fire to and broke windows at the Multnomah County Justice Center. When officers advanced toward the crowd, an individual threw a Molotov cocktail in a large yellow growler that landed in front of the officers, shattered, and exploded into a large fireball. While some officers were able to move out of the way, one officer’s leg caught fire. Several videos obtained by law enforcement show Muhammad throwing the explosive device.
On October 11, 2020, police were monitoring a protest involving approximately 250 people in downtown Portland. Members of the group began heavily vandalizing various buildings and parks including the Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University, a Starbucks coffee shop, and a Bank of America branch, among others. Law enforcement observed Muhammad in the crowd dressed in black. Portland Police officers reported observing Muhammad using a metal baton to smash the windows of several buildings and arrested him after a short chase. Muhammad possessed a loaded handgun magazine in his pocket. A loaded handgun matching the magazine found on Muhammad’s person was found discarded near the location of his arrest.
Muhammad’s trip to Portland does not appear to be an isolated event. Investigators obtained evidence that he traveled to Louisville, Kentucky in August 2020 to meet with anti-government and anti-authority violent extremist groups to conduct firearms and tactical training. Investigators also obtained several public social media posts by Muhammad promoting violence toward law enforcement in other cities including Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Chicago.
On May 28, 2021, Muhammad was charged by criminal complaint with possession of unregistered destructive devices, engaging in civil disorder and obstructing law enforcement, and using explosives to commit a felony. Later, on June 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Muhammad on the same charges. On May 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices.
As part of his sentencing, Muhammad forfeited or abandoned his interest in a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a second rifle, a pistol, assorted ammunition, and all seized Molotov cocktail components and ingredients.
Muhammad’s federal sentence will run concurrently with a 10-year sentence recently imposed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Muhmmad will serve his sentence in Oregon state prison.
U.S. Attorney Asphaug, Special Agent in Charge Ramsey, and Chief Lovell made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam E. Delph.
Hancock County man sentenced to 10 years for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Samuel Anthony Spilios, of Newell, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Spilios, 39, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Spilios admitted to selling more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” in December 2020 in Hancock County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Drug Enforcement Administration in Youngtown, Ohio; the Liverpool Township Police Department-Ohio; and the East Liverpool Police Department -Ohio investigated. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio assisted.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.