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16 May 2022
Alabama Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor to Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Jirard Quin Kincherlow, 40, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Kincherlow’s sentence was the result of a federal jury returning a guilty verdict on June 11, 2021, finding Kincherlow guilty on the sole count of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution.
“This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable, and it should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Through concerted efforts like Operation Stolen Innocence we will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
“We are grateful to see justice prevail for the victim in this case,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Kincherlow’s sentencing is a testament to the judicial system’s tireless efforts to hold accountable those who break the law and reiterate to the community that human trafficking will not be tolerated.”
“The partnership between HSI and the Tallahassee Police Department, specifically Operation Stolen Innocence, has had a marked impact in making our communities safer,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This significant sentence serves as notice, these heinous crimes will be investigated, and prosecuted, to the fullest extent of the law.”
Kincherlow’s prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.
This conviction was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation Stolen Innocence, a multi-agency coordinated effort by the United States Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of State Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit, to combat human trafficking in the Tallahassee area. First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted this case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Accountant for Manpower Agency Sentenced to 18 months in Federal Prison for CNMI Visa Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Mylene Basco Casupanan, age 42, from the Republic of the Philippines was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 18 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Defraud the Unites States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The Court also ordered 2 years of supervised release following imprisonment, 40 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
In January of 2019, Casupanan along with Alejandro Tumandao Nario created A&A Enterprises, a manpower agency business incorporated on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Nario, president of the company, and Casupanan, the accountant and business manager, operated this business which profited from the submission of more than 100 fraudulent CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) visas.
As part of the scheme, Casupanan recruited foreign workers from the Philippines and in the CNMI, and then forged documentation for submission with their CW-1 applications. Rather than provide full-time employment to these foreign workers as required under the CW-1 program, Casupanan and Nario demanded the foreign workers find their own employment in Saipan and then pay A&A Enterprises a biweekly tax of $194.
Nario was previously sentenced on February 4, 2022, to serve 21 months of incarceration in a federal prison.
“Casupanan is the final defendant to be held accountable in this complex investigation and prosecution,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Our office is actively targeting this activity in the CNMI. We will continue to bring those who abuse the CW-1 program to justice.”
“A&A Enterprises went through great lengths to defraud the United States Government and potential beneficiaries of the CW-1 visa program,” says HSI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon. “Let this be a clear message that there will be serious consequences for those who exploit our immigration system by engaging in these elaborate fraud schemes.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Albert S. Flores, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
14 May 2022
Justice Department Statement on the Mass Shooting in Buffalo, NYRead the Press Release
The Justice Department tonight released the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland:
“Tonight, the country mourns the victims of a senseless, horrific shooting in Buffalo, New York. The FBI and ATF are working closely with the Buffalo Police Department and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.
“The Justice Department is investigating this matter as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism. The Justice Department is committed to conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation into this shooting and to seeking justice for these innocent victims.”
13 May 2022
Woman Convicted of Laundering over $750,000 from Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Florida woman today for laundering approximately $786,000 in money stolen from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers as part of a sprawling health care fraud scheme in Miami.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jesmina Ramirez, 50, of Miami Gardens, laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds by cashing checks written from five fraudulent medical supply companies and returning that cash, minus a fee, to her co-conspirators. The five fraudulent medical supply companies for whom she laundered money – BF Distributors Corp.; Timely Medical Services Corp.; Ortho-Med Solution Inc.; Expedited Medical Supplies Corp.; and Prime Orthopedic Solutions Corp. – billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers more than $48 million for medical equipment the companies never actually purchased and never provided to any patients. Ramirez laundered the stolen money by cashing more than 120 checks from the fraudulent companies over more than two years.
Ramirez was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. She faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Regional Office; and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexander Thor Pogozelski and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Richard D.Westphal recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. Thisyear, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. We recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
U.S. Attorney Westphal stated, “This week we pause to recognize the daily commitment of law enforcement officers for their dedication and courage in protecting and serving our communities in Iowa. In particular, we honor the lives of Iowa State Troopers Ted Benda and Sergeant Jim K. Smith, who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and serving Iowans. We stand together in remembering the brave men and women who have died in the line of duty and will continue to support all law enforcement in their efforts to keep our communities safe.”
Trooper Ted Benda and Sergeant Jim Smith were honored at the 2022 Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony in Des Moines. Trooper Benda served the Iowa Department of Public Safety for 15 years and died in the line of duty while assisting a local law enforcement agency with the 1 apprehension of a wanted subject in Clayton County. Trooper Benda is survived by his wife and four children. Sergeant Smith was a 27-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol and was killed while attempting to arrest a subject who assaulted and disarmed another law enforcement officer during a traffic stop. Sergeant Smith is survived by his wife and two children.
Nationally, the names of the 619 fallen law enforcement added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 7:00 p.m. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF .
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”"Police officers," said United States Attorney Murphy, "are our Nation’s first line of defense when it comes to the safety of our local communities. We should always remember that when an emergency arises, police officers are usually among the first people we call and the first people to arrive on the scene to aid. Our community is safer because of their efforts."
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Seven officers have died in the line of duty in the Western District of Tennessee.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 aw enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks1 were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF's website.###
United States Attorney’s Office Pays Tribute to Wyoming Law Enforcement During Police WeekRead the Press Release
In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Bob Murray will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“Our office joins the entire nation in honoring law enforcement officers across the country for their service and sacrifice in keeping our communities safe,” stated United States Attorney Bob Murray. “We recognize the commitment of Wyoming’s law enforcement partners who often place themselves in harm’s way to protect us at all times. They, and their families, have our untiring support.”
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS — In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“Each year, during National Police Week we commemorate the courageous law enforcement officers who have devoted their lives to public service. Sadly, it also marks a time to honor and pay tribute to the men and women whose names were engraved in 2022 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial,” said U.S. Attorney Luger.
This year, the names of four Minnesota law enforcement officers will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. They include Ryan Andrew Bialke, Red Lake Department of Public Safety; Charlie Louis Banks Jr., Deerwood Police Department; Sarah Ann Grell, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; and Ronald William Smith, New York Mills Police Department.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to pay my respects to so many fallen heroes and colleagues”, said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We understand the risks of law enforcement work, but we must also understand the challenges. We must join our law enforcement community in standing up against crimes large and small. We must help each other in times of need. And above all, we must protect those who have made service to others their life’s work. It is our most important priority to keep law enforcement officers safe.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Ten (10) officers have died in the line of duty in the District of Puerto Rico:
Eliezer Hernández-Cartagena, Carolina Municipal Police, 1/11/2021
Luis Xavier Salamán-Conde, Carolina Municipal Police 1/11/2021
Luis Ángel Marrero-Díaz, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) 1/11/2021
Ervin Castro-Domínguez, Carolina Municipal Police, 9/11/2020
José Ferrer-Pabón, PRPB, 12/24/2021
Erasmo García-Torres, PRPB, 6/10/2021
Juan Francisco Rosado-López, PRPB, 2/3/2021
Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua, PRPB, 1/23/2021
Juan Ramón Ramírez-Padilla, PRPB, 11/13/2020
Roberto Rodríguez-Hernández, PRPB,11/4/2020
https://nleomf.org/memorial/facts-figures/roll-call-of-heroes/
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
U.S. Attorney Avery Recognizes Law Enforcement Officers During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
New Haven – In honor of National Police Week, which this year is observed from May 11 to May 17, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“We in the U.S. Attorney’s Office are fortunate to work closely with members of federal, state and local law enforcement on a daily basis and, every day, we see first-hand their professionalism, courage and commitment to keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “It is an understatement to say that being a law enforcement officer is challenging, stressful work. Please join me honoring their commitment to service, and remember those officers who have given their life to protect ours.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
Tonight, beginning at 8:00 p.m., the names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
U.s. Attorney Delia L. Smith Recognizes Police Week in the U.s. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11, 2022, through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
"This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country," said Attorney General Garland. "We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community."
"Our police officers put their lives on the line for us every single day," U.S. Attorney Smith said. It is only fitting that we take time to recognize and thank them for dedicating their lives to keeping us safe." U.S. Attorney Smith encourages the public to show their appreciation and support for law enforcement by participating in the Police Week events, including the Virgin Islands Police Department Law Enforcement Day Parade on St. Thomas on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 3:00 p.m., beginning at the Emile Griffith Park and ending at the Richard Callwood Command "Zone A."
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Beginning in 1963, 14 officers have died in the line of duty in the District of the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks (1) were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/ TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
1 An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.
Two Face Federal Drug Charges After Multi-Agency Enforcement Operation in Washington, VermontRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Nicole LeClair, 34, of Washington, Vermont, and Christopher Emmons, 51, of Washington, Vermont, were arrested today during search warrants at their residences. LeClair has been charged with distributions of controlled substances that occurred at her residence. Emmons has been charged with knowingly allowing his residence to be a drug-involved premises at which controlled substances were distributed. Both defendants are scheduled to appear before Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford on Monday afternoon.
According to court records, during the months of March and April of 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin/fentanyl and cocaine base from LeClair at her residence. LeClair used her Facebook Messenger account to arrange the transactions at her residence. A Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained a search warrant for LeClair’s residence, which was executed today. During the search, law enforcement seized approximately 170 bags of suspected fentanyl, 5 grams of suspected cocaine base, and a SCCY semi-automatic pistol.
According to court records, during the months of March and April of 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin/fentanyl and cocaine base at the residence of Emmons. Law enforcement identified Justin Llano, aka “TJ,” and Glendon Parrish-Cambell, aka “B,” as drug traffickers distributing heroin/fentanyl and cocaine base from Emmons’ residence. Emmons was present during multiple controlled purchases conducted at his residence. On one occasion in March, a confidential informant attempted to purchase drugs at Emmons’ residence. During the attempted transaction, Emmons reported to the CI that the drug traffickers had left the residence because law enforcement was conducting traffic stops in the area. A Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained a search warrant for Emmons property, which was executed today. During the search, law enforcement seized 14 firearms (including a sawed-off shotgun), approximately 28 grams of suspected cocaine base, and approximately 400 bags of suspected fentanyl.
Both Llano and Parrish-Cambell have been charged by Criminal Complaint but remain at large. Federal arrest warrants have been issued for both men.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a Criminal Complaint contains allegations only and that LeClair, Emmons, Llano, and Parrish-Cambell are presumed innocent until and unless convicted of a crime.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Montpelier Police Department, Barre City Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office provided vital assistance during execution of today’s search warrants.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Gilman and Jonathan Ophardt. LeClair is represented by Natasha Sen, Esq. Emmons is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. Llano and Parrish-Cambell have not yet retained or been appointed counsel.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime https://www.justice.gov/psn
The Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Conference Generates Positive FeedbackRead the Press Release
Chief of Police Erick Blackburn, receiving an award at the LECC Conference, provides positive feedback on the conference.The Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) Conference that was held in Lander, May 3-4, 2022, was a huge success. This year’s theme was Sharing Solutions for Stronger Law Enforcement and Safer Communities. There were eight sessions including, Seizing/Forfeiting Criminal Assets, Coping and Asking for Help After an Officer Involved Shooting, Qualified Immunity, Responding to a Mental Health Crisis, Dealing with Officer Wellness and PTSD, Recruitment and Retention, and Overdose Detection Mapping.
The conference generated positive feedback from many of the participants:
Chief of Police Scott Peters, Lander Police Department:
“The LECC Conference, co-hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office, was an excellent training opportunity and showcased the commitment to public safety partnerships among federal, state, municipal and tribal law enforcement agencies. We were honored to have the conference in Lander this year.”
United States Marshal Randall Huff:
“This is a very valuable training opportunity and great platform to highlight the exceptional criminal investigations taking place around the state. A great location to bring together federal, state, and local law enforcement for networking, collaborating, and attending topical training. The United States Attorney’s Office always does a good job sponsoring this event.”
Chief of Police Keith McPheeters, Casper Police Department
“Wyoming’s wide-open spaces and rural environment are a huge benefit to our citizens and our overall quality of life. However, these very aspects of our amazing state make the relationships that our state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies have with each other all the more important as we work together to improve public safety in Wyoming. The Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee helps us to build, maintain, and enhance those relationships, and to provide us with consistent training and best practices by which we can, together, help to maintain the high quality of life we all enjoy in Wyoming. The LECC plays a critical role in keeping the many different and varied aspects of law enforcement in Wyoming functioning a high degree of unified professionalism.”
Acting Director Rob Chapman, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office
“The COPS Office is grateful to have been a part of the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Conference. The theme of “Sharing Solutions for Stronger Law Enforcement and Safer Communities” was evident throughout the conference presentations. Law Enforcement is stronger through the teamwork of dedicated professionals. The collaboration and transparency between the levels of law enforcement in the area (federal, state, local, tribal) and their relationships with the prosecutors/US Attorneys has certainly led to safer communities throughout the state of Wyoming.”
Chief of Police Erick Blackburn, Wind River Police Department
“I thought it was a great conference and particularly enjoyed the sessions on use of force and officer involved shootings as well as officer wellness and PTSD. These are all important matters that seem to be more prevalent than ever before in law enforcement.”
The awards dinner, which recognized the outstanding achievements of Wyoming’s law enforcement officers, was held May 3, 2022. The Award Winners press release can be found here. The LECC Conference is held each spring and aims to include law enforcement agencies from across the state. For more information on the conference, email [email protected] or call Rob Gaulke at 307-772-2991.
Schertz Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Transporting a Minor for Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Yesterday, a Schertz man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, in early January 2020, Kraig David Van Winkle, 36, used a social media application to start chatting with a minor in Arkansas. Shortly thereafter, the conversation became sexual in nature. On January 9, 2020, Van Winkle arranged to meet with and ultimately brought the minor back to Texas with the intent to engage in sexual activity. During the trip back to Texas, Van Winkle made the minor throw the minor’s cell phone in a drainage ditch. He also handcuffed, bound the child with rope and placed tape across the child’s mouth when he left the victim alone in his residence.
On October 5, 2021, Van Winkle pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Van Winkle has remained in federal custody since his arrest on January 13, 2020.
“I am thankful for the FBI and Springdale Police Department’s tireless efforts in locating the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Our office will continue to hold child predators accountable and to deliver justice for survivors.”
“This sentencing sends a strong message to those who would commit these types of heinous crimes, they will face justice and be held accountable for their actions,” said FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr.
The FBI, with valuable assistance from the FBI Little Rock Field Office and the Springdale, AR Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Saipan Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for 57 months for Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendants Eugene Ka Lok Wong, age 31, a U.S. Citizen and resident of Saipan, and Dwight Lee Deleon Guerrero Aldan, age 47, also a U.S. Citizen and resident of Saipan, were each sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 57 months imprisonment for Possession with the Intent to Distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee for both defendants. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On December 18, 2020, CNMI Customs officers arrested Wong at a United States Post Office in Saipan after he retrieved a mail parcel containing methamphetamine. Lab analysis determined that the package contained 111 grams of methamphetamine with a purity of 92%. Customs officers discovered the package during joint surveillance with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The investigation revealed that Wong intended to distribute the methamphetamine to various persons in Saipan.
On December 22, 2020, again in cooperation with the DEA and United States Postal Inspection Service, CNMI Customs interdicted another parcel containing 56 grams of methamphetamine with a purity of 85%. Aldan retrieved the parcel from the post office and intended to distribute the drugs in Saipan with Wong. In total, the packages contained approximately 1,670 individual doses of methamphetamine, with a street-value of more than $83,500.
“We continue to partner with federal and CNMI law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking in our islands,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Together, we will hold those who poison our communities accountable for their conduct.”
“Methamphetamine and other highly addictive synthetic drugs pose a significant threat to the island community,” said DEA Los Angeles Division Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner. “Through the collaboration with our law enforcement partners we continue to disrupt the distribution of dangerous drugs and hold those responsible.”
Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, San Francisco Division said: “Postal Inspectors are dedicated to protecting postal customers and employees from all kinds of harmful material in the mail. We hope this sentence sends a message to drug traffickers not to use the mail to transport controlled substances to Saipan or anywhere else.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Customs. The case was prosecuted by Albert S. Flores, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Saint Louis Man Sentenced to 26 Years for Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.– Jalon J. Moore, 25, of Saint Louis, Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday, May
12, 2022, to a total of 26 years in prison for a string of robberies he committed in the Metro East area. Moore will serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison. Moore was also ordered to pay $132,961.74 in restitution to his victims.
In January of 2022, Moore pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robberies with a firearm, armed robberies of Sprint in Fairview Heights, Illinois, and Marco’s Pizza in
Collinsville, Illinois, and armed bank robbery of GCS Credit Union in Collinsville, Illinois, all of which occurred in March of 2019. Moore also pled guilty and was sentenced in the Eastern
District of Missouri for five additional armed robberies of businesses in Saint Louis. According to court documents, Moore, Larry J. Rhines, and Garry Johnson, committed numerous “take over style” business robberies in the Metro East area between January and March of 2019. During these robberies, the three were armed with firearms and threatened employees while demanding money.Moore’s co-defendants, Larry J. Rhines and Garry Johnson, are set to be sentenced in June of 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the
Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.This case was investigated by the St. Louis and Springfield Field Offices of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Saint Louis Metropolitan, Saint Louis County, Collinsville, and Fairview Heights
Police Departments.
The case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns.Recidivist Felon Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison After Repeatedly Endangering Community in Moses Lake and Grant CountyRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Senior Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson has sentenced Jeremy Gilbert, 35, of Moses Lake, Washington, to just over fifteen years in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release.
In August 2021, Gilbert, who has 13 prior adult felony convictions, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, stemming from an incident that occurred in August 2020 in the Grant County area. A homeowner called 911 to report that an unknown male, later identified as Jeremy Gilbert, was passed out in a vehicle in his driveway. Deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office arrived and tried to wake Gilbert. In the vehicle, deputies saw easily-identifiable drug paraphernalia. Concerned that Gilbert was impaired, the deputies blocked Gilbert’s vehicle in the driveway and attempted to rouse him. After several minutes of deputies banging on the vehicle’s windows, Gilbert finally awoke and tried to start his vehicle. Ignoring instructions from the deputies not to do so, Gilbert started the engine and crashed into multiple law enforcement vehicles as he left the driveway. Gilbert then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through the Moses Lake, Washington, area.
During the pursuit, Gilbert drove his vehicle in an incredibly dangerous manner, including driving the wrong way on Interstate 90, traveling at a high rate of speed through residential areas and school zones, and blowing through multiple stop signs and other traffic control devices. A deputy was eventually able to end the pursuit with a “PIT” maneuver. Gilbert refused repeated commands to exit the vehicle and show his hands, instead remaining in the vehicle and digging around under the driver’s seat. Eventually the window of his vehicle was broken and Gilbert was removed. After being booked into the Grant County Jail, Gilbert made a call to his wife and told her there were drugs in the vehicle.
Law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant on the vehicle, and recovered a loaded firearm with a round in the chamber, under the driver’s seat. The gun had been reported stolen out of Wenatchee, Washington. Officers also recovered approximately 103.33 grams of methamphetamine and drug use paraphernalia.
Gilbert made bail in Grant County, and was contacted again by law enforcement on December 18, 2020, when he abandoned his vehicle and fled after another pursuit with law enforcement. A few days later, officers with the Moses Lake Police Department located Gilbert and attempted to apprehend him in a traffic stop. Ultimately, they had to use spike strips in multiple locations to disable the Mercedes Benz that Gilbert was driving. Eventually Gilbert crashed the Mercedes into a parking lot and attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly arrested. Gilbert had about 80 grams of methamphetamine on his person.
At the sentencing hearing, Senior Judge Peterson noted Gilbert’s clear drug addiction and the fact that he had purportedly completed treatment three times. The Court indicated concern that despite these repeated opportunities, Gilbert continued his destructive pattern of endangering the community, including law enforcement, and concluded that Gilbert’s persistent pattern demonstrated the need to protect the public from the danger he presents to the community.
“Justice for Mr. Gilbert – and the people of Moses Lake – was finally served today, after years of misconduct, more than a dozen felonies, and repeated scares to community and law enforcement safety,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “It must have been terrifying for other drivers to see him barreling toward them at a high rate of speed in school zones, residential areas, and on the freeway, where he was traveling in the wrong direction. Even after that dangerous conduct and significant evidence of drug crimes, Mr. Gilbert engaged in another dangerous elude-and pursuit with additional methamphetamine on his person after he was granted bond and released pending trial. This significant sentence protects our community. Vehicular tragedy was avoided here only by virtue of the excellent, collaborative work of federal, state, and local law enforcement in Moses Lake and Grant County, and I commend our partnership with ATF, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Moses Lake Police Department.”
“The brazen nature of these cascading crimes truly warrant this significant sentence,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “We will always work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to investigate felons who choose to possess firearms – particularly stolen firearms – when they know they are not supposed to have them.”
Kevin J. Fuhr, Chief of Police for the City of Moses Lake, concurred: “With Mr. Gilbert’s sentencing, the Moses Lake Community will be much safer. We appreciate our longstanding partnerships with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, and the US Attorney’s Office. Our agencies will continue to work together to keep the people of Moses Lake and Grant County safe and secure.”
This case was investigated by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the Moses Lake Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
Readout of Roundtable with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and State and Local Law Enforcement LeadersRead the Press Release
Yesterday, in honor of Police Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta hosted a roundtable discussion with leaders of law enforcement organizations focused on officer safety and wellness at a time of heightened gun violence.
The Attorney General opened the meeting by recognizing the significance of Police Week, a time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities and the nation. He recognized that law enforcement has faced increased, targeted violence, and that the rise in violent crime makes the work of law enforcement more dangerous and more difficult. The Attorney General reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to officer safety and wellness, and the vital importance of law enforcement partnerships to protect communities from violent crime.
Deputy Attorney General Monaco shared the steps the Department has taken and is taking to reduce violent crime and tackle gun violence, including the importance of comprehensive firearm tracing and ballistics analysis.
Associate Attorney General Gupta highlighted the importance of these meetings, saying that the steps the Department takes to support officer safety and wellness are often based on feedback from the Department’s state, local, and Tribal partners. She closed by saying she was looking forward to strategizing together on ways to tackle violent crime next week at the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood conference.
All three Department leaders thanked those in attendance for their service and sacrifices.
Themes throughout the hour-long discussion included how the Justice Department can best help its state and local partners combat violent crime; patterns and trends law enforcement are experiencing regarding gun violence; and the biggest challenges that federal, state, and local law enforcement rank-and-file are facing every day in the field.
Along with the top three leaders of the Department, also in attendance from the Department were FBI Director Christopher Wray; USMS Director Ronald Davis; DEA Administrator Anne Milgram; ATF Acting Director Gary Restaino; ATF Deputy Director Marvin Richardson; Robert Chapman, Acting Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS); Amy Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP); and Jen Kaplan, General Counsel of the Office of Violence Against Women.
Prior to the discussion, Attorney General Garland hosted a reception for members of law enforcement. And earlier in the day, Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco attended memorials to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty from the ATF, DEA, FBI, and USMS.
Earlier this morning, the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Associate Attorney General placed a wreath at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and reflected on the sacrifices law enforcement – and their families – make in service to their communities and country. This evening, the Attorney General will attend the annual Candlelight Vigil and read names of the fallen.
Rapid City Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on May 10, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Aynjel Schumacher, age 27, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Schumacher was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2020. She pleaded guilty on December 9, 2020.
Schumacher was responsible for distributing between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in western South Dakota. She brought methamphetamine from Nebraska and recruited others to transport the methamphetamine for her between September 2019 and April 2020. Schumacher also arranged for people to transport bulk cash as payment for the methamphetamine and to send money to the supplier via currency services such as Western Union. Schumacher possessed firearms on numerous occasions during the conspiracy and used a firearm to threaten a co-conspirator. At the time she was leading this conspiracy, Schumacher was on parole with the State of South Dakota. Others charged in the conspiracy have trial and sentencing dates pending.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota National Guard, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Schumacher was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Purple Pistol Bandit Sentenced to 20 years for Beaumont-area Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Derrick Rashard Gloude, 24, pleaded guilty on Sep. 23, 2021, to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to a total of 240 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to court documents, from November 9, 2020 through November 16, 2020, Gloude robbed six businesses and attempted to rob another in Beaumont. The stores were all engaged in interstate commerce and employed clerks who were engaged in the commercial activities of the stores at the time of the robberies. The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery affecting interstate commerce. In each of the robberies, Gloude brandished a purple pistol and pointed it at the clerks when demanding money.
After receiving a CrimeStoppers tip, investigators were able to develop Gloude as a suspect. A review of Gloude’s public Facebook page showed photos of Gloude wearing clothes matching the clothing reported by the clerks in each store. Additionally, Gloude’s Facebook showed pictures of him brandishing a purple handgun and flashing fans of cash. The pistol was recovered after Gloude’s arrest and determined to have been reported stolen in Beaumont.
“If you carry or use a gun and commit a felony crime, we will seek the highest punishment we can on you,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “Violent crime, especially those crimes where a firearm is used, is at the top of our priority list. We, and our state, local and federal law enforcement partners will work tirelessly together to protect our community by arresting and prosecuting violent offenders.”
“This is just another great example of how we can be more effective in law enforcement when we work together,” said Beaumont Police Chief Jimmy Singletary. “Our relationships with our federal partners are so valuable in larger investigations like this to put our criminals away for an extended length of time. We certainly cherish these relationships.”
“Removing the criminal element that illegally uses firearms to commit violent crime is a top priority of the ATF,” Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski said. “The ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the communities we serve to remove the criminal elements that negatively impact our communities.”
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 is being investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Providence Man Admits to Possessing Nearly 2 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man, arrested in April 2021 moments after he claimed a package that was found by investigators to contain nearly two kilograms of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico, pled guilty in federal court on Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and using a communication device to facilitate the commission of a drug felony, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
The cocaine was concealed inside the heavily wrapped package whose contents had been wrapped in duct tape, spray foamed, and wrapped again with birthday gift wrap.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, on April 15, 2021, moments after a Postal Service employee was unable to make a controlled delivery of the package, addressed to “Jose Azcona,” to a Providence residence, the postal worker was approached by an individual claiming to be a relative of Azcona. This person claimed the package contained medication for his relative and asked that he be allowed to take custody of it, but he was informed that the addressee would have to inquire about a redelivery and personally claim the package. Two days later, after a series of telephone calls inquiring about the package were received by the Postal Service, Robinson Padilla-Rosario, 38, claiming to be Azcona, retrieved the package. He was arrested as he left the post office, and found to be in possession of a fake Rhode Island driver’s license bearing his photograph; the name Jose A. Azcona; and the address to which the package had been mailed. Investigators also discovered evidence on a cellphone in Padilla-Rosario’s possession that he had been using an app to communicate with a person in Puerto Rico; those communications included an image of the Postal Service redelivery slip for the package containing the cocaine.
Padilla-Rosario is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16, 2022. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Rhode Island State Police.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Murder and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kyle M. Leeper, age 38, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, pled guilty yesterday to committing murder during a drug conspiracy, conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The defendant entered his guilty plea yesterday shortly before a federal jury trial scheduled to begin on Monday May 16, 2022, in Utica, New York.
As part of his guilty plea, Leeper admitted the following: He was part of a conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from Indiana and Southern California to Cortland County, New York, where Leeper distributed it. In the fall of 2018, Crystal Stephens, of Groton, New York, who was incarcerated in Indiana on burglary charges, provided Leeper by telephone with contact information for John Rice, an Indiana-based methamphetamine dealer. Leeper communicated with Rice by telephone and then travelled to and from Indiana twice in late 2018 and early 2019, where he obtained crystal methamphetamine and a .380 caliber pistol from Rice. Leeper distributed this methamphetamine in the Cortland area.
After Rice was arrested in early January 2019, Leeper arranged to travel to the Los Angeles area to purchase more methamphetamine. From jail, Stephens provided Leeper with telephone numbers for possible methamphetamine sources in East Los Angeles. In mid-January 2019, Leeper and an associate, Ramon Nieves Cotto, drove from Cortland to Los Angeles, where Leeper contacted one of these sources. The source sought assistance from Arlene Rodriguez, who introduced Leeper to a middleman. On January 17, 2019, this middleman arranged for Leeper to buy three pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $5,000. But, after the methamphetamine was delivered, Leeper realized that he had been shortchanged on the quantity delivered. Leeper abducted the middleman and Rodriguez at gunpoint. Later that day, Nieves Cotto purchased zip ties, which Leeper used to bind the middleman. On the night of January 17, 2019, outside Barstow, California, Leeper shot the middleman eight times from behind with the .380 caliber pistol, killing him. Leeper and Nieves Cotto, along with Rodriguez, then drove to Cortland, where Leeper distributed the methamphetamine he managed to obtain on this trip to California.
In early February 2019, Leeper, Nieves Cotto, and Rodriguez returned to Los Angeles, where Leeper purchased an additional six to eight pounds of methamphetamine and a 9 mm pistol. Upon his return to Cortland, Leeper, assisted by Rodriguez, began to distribute this methamphetamine. On February 19, 2019, officers with the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office stopped Leeper and Rodriguez while they were driving in Leeper’s pickup truck, which had an expired registration and cracked windshield. Inside the truck, the officers found four pounds of high-purity methamphetamine, the loaded .380 caliber pistol Leeper had used to commit the murder, and ammunition. They arrested Leeper, who previously had been convicted of state and federal felony offenses in Pennsylvania, and Rodriguez.
Kyle Leeper is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2022, and could receive a sentence of between 25 and 40 years in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10.5 million. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Six (6) co-defendants previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy with Kyle Leeper, and/or aiding and abetting the murder. All are awaiting sentencing.
Jose Pimentel, Jr., age 31, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Edgar Arredondo, age 35, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He also pled guilty to charges based on his possession in the Central District of California of a shotgun, ammunition, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
John Rice, age 57, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ramon Nieves-Cotto, age 30, of DeRuyter, New York, pled guilty to aiding and abetting a murder during a drug conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Crystal J. Stephens, age 34, of Groton, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Arlene N. Rodriguez, age 38, of Montebello, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cortland County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the Barstow (California) Police Department, and the San Bernadino (California) County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Cortland County (New York) District Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Montgomery County (Indiana) District Attorney’s Office, the Pomona (California) Police Department, and the El Monte (California) Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven D. Clymer, Richard R. Southwick, and Thomas R. Sutcliffe.
New York Man Indicted for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges involving fentanyl.
Chanty Reynoso Vasquez, 27, of Bronx, N.Y., was indicted on possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to the indictment, on March 30, 2022, in Springfield, Reynoso Vasquez possessed 400 grams or more fentanyl intended for distribution.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to six years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. 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, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Convicted of Threatening Government OfficialsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a New York man yesterday on three counts of mailing threatening letters to a federal law enforcement officer with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and to a federal prosecutor.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in 2021, Brock Beeman, 29, sent at least four threatening letters from prison to governmental employees associated with a separate criminal prosecution of the defendant in Norfolk. These letters included detailed threats to kill, torture, and/or maim various individuals, including a United States District Judge, United States Probation Officer, Assistant United States Attorneys, Special Agents with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, United States Marshals, and other individuals associated with the defendant’s Norfolk criminal prosecution, as well as their friends and family members. These letters further included bomb threats for various locations, including federal courthouses, a military installation, and law enforcement offices.
Beeman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of his three counts when sentenced on August 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shannon Saylor, Acting United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea-Miller and Avi Panth are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-095.
New Orleans Man Indicted on Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DEVONTE SMITH, age 22, of New Orleans, was charged on May 12, 2022 in an eight-count indictment with numerous federal firearms and drug trafficking violations stemming from a March 30, 2022 shootout, on the corner of Orleans and Rocheblave Streets and the subsequent search of a residence located in the 1800 block of Touro Street. No one was killed or injured in the shootout, but several houses and automobiles were damaged. The indictment charges him as follows:
Count 1: Charge: Possession, brandishing, and discharging of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18 USC § 924(c)(1)(A).
Statutory Sentence: 10 years to life. Any sentence imposed must be served consecutive to any other sentence; a fine of up to $250,000; not more than 5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 2: Charge: Possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18 USC § 924(c)(1)(B)(ii).
Statutory Sentence: 30 years up to life. Any sentence imposed must be served consecutive to any other sentence; a fine of up to $250,000; not more than
5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 3: Charge: Illegal Possession of a machinegun in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(o).
Statutory Sentence: 0-10 years; a fine of up to $250,000; not more than 3 years
supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 4: Charge: Possession of a firearm by a felon in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g).
Statutory Sentence: 0-10 years; a fine of up to $250,000; not more than 3 years
supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 5: Charge: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of marijuana, cocaine hydrochloride, and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 USC §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D).
Statutory Sentence: cocaine hyddrochloride/fentanyl: 0-20 years; not more than $1,000,000.00 in fines; at least 3 years of supervised release;
Marijuana: 0-5 years; a fine of up to $250,000; at least 2 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 6: Charge: Possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of marijuana, in violation of Title 21 USC §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D).
Statutory Sentence: 0-5 years; a fine of up to $250,000; at least 2 years supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 7: Charge: Maintaining a drug involved premises, in violation of Title 21 USC § 856.
Statutory Sentence: 0-20 years; a fine of up to $500,000; up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
Count 8: Charge: Possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of cocaine hydrochloride and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 USC §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
Statutory Sentence: 0-20 years; a fine of up to $1,000,000; at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
This matter is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.) and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr.
Melbourne Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Stephen Brian Dukeman (27, Melbourne) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The court also ordered Dukeman to forfeit two firearms, which he had possessed during the offense. Dukeman had pleaded guilty on January 28, 2022.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2021, an officer with the Melbourne Police Department was working traffic enforcement when he observed a vehicle speeding. The officer attempted to catch up to the vehicle to make a traffic stop. However, the vehicle struck a curb and became disabled. The sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Dukeman, fled on foot through a field and a pursuit began. The officer ordered Dukeman to stop several times, but he refused to comply. While running, Dukeman was grabbing at an object in his pocket. The officer was able to gain control of Dukeman, a struggle ensued, and eventually Dukeman was arrested.
A search of Dukeman’s pockets revealed $450 in cash and a ripped baggie containing 103.42 grams of fentanyl. A search of Dukeman’s vehicle revealed a loaded Glock 9mm pistol on the driver’s seat floorboard, another baggie containing fentanyl weighing 145.61 grams in the center console, and a loaded multi-caliber Premiere firearm in the backseat floorboard area. Both firearms were stolen.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Melbourne Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Stealing over $120,000 from Bank Customer AccountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Drummond, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in a scheme in which Wells Fargo Bank customers lost $124,000 from their accounts. According to the government’s evidence, the participants in the scheme attempted to steal another $80,000 from the bank’s customers, but the bank detected that fraud and stopped the loss.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Drummond pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition to the prison term, he will be required to pay $124,000 in restitution. He also must pay $124,000 in a forfeiture money judgment.
In entering his plea, Drummond admitted to orchestrating a scheme that was carried out in 2017 in which Drummond recruited bank employees who would make unauthorized withdrawals from Wells Fargo customer accounts. The bank employees used the bank’s internal systems to check the account balances of customers without the customer’s knowledge. Those employees then told Drummond the customer’s name and account balance.
Drummond then sent another accomplice into the bank to pose as the customer and to withdraw the funds, unbeknownst to the actual customer. The conspirators used this scheme to steal $124,000 in cash and an $80,000 cashier’s check from two of the bank’s customers. Although Wells Fargo was able to detect the theft and stop payment of the $80,000 cashier’s check, Wells Fargo incurred losses on behalf of its customers for the $124,000 in cash that Drummond and others stole.
Another conspirator, Tiara Langston, 30, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, entered a guilty plea in November 2020 to related charges and was sentenced in March 2021 to a 15-month prison term.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the work of those who are handling the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert, who is prosecuting the matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Posing as a 16-Year-Old Boy to Persuade, Induce, and Entice at Least Three Minor Victims to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct in Order to Produce Images and Videos of Such ConductRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Derrell Lamar Hooker Orange (“Hooker Orange”) age 37, of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to enticement of a minor to produce child pornography and to possession of child pornography. After Hooker-Orange entered his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel ordered the defendant into U.S. Marshal custody because he determined that Hooker-Orange was a danger to the community.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police and Sheriff Michelle Cook of the Clay County, Florida Sherriff’s Office.
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 2020 through October 2020, Hooker-Orange, posing as a 16-year-old boy name “Lamar Thompson,” communicated with Victim 1, a 12-year-old girl living in Florida. Hooker-Orange admitted that Victim 1 disclosed to him that she was in “junior high.” During their communications, Hooker-Orange, using the Thompson persona, sent text messages requesting sexually explicit videos from Victim 1, including on August 29, 2020 and October 11, 2020, which Victim 1 then sent to Hooker-Orange.
On March 16, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hooker Orange’s residence and seized his iPad and iPhone. Forensic review of Hooker Orange’s devices revealed images and videos of child pornography, including sexually explicit videos of Victim 1.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Hooker-Orange also communicated with three other minor victims, Victim 2, Victim 3, and Victim 4, through text messages and a secure communication application. As he did with Victim 1, Hooker-Orange posed as a 16-year-old boy and requested sexually explicit images and videos from Victim 2, Victim 3, and Victim 4, which the victims sent to him. Based on the forensic analysis of his devices, Hooker-Orange knew that Victims 3 and 4 were only 11 years old. In addition, on February 21, 2021, Hooker-Orange sent text messages to Victim 2, who resided in Florida, indicating that he had traveled to her residence. The text messages included a screen shot of a Lyft route to the area of Victim 2’s residence, as well as a video of the apartment complex where Victim 2 lived at that time, with a text stating, “I’m outside.” Victim 2 did not meet Hooker-Orange.
According to his plea agreement, Hooker-Orange also participated in numerous chats using a cross-platform messaging service with enhanced encryption to transmit and receive material depicting minors, including prepubescent minors, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, in a chat with another user of the messaging service in March 2021, the other user asked Hooker-Orange to “Trade.” In response, Hooker-Orange sent approximately 74 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and received approximately 98 such videos.
Hooker Orange and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Hooker-Orange will be sentenced to between 151 and 262 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Clay County, Florida Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica C. Collins and Leah Grossi, who are prosecuting the federal case.
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Marietta man charged in massive PPP fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Carl Delano Torjagbo, a/k/a Karl Lucius Delano, has been arrested on federal bank fraud and money laundering charges arising from a scheme to defraud a bank by obtaining a $9.5 million Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan in the name of a fictitious company and then allegedly using the loan proceeds to upgrade his personal lifestyle. The PPP is a federal loan program intended to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them with funds to cover certain payroll costs, including benefits, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.
“This defendant allegedly stole millions of dollars in taxpayer money intended to help small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to investigate and charge anyone who fraudulently obtains these critical funds and uses them for their own personal gain.”
“The FBI and our partners will not tolerate anyone who misdirects federal emergency assistance intended for business who actually need it to stay operational," said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Torjagbo’s fraud was particularly egregious, and we will make sure he is held accountable accordingly.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who endeavor to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). “We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners in this effort.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On February 16, 2021, Torjagbo signed a PPP loan application on behalf of Kremkov Industries LLC and submitted it to a bank, requesting a PPP loan in the amount of $9,554,425.00. To be eligible for a PPP loan, a business had to have been in operation on February 15, 2020. Kremkov Industries was not eligible for a PPP loan because it was not in operation on February 15, 2020. In fact, it was not even created until approximately ten months after that deadline had expired.
Torjagbo swore that the information he provided in the PPP loan application and in all supporting documents and forms was “true and accurate in all material respects.” Torjagbo certified that Kremkov Industries was in operation on February 15, 2020. Torjagbo stated that Kremkov Industries had 493 employees. Torjagbo also stated that Kremkov Industries had an average monthly payroll of $3,821,770. All of these statements were allegedly false.
In support of the PPP loan application, Torjagbo allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to the bank, including false tax returns (IRS Forms 940, 941, and 1040) and fake reports that listed the names and make-believe payroll information of the 493 people who purportedly worked for Kremkov Industries.
On March 29, 2021, as a result of Torjagbo’s alleged false and fraudulent representations, the bank transferred $9,554,425.00 in PPP loan proceeds to Torjagbo’s custody and control. The PPP loan proceeds were initially deposited into a bank account titled in the name of Kremkov Industries. Immediately before that deposit, the balance in that account was only $105.
On the PPP loan application, Torjagbo certified that all loan proceeds would be used only for business-related purposes as specified in the loan application and consistent with the Paycheck Protection Program Rules. Torjagbo acknowledged that he could be prosecuted if the PPP loan proceeds were knowingly used for unauthorized purposes.
On April 8, 2021, Torjagbo caused $3 million of the PPP loan proceeds to be transferred by check from the bank to a different bank. On that check, Torjagbo wrote a note stating that it was for “payroll.” But those funds were not used to pay “payroll.” Instead, those funds were allegedly used to pay Torjagbo’s personal debts and expenses, including the following:
• $1,677,861.01 for his personal residence;
• more than $837,000 for tractor-trailers to start a new trucking business;
• approximately $300,000 to purchase other real estate;
• $118,299.79 for a 2022 BMW M850XL;
• $87,020 for a 2021 Land Rover Velar; and
• more than $15,000 for plastic surgery.
The PPP is a federal loan program intended to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them with funds to cover certain payroll costs, including benefits, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.
Carl Delano Torjagbo, a/k/a Karl Lucius Delano, 42, of Marietta, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker, on federal charges of bank fraud and money laundering, and was remanded to custody. Torjagbo was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2022. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. In addition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Phillips is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Manuelito man sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing a child in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Roland Yazzie, 47, of Manuelito, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced in federal court today to 15 years and eight months in prison for abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Yazzie pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2021.
In his plea agreement, Yazzie admitted that between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2019, he engaged in sexual contact with a child, identified in court records as Jane Doe. At time of the abuse, the victim was between seven and nine years old. The abuse occurred at the home of the victim’s mother in McKinley County, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation.
Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Elisa Dimas prosecuted the case.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme Involving Professional Athletes and PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and to conspiring with others in a scheme to prepare false tax returns seeking millions of dollars of tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to defraud the Paycheck Protection (PPP) loan program by filing over 80 PPP loan applications seeking over $100 million.
According to court documents, Quin Ngoc Rudin, 45, a convicted felon, was the Secretary, Director and Chief Financial Officer of Mana Tax Services, which purported to be a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. Rudin engaged in a conspiracy to commit two sets of fraud schemes using Mana Tax.
First, from May of 2019 through his arrest in December of 2021, Rudin and his co-conspirators prepared and filed with the IRS a series of false and fraudulent income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes that reported fabricated business and personal losses in order to get large refunds to which they were not entitled. Rudin and the co-conspirators represented to the professional athletes that Rudin was knowledgeable and experienced in the preparation of tax returns. Rudin represented that Mana Tax could obtain large refunds for the athletes and that he had specialized knowledge that their prior CPAs and tax professionals did not have. Not only did Rudin assist in the preparation of original tax returns for his professional athlete clients, but he also filed amended tax returns for past years to correct what he falsely characterized as “errors” made by the athletes’ previous accountants. Mana Tax then charged the athletes a fee of 30% of whatever amount of tax refunds the IRS issued. As a result of Rudin’s scheme to defraud the United States, the IRS paid refunds to the athletes totaling millions of dollars.
For his second scheme, from April of 2020 through December of 2021, Rudin and his co-conspirators assisted small businesses in applying for PPP loans, a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet their expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic, in exchange for a 30% fee. Additionally, Rudin and his co-conspirators prepared fraudulent PPP loans for business entities that the co-conspirators controlled. In order to obtain the fraudulent PPP loans, Rudin and his co-conspirators grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs claimed on the applications. Some of the businesses were not eligible for any PPP loan funds at all because they did not have any payroll expenses. Rudin and his co-conspirators obtained millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
The conspirators also submitted fabricated tax returns in support of the PPP loan applications. Some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them. To conceal the 30% fee obtained from the business owners, Rudin and his co-conspirators directed the businesses to pay the fee with cashier’s checks and to note falsely on the memo lines of the checks that the funds were related to payroll.
The total actual losses for the tax fraud and PPP loan fraud are between $25 million and $65 million.
Rudin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit wire fraud, as well as to one count of wire fraud. Rudin is scheduled to be sentenced on August 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 5 years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and to commit wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Darrell J. Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen, and Assistant Chief of the Justice Department’s Tax Division David Zisserson of the prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided assistance with this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-46.
Man Indicted for Sending Threatening CommunicationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A man has been indicted in connection with sending threatening communications to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Drummond Neil Smithson, 30, was indicted on one count of use of interstate communications to transmit a threat to injure.
According to the indictment, on or about July 19, 2020, Smithson, an Army veteran, mailed a threatening communication from Ayer, Mass., to the Department of Veterans Affairs threatening to injure members of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization advocating for the end to gun violence. It is alleged that Smithson threatened, among other things, “If you take my pension there is going to be retaliation,” and, “You take my pension and the second I get out of prison I will go to a Moms Demand Action meeting […] Try me.”
The charge of use of interstate communications to transmit a threat to injure provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General; Federal Bureau of Investigations, Miami Field Office; and Federal Medical Center, Devens, Special Investigations Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Charged with December 2021 Broad Daylight Murder in Bronx ParkRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, Police Commissioner for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today that RICARDO FERGUSON, a/k/a “Mayback,” was charged with the December 5, 2021 murder of Robert Brown, Sr., in the Aqueduct Walk park in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. FERGUSON was arrested today and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Richard M. Berman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ferguson allegedly murdered Robert Brown, Sr., in broad daylight in a Bronx park. We hope that today’s charges bring some measure of comfort to the family of Robert Brown, Sr. and make clear that this Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of anyone who takes another person’s life.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “Aqueduct Walk is a tree lined stretch lined with park benches where New Yorkers can take a walk or find a moment’s peace from the bustle of Fordham Road. When gunfire broke that peace on December 5th and a man was shot dead on that tree lined stretch, NYPD detectives went to work to gather evidence and bring justice. I want to thank US Attorney Damian Williams and the Criminal Investigators of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their efforts that resulted in this federal indictment. These federal charges should remind those willing to carry guns or commit murder associated with drug-trafficking: You may face many years or even life in prison.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
On or about December 5, 2021, in the Aqueduct Walk park, near Aqueduct Avenue and West Fordham Road in the Bronx, FERGUSON shot and killed Robert Brown, Sr. while FERGUSON and another attempted to rob Brown.
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FERGUSON, 36, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison; one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, which caries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison; one count of using violence in furtherance of a plan to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison; and using a firearm to commit murder during a drug-trafficking crime and crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Mathew Andrews and Peter Davis are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Violent MurdersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Milton Portillo Rodriguez, a/k/a “Little Gangster”, a/k/a “Seco”, age 26, to life in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit murder in aid or racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including three murders, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.
On January 24, 2022, a federal jury convicted Portillo Rodriguez of the racketeering charges, along with co-defendants Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 21; Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, a/k/a “Lobo,” age 23; and Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” age 24, after a three-month trial. Portillo-Rodriguez and Sandoval-Rodriguez were also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. 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. Portillo Rodriguez, Sandoval Rodriguez, and Joya Parada were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique. Co-defendant Oscar Sorto Romero was part of the Parque Vista Locos Salvatruchas (“PVLS”) clique.
The evidence at trial established that between 2015 and 2017, Portillo Rodriguez and his co-defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland.
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed during the trial, from 2015 through 2017, the Fulton clique of MS-13 sought to increase its presence in Frederick, Wheaton, and Annapolis, Maryland through numerous acts of violence, extortion, and drug sales. Trial evidence focused on the defendants’ participation in at least four grisly murders of those suspected of association with rival gang members carried out in 2017.
Trial evidence related to Portillo Rodriguez focused on his participation in several murders including the murder of a 17-year-old victim on March 31, 2017. During this murder, Portillo Rodriguez, Sandoval Rodriguez, Joya Parada, and other gang members lured Victim 1 to an Annapolis, Maryland park where they stabbed Victim 1 to death and subsequently dismembered Victim 1. After murdering Victim 1 and removing the victim’s heart, the defendants buried the body, disposed of the evidence, and smoked marijuana to celebrate the murder. As a result of their participation in the murder of Victim 1, certain gang members were promoted within MS-13.
On June 24, 2017, Portillo Rodriguez participated in the murder of Victim 2, a female victim MS-13 members believed to have been associated with a rival gang. Portillo Rodriguez aided in the planning of the murder and helped lure Victim 2 into a car with another MS-13 member and a female associate. Victim 2 believed she was meeting the female associate for a date. After Victim 2 entered the vehicle, another MS-13 member stopped the car and allowed Portillo Rodiguez and another MS-13 gang member to enter on both sides of the vehicle to trap Victim 2 in the middle. Portillo Rodriguez and others then forced Victim 2 onto the backseat floor at knifepoint. Eventually, the MS-13 members took Victim 2 to a wooded area in Crownsville, Maryland where MS-13 members caused Victim 2 to lose consciousness, removed Victim 2’s clothing, and decapitated Victim 2 with a machete. Portillo Rodriguez and Sandoval Rodriguez participated in the murder by stabbing and slashing the victim’s body with a machete, dismembering the body, and burying the body in a wooded area. As a result of their participation in the murder of Victim 2, Portillo Rodriguez, Sandoval Rodriguez, and other gang members were promoted within MS-13.
Additionally, on August 5, 2017, Portillo Rodriguez and Sorto Romero participated in the planning and murder of Victim 3 at an Annapolis, Maryland park. After Victim 3 was lured to the park, Victim 3 was hit on the head with a hammer and slashed with a machete until he died. The evidence presented at trial revealed that the victim was a low-level member of MS-13 suspected of warning one of his relatives, who was believed to be a member of a rival gang, that he was an MS-13 target.
More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in this and a related case.
On April 20, 2022, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 20, to 50 years in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and related violent crimes in aid of racketeering. Oscar Sorto Romero was sentenced to life in federal prison on May 6, 2022, for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including two murders. Sandoval Rodriguez faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, 2022, at 3:30 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (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.
This case is 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.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who prosecuted this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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MS-13 Fugitive Arrested in TexasRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member who was charged in federal court in Boston in 2017 was arrested on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Texas.
William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde,” was indicted on one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, on May 15, 2017.
As alleged court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 rewards members who commit acts of violence with promotions within the gang and punishes members who break gang rules. Portillo was identified as a member of the Trece Loco Salvatrucha, or TLS MS-13 clique, which operated in and around Somerville, Mass. After an arrest warrant was issued for Portillo, agents determined that Portillo had been deported to El Salvador under a different name.
On May 9, 2022, federal agents encountered Portillo near Roma, Texas, and determined that he had previously been deported and was wanted on the outstanding arrest warrant for the RICO conspiracy charge. Portillo made an initial appearance in the Southern District of Texas and was ordered detained pending his return to U.S. District Court in Boston.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy; Revere Police Chief David Callahan; and Somerville Acting Police Chief Charles Femino made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lackawanna County Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jaime Ryan Chorba, age 46, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography before United States District Court Judge Malachy Mannion on May 12, 2022. No date has been set for sentencing.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on February 22, 2022, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Chorba alleging that on April 1, 2016, Chorba produced child pornography and used the internet to entice a minor to participate in its production. The superseding indictment also alleged that between June 3, 2016, and November 16, 2020, Chorba received images of child pornography and he also allegedly possessed images of prepubescent minors under the age of twelve, including images depicting himself with the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. There is a mandatory minimum period of imprisonment of 15 years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Wisconsin Rental Property OwnersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Richard and Mary Donahue, owners of rental properties in the Janesville, Wisconsin area, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, alleges that Richard Donahue, who manages the properties, sexually harassed numerous female tenants since at least 2000. According to the complaint, Donahue made repeated and unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their consent, touched female tenants’ bodies without their consent, requested sexual contact, offered reduced or free rent in exchange for sexual contact and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances. The lawsuit also names as a defendant Mary Donahue, Richard Donahue’s wife, who co-owns some of the properties.
Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in federal court.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at home, but sexual harassment in housing destroys that security,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act against landlords who engage in this kind of predatory and illegal behavior.”
“No one should have to choose between having a place to live or enduring sexual harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “Those few Wisconsin landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants for sex violate federal law and will be held accountable.”
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The department’s initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The goal of the initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department of Justice has filed 24 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $9.5 million for victims of such harassment.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by the Donahues, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, select a language, and select option number 2, then option number 4 to leave a message. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin at (608) 264-5158. Individuals may also e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or submit a report online.
If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, or other forms of housing discrimination, you may contact the Justice Department by submitting a report online or contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected].
Reports also may be made by contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Janesville Rental Property OwnersRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Richard and Mary Donahue, owners of rental properties in the Janesville, Wisconsin area, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, alleges that Richard Donahue, who manages the properties, sexually harassed numerous female tenants since at least 2000. According to the complaint, Donahue made repeated and unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their consent, touched female tenants’ bodies without their consent, requested sexual contact, offered reduced or free rent in exchange for sexual contact, and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances. The lawsuit also names as a defendant Mary Donahue, Richard Donahue’s wife, who co-owns some of the properties.
Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in federal court.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at home, but sexual harassment in housing destroys that security,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act against landlords who engage in this kind of predatory and illegal behavior.”
“No one should have to choose between having a place to live or enduring sexual harassment,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “Those few Wisconsin landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants for sex violate federal law and will be held accountable.”
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The Department’s Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the Initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the Initiative, the department of Justice has filed 24 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $9.5 million for victims of such harassment.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by the Donahues, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, select a language, and select option number 2, then option number 4 to leave a message. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin at (608) 264-5158. Individuals may also e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or submit a report online.
If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, or other forms of housing discrimination, you may contact the Justice Department by submitting a report online or contacting the United States Attorney’s Office at [email protected].
Reports also may be made by contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Jury Convicts Tulsa Man for Sexually Abusing a 7-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually abused a 7-year-old child was convicted Friday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
A federal jury found Robert William Perry II, 31, of Tulsa, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country and of abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country.
“Robert Perry exploited a young child’s trust when he repeatedly sexually abused her for over a year. I am thankful for her courageous testimony this week which helped ensure Perry’s conviction,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I am also thankful that a vigilant teacher took action to protect her young student from further abuse. Because they often build positive relationships with their students, school faculty are frequently the first to learn about and report child physical and sexual abuse. I appreciate their partnership in the fight to protect children and to bring their abusers to justice.”
“The defendant preyed on an innocent child solely for his own pleasure, without regard to the grievous and long-lasting harm his depraved conduct would cause,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Let it be known that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate crimes against children, and as evidenced by today’s verdict, neither will the community.”
From May 6, 2017, to May 15, 2018, Perry sexually abused the minor. Prosecutors contended that Perry would coerce the young child into sex acts then “reward” her with candy, other items, and the opportunity to play video games in what the defendant termed as his “man cave,” a closet where he regularly played video games and watched pornography. Most of the abuse occurred in the closet while the child was in the defendant's care. The child eventually told a friend at school about the abuse. Another student overheard the discussion and reported it to her teacher. The teacher had a conversation with the victim, who then disclosed the abuse and wrote about it. The teacher reported the crimes to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
In a forensic interview, the young child was initially hesitant to speak about the abuse but indicated that Perry made her keep secrets. She eventually drew a picture of the abuse when she was examined by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. She also testified about the abuse at a state trial and this week’s federal trial.
In closing, federal prosecutors asked the jury to focus on the victim, reminding them that her description of the abuse to authorities had remained consistent. Prosecutors further explained that children don’t just make up details and vivid descriptions of sexual abuse nor retell their story repeatedly for four years simply to gain attention. They asked the jury to follow the evidence, to believe the victim’s testimony and to find Perry guilty.
Perry was previously convicted in Tulsa County District Court in 2020, but the conviction was later dismissed because the state lacked jurisdiction to prosecute the case. Perry is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the crimes occurred within the tribe’s reservation. Based on the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v Oklahoma, only the federal government or tribes have jurisdiction to prosecute cases that occur in Indian Country and that involve either Native American victims or defendants.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex M. Scott and Valeria G. Luster are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Midlothian Family Members of Conspiracy to Commit Forced LaborRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury today convicted three members of a Midlothian, Virginia household on charges pertaining to forced labor. Zahida Aman, 80, was convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, and document servitude. Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri, 48, was convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor. Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri, 54, was convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor.
“The defendants exploited someone who should have been a loved family member to force her to work in their home for over 14 years,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Forced labor, the modern-day equivalent of slavery, has no place in our country or district, and we will stop at nothing to prosecute those that commit these or similar crimes. Let this conviction serve as a light to survivors impacted by labor trafficking and as a deterrent to those conspiring to commit heinous labor trafficking crimes.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in 2002, the victim married Aman’s son and the brother of defendants Nauman and Rehan Chaudhri. Thereafter, she lived in the home of the defendants. Over the next 12 years, the three defendants forced her to perform domestic services. To coerce that labor, the defendants verbally assaulted and physically abused the victim over a period of 12 years. In addition, though the victim, a native of Pakistan, had temporary immigration status in the United States, defendant Aman took the victim’s immigration documents. Thereafter, defendants threatened the victim with deportation should she not obey their demands. The defendants also threatened to separate the victim from her children to coerce her labor.
“The defendants exploited the victim’s trust and inflicted cruel and inhumane physical and mental abuse on her, all so they could keep her working in their home as their domestic servant,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “Human trafficking is a disgraceful and unacceptable crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the Justice Department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”
“The FBI is committed to working with our partners to protect the civil rights of all persons, investigate and prosecute allegations of abuse, and assist the victims of these crimes throughout the process,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office. “The strength and perseverance of this victim and the investigative team should be commended; and we encourage any community member who knows of or suspects this type of abuse is occurring to report it to authorities immediately.”
Aman and Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney accepted the verdict. Homeland Security Investigations also participated in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons, Stephen Miller, and Heather H. Mansfield are prosecuting the case, along with Trial Attorney Leah L. Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-85.
Jury Convicts Former New Jersey Man for Role in Scheme to Defraud Elderly Oregonian of SavingsRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A federal jury in Eugene found a former New Jersey man guilty today for his role in a scheme to steal $1 million from an elderly man residing in Roseburg, Oregon.
Thomas Gerard Mautone, 43, formerly of Newark, New Jersey, was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Mautone was one of five individuals who together perpetrated a monthslong scheme to convince an elderly man to invest $1 million in a fraudulent high-yield international investment scheme. In July 2015, one of Mautone’s co-defendants, Jared Mack, 46, of Utah, made initial contact with the victim, by email, to pitch an investment opportunity claiming to produce weekly returns of 20%. Once the victim expressed interest in the purported investment opportunity, Mack introduced him to Mautone, the supposed connection to investment “platform partner,” and later codefendant, Olabode Olukanni, 39, of New York.
For several months, Mautone and his co-defendants maintained frequent contact with the victim and repeatedly attempted to assure him, via a series of increasingly intimidating and pressure-laden communications, of the investment opportunity’s legitimacy, low risk, and promised returns. These false representations were made despite Mautone knowing that others had their money stolen by his supposed Hong Kong investment partner, “YangXin Deng.”
In December 2015, the victim wired $1 million to a bank account in Dubai, which was controlled by codefendant Rovshan Bahader Oglu Qasimov, 38, of Azerbaijan. Qasimov immediately withdrew the money and used it to purchase gold from a jewelry store in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The victim never saw his money again, nor did he receive the promised investment returns.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Mautone will be sentenced on September 8, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
Mack, Olukanni, and Qasimov have all pleaded guilty and been sentenced for their roles in the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin W. Bruce and William M. McLaren prosecuted the case.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 73 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, on November 22, 2019, while FBI agents were conducting surveillance on Robinson Road and Ellis Avenue, law enforcement officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Akoyea Jamere Clayton, 29, of Jackson. Clayton refused to stop and fled through several residential areas. A semi-automatic styled rifle was tossed from the passenger window loaded with several live rounds of ammunition. Police units were able to bring the vehicle to stop, but the passenger fled. Clayton was apprehended on scene.
Clayton pled guilty on February 2, 2022, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Hailstorm,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Jackson, Mississippi area. “Hailstorm” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Irvington Man Convicted at Trial for Trafficking Pure MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted an Irvington man this week of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a two-day trial, Vincent Vo Tran, 26, was arrested in May 2021 after one of his coconspirators led sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase that ended at Tran’s trailer on Two Mile Court in Irvington. During a search of the trailer, deputies recovered, among other things, a cache of guns and ammunition, including a Draco AK-style pistol found sitting underneath a digital scale covered in methamphetamine residue. Deputies arrested Tran on various state charges relating to drugs and stolen property found at his trailer. The jury reviewed recorded calls and emails that Tran later sent from Mobile County Metro Jail in which he admitted, among other things, that (i) the guns seized from his trailer were his; (ii) he had hidden evidence before deputies searched his trailer; and (iii) he possessed “dope” inside the jail.
Tran was released from jail after pleading guilty to several felony charges in September 2021. Later, in November 2021, sheriff’s deputies executed another search warrant at a house that Tran shared with his girlfriend and coconspirator on Azalea Road in Mobile. While making entry into the house, deputies heard Tran running through the backyard into a wooded area but were unable to capture him. Tran’s girlfriend also attempted to run out of the back of the house, but deputies stopped her and ordered her back into the living room. Two young children were also inside the house.
Deputies then searched the house and found large amounts of drugs and drug paraphernalia. Inside an unlocked ottoman in the living room, deputies recovered eight separate baggies containing a total of more than half a pound of 99.2% pure methamphetamine. Near the drugs, deputies found a CashApp debit card and a casino player’s card issued in Tran’s name. Deputies also seized, among other things, more than 15 pounds of vacuum sealed marijuana, 3.5 grams cocaine, bags of THC-infused gummies stuffed inside a children’s playpen, and Tran’s cell phone. The jury reviewed evidence of drug distribution extracted from Tran’s phone, including text messages, drug ledgers, and photos and videos of drugs taken with the phone.
Deputies ultimately arrested Tran a week later, after he again attempted to flee from the house on Azalea Road. This time, however, a tracking canine apprehended Tran after he refused several verbal commands to stop running. Following a brief struggle, deputies handcuffed Tran and found a baggie in his shirt pocket containing 5.7 grams of 96.8% pure methamphetamine. Tran admitted in a post-Miranda interview that he had recently been buying ounces of methamphetamine and named his supplier.
Tran’s crimes carry potential sentences of ten years to life in prison. He will be sentenced by United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose in August 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and Lawrence Bullard are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on May 10 was:
Isaiah Morsette, 31, of Box Elder, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted of the most serious crime, Morsette faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Morsette was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-09.
Crystal Lynn Jackson, aka Crystal Lynn Barber, 38, of Great Falls, and John Brendan Daily, 51, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, the defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the fraud counts and a mandatory minimum two years in prison consecutive to any other punishment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft count. The defendants were released pending further proceedings. The FBI and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-22.
John Charles Garces, 56, of Great Falls, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Graces faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Garces was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-23.
Matthew Phillip Hamper, 42, of Clancy, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of meth, felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hamper faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Hamper was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-03.
Appearing in Helena before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on May 10 was:
Tyrell Andrew LaRoque, 34, of Hays, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, LaRoque faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. LaRoque was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-24.
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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Husband and Wife Sentenced to Almost 20 Years in Prison for Meth, Heroin, and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Purvis husband and wife were sentenced to prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroine, and fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jeremy Graham, 32, and Harley Graham, 26, were both sentenced to 236 months in prison.
According to court documents, beginning in 2020, Jeremy Graham and Harley Graham conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing meth, 100 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin, and a mixture of fentanyl. The investigation showed the Grahams dealt large amounts of the serious drugs to numerous individuals in Lamar and Harrison counties, including individuals that overdosed. The Grahams were aware of the overdoses. The conspiracy also involved the Grahams using a gun and flashlight to beat someone associated with the conspiracy. Although the conspiracy involved several individuals, the Grahams were at the top of the pyramid.
Jeremy Graham pled guilty on February 10, 2022, and Harley Graham pled guilty on February 14, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Long Beach Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams prosecuted the case.
Harold Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Harold, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on May 10, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Richard Barela, age 31, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Barela was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 11, 2020. He pled guilty on December 8, 2021.
In January 2020, Barela was an inmate at the Yankton Community Work Center (YCWC), a minimum security South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC) facility in Yankton, South Dakota. At the time, Barela was serving a sentence for possession of a controlled substance based on a conviction in Hughes County, South Dakota. On January 3, 2020, Barela escaped from YCWC and stole a vehicle belonging to DOC. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest.
On January 14, 2020, law enforcement received information that Barela was at a residence in Pierre, South Dakota. Law enforcement personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, and Pierre Police Department proceeded to the residence to execute the arrest warrant. After receiving consent to search the residence, multiple law enforcement officers entered the residence to search for Barela. Barela was located in a basement bedroom, but he refused to surrender and barricaded himself in the bedroom.
Deputy U.S. Marshals engaged Barela in conversation in an attempt to convince him to surrender. Barela responded by telling the officers he would not go back to prison and that the officers would have to kill him to get him out of the basement. Barela also told the officers he had a knife, which he brandished, and he told them he would kill any law enforcement that attempted to take him into custody.
After approximately four hours, law enforcement deployed tear gas into the bedroom in an effort to end the standoff. Barela subsequently exited the bedroom and was immediately taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the Pierre Area Joint Fugitive Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pierre Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Barela was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Hancock County Domestic Abuser Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Jason Lee Munden, 32, of Maxwell, Indiana, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2021, deputies from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office served a warrant to arrest Munden for burglary. During the arrest, deputies found a short barrel rifle they suspected belonged to Munden. Munden was detained and placed a monitored phone call in which he admitted that the rifle belonged to him, in one instance referring to it as his “hand cannon.”
Munden was previously convicted of domestic battery after he punched the victim in the face and threatened to kill them. As a result of that domestic violence conviction, Munden was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Hancock County Sheriff Brad Burkhart made the announcement.
The Hancock County Sherriff’s Department investigated the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Abhishek S. Kambli, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Cultivation Operation in Sequoia National ForestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Alfredo Castanaza Ortega, 37, a native of Guatemala, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to cultivate with intent to distribute 2,864 marijuana plants in the Twin Springs area of the Sequoia National Forest, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, when law enforcement officers arrived in the grow site, Castanaza fled, throwing down a loaded .38‑caliber firearm and a box of .38‑caliber ammunition, before he was apprehended. Castanaza acknowledged that he was getting paid $100 a day to water and trim the plants.
The marijuana cultivation operation caused significant damage to the land and natural resources. Native trees, brush and other vegetation were cut down and large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides were found in the area. Thousands of pounds of trash, irrigation hose, and camping equipment were found at the site that must be removed by helicopter. Castanaza agreed to pay $7,819 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the environmental damage.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), and Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Castanaza is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 28, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. He faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as a fine up to $10 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Grain Milling Company Charged with OSHA Crimes for Causing Worker DeathsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Madison, Wisconsin, returned an indictment charging a corn milling company, a company vice president, two environmental coordinators and three additional supervisors with crimes related to worker safety, fraud, air pollution and obstruction of justice, the Department of Justice announced.
Two former company supervisors previously pleaded guilty to related charges in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
According to the indictment handed down on May 11, Didion Milling Inc. (DMI) owned and operated a corn mill in Cambria, Wisconsin. Grain milling generates large amounts of grain dust, and DMI was required to regularly clean dust accumulations from inside the mill in order to prevent both food safety and quality issues and to remove accumulations that could fuel combustible dust explosions. DMI was also required to operate and maintain air pollution control devices called baghouses to reduce emissions of grain dust — a form of particulate matter pollutant — into the environment. The indictment alleges that DMI was further required to document the completion of routine cleanings inside the mill and the routine monitoring of baghouses to prevent dust emissions outside of the mill.
The indictment alleges that DMI willfully violated two federal safety standards promulgated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) — by (1) by failing to develop and implement a written program to effectively prevent and remove combustible grain dust accumulations, and (2) by failing to install explosion venting or explosion suppression on a dust filter collector — thereby causing the deaths of five employees due to a combustible dust explosion at DMI’s corn mill on May 31, 2017.
The indictment further alleges that DMI; its vice president of operations, Derrick Clark, 48 of Waunakee, Wisconsin; its former food safety superintendent, Shawn Mesner, 44 of Readstown, Wisconsin; its former shift superintendent, Anthony Hess, 54 of Pardeeville, Wisconsin; and its former shift superintendent, Joel Niemeyer, 39 of Baraboo, Wisconsin; conspired to commit fraud by agreeing to take deceptive measures to conceal the failure to adhere to food safety procedures at the mill, including by falsifying the cleaning logbook to conceal the fact that DMI was not following its written cleaning schedule, so that DMI could maintain its food safety certification and continue to sell its products to food and beverage manufacturers.
DMI, Clark, Mesner, Hess and Niemeyer, along with DMI’s former environmental coordinators James Lenz, 65 of Deerfield, Wisconsin, and Joseph Winch, 66, of Logansport, Indiana, also were indicted for conspiracy to commit federal offenses in order to conceal violations and unsafe conditions from auditors and government agencies. The alleged conspiracy included an agreement to falsify cleaning logs and baghouse monitoring logs, submit false environmental compliance certifications, and provide false testimony on matters within the jurisdictions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
DMI and individual defendants are further charged in the indictment with related substantive offenses. Hess, Clark and DMI are charged with obstruction of justice for providing false and misleading testimony to OSHA after the May 2017 explosion concerning their knowledge of combustible dust hazards at DMI.
Former DMI shift superintendents Michael Bright, 36, of Merrill, Wisconsin, and Nicholas Booker, 42, of Cambria, Wisconsin, previously pleaded guilty to making false entries in DMI’s cleaning logbook and false entries in DMI’s baghouse log, which involved matters within the jurisdiction of OSHA and EPA, respectively.
The OSH Act makes it a misdemeanor for an employer to willfully violate a safety standard, and that violation cause death to any employee. If convicted of the OSH Act offenses, DMI may be ordered to make restitution to victims as compensation for their pecuniary losses, fined, and sentenced to corporate probation with conditions. If convicted of fraud conspiracy, a defendant may be sentenced to a maximum term of incarceration of 20 years in prison, fined not more than $1 million and ordered to forfeit assets derived from fraud. If convicted of conspiracy to commit federal offenses and other substantive offenses set forth in the indictment, a defendant may face maximum terms of incarceration ranging from five to 20 years in prison and fines up to $1 million depending on the crime of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the announcement. EPA’s Criminal Investigative Division is investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Arrested for Conspiracy to Commit Numerous Armed Robberies, Home Invasions, and Shootings While Dressed as Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Reginald Roberts a/k/a/ “Rudy” (22, Lakeland), Nathaniel Keith Carr, a/k/a “Nate” (28, Lakeland), Daniel Jackson, a/k/a “D-Jack” (29, Winter Haven), and Chrishawn De’Earl Butler, a/k/a “Baby” (22, Bartow) with conspiracy, Hobbs Act Robbery, and brandishing and discharging firearms in the commission of crimes of violence. If convicted on all counts, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Additionally, Roberts and Butler each face a minimum mandatory term of 31 years in federal prison, Jackson faces a minimum mandatory term of 24 years in federal prison, and Carr faces a minimum mandatory term of 14 years in federal prison.
Carr and Butler made their initial appearances on May 12, 2022, and were both detained pending trial. Roberts and Jackson will make their initial appearances on June 7, 2022.
According to the
indictment , between December 2020 and April 2021, Roberts, Carr, Jackson, and Butler engaged in a conspiracy to rob individuals they suspected were distributing narcotics. During that time, the conspirators engaged in at least five armed robberies in Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, and Lee counties, three of which resulted in shootings. While committing these crimes, the conspirators impersonated law enforcement officers by wearing black clothing, gloves, and masks—often with law enforcement insignia, or vests with “Sheriff” affixed. In addition, during certain robberies, the conspirators drove a black Dodge Durango and white Chevrolet Malibu equipped with blue lights and sirens.An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bartow Police Department, the Lakeland Police Department, the Dade City Police Department, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Arcadia Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.