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Monday 25 April 2022
Mount Pleasant Couple Charged with Firearms Trafficking and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on April 19, 2022, an indictment was returned charging Deandre L. Rodgers (age 36) of Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, and Viridiana Garcia-Ramirez (age 24) of Los Angeles, California, with conspiring to violate the laws of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 922(a)(1)(A), making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(6), unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), distribution of a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).
According to court documents, Rodgers and Garcia-Ramirez engaged in a conspiracy to purchase firearms from local gun stores in Wisconsin, alter or obliterate the serial numbers on those firearms, and sell those firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, Rodgers and Garcia-Ramirez purchased 11 handguns and 1 rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. On April 5, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a warrant at a hotel in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, where Rodgers and Garcia-Ramirez were staying. Inside the hotel room, agents found 29-individually wrapped plastic bags containing crack cocaine, two digital scales, and approximately $800, but none of firearms. Rodgers is prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the ATF and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip T. Kovoor.
An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missoula felon sentenced to 46 months in prison for possessing 10 firearms, ammunitionRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement recovered a high-capacity AR-15 rifle and ammunition from his vehicle and nine other firearms and a pipe bomb from his residence was sentenced today to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Paul Joseph Richter, 58, pleaded guilty in February to prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in November 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Missoula received an anonymous tip that Richter was a felon in possession of firearms. Richter had a federal felony conviction in Montana for felon in possession of a firearm. Agents saw Richter carry what appeared to be a rifle into his residence and then later leave and drive to the Veteran’s Administration clinic. While Richter was in the clinic, agents looked in the windows of Richter’s vehicle and saw an AR-type rifle on the front passenger floorboard. Agents detained Richter when he left the clinic. Richter told agents he had eight guns and approximately 5,000 rounds of ammunition at his residence. Richter also said he had recently completed federal supervision and didn’t believe in the idea his firearm rights should be taken away. He told agents that he thought he would never “get called on it again. Any normal person would be done but not me.”
Agents executed search warrants on Richter’s residence and vehicle and recovered an AR-15 rifle in close proximity to three magazines that were capable of holding more than 15 rounds for the gun, 25 rounds of .223 ammunition and other ammunition from the vehicle. From Richter’s residence, agents recovered nine firearms, assorted ammunition, a suspected PVC pipe bomb and a suspected smoke grenade.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Martinsburg woman admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kristin Leanne Price, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Price, 28, pleaded guilty today to one count of “False Statements During Purchase of Firearm.” Price admitted to falsifying forms to purchase a 9mm pistol from a licensed dealer in Berkeley County in June 2020.
Price faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marshall County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lonnie James Tanner, Jr., of Cameron, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Tanner, 53, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Tanner admitted to selling methamphetamine in July 2021 in Marshall 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, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Man Using Whisper App Sentenced for Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Matthew Benjamin Foltz, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, used the messaging application “Whisper” to engage in sexually explicit conversations with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl from Virginia.
Foltz was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to one count of persuading, enticing, or coercing a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, undercover law enforcement portrayed themselves as a 13-year-old girl living in Roanoke, Virginia, and began an online conversation on Whisper with a user named “Macabre_return,” later determined to be Foltz.
Several times during the course of his online conversation with law enforcement, Foltz expressed his desire to bring the 13-year-old girl back to his home in Ohio so that he could both impregnate her and teach her how to please him sexually. Foltz, who also identified himself by the alias “Michael Halliburton,” provided what he purported was a photograph of himself as well as airline flight information for a trip to Ohio.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Christiansburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel B. Swartz prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Offenses Connected to Five Murders in Maryland and VirginiaRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today to life in prison for his conduct in connection with La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise, also known as MS-13.
MS-13 is a transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
According to court documents, Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno aka Insolente, aka Trankilo, 24, of Landover, Maryland, was convicted on multiple racketeering-related offenses on Nov. 23, 2021 after a four-week trial. Alvarado-Requeno was convicted of three counts each of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine.
According to the evidence presented at the four-week trial, between 2015 and 2018, Alvarado-Requeno and his co-defendant, Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, aka Reaper, 41, of Long Branch, New Jersey, controlled and operated the Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside (S.L.S.W. or Sailors) clique through a pattern of illegal activity, which included murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering. Corea Diaz was sentenced to life in prison on April 1, 2022.
Evidence showed that the gang ran a protection scheme in and around its home base in Langley Park, Maryland, and extorted local businesses by charging them “rent” for the privilege of operating in MS-13 “territory” and trafficked in illegal drugs. A large share of the proceeds of the gang’s illegal activities were sent to gang leadership in El Salvador to further promote the goals of the gang, using structured transactions and intermediaries to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.
The Sailors clique committed acts of violence against suspected rival gang members, as well as against its own membership for breaking gang rules. Evidence presented at trial showed that in June 2016, Alvarado-Requeno ordered members of the Sailors clique to murder a suspected rival in the woods at Malcolm King Park in Gaithersburg. Luring him with the promise of sex with a female MS-13 associate, the gang members ambushed the teenaged victim and stabbed him 153 times. The victim did not belong to any gang.
In March 2017, a member of the Sailors clique who was hiding from law enforcement in the Lynchburg, Virginia, area had a dispute with a local high school student. In response, Alvarado-Requeno and Corea Diaz organized a squad of MS-13 members to drive down to Lynchburg and murder the minor. The gang members kidnapped the student from his front lawn and cut his hand off before killing him. After the murder, the Alvarado-Requeno and Corea Diaz helped to hide and protect the killers who escaped the scene from law enforcement.
According to evidence presented at trial, among the most important rules of MS-13 is the prohibition against talking to law enforcement, embodied by the maxim ver, oir, y callar – see, hear, and say nothing. The gang enforced this rule by placing a “green light” – an order to kill – on any member of MS-13 who was thought to be informing on the gang. In December 2016, Alvarado-Requeno directed and participated in the murder of a 14-year-old member of MS-13 who was suspected of talking to the police. The victim’s remains were discovered 18 months later in the woods outside of Germantown, Maryland.
The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, the DEA’s Washington and Buffalo Field Divisions, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department and the Bedford County Sherriff’s Office. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Julie Finocchiaro and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Hagan and William Moomau for the District of Maryland.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tip lines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiring to Commit Multiple MurdersRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced El Salvadorian national Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno, a/k/a “Insolente” and “Trankilo,” age 24, of Landover, Maryland to life in federal prison, for conspiring to participate in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13, and for three counts each of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, as well as for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine. Alvarado-Requeno was convicted of those charges on November 23, 2021 after a four-week trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D'Antuono, of the FBI Washington Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Bedford County (VA) Sheriff Michael W. Miller.
“The brutal and tragic violence perpetrated by Alvarado-Requeno and his fellow MS-13 gang members is totally unacceptable. Today’s sentence sends the message that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove these violent international gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.
“Members of the Sailors Clique of MS-13, including Alvarado-Requeno, spread fear in local communities using violence and extortion,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “He directly participated in the brutal murder of a teenager, and directed and planned four other homicides with his MS-13 co-conspirators. With today’s sentence, he will no longer be able to commit—or direct others to engage in—brutal, senseless violence against members of our communities.”
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said, “The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has for years been dedicated to pursuing MS-13 across Long Island and dismantling the organization piece by piece, successfully prosecuting key leadership in our area and blunting gang violence in our communities. This work, however, does not end at our county borders. We are proud to have participated in the collaborative investigative effort that led to the prosecution of this dangerous criminal and further diminishes MS-13’s impact.”
MS-13 is a transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
According to the evidence presented at the four-week trial, between 2015 and 2018, Alvarado-Requeno and his co-defendant, Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, a/k/a “Reaper,” age 41, of Long Branch, New Jersey, controlled and operated the Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside (S.L.S.W. or “Sailors”) Clique through a pattern of racketeering activity, which included murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering. Evidence showed that the gang ran a protection scheme in and around its home base in Langley Park, Maryland, and extorted local businesses by charging them “rent” for the privilege of operating in MS-13 “territory.” The gang also trafficked in illegal drugs, including marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. A large share of the proceeds of the gang’s illegal activities were sent to gang leadership in El Salvador to further promote the goals of the gang, using structured transactions and intermediaries to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.
The Sailors Clique committed acts of violence against suspected rival gang members, as well as against its own membership for breaking gang rules. The evidence showed that in June 2016, Alvarado-Requeno ordered members of the Sailors Clique to murder a suspected rival in the woods at Malcolm King Park in Gaithersburg. Luring him with the promise of sex with a female MS-13 associate, the gang members ambushed the teenaged victim and stabbed him 153 times. In fact, the victim did not belong to any gang.
In March 2017, a member of the Sailors Clique who was hiding from law enforcement in the Lynchburg, Virginia area had a dispute with a local high school student over marijuana. In response, Alvarado-Requeno and Corea-Diaz organized a squad of MS-13 members to drive down to Lynchburg and murder the high schooler. The gang members kidnapped the student from his front lawn and cut his hand off before killing him. After the murder, the Alvarado-Requeno and Corea Diaz helped to hide and protect the killers who escaped the scene from law enforcement.
Among the most important rules of MS-13 is the prohibition against talking to law enforcement, embodied by the maxim “ver, oir, y callar – see, hear, and say nothing.” The gang enforced this rule by placing a “green light” – an order to kill – on any member of MS-13 who was thought to be informing on the gang. In December 2016, Alvarado-Requeno directed and participated in the murder of a 14-year-old member of MS-13 who was suspected of talking to the police. The boy’s remains were discovered eighteen months later in the woods outside of Germantown, Maryland.
The jury made special findings beyond a reasonable doubt that as part of the racketeering conspiracy Alvarado-Requeno murdered two other individuals and as part of the racketeering conspiracy Corea Diaz conspired to murder a third person.
On April 1, 2022, Judge Xinis sentenced Miguel Angel Corea Diaz to life in prison. Corea Diaz was convicted of the racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and heroin; and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite commended the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, HSI, the DEA Washington and Buffalo Field Divisions, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Bedford County Sherriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Hagan, and Trial Attorneys Julie Finocchiaro and Alexander Gottfried of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the case.
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Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 70 Months’ Imprisonment for Cocaine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ricardo Jimenez-Rodriguez, age 35, of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 22, 2022, to 70 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Jimenez-Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine. On February 23, 2020, Jimenez-Rodriguez was intercepted while driving a tractor trailer in Conyngham, Pennsylvania. Investigators searched the cab of the truck and found a duffel bag containing what laboratory analysis later revealed to be approximately seven kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case was 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.
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Lead defendant sentenced in south Georgia drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: The leader of a south Georgia drug trafficking operation has been sentenced to federal prison, while the final defendant in the investigation awaits sentencing after all entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court.
Nickson Joseph, a/k/a “Cujo,” 57, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin and Alprazolam, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also fined Joseph $1,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The investigation and prosecution in Operation Jump’s Start is an outstanding example of the successful partnership between local, state, and federal agencies in coordinating the fight against drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to make our streets safer by identifying and prosecuting criminal conspiracies.”
Operation Jump’s Start, an investigation under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), took aim at the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in south Georgia. It began in 2019 when a source for the Glynn County Sheriff's Office identified illegal drug distributors in the Glynn, Camden, and McIntosh County area.
With assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Glynn County Sheriff’s Office investigators conducted controlled purchases of drugs, searched homes and vehicles, and charged seven defendants, identifying Joseph as the main distributor. Four others named in the conspiracy have been sentenced after pleading guilty. The remaining defendant, Kirk Westberry, 30, of Brunswick, is scheduled for sentencing in May after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
“We look forward to a continued working relationship between the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies,” said Neal Jump, Sheriff of Glynn County. “Our commitment is to take the drugs off the street and lock up the ones doing harm to our citizens.”
“Operation Jump’s Start was a tremendous success as it nabbed the ringleader of a once-thriving drug trafficking organization and several of his associates,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This criminal organization has reached its final chapter, and its members will now spend well-deserved time in prison.”
“Illegal drugs have no place in Georgia,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities. We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”
Operation Jump’s Start was investigated under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The case was investigated by the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the GBI, the Georgia State Patrol, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, and the Darien Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah J. Abrams and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Justice Department Sues Indiana Town for Discrimination Based on HIV StatusRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clarksville, Indiana, for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleges that the Town’s police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified law enforcement officer based on his Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis. The officer had been successfully working for the Town’s police department as a volunteer reserve officer for over a year and was fully qualified to work as a police officer.
“No qualified individual should lose a hard-earned career opportunity because of misguided views about their disability that are not supported by medicine or science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s firm commitment to protecting qualified workers, including those with HIV, from unlawful employment discrimination.”
“Every day, we depend on law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who are qualified and seek to serve their communities should not be subjected to unlawful discrimination. Individuals living with HIV are entitled to the full protection of our anti-discrimination laws. Our office will work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to ensure that those who seek to serve the public are not unlawfully discriminated against.”
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Discrimination includes withdrawing a job offer to a qualified individual based on unsupported and stereotypical views of the applicant’s disability.
This case is being handled by the department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana based on a referral from the Indianapolis District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint at https://civilrights.justice.gov/. View the complaint here.
Justice Department Sues Indiana Town for Discrimination Based on HIV StatusRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Today the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clarksville, Indiana for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleges that the Town’s police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified law enforcement officer based on his Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis. The officer had been successfully working for the Town’s police department as a volunteer reserve officer for over a year and was fully qualified to work as a police officer.
“Every day, we depend on law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who are qualified and seek to serve their communities should not be subjected to unlawful discrimination. Individuals living with HIV are entitled to the full protection of our anti-discrimination laws. Our office will work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to ensure that those who seek to serve the public are not unlawfully discriminated against.”
“No qualified individual should lose a hard-earned career opportunity because of misguided views about their disability that are not supported by medicine or science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The scientific community has agreed for years that an HIV diagnosis does not make an employee a risk to their colleagues or others. This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s firm commitment to protecting qualified workers, including those with HIV, from unlawful employment discrimination.”
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Discrimination includes withdrawing a job offer to a qualified individual based on unsupported and stereotypical views of the applicant’s disability.
This case is being handled by the department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana based on a referral from the Indianapolis District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint at https://civilrights.justice.gov/. The complaint can be viewed here.
Justice Department Issues Statement on the Administration’s Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) National Action Plan and Legislative ProposalRead the Press Release
For almost four years, the Department of Justice has responsibly used the authority Congress granted it in the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018 to protect critical department missions and the public, such as high-profile sporting events like the Super Bowl and the World Series, from the threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as “drones.” The department uses the authority to keep our communities safe while ensuring full respect for the Constitution, privacy, civil rights and civil liberties, and the safety of the national airspace system. But the threat posed by the criminal use of drones is increasing and evolving, and department components cannot protect everyone, everywhere, all the time.
The department strongly supports the Administration’s Counter-UAS National Action Plan and comprehensive legislative proposal transmitted to Congress on April 19 seeking the reauthorization of the department’s authority. Additionally, the department strongly supports the element of the National Action Plan incrementally extending relief from federal criminal laws to state, local, territorial and tribal (SLTT) law enforcement entities to use technology to detect, and in limited circumstances, mitigate UAS threats under appropriate controls and Federal oversight. A third critical component of the plan is endorsement of the department’s legislative proposal that would fill a gap in federal criminal laws to prosecute the most malicious and dangerous uses of drones.
The department is grateful to the Administration for recognizing the increasing risk and for involving federal departments and agencies in crafting a thoughtful approach. The Counter-UAS plan is a whole-of-government measured proposal that builds off existing authorities to address the threat that simultaneously protects privacy and civil liberties of the American people, the safety of the national airspace and the communications spectrum.
In the coming weeks, the department and interagency will engage with the Congress and key stakeholders across the government, private sector, law enforcement and society on the plan and legislative proposal.
A fact sheet about the C-UAS National Action Plan and legislative proposal can be found at the White House webpage at the following link: Counter-UAS National Action Plan Fact Sheet.
Jury Finds Gang Member Guilty of Firearms Offenses and Trafficking Large Quantities of Multiple DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - After deliberating 9½ hours, a federal jury of four men and eight women found Duane Eugene Cash, Jr. guilty of four counts of various violations of federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Cash, age 50, of Penn Hills, PA 15235, was tried before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that Cash participated in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of heroin, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl, possessed with the intent to distribute large quantities of heroin, acetyl fentanyl, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, possessed a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessed a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense. He was part of a drug trafficking organization who used the moniker of Hustlas Don’t Sleep which distributed large quantities of illegal narcotics from 2017 to 2019, mostly in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, including Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, and Monroeville.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6, 2022 The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison and not more than life, a fine not to exceed $10,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court revoked the defendant’s bond.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Penn Hills Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cash.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Johnston Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Johnston man who recruited individuals to allow counterfeit checks to be deposited into their accounts as part of a scheme to defraud banks; deposited counterfeit checks into those bank accounts; and aided and abetted in the withdrawal of funds from the accounts, was sentenced today to sixteen months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, beginning in October 2020, while on federal supervised release, having been convicted of bank fraud and sentenced in 2019 for participating in a similar conspiracy, Nestor Concepcion, 26, arranged for and coordinated the deposit of multiple counterfeit checks with an intended loss to banks totaling $71,717.77.
In this latest matter, Concepcion pleaded guilty on January 21, 2022, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Concepcion to sixteen months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Conception was ordered to pay restitution totaling $33,635, representing the actual loss to banks.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Ferland.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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Jefferson County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Lee Harder, of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Harder, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Harder, a person prohibited from having firearms, admitted to having a 9mm pistol in April 2021 in Jefferson County.
Harder faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Inmate Charged with Possessing A CellphoneRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tyevhon King, age 35, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institute-Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was charged by a criminal information on April 22, 2022, for unlawfully possessing a cell phone.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the information alleges that on July 16, 2021, King possessed a cellphone. Federal law makes the possession of cell phones by an inmate in prison illegal out of security concerns that arise from unmonitored calls.
The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Federal Bureau of Investigations. United States Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is one year of imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Health care clinic and home health owners found guilty of fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two individuals have been convicted of conspiracy to commit and committing health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for 45 minutes before convicting Alfred Olotin Alatan, 62, formerly of Houston and now residing in Fulshear, and Francis Ekene, 71, Sugar Land, following a day three-day trial. Alatan was also found guilty of money laundering.
Alatan was the owner of Colony Home Health Services, while Francis was the owner of Milten Medical Clinic, both businesses located in Houston.
At trial, the jury heard that Alatan paid recruiters to bring patient information to be billed for home health services regardless of whether they needed it or not. Beneficiaries testified in trial and admitted they did not need home health services at the time the health care service providers billed them.
Additional testimony revealed Dr. John Ramirez had signed off on plan of care forms at the Milton Clinic when patients were not actually under his care.
Previous employees Susana Bermudez and Rita Kpotie Smith also testified. Bermudez admitted she and Smith operated both clinics and that Alatan was the leader of the scheme. Both Alatan and Ekene would consult Bermudez and Smith who directed them and provided assistance in carrying out the scheme within both offices.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury they were not involved in the daily operations and did not know the provided services were unnecessary and fraudulent.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake presided over trial and set sentencing for July 22. At that time, Alatan and Ekene face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine on each count of conviction. Alatan could also receive up to 20 years for his conviction of money laundering.
Alatan and Ekene were permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
Bermudez, both 55 and of Houston, previously pleaded guilty to their roles as co-conspirators in the scheme. Bermudez is currently serving 30 months in federal prison, while Smith is set for sentencing July 21.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tina Ansari and Grace Murphy are prosecuting the case.
Han Gil Defendant Who Sexually Assaulted, Allegedly Murdered Young Drug User Sentenced to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
The final defendant in the Han Gil drug trafficking case was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In June 2021, after seven days of trial, a jury convicted Bryan Reshad Hill, 39, of conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Hill, aka “Black,” dealt heroin and cocaine out of Han Gil Hotel Town, a drug infested establishment shut down by the feds in March 2019. He and other dealers paid an inflated daily rate, dubbed a “drug tax,” to induce the hotel’s proprietor to turn a blind eye to the trafficking occurring inside the building.
The Han Gil – which served as home base for numerous high-level traffickers – saw four confirmed deaths, two non-fatal shootings, and dozens of drug-related incidents in the months before its closure. Numerous drug users, who often injected themselves while still on the premises, were subjected to brutality (including beatings and burnings with a butane torch) and sexual abuse by the dealers headquartered there. The hotel, once located caddy-corner to a local elementary school, has since been demolished.
According to evidence presented at his sentencing hearing, Mr. Hill raped and presumably murdered a 19-year-old drug user inside one of the Han Gil trap rooms on Dec. 27, 2018.
A witness to the assault testified at Mr. Hill’s jury trial that she heard the defendant tell the victim, “stop fighting, you cannot win.” The witness later saw the girl’s lifeless body on the floor of restroom after Mr. Hill exited. Her corpse was dumped in a park in Oak Cliff and recovered a month later.
During the hearing, Judge Scholer stated on the record that based upon her review of surveillance footage taken from the hotel – which showed the defendant carry the near-unconscious victim into the bathroom, then exit the bathroom a short time later wearing gloves on both hands (download footage here) - she determined that because the girl was unable to consent to a sex act, Mr. Hill had perpetrated a sexual assault against a vulnerable victim.
Her death was just one of several stemming from drug incidents at Han Gil. Two former Coppell High School students, both age 22, died of overdoses during the summer of 2018, and the body of an unknown male was removed from the property that fall.
Twenty three additional defendants have already been sentenced in this case, including Han Gil owner Su Amos Mun, who pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, and lead dealer Eric Dewayne Freeman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
“Behind the walls of the Han Gil, this defendant committed truly heinous acts,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “It has been four years since our office began its investigation of Han Gil Hotel Town, and today, we are proud to bring this sordid case to a close. We know, however, that our work is far from over. We will continue our crack down on violent drug traffickers and the establishments that allow them to operate.”
“To say the crimes that occurred at the Han Gil Hotel were horrendous would not be enough to describe the degree of violence, viciousness, and pain that occurred at the hands of Mr. Hill and others,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “During this time where we honor Victims’ Rights Week, DEA Dallas will continue to work tirelessly to keep these atrocities and other acts of drug-related violence from repeating themselves.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Coppell Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, IRS - Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Grand Prairie, Arlington, Grapevine, Lancaster, Plano, Farmers Branch, Garland, Rowlett, Denton, Lewisville, and McKinney police departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy prosecuted the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hogan, Lindsey Beran (fmr.), and Braden Civins handled the civil case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beverly Chapman and Melissa Childs oversaw the forfeiture
Hammond Man Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Edward Timothy Rzasa, 49 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Rzasa was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 2, 2021, Officers with the Griffith Police Department arrested Rzasa based on an outstanding arrest warrant. During a search incident to his arrest, Officers recovered a loaded .380 caliber pistol which they learned had previously been reported as stolen. According to his criminal history, Rzasa had multiple prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Griffith Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
This case was 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.
Fresno County Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Randall McKinney, 33, of Clovis, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for possession of stolen mail and possession of a counterfeit postal key, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2021 and October 2021, McKinney stole and possessed stolen mail and possessed a counterfeit postal key for the delivery of mail. McKinney claimed to have broken into approximately five thousand to 10 thousand mailboxes, using the counterfeit postal key for many of the thefts. On Aug. 17, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Kinney drive up to a community mailbox in Clovis, exit his truck, open the rear door of the mailbox with the key, and steal mail from the mailbox. When McKinney was arrested, he possessed stolen mail that included checks, credit cards, and device making equipment. Through his conduct, McKinney caused an intended loss that exceeded $150,000. McKinney was also ordered to pay over $50,000 in restitution to the victims of the mail theft.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandre Dempsey prosecuted the case.
Former eBay Executive Pleads Guilty to His Role in Cyberstalking CampaignRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former eBay, Inc. executive pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.
James Baugh, 47, of San Jose, Calif., eBay’s former Senior Director of Safety & Security, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of witness tampering and two counts of destruction, alteration and falsification of records in a federal investigation. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29, 2022.
In June 2020, Baugh was arrested and charged along with David Harville, eBay’s former Director of Global Resiliency. Co-conspirators and former eBay employees Philip Cooke, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Veronica Zea and Stephanie Stockwell previously pleaded guilty. Cooke was sentenced in July 2021 to 18 months in prison. Gilbert, Popp, Zea and Stockwell are awaiting sentencing. Harville has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
According to court documents, between approximately Aug. 5, 2019 and Aug. 23, 2020, Baugh and his co-conspirators at eBay agreed to engage in a harassment campaign targeting a husband and wife in Natick, Mass. for of their roles in publishing a newsletter that reported on issues of interest to eBay sellers. Senior executives at eBay were frustrated with the newsletter’s tone and content, and with the tone and content of comments posted beneath the newsletter’s articles. The harassment campaign arose from communications between those executives and Baugh, who was eBay’s senior security employee.
Baugh and his co-conspirators allegedly executed a three-part harassment campaign intended to intimidate the victims and to change the content of the newsletter’s reporting. The campaign included sending anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home; sending private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick; and traveling to Natick to surveil the victims and install a GPS tracking device on their car.
The deliveries ordered to the victims’ home included a book on surviving the death of a spouse, a bloody pig mask, a fetal pig, a funeral wreath and live insects. The harassment also featured Craigslist posts inviting the public for sexual encounters at the victims’ home.
The threatening Twitter messages were written as if they had been sent by eBay sellers who were unhappy with the victims’ coverage in the newsletter. Some of these messages posted the victims’ address and threatened to visit the victims at their home.
On Aug. 15, 2019, Baugh and co-conspirators allegedly traveled from California to Natick to surveil the victims and to install a GPS tracking device on the victims’ car. The victims spotted the surveillance team and contacted local police. After learning of the police’s investigation, Baugh made false statements to police and internal investigators, deleted digital evidence related to the cyberstalking campaign and falsified records intended to throw the police off the trail.
The charges of conspiracy to commit stalking and stalking each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The charges of witness tampering and destruction, alteration and fabrication of records in a federal investigation each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The witness tampering charges also carry the potential for forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Natick Chief of Police James G. Hicks made the announcement. eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former USDA animal inspector pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 68-year-old Laredo man has admitted to accepting bribes, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Roberto Adams pleaded guilty to accepting over $40,000 in bribery payments while employed as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lead animal health technician.
Adams inspected cattle entering the United States to determine if they met the necessary health requirements to enter the country. Over the course of at least 14 months, Mexican cattle brokers paid Adams to allow cattle into the country without proper quarantine or legitimate inspection.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Aug. 3. At that time, Adams faces up to 15 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Adams was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of USDA – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.
Former Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for SextortionRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Carver County man was sentenced to 480 months in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for producing child pornography and extortion related to a years-long sextortion scheme, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“For nearly a decade, Mitchell Ottinger engaged in a sextortion scheme that targeted dozens of vulnerable, young victims. This predator will now spend the next 40 years behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands united with our law enforcement partners in combatting child sexual exploitation.”
“Today's crippling sentence reflects the heinous nature of the defendant's crimes, as he used his position of trust and authority to find his victims, and traumatize them,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul. “Sextortion is a crime that can victimize any child and the FBI will continue to work with our partners and in our communities to make sure our children know that help is available and that we will spare no effort in hunting down their predators.”
According to court documents, Mitchell James Ottinger, 25, a former substitute teacher and paraprofessional, engaged in a scheme to obtain sexually explicit images and videos of minors and adults by using false online personas. Ottinger threatened to disseminate the images and videos of his victims in order to extort more images and videos. Over the course of several years Ottinger victimized 42 people, including at least 23 minors, some of whom he knew from the school district where he worked.
Law enforcement was alerted to the sextortion when one of the victims contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and reported the threats.
Ottinger was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright. At sentencing, Judge Wright commented that Ottinger committed heinous crimes that introduced grievous harm and suffering into the lives of his victims. On October 19, 2021, Ottinger pleaded guilty to two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography and one count of interstate communication with intent to extort.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.
This case is the result of investigations conducted by the FBI and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E. Dugi prosecuted the case.
Former Santa Cruz County Assessor Pleads Guilty to Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Felipe Fuentes, 62, of Nogales, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week for his role in a long-running bribery conspiracy that spanned much of his tenure as the elected County Assessor for Santa Cruz County. Fuentes pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2022 before the Honorable Raner C. Collins, Senior United States District Judge.
According to Fuentes’ admissions in connection with the plea hearing, Fuentes and other co-conspirators engaged in a multi-year bribery scheme in which Fuentes received cash payments from a large landowner in Santa Cruz County. Fuentes admitted that, in exchange for the cash payments, he took various official acts in his capacity as the County Assessor to benefit the landowner, including reducing assessed values for properties owned by him and his business entities. According to Fuentes’ plea agreement, in addition to the cash payments, the landowner also allowed Fuentes to use a 17-acre ranch owned by one of his business entities free of charge for multiple years during the course of the bribery conspiracy.
“Property taxes pay for critical local government services that support our communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Fuentes abused the public trust when he reduced the assessed value of property, and by doing so diverted money away from Santa Cruz County in order to serve his own self-interest.”
"The citizens of Arizona deserve a government free of corruption. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority and is committed to rooting out public corruption and civil rights violations at all levels," said Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. "The FBI continues to investigate this case and encourages the public to come forward if they have any information."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force investigated the case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00824-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-049_Fuentes# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Real Estate Agent Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sarah Nicole Kelley, 41, of Coolidge, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $190,774.64 in restitution. Kelley was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud and 8 counts of money laundering by a federal jury in October 2021.
The evidence at trial showed that Kelley defrauded a family friend out of $185,000 in savings. Kelley, a former real estate agent, convinced the victim to invest in a real estate project and send additional money for a short-term loan. Instead of using the money as promised, Kelley used the victim’s savings to pay off her own debts. Kelley then strung the victim along for months with a series of lies and excuses about how the money was spent and when the victim would get it back.
At sentencing, the Court found that Kelley previously defrauded another family friend out of $647,000 using similar tactics. The Court also found that Kelley provided false testimony under oath when seeking to overturn the jury’s guilty verdict.
Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-01143-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 048_Kelley# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Olympic Boxer Convicted by Federal Jury for Producing Child Pornography, Transporting Minors for Criminal Sexual Conduct, and other Sex Related CrimesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that John Jackson, a 33-year-old resident of St. Thomas, was convicted on Friday of four federal and two local criminal charges following a six-day jury trial.
Jackson was convicted of producing child pornography, three counts of transportation of a minor for criminal sexual conduct, first degree rape, and aggravated second degree rape. The jury heard testimony from three victims detailing how Jackson picked them up from high school and other locations and then transported them to various places on St. Thomas to engage in criminal sex acts. Each of the three victims was a juvenile when the sexual activity occurred.
On one occasion, Jackson video-recorded himself having sexual intercourse with the victim Jane Doe 1, who had just turned fifteen years old. Jackson used the victim’s cell phone to make the recording.
According to trial testimony, Jackson provided the three victims with money, jewelry, and marijuana. In a videotaped confession shown to the jury, Jackson acknowledged that he engaged in sexual relations with Jane Doe Number 1, who was only 15 years old at the time.
Jury selection for the trial began on April 11, 2022. The trial of the matter commenced on April 19, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Shappert commended citizens in the community and law enforcement for taking the allegations of the three victims seriously. "We are grateful for the initiative of the adults in these young women’s lives who brought John Jackson’s criminal actions to the attention of law enforcement. We are also grateful for the courage of the three young women who testified about their suffering at the hands of the defendant."
Jackson, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in February of 2019, competed in the 2008 Olympics.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Rainwater, and Assistant U.S. Attorney, Natasha Baker.
Chief District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy set sentencing for August 25, 2022. Jackson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for production of child pornography.
A federal district court judge will determine the defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former Head of LADWP Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for accepting bribes from a lawyer in exchange for his official action to secure a three-year, $30 million no-bid LADWP contract for the lawyer’s company.
David H. Wright, 62, of Riverside, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who described Wright’s conduct as “egregious” because Wright – while a public servant – executed an “elaborate and sophisticated criminal scheme” that was motivated by “pure greed.” Judge Blumenfeld also ordered Wright to pay a fine of $75,000.
Wright, who is the first defendant to be sentenced in the LADWP corruption cases, pleaded guilty on January 25 to one count of bribery.
Wright served as LADWP’s general manager from September 2016 until July 2019, when he resigned at the direction of the mayor of Los Angeles.
“As the leader of the nation’s largest municipal utility, David Wright embarked on a campaign of corruption, including pushing through a no-bid $30 million contract for a company from which he had secretly accepted a lucrative job offer,” said United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “This ongoing criminal case has placed a spotlight on public corruption that harmed ratepayers while benefiting dishonest officials and unscrupulous lawyers.”
“This case is especially significant given the corruption that was rooted in the highest level of city government,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This investigation highlighted the lack of oversight for a $30 million contract and the inexcusable silencing of whistleblowers, amounting to a gross misuse of Mr. Wright’s position and a violation of the public’s trust. The FBI encourages those with information about corruption to speak up and hold accountable public officials whose conduct erodes trust in government.”
During 2016 and 2017, Wright developed a relationship with Paul O. Paradis, 58, of Scottsdale, Arizona, a lawyer appointed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office to represent LADWP in a lawsuit in which the department blamed the vendor of its billing system for the misbilling of hundreds of thousands of ratepayers. Paradis and his New York-based law firm also held a $6 million LADWP contract to provide project management services in connection with the department’s remediation of the faulty billing system.
By early 2017, Wright and Paradis agreed that – in exchange for Wright’s support of a “no-bid” $30 million contract for Paradis’s downtown Los Angeles-based company Aventador Utility Services LLC — Paradis would give Wright a $1 million-per-year job as Aventador’s CEO and a luxury company car once Wright retired from LADWP.
In exchange, Wright lobbied members of the LADWP board of directors to vote in favor of the contract for Aventador, whose company name was taken from a model of Lamborghini sports car. At the time it approved the $30 million no-bid contract in June 2017, the LADWP board was not informed of Wright’s illegal agreement with Paradis to take a lucrative job as Aventador’s CEO upon retiring from LADWP.
After the awarding of the contract, through early 2019, Wright continued to collaborate with Paradis to build and market Aventador and to seek additional lucrative business opportunities for it — and thus for Wright and Paradis — both inside and outside LADWP. Despite being a public official, Wright used his position as LADWP’s general manager to advertise Aventador's services at industry events and in meetings and discussions with other industry officials and executives.
By March 2019, Paradis had been forced to resign from his role as special counsel to the City Attorney’s Office. Around this time, the LADWP board voted to terminate Aventador’s contract, but it agreed to retain the company’s services if Paradis sold his stake in the company and disavowed any interest in the company, which Paradis purported to do. In late March 2019, after Paradis sold the company to an employee, Aventador officially changed its name to Ardent Cyber Solutions LLC.
In late March 2019, after Paradis had begun covertly cooperating with the FBI, Wright met with Paradis at Wright’s home and directed Paradis to destroy their incriminating text messages and emails from Wright’s cell phone and Apple iCloud account and to take back an Aventador laptop and wipe it clean. Wright told Paradis that he had already gone through his office at LADWP and destroyed all incriminating physical evidence.
In April 2019, Wright used his position to urge the LADWP board to support a new cybersecurity contract to Ardent for more than $10 million. Wright again did not inform the board of another secret arrangement with Paradis, which by then included their agreement that Wright would receive a “substantial sign-on bonus” of $600,000 or $1.2 million, as well as an increase in his ownership of their company, in addition to a previously agreed-to $1 million annual salary and luxury car.
Paradis pleaded guilty on January 28 to a federal bribery charge for accepting an illicit kickback of nearly $2.2 million for getting another attorney to purportedly represent his ratepayer client in a collusive lawsuit against LADWP related to the billing debacle. Paradis is cooperating with the ongoing investigation into the collusive litigation and corruption at LADWP. Paradis is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19.
David F. Alexander, 54, of Arcadia, LADWP’s former chief information security officer and its former chief cyber risk officer, pleaded guilty on February 8 to one felony count of making false statements to federal investigators probing corruption in the department. Alexander’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 7.
Thomas H. Peters, 56, of Pacific Palisades, the former chief of the Civil Litigation Branch of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, pleaded guilty on April 5 to one count of aiding and abetting extortion. Peters threatened to fire a plaintiffs’ attorney from a lucrative special counsel job with the city unless the attorney paid a substantial extortion demand from a former employee who was threatening to expose the city’s collusive litigation over its faulty water-and-power billing system. Peters, who is also cooperating with the ongoing investigation, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2.
The FBI is investigating this matter. Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa Mills, Jamari Buxton, and Susan Har of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Former Federal Felon Sent to Federal Prison Again for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Burlington man who distributed over 79 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Corey Lowery, age 44, from Burlington, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 15, 2021, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, beginning in 2018, Lowery began distributing pound-quantities of methamphetamine to several individuals in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. At the time, Lowery was still on federal supervised release as a result of his conviction in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. During the methamphetamine conspiracy, from 2018 to March 10, 2020, Lowery distributed at least 79 pounds of methamphetamine to the individuals from Cedar Rapids.
Lowery was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lowery was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lowery is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; and the Burlington Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00010.
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Former El Paso Physician Agrees to Pay $350,000 to Resolve Allegations that He Failed to Account for Large Quantities of OpioidsRead the Press Release
EL PASO – Dr. Herbert Nassour, a former physician in El Paso, has agreed to pay $350,000 under a civil settlement to resolve allegations he violated certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Dr. Nassour was a physician registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe and dispense controlled substances through his private practice located in El Paso. The United States contends that Dr. Nassour violated the CSA by failing to properly account for over 11,000 doses of hydrocodone and by not maintaining the proper inventory or dispensing records for controlled substances as required by the CSA. The failure to account for such large doses of opioids raises serious concerns about the potential diversion of controlled substances. The settlement reflects the ongoing commitment of Department of Justice and DEA to address the opioid crisis and to prevent, detect and investigate the diversion of controlled substances.
“Doctors must live up to their obligations under the CSA to ensure that controlled substances are not illegally diverted into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Protecting our community from the diversion of controlled substances is a priority for the DEA and this office.”
“Opioid misuse and abuse remain at epidemic levels in the United States,” said Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement’s El Paso Division. “Because the majority of opioid addictions in America start with prescription pills, registrants must do their part and comply with the rules and regulations set forth by the Controlled Substance Act. Through our oversight, DEA will ensure that registrants comply with the law.”
The DEA’s El Paso Diversion Group investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo R. Castillo handled this case on behalf of the government.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Former Defense Contractor Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A former manager for a defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2016, Ronald L. Thomas, of Wellington, Florida, worked in Afghanistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company as a project director and in other roles. In 2016 and 2017, Thomas served as a paid consultant for a Mexican oil and gas venture. From 2010 to 2017 Thomas evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the salaries and bonuses he earned for each of those years. In total, Thomas did not report approximately $870,000 in compensation he earned from 2010 through 2017, causing a tax loss to the government of more than $227,000.
Thomas is the third defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, and James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case.
Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Former Defense Contractor Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A former manager for a defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2016, Ronald L. Thomas, of Wellington, Florida, worked in Afghanistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company as a project director and in other roles. In 2016 and 2017, Thomas served as a paid consultant for a Mexican oil and gas venture. From 2010 to 2017 Thomas evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the salaries and bonuses he earned for each of those years. In total, Thomas did not report approximately $870,000 in compensation he earned from 2010 through 2017, causing a tax loss to the government of more than $227,000.
Thomas is the third defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, and James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case.
Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Former Crestwood Mayor Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Participating in Bribery Scheme Involving Red-Light Camera ServicesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former mayor of Crestwood, Ill., was sentenced today to a year in federal prison for improperly soliciting and receiving benefits from an individual with a financial interest in a red-light camera company that provided services to the Chicago suburb.
LOUIS PRESTA, 71, of Crestwood, pleaded guilty last year to one count of using a facility in interstate commerce in aid of bribery and official misconduct, and one count of filing a false income tax return. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin imposed the year-and-a-day sentence 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 Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.
“Public corruption is an extremely serious offense that erodes the public’s trust in all levels of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Durkin argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “It tarnishes by association the honest public servants who view their jobs through the lens of what is in the public interest, not their own self-interest.”
According to Presta’s plea agreement with the government, the red-light camera company provided camera services to Crestwood that enabled the municipality to issue tickets to motorists for certain traffic violations. While the company was attempting to provide additional such services to Crestwood, then-Mayor Presta asked for and accepted benefits from the individual with a financial interest in the company. Presta told the individual that the percentage of red-light traffic violations that Presta approved would remain high or increase – in exchange for a cash payment to Presta from the individual, the plea agreement states.
The plea agreement describes a Feb. 27, 2018, phone call in which Presta updated the individual on the higher percentage of red-light traffic violations that Crestwood approved the previous week. During the call, Presta stated, “We’re starting to get the numbers again… you got a new sheriff in town.” Shortly after that call, Presta on March 7, 2018, received a $5,000 cash bribe from the individual. When subsequently questioned by federal law enforcement about his receipt of the $5,000 bribe payment, Presta falsely stated that he neither asked for nor received the $5,000 bribe.
In addition to the bribery scheme, Presta admitted in the plea agreement that he willfully filed a false personal income tax return for the calendar year 2015.
Former Co-Owner of Vikings Pleads Guilty to Providing Shadow Banking Services to Cryptocurrency ExchangesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that earlier today, REGINALD FOWLER pled guilty to bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy, operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and wire fraud. FOWLER committed the bank fraud and unlicensed money transmitting business offenses in connection with his work for Crypto Capital, a payment processor that provided fiat-currency banking services to various cryptocurrency exchanges through a series of bank accounts opened under false pretenses. As part of the scheme, Crypto Capital and FOWLER fraudulently processed transactions equaling approximately $750 million in deposits and withdrawals from such exchanges. In addition, FOWLER defrauded the Alliance of American Football (“AAF”) by, among other things, claiming that millions of dollars belonging to Crypto Capital and/or Global Trading Solutions customers were instead his own assets, which he was free to use to secure his investments in the AAF. Based on those misrepresentations, FOWLER acquired a significant investment stake in the AAF yet was unable to fund that investment, which contributed to the AAF’s demise.
Two of FOWLER’s co-conspirators, OZ YOSEF and RAVID YOSEF, remain at large.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Reginald Fowler helped process hundreds of millions of dollars of unregulated transactions on behalf of numerous cryptocurrency exchanges, skirting the anti-money laundering safeguards required of licensed institutions that ensure the U.S. financial system is not used for criminal purposes, and lying to U.S. banks whose own policies would otherwise have prevented it. As the trade in cryptocurrencies continues to grow, it is essential that it be conducted in a lawful and transparent manner that does not permit its use by criminal actors. Today’s guilty plea reflects this Office’s continued commitment to the investigation and prosecution of those in the cryptocurrency sector who seek to continue to operate in the shadows.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, the Superseding Indictments, and statements made during the plea and other proceedings in the case[1]:
In or about February 2018, REGINALD FOWLER established Global Trading Solutions LLC (“GTS”) and began working with Crypto Capital and other related companies (the “Crypto Companies”) , which were operated by Israeli nationals OZ YOSEF and RAVID YOSEF, among others. The Crypto Companies marketed themselves as providing a seamless way for individuals to exchange government-backed, or “fiat,” currency for cryptocurrency. The Crypto Companies offered these services at a time when traditional banks were reluctant to handle cryptocurrency transactions. Because of the demand for the Crypto Companies’ services, a number of cryptocurrency exchanges began using the Crypto Companies to process their fiat-to-cryptocurrency transactions.
In reality, the Crypto Companies lied to banks in order to open accounts that were used to process cryptocurrency transactions without the banks’ knowledge. FOWLER opened dozens of such accounts in the United States and around the world. In general, he represented to banks that GTS and related companies were engaged in real estate and that funds coming into the GTS bank accounts represented real estate investments or rental payments from properties GTS developed. FOWLER did not disclose GTS’s involvement with the Crypto Companies and the fact that it was operating as a payment processor for hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency transactions.
Additionally, FOWLER directed other individuals to include false information on wire transfer instructions to further deceive banks about the nature of GTS’s business. These false statements would suggest that outgoing wires were related to real estate transactions. In email communications with RAVID YOSEF and others, the co-conspirators discussed the need to ensure that wire narratives were consistent with the false information FOWLER had provided banks at account opening. As banks became aware of FOWLER’s misrepresentations, they shut down GTS bank accounts and FOWLER would move the scheme to new banks. In less than ten months, FOWLER processed approximately $750 million in cryptocurrency transactions in various currencies, nearly $600 million in United States dollars.
Even though FOWLER was receiving and directing monetary transactions on behalf of third parties, neither he, GTS, nor any of the Crypto Companies were ever licensed as a money transmitting business in the United States, as required by federal law.
Additionally, in 2018, FOWLER defrauded the AAF, a short-lived professional football league, in connection with his acquisition of a significant ownership stake in the league. In the course of negotiating his investment in the AAF, FOWLER falsely claimed personal ownership of GTS funds that in fact belonged to clients of FOWLER’s illegal money transmission service established in support of the Crypto Companies. As he did when opening bank accounts, FOWLER told AAF executives that the funds in the GTS bank accounts derived from real estate investments as well as government contracts and that the tens of millions of dollars in the GTS accounts were liquid assets he could use to invest in the AAF. FOWLER did not disclose his involvement with the Crypto Companies. Moreover, although FOWLER experienced account closures and government seizure of GTS funds in the month leading up to his investment in the AAF, FOWLER did not disclose those facts to the AAF. FOWLER acquired a significant investment stake in the AAF in November 2018, yet was unable to fund that investment.
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FOWLER, 63, of Chandler, Arizona, pled guilty today to one count of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and one count of wire fraud. These offenses carry a total maximum sentence of 90 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as FOWLER’s sentence will be determined by the judge.
FOWLER is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter at 2:00pm on August 30, 2022.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Money Laundering Investigation Squad, and Special Agents from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Fender, Jessica Greenwood, Samuel Raymond, Samuel Rothschild, and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As to FOWLER’s co-defendants, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and the descriptions in the Indictments set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Festus man pleads guilty to stealing mail and fraud chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Ryan Kanzler on today’s date, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, theft of U.S. mail and access device fraud. Judge Pitlyk set sentencing for August 10, 2022. At sentencing, Kanzler is subject to imprisonment of not more than 5 years, for his plea to conspiracy and theft of mail and a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine; and for access device fraud is imprisonment of not more than 15 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine.
According to the plea agreement, beginning from at least October 14, 2020, Kanzler and a co-defendant were engaged in a scheme to defraud several financial institutions. Kanzler and his co-defendant stole mail from private residence and business mailboxes on a rather large scale.
They would then search the stolen mail for checks and personal identifying information. Stolen checks were often altered to make the payee one of the participants, as well as increasing the amount. Kanzler would then present the stolen and altered checks for payment at various banks in the St. Louis area.
Kanzler also used credit cards fraudulently obtained by utilizing personal identifying information obtained in the stolen mail. For example, in January 2020, a victim reported that his mail had been stolen. Kanzler obtained a Lowe’s credit card and used that card between January 21 and January 29, 2021, to purchase items exceeding $1,000 in that time period at various Lowe’s locations in the St. Louis area.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from St. Louis County, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Arnold, Chesterfield and Sunset Hills Police Departments.
Felon That Attempted to Run from Law Enforcement and Then Found with Stolen Gun Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who possessed a stolen gun was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Alex Richard VanErp, age 28, from Faribault, Minnesota, received the prison term after a September 16, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Facts presented in the case show that VanErp was identified as being involved in a number of thefts in Wisconsin. Law enforcement in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, posted video from one of the thefts on their Facebook page. VanErp was identified from the video by store employees at an implement store in Fayette County, Iowa, while Vanerp was making a purchase. When law enforcement arrived on scene, VanErp attempted to run out of the store and had to be tased to stop the attempted escape. VanErp possessed a stolen firearm taken in one of the thefts from Wisconsin and also possessed methamphetamine. VanErp had previously been convicted of a felony offense involving a financial transaction.
VanErp was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. VanErp was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
VanErp is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and the Prairie Du Chien Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 6:21-cr-2043.Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury Convicts St. Paul Felon for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted a St. Paul man of illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Samson Diamonte Xavior-Smith, 27, was convicted on April 21, 2022, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on June 25, 2021, the St. Paul Police Department received a 911 call reporting a pedestrian, later identified as Xavior-Smith, had pointed a gun at the driver of a stopped vehicle on the Robert Street Bridge. St. Paul Police officers responded to the scene and, after a foot chase, apprehended Xavior-Smith at the intersection of 4th Street and Cedar Street. During the chase, officers observed, and city surveillance cameras recorded, Xavior-Smith place an object into a trash can. Immediately after his arrest, officers looked inside that trash can and recovered a Sig Sauer, Model P290RS, 9mm pistol from the trash can. Subsequent testing found Xavior-Smith’s DNA on the gun.
Because Xavior-Smith has multiple prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Washington Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
This case was 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.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar.
Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, David Shannon Browning, 57, of Oak Hill, admitted to selling approximately 6.79 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at his residence on January 4, 2022. Browning was on supervised release for a 2010 conviction for aiding and abetting the distribution of oxycodone when he committed this offense.
Browning is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force and the Oak Hill Police Department for conducting the investigation.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-35.
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Father, daughter tax preparers admit income tax filing fraudRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: An Augusta man and his daughter await sentencing after admitting they filed fraudulently inflated tax returns on behalf of clients.
Ezra Hatcher Sr., 68, and Sherry Hatcher, 42, both of Augusta, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in advance of a trial scheduled for U.S. District Court, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Ezra Hatcher pled guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, while Sherry Hatcher pled guilty to Aiding and Assisting in the Filing of a False Tax Return.
“When citizens seek professional assistance in navigating our nation’s often-complex tax system, professional preparers provide substantial help in completing these necessary tasks,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate the illegal acts of preparers who violate their fiduciary duty as a means to enrich themselves.”
As described in court documents and testimony, the IRS conducted an investigation of tax preparation services operated by Ezra Hatcher and Sherry Hatcher. The investigation determined that from 2014 to 2018, the two services filed 21 tax returns on behalf of seven individuals, knowing the returns contained false and fraudulent information relating to Schedule C expenses, income, and earned income credits. Altogether, the returns caused the IRS to issue excess refunds amounting to nearly $75,000.
The guilty plea subjects Ezra Hatcher to a possible statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, and he agrees to pay restitution of $69,682. Sherry Hatcher’s guilty plea subjects her to a possible statutory penalty of up to three years in prison, and she agrees to pay restitution of $4,141. In addition, each defendant is permanently prohibited from preparing or filing federal tax returns for anyone other than themselves.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Jennifer A Stanley.
Eugene White Supremacist Sentenced to Federal Prison for Mailing Threatening CommunicationsRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Eugene area white supremacist was sentenced to federal prison today for mailing threatening communications to a former teacher whom he targeted in part because of her sexual orientation.
Gary Franklin, 58, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
“Mr. Franklin’s harassment of the victim in this case was hateful and downright disturbing. Further, the bigoted and racist ideology he espoused and lauded have no place in our community. Nobody should have to live in fear of depraved individuals like Mr. Franklin. Mailing threatening communications is a serious federal crime and will continue to be a top priority for our office,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“There is no way to undo the damage Gary Franklin did to the victim and her family with his hateful, repulsive, and threatening behavior,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “The FBI hopes today’s prison sentence can provide them some sense of comfort. No one should ever be targeted or threatened because of who they are. This kind of cruel and hate-filled terror has no place in our community and it won’t be tolerated.”
“Hateful and racist speech hold no place in our society,” said Anthony Galetti, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division. “The U.S. Mail remains one of the primary means of communication and commerce in our country, and Mr. Franklin took advantage of that to spread hate and fear to his victim. We hope today’s sentencing sends a clear message that these kinds of mailings will not be tolerated and the U.S Postal Inspection Service will continue to work towards that mission.”
According to court documents, between December 2020 and May 2021, Franklin sent two threatening letters to a former community college professor of his whom he targeted in part because of her sexual orientation. The first letter contained a printout of what appeared to be a deceased, mutilated female. Handwritten wording above and below the image included racial and sexual orientation slurs and stated, “What I’d like to do to you.” The second letter contained another photograph of a deceased, decapitated female in a black trunk. The handwritten wording around the image stated that the photograph represented Franklin’s fantasy of what he wanted to do to the victim.
A forensic analysis conducted by the Oregon State Police Laboratory found Franklin’s fingerprints on the first letter. In May 2021, the FBI subsequently executed a search warrant on Franklin’s Eugene residence. Agents found and seized body armor, a boot spike, multiple knives, collapsible batons, a monkey’s fist flail, a set of brass knuckles, a 12-gauge shotgun shell, metal chain mail, and a black trunk like one depicted in his second letter. Agents also uncovered piles of literature and handbooks on death, dismemberment, murder, torture, and sexually-motivated killings.
As the investigation continued, authorities discovered evidence that Franklin was a white supremacist and may have been motivated by white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies. Open source and social media research revealed that Franklin was the administrator of a membership website called Aryan Folk. Investigators also discovered a Twitter account for Aryan Folk with a bio stating “I run a website for White Nationalist[s].” While searching Franklin’s residence, agents also discovered multiple photographs of Franklin with items and clothing bearing Nazi and white supremacist symbols.
On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a three-count indictment charging Franklin with stalking and mailing threatening communications. On January 4, 2022, Franklin pleaded guilty to two counts of mailing threatening communications.
U.S. Attorney Asphaug, Special Agent in Charge Ramsey, and Inspector in Charge Galetti made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone with information about real or perceived threats of violence should call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. For immediate threats to life and safety, please call 9-1-1.
Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 34 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 22, Steven Sorensen, 43, Eau Claire, Wisconsin pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 34 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On March 5, 2021, Sorensen stole a car and found a handgun in the driver’s door pocket. He took the gun from the car and, as police were investigating and arrested his girlfriend, he hid the gun on a shelf in Goodwill store in Eau Claire. Sorensen was arrested and the keys to the stolen car were in his pocket. He initially denied knowing anything about a gun, but later showed officers where he left it. Police found the gun laying on the bottom shelf behind an electronic item and noted that there were many people and children in the store. Sorensen had previously been convicted in 2015 of forgery and felony bail jumping. He was also on probation at the time of the federal offense.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that he had a hard time accepting Sorensen’s story that he was trying to turn the gun over to someone in the Goodwill for safekeeping. Judge Peterson called Sorensen an out-of-control methamphetamine addict and observed that the state system had exhausted its resources trying to get him to address his addiction. Judge Peterson also noted Sorensen’s lengthy criminal history and said that until he was able to deal with his drug addiction, he would be a menace to society. Sorensen was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
The charge against Sorensen was the result of an investigation conducted by Eau Claire Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
EDVA Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia joins communities nationwide in commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 24–30, 2022. The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime’s (OVC) theme this year, “Rights, access, equity, for all victims,” emphasizes the importance of helping crime survivors find their justice by enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services for victims and ensuring equity and inclusion for all.
“This week we reflect on our responsibilities to the victims of crime in our communities,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We express gratitude for the ones who come forward, often having to revisit traumatic events in order to report or testify. We are also conscious that many victims, out of fear, shame, or distrust in the legal system, do not report crimes to law enforcement. It is our responsibility to those victims to reach out, to listen, and to accommodate their needs so that we can accord their rights and hopefully prevent future crimes.”
According to OVC, NCVRW is a time to renew our commitment to serving victims of crime, acknowledge achievements made in the victim services field, and remember crime victims and survivors. Crime victims are our family, friends, neighbors, and community members. While we can never truly understand the depth of their trauma and the impact on their lives, we can ensure that equitable, inclusive, culturally appropriate, and gender responsive services are available to help them. By enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and upholding principles of equity and inclusivity for all, we can enable crime victims to find the justice they seek, in whatever form that might take.
OVC leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of NCVRW, during which victim advocacy organizations, community groups, and state, local, and tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. For more information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week website.
The following events will be held in the local area to commemorate NCVRW 2022:
- NCVRW Candlelight Vigil on Thursday April 28, 2022, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on the National Mall, Washington D.C.
- NCRVW Service Awards Ceremony on Friday April 29, 2022, from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Constitution Gardens on the National Mall, Washington D.C.
- The 2022 “Unsung Heroes” awards ceremony, hosted by the Virginia Office of the Attorney General on Tuesday, April 26 in Richmond to recognize outstanding service and support to victims of crime in the Commonwealth. For more information about the event, please visit here.
To commemorate NCVRW this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia is holding a clothing drive to donate garments and toiletries to a local non-profit organization that assists victims in crisis.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
District Man Sentenced to Prison for Killing Man Outside Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Kevin Goggins, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for fatally shooting a man outside an apartment complex in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Goggins pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of eight to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
According to plea documents, on Oct. 9, 2020, at approximately 10 p.m., Goggins exited a vehicle with two other armed individuals, in the 1600 block of W Street SE, a residential area that includes an apartment complex. He and the others fired into a group of individuals who were congregating outside of the apartment complex. Goggins then ran back into the waiting vehicle and fled the scene.
Yisa Jeffcoat, 28, was standing outside the apartment complex and was struck by one of the gunshots. Medical personnel were unable to revive Mr. Jeffcoat, who died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Goggins was arrested on Dec. 14, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Court Appoints Christopher J. Wilson as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - Christopher J. Wilson has been appointed by the United States District Court as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Chief Judge Ronald A. White administered the oath to Wilson who will serve until a presidentially appointed Senate confirmed U.S Attorney is named.
“I am honored and grateful to the District Court judges for allowing me to continue serving as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma,” said Wilson. “I am blessed to lead a talented and dedicated team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and it remains our goal to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of the Eastern District and hold federal offenders accountable.”
Wilson became Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District on March 1, 2021. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed Wilson on December 26, 2021, to be the Interim U.S. Attorney for a period of 120 days. Prior to his designation as Acting U.S. Attorney, Wilson was the First Assistant United States Attorney and previously served as Chief of the Criminal Division.
Wilson has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma since April 2006. As a federal prosecutor, he handled a wide variety of criminal matters including terrorism, violent crime, firearms, white collar, public corruption, narcotics, and child exploitation. Wilson served as the Eastern District’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council Coordinator (ATAC), National Security Cyber Specialist (NSCS), Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator (CHIP), Project Safe Childhood Coordinator (PSC), Elder Justice Coordinator (EJC), District Security Manager (DOSM), and Crisis Management Coordinator (CMC). In 2018, Wilson received the Executive Office of United States Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Indian Country.
Wilson, a life-long resident of Oklahoma, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma Christian College in 1986, graduating summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctor with Distinction degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1989. Wilson’s career as a criminal prosecutor began in 1991 as an Assistant District Attorney in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. He served as the First Assistant for Oklahoma’s 18th Prosecutorial District (Pittsburg and Haskell counties) for two District Attorneys and was the elected District Attorney for District 18 from January 2003 to April 2006.
Dexter Man Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Nathan P. Dillinger, age 41, of Dexter, Missouri, has been sentenced to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for the offense of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Dillinger appeared for a remote sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
At his guilty plea hearing last year, Dillinger admitted that he installed multiple hidden cameras throughout his residence for the purpose of capturing nude videos of his girlfriend’s 12-year-old daughter. In his written guilty plea agreement, Dillinger specifically admitted that he secretly placed one of the cameras in an air conditioning vent in the 12-year-old’s bedroom, and another camera was concealed in the bathroom ceiling tile. Footage from the recordings was later discovered on Dillinger’s mobile phone.
After serving his 15-year sentence, Dillinger was ordered to be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. Dillinger will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man, Monterious Deshawn Bullock, age, 22, was sentenced on April 21, 2022, to 90 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Bullock was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and immediately pay a $300 Special Assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
According to court documents, this investigation began when law enforcement executed two search warrants, which resulted in the seizure of two loaded handguns-one with an extended magazine-multiple rounds of ammunition, and bags of marijuana. In a post-Miranda interview, Bullock admitted ownership to the items located in the residence. On November 10, 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day set for April 30, 2022Read the Press Release
BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana joins the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30. The biannual event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at sites across Montana. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in homes are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses from these drugs.
“A majority of people who abuse prescription medications get them from family, friends or the medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day is an important step to help reduce the epidemic of opioid deaths, overdoses and addiction by getting rid of unneeded and expired prescriptions. I encourage Montanans to help protect their families, friends and community by dropping off unused prescription drugs at collection sites across the state,” U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
“We are facing a drug overdose epidemic that reaches every corner of America. Prescription medications often end up in the wrong hands, fueling an epidemic that kills more Americans than car accidents,” said DEA Montana Resident Agent in Charge Stacy Zinn-Brittain. “The power to make a difference starts at home, beginning with disposing of the unused, unwanted or expired medications that people keep in their homes.”
More than 30 sheriff’s offices, police departments and federal agencies across Montana are participating in Take Back Day. Information about collection sites and more information about event is available here: https://takebackday.dea.gov/
During the last Take Back Day held on Oct. 23, 2021, 4,276 law enforcement participants at 4,982 collection sites brought in a total weight of 744,082 pounds, or 372 tons, of drugs. This brings the total weight collected to 15.2 million pounds, or more than 7,634 tons, of prescription drugs collected in the history of the program. Collection results may include materials other than prescription drugs.
During the Oct. 23, 2021 event, Montanans turned in 2,352 pounds of prescription drugs at 42 collection sites. Forty-one law enforcement agencies participated.
In addition to DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day on April 30, prescription drugs can be disposed of any day throughout the year at any of the 11,000 authorized collectors. For more information on collection sites, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 30 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.
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Court Appoints United States Attorney for the Eastern District of TennesseeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has appointed Francis M. (Trey) Hamilton III as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d). The appointment took effect on April 25, 2022, and Chief Judge Travis R. McDonough administered the oath of office for Mr. Hamilton’s appointment prior to its effective date. Mr. Hamilton will serve in this capacity until the vacancy is filled by a Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed nominee. Mr. Hamilton had been serving as Interim U.S. Attorney by appointment of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following his service as the district’s Acting U.S. Attorney.
A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Mr. Hamilton joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2002. Since then, he has served in numerous leadership positions, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Deputy Criminal Division Chief, and Senior Litigation Counsel. Over his career, he has tried numerous complex prosecutions, including corporate fraud, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, government-contract fraud, drug-trafficking, and criminal civil rights violations. As a supervisor, he has also overseen matters involving the office’s national security, public corruption, child exploitation, and monetary recoveries criminal practice areas. In 2020, Mr. Hamilton was awarded the Attorney General’s Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility.
Mr. Hamilton earned his undergraduate degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where he graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He received his law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia, where he graduated summa cum laude, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and served on the Washington & Lee Law Review. Following law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Jerome Turner, United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee.
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Columbia Falls man suspected in armed robbery of pharmacy appears in courtRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Columbia Falls man suspected of robbing a Columbia Falls pharmacy of drugs at gunpoint appeared in court today for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
The criminal complaint accuses Grant Alan West, 37, with a Hobbs Act robbery. If convicted of the most serious crime, West faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. West was detained pending further proceedings.
Court documents allege that on April 13, Columbia Falls Police Department officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Logan Health Pharmacy inside the Super 1 Grocery Store. Three victims reported that shortly before closing for the day, a man wearing a beanie, sunglasses and a mask entered the pharmacy, brandished a handgun and said, “Percocet 10.” One of the victims grabbed a bottle of Percocet and put it in a tote bag the man carried. The three victims went into a bathroom and the man directed them to wait several minutes before they came out. When they came out of the bathroom, the victims called police and reported the robbery. An investigation led to West as the suspect, and he was arrested later that night.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Columbia Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
PACER case reference. 22-34.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Cocaine Dealer Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead 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 Timothy Granison, 43, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine before U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that Granison was a member of a drug trafficking organization led by Jason Siplin that distributed large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine out of a Glenwood Avenue drug house. Over the course of the conspiracy, Granison regularly obtained bulk quantities of cocaine from Jason Siplin, which he then sold to his own customers. On May 19, 2021, investigators intercepted telephone calls between Granison and co-conspirator Dkeidron Dublin, during which the two discussed Granison resupplying Dublin with cocaine sometime that afternoon. At approximately 3:23 p.m., surveillance officers observed Granison pull up to Dublin’s Birch Crescent residence in Rochester. Dublin came out of the residence and got into Granison’s vehicle. Investigators then surrounded the vehicle and took Granison and Dublin into custody. During the execution of search warrants on the vehicle and Dublin’s residence, 31 grams of cocaine and $1,241.00 in cash was recovered.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith, the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.# # # #
Citrus County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of A “Ghost” MachinegunRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dean Dumont (23, Inverness) today pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (machinegun). Dumont faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date had not been set. Dumont had been indicted on December 7, 2021.
According to the plea agreement, Dumont unwittingly reached out to a law enforcement confidential informant in November 2021. At that time, Dumont was on state felony supervision for an unrelated matter. Dumont offered to sell the informant a fully automatic, Glock-style handgun for $900 so that Dumont could pay his court costs. Dumont then sent the informant text messages and video files confirming that the firearm had been modified into a machinegun. The informant subsequently purchased the firearm from Dumont in a video-recorded transaction.
Law enforcement testing verified that the firearm discharged more than one round of ammunition from a single pull of the trigger. A record check confirmed that this machinegun was not registered to Dumont in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. Investigators also determined that it was a “ghost” gun because it had been assembled from a kit, without a manufacturer serial number.
This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.