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Thursday 31 March 2022
Chilton County Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On March 29, 2022, Bradley Shane Fisher, a 42-year-old Chilton County man, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. In addition to his prison sentence, Fisher was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, on January 23, 2020, Chilton County deputies initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with two occupants. During the stop, deputies observed a Colt, Model M4 carbine rifle next to the passenger, who they identified as Bradley Fisher. They soon learned that Fisher had previously been convicted of a felony and is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms. During Fisher’s sentencing hearing, the prosecution pointed out that the rifle had been modified with what appeared to be a homemade and unregistered part designed to make it function as an automatic weapon and argued that this should be considered when determining the appropriate sentence.
Fisher was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm on August 17, 2021. He pleaded guilty to that charge on December 22, 2021.
This case was prosecuted pursuant to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a program in which U.S. Attorneys’ offices work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN as part of its renewed focus on targeting armed violent criminals and gang members.
The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorneys Russell Duraski and Joel Feil prosecuted the case.
Chesapeake Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing firearms as a prohibited person and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Kim Joseph Habit, 48, as a person who had been committed to a mental institution, violated federal law by subsequently possessing an AM-15 rifle and other firearms. During the course of the investigation, the FBI determined that Habit had been purchasing significant quantities of chemicals and other laboratory equipment that could be used to create a destructive device. Agents also obtained evidence that a computer user at the Habit residence was participating in a peer-to-peer file-sharing network through which images of child pornography were downloaded.
On December 14, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Habit’s residence and found numerous firearms, a box containing components that could be used in combination to create an improvised explosive device, and electronic devices containing images of child pornography.
Habit is scheduled to be sentenced on August 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 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; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Stoker and Megan Montoya 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. 2:22-cr-009.
Cheyenne Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that ANTHONY PIERCE UNOCIC, age 52, of Cheyenne, Wyoming pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition at a change of plea hearing on March 10, 2022 before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Sentencing has been set for June 1, 2022.
If convicted, Unocic faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore.
Case # 0:22-cr-00121-ABJ
Casper Man Arraigned for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that MICHAEL SHANE COURCEY CLEMENTS, 30, of Gillette, Wyoming was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Clements appeared for an arraignment hearing on March 21, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for May 23, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal. Clements was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
If convicted on all counts, Clements faces 15 years to 40 years’ imprisonment and five years to life of supervised release. He could also be ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act of 2015 and a $100 special assessment on each count; a $35,000 special assessment and mandatory restitution of not less than $3,000 per requesting victim pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018; and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation ICAC. It is also part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No. 22-cr-00045-NDF
About Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood is 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 the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
Businessman Sentenced to a Year and a Day for Illegally Brokering Sales of Embargoed Defense Articles from China and Filing False Income Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A southern California businessman was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison for illegally brokering the sales of embargoed defense articles from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and filing a false corporate tax return.
According to court documents, Tuqiang Xie, aka Tony Xie, 60, of Irvine, pleaded guilty in 2019 to one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act and one count of filing a false tax return. Xie admitted in a plea agreement that through his company, Bio-Medical Optics LLC in Irvine, California, he served as a broker for the shipment of defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List (USML) and the U.S. Munitions Import List (USMIL). The items on these lists are regulated components and systems used in U.S. military equipment. Federal law requires that individuals involved in the business of manufacturing or exporting defense articles must obtain a license and register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) at the Department of State. Xie never obtained a license or registered with the DDTC. Moreover, the United States since 1989 has imposed an arms embargo on the PRC, restricting imports or exports of arms between the two countries.
Despite the arms embargo and the lack of a license or registration, Xie admitted in his plea agreement that in 2014 and 2015, he located a manufacturer in the PRC to produce defense articles for one of his clients. Over time, Xie earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions or fees based on his role in shipments to and from the PRC.
Xie also pleaded guilty to filing a false corporate tax return for Bio-Medical Optics LLC for 2013. Xie admitted in the plea agreement that he also filed false corporate tax returns for Bio-Medical Optics LLC for 2009 through 2012, causing a total tax loss to the IRS of more than $100,000.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois; Special Agent-in-Charge Angie Salazar of Homeland Security Investigations, Chicago Office; and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Central Field Office made the announcement.
Trial Attorney Matthew R. Hoffman of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur for the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case.
Bridgeport Man Admits Committing Robberies in Stratford and New HavenRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LATRELL S. MOORE, 32, of Bridgeport, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to robbery and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 5, 2019, Moore committed an armed robbery of the Dunkin Donuts located on Lordship Boulevard in Stratford. On August 12, 2019, he robbed the Santander Bank located on Grand Avenue in New Haven, taking approximately $2,000.
Moore was arrested on related state charges on August 14, 2019. At the time of his arrest he possessed a loaded .38 caliber revolver and a .25 caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Moore’s criminal history includes a state felony weapons conviction. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Moore pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a robbery, one count of bank robbery, and one count of count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. At sentencing, which is scheduled for July 12, Moore faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of seven years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Moore has been detained since his arrest.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police and the Stratford, New Haven and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Bozeman area man sentenced to prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Bozeman-area man who admitted to dealing methamphetamine in the community was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Marty Eugene McDonald, 62, of Clyde Park, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in late 2020, the Missouri River Drug Task Force began an investigation into meth distribution by co-defendants Jared Williams and Max Stilson. The investigation led to McDonald and included three controlled purchases of meth from him. McDonald reported to law enforcement that he received about two pounds of meth from Williams over a six-month period and had been dealing meth for longer than he knew Williams. Williams was sentenced previously to eight years in prison for his conviction in case. An arrest warrant was issued for Stilson, who failed to appear for sentencing after conviction in the case. A third co-defendant, Arthur Kane, was sentenced previously to five years in prison for his conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Montana Highway Patrol.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Boone County Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in a DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.— A Burlington, Ky., man, Daniel Julian Huegel, 25, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in a death.
According to Huegel’s plea agreement, in March 2020, an overdose victim was identified. Law enforcement searched the victim’s iPad and iPhone and discovered detailed correspondence with Huegel, establishing that Huegel had distributed fentanyl to the victim. Video footage confirmed this distribution and Huegel also admitted to distributing the drugs to the victim. In his guilty plea, Huegel admitted that the victim would not have died, but for the consumption of the substance he distributed to him.
Huegel pleaded guilty in December 2021.
Under federal law, Huegel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Kent Kleinschmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detorit Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Winslow and Tony Bracke.
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Biotechnology Firm Director Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice Relating to Attempts to Acquire RicinRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The director of advanced research at a Massachusetts biotechnology firm was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for obstructing an investigation into his efforts to acquire the deadly toxin, ricin.
Dr. Ishtiaq Ali Saaem, 37, a Bangladeshi national residing in Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to three years of probation, six months of which will be served on home confinement. Ali Saaem was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,500. The government recommended a sentence of one year in prison. In April 2021, Saaem pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice.
“Dr. Ali Saaem showed callous disregard for public safety and federal authority,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This prosecution sends a clear message that the attempted procurement of deadly weapons or toxins will be taken as a direct threat against the safety and security of American communities. Thanks to the swift action by authorities, no one was harmed.”
“There is serious cause for concern when anyone tries to acquire a deadly biological toxin such as ricin, but it’s even more troubling when they lie to us about it, like Dr. Ishtiaq Ali Saaem did,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence should be a warning to others that you can’t obstruct a federal investigation and get away with it.”
Saaem held a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, resided in Massachusetts and worked as the director of advanced research at a biotechnology firm based in Massachusetts. Saaem became interested in acquiring ricin from castor beans as well as convallatoxin, a poison found in lily of the valley plants, after watching “Breaking Bad,” a popular television show. Saaem ordered 100 packets of castor beans online, each containing eight seeds. Saaem falsely told law enforcement agents that he purchased castor beans for planting at his apartment for decoration and that he had accidentally purchased 100 packets instead of one. After he spoke to agents, Saaem researched tasteless poisons that could be made at home.
During subsequent meetings with law enforcement, Saeem stated that his interest in buying castor beans related to an interest in gardening. He also made misleading statements about his knowledge of ricin.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Bergen County Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Decade-Long $60 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 97 months in prison on March 30, 2022 for orchestrating a long-running bank and securities fraud scheme, which led to large-scale losses for financial institutions and investors, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Seth Levine, 53, of Teaneck, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of securities fraud. U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Levine was the founding partner, owner, and managing member of Norse Holdings, which was the parent company to more than 70 subsidiary companies. Each of the subsidiary companies owned one or more multifamily buildings, located primarily in New Jersey. From 2009 through August 2019, Levine directed a scheme to fraudulently refinance the multifamily properties by providing materially false information to financial institutions about the rents collected, the number of apartments leased, the expenses, and the true owners of the properties. Levine and others provided lenders fake documents, including falsified leases that created the appearance that vacant spaces were occupied and that overstated the rent paid by tenants; fake personal financial statements; fake expense documents; and fake operating agreements that misrepresented ownership interests in the multifamily properties. Levine also forged signatures on some of the fraudulent documents submitted to lenders. As a result of the fraudulent refinances, Levine received cash payouts from the lenders, which Levine and others used for their own enrichment and to continue the fraud scheme.
Many of the lenders who approved mortgages based on the false statements of Levine and others in turn sold those mortgages to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). Because the refinances were obtained with fraudulent data regarding the properties’ income and expenses, the multifamily properties were overvalued and rents and other income from the properties did not cover the mortgage payments and other expenses associated with the properties. To cover the shortfalls, Levine obtained additional cash-out refinances, thereby increasing his total debt incurred. In total, Levine controlled at least 70 multifamily properties, comprising approximately 2,500 apartments. At the time the fraud was discovered, the outstanding balance of the fraudulently obtained mortgages on the multifamily properties was more than $150 million, including 40 mortgages held by Freddie Mac with an outstanding loan balance of approximately $103 million. At the time of sentencing, the bank fraud conspiracy resulted in losses to victim lenders of at least $47 million.
While defrauding the lending financial institutions, Levine also carried out a securities fraud scheme to defraud investors in the multifamily properties. He solicited investors to invest in the multifamily properties based on materially false statements and promises about the condition of the properties and the use of investor funds. Levine represented to investors that his conduct would be limited by an operating agreement. However, after Levine acquired the multifamily properties, he violated representations made to the investors, including by selling off portions of Levine’s ownership interest in the properties without investor consent, bringing on additional investors without consent, and refinancing the multifamily properties without investor consent. Levine provided fraudulent documents to investors, such as operating agreements that overstated Levine’s personal investment in the multifamily properties and documents bearing signatures forged by Levine. He also co-mingled investor funds and used the funds in violation of representations to investors, by using investor money to support other multifamily properties, make payments to other investors, and further the fraud. At the time of sentencing, the securities fraud victims lost more than $13 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Levine to five years of supervised release.
Individuals who believe they may have information about this case may contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil complaint against Levine based on allegations underlying the securities fraud charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Suchorsky of the Economic Crimes Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlie L. Divine of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General.
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Defense counsel: Benjamin Brafman Esq. and Jacob Kaplan Esq., New York
Blackburn Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Assault on the Wind River ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that SHANE DUANE BLACKBURN, age 33, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming pleaded guilty to carjacking and assaulting a federal officer during a change of plea hearing on March 8, 2022 before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Sentencing has been set for May 27, 2022.
If convicted on both charges, Blackburn could face up to 23 years’ imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore.
Case # 0:22-cr-00012-SWS
Aroostook County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Aroostook County man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Zane Willhide, 25, to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Willhide and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Armed career criminal heads to prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 54-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Fabian Garcia Ramos pleaded guilty Dec. 2, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced Ramos to a 180-month term of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that a motorist was placed in fear of his life – seeing Ramos with a rifle pointed at his vehicle followed by a gunshot. In handing down the sentence today, the court determined Ramos to an armed career criminal.
On April 30, 2021, law enforcement received reports of gunshots fired towards heavy traffic on U.S. Highway 181 near Portland and responded to the scene. There, they found Ramos nearby in a vehicle. He attempted to flee, but authorities stopped him after a short pursuit.
Upon searching his vehicle, they found cocaine, U.S. currency, over 160 rounds of ammunition, two rifles and one loaded .380 caliber pistol. The Remington rifle was also in violation of federal firearms regulations for a shortened barrel.
Ramos had previously been convicted in state court for numerous felonies, including aggravated robbery and burglaries. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Portland Police Department and Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Albuquerque man appears in court on bank robbery chargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ronald Lopez, 29, of Albuquerque, made an initial appearance in federal court on March 30 facing a charge of bank robbery. Lopez will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for April 1.
According to a criminal complaint, on March 25, Lopez allegedly entered the Rio Grande Credit Union on Rio Bravo Boulevard in Albuquerque wearing a fur-lined coat and a face mask. Lopez allegedly approached a teller and presented a demand note indicating he had a gun. Lopez then allegedly fled in a silver van.
Later that day, investigators located the van at Lopez’s residence, and Lopez was arrested.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime and Gang Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case.
Wednesday 30 March 2022
West Warwick Man Indicted in Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A West Warwick man was arraigned on Monday in U.S. District Court on charges contained in a federal indictment alleging that he participated in a conspiracy to use the stolen identities of others to gain COVID related unemployment insurance benefits, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
Richard Allen, 56, pled not guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, and two counts of theft of government money.
Charging documents allege that Allen and other members of the conspiracy used stolen personal identifying information of other individuals, to file for COVID-related unemployment benefits. It is alleged that fraudulent applications were filed with agencies in multiple states, including Ohio, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Texas. Allen and co-conspirators are alleged to have listed addresses associated with Allen to which benefit payments by check or debit card should be mailed.
Charging documents allege that Allen communicated with co-conspirators to activate benefit debit cards; withdrew funds from the debit cards; and sent a portion of the funds to co-conspirators, including via Bitcoin transactions. U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General databases show that checks and debit cards in the names of other persons with at least $58,734 in unemployment and expanded COVID benefits were mailed to Allen’s address.
The indictment also alleges that Allen, while conspiring to and receiving debit cards and checks with fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits, also fraudulently received payments from the Social Security Administration.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. A defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case, as well as other instances of criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits are being investigated jointly by the FBI, the Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged, and prosecuted by a team of prosecutors that include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, and G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.
United States Attorney Cunha and Attorney General Neronha thank the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at [email protected] or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.
On May 17, 2021, the United States 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.
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Warwick Man Sentenced for Illegal Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and False Statements in Firearms PurchasesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ademola Kayode, Jr., 30, of Warwick, convicted by a federal court jury of being in the business illegally buying and possessing firearms, and selling them on the streets of Rhode Island and elsewhere, was sentenced today to twenty-four months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Kayode was found by a jury to have purchased at least sixteen firearms, in each case falsely stating on ATF forms that he was not an unlawful user of controlled substances when, in fact, he was, and thus he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. The jury also convicted Kayode of acting as an unlicensed firearms dealer, selling firearms to persons legally prohibited from possessing a firearm; and found that he repeatedly lied to federal agents when questioned about the whereabouts of sixteen firearms that he illegally purchased.
The government’s evidence showed that Kayode sold at least five of the firearms and that they ended up in the hands of individuals who were legally prohibited from possessing them. Three of the guns were recovered Providence, one in Atlanta, and one in Queens, New York.
The jury convicted Kayode of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, false statement during purchase of firearms, and two counts of false statements to federal agents.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, in June 2016, Kayode was surveilled by ATF agents as he left a licensed Rhode Island firearms dealer after taking possession of four firearms. He later told investigators that he had taken those firearms, as well as others he had purchased in Rhode Island, to Georgia. Two of those firearms were later recovered in Providence by Rhode Island State Police and the FBI, from people who were legally prohibited from possessing them.
During a recorded interview with ATF agents played for the jury, Kayode was unable or refused to provide ATF agents with an accounting as to where the guns he had purchased could be located. Kayode stated that he brought the guns to Georgia and that they were in different places; that he used them in a music video; and that he was planning to bring the guns back to Rhode Island. In the same interview, after first denying he sold any firearms at all, Kayode told investigators that he did sell firearms to people he met through Armslist, an online firearms marketplace. According to the government’s evidence, although it appeared that Kayode purchased firearms through Armslist, ATF agents found no evidence that Kayode actually sold any firearms on the website.
Two days after being interviewed by ATF agents, Kayode went to the Warwick Police Station and reported that a storage shed in his yard had been broken into, and a safe containing the firearms he purchased in Rhode Island and Georgia, along with a leaf blower and grass trimmer, had been stolen. A Warwick Police Officer who responded with other officers to Kayode’s residence testified at trial that they found no evidence of the shed having been broken into or of a safe having been in the shed.
ATF agents reviewed thousands of Kayode’s text messages, emails, and other communications, in determining that Kayode regularly resold firearms that he purchased from licensed dealers to others for a higher price than he paid.
At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Kayode to twenty-four months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
This Project Safe Neighborhoods case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and Lee H. Vilker.
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.
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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offense Against A MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Virginia man pleaded guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.
According to statements made in court, Austin James Quesenberry, 27, of Dublin, Va., traveled from Virginia in December 2021 to St. Albans, W.Va, in order to meet a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity, including sexual intercourse. He also sent the purported minor videos of himself masturbating.
Quesenberry is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement. The FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-00011.
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Vermont Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Murder- and Kidnap-for-Hire Scheme and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
A Vermont man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for paying a woman in Venezuela to make videos for his sexual pleasure in which victims were sadistically abused and at least one video in which he demanded a victim be killed.
Sean Fiore, 38, of Burlington, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to conspiracy to kidnap and kill a person overseas, murder-for-hire, conspiracy to produce child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
“The defendant paid for and scripted unspeakably vile and horrific videos of a child being tormented, and an adult sadistically abused,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), sends a clear message that these reprehensible acts will not go unanswered or unpunished.”
“It is difficult to imagine more depraved conduct than that of Sean Fiore,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “We are grateful for the tremendous support and teamwork provided by HSI and Vermont’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force during the investigation of this case. We are also thankful for our partners in the Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., who helped bring Fiore to justice. This office along with its partners will continue to prioritize protecting the vulnerable and prosecuting dangerous offenders such as Fiore.”
“Fiore committed some of the darkest, most heinous deeds humanity can imagine,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Millhollin for HSI in New England. “Today’s sentence ensures that he will be locked away, unable to repeat the depraved crimes he has admitted to. We are grateful to our partners here in Vermont and around the world who worked tirelessly alongside us to investigate and prosecute this case.”
According to court documents, Fiore paid a woman in Venezuela $600 to produce a video that depicted the sadistic abuse of a prepubescent child. After Fiore received that video, he paid the woman approximately $4,000 for another video, this time to kidnap “a slave,” show his brutal abuse, and kill him. Specifically, Fiore sent the woman a 600-word script with the details of what he wanted the video to show, including her hitting and kicking the victim, burning him with cigarettes, urinating and defecating on him, filling his mouth with feces, wrapping his head with plastic, and smothering him to death by sitting on his face. Fiore then received a 58-minute video, in which, at the end, the adult male victim appeared to be dead.
Also, according to court documents, in May 2019 Fiore possessed videos and other images depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent minors.
Moraima Escarlet Vasquez Flores, 39, of Colombia, the woman accused of sending Fiore the videos and of conspiring with him to produce child pornography, is charged with conspiracy to murder and kidnap a person in a foreign country, conspiracy to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, and aiding and abetting the receipt of child pornography. Vasquez Flores was arrested in Colombia in September 2020, and Colombia recently approved her extradition to the United States. The charges against Vasquez Flores are merely allegations and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Masterson for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
United States Attorney Kavanaugh Announces Partnership with Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery to Address FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Inspector General Brian D. Miller of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) jointly announced today that their offices have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance their current cooperative efforts to investigate and prosecute fraud involving certain loans, loan guarantees, and investments made by the Secretary of the Treasury under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, which included over $2 trillion in emergency financial assistance designed to provide immediate help for American businesses and individuals.
“We have already prosecuted dozens of individuals here in the Western District of Virginia for defrauding the federal government of hundreds of thousands of dollars provided by Congress to aid those in need during a global pandemic,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said today. “The partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery will ensure this important work continues effectively.”
“This partnership with the Western District of Virginia will strengthen our efforts to ensure taxpayer investments in the CARES Act are protected. SIGPR continues to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute fraudsters who target vulnerable pandemic relief funds,” Special Inspector General Miller said.
The MOU outlines a series of objectives to ensure investigations are more effective: (1) USAO will designate two Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to serve as direct points of contact for the SIGPR-USAO partnership; (2) USAO will utilize a streamlined process to accelerate case intake, legal process, and prosecution of CARES Act-related fraud; (3) USAO will designate a criminal paralegal and provide forensic audit support; (4) SIGPR will provide investigative resources, or assist USAO in finding investigative resources from other law enforcement partners, to support prosecutions; and (5) SIGPR will refer any investigation it opens with activity within the Western District of Virginia to the USAO.
Virginians who believe they are victims or witnesses of fraudulent activity related to the pandemic should report it to the following:
- SIGPR Hotline Complaint
- SIGPR Whistleblower Complaint
- FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center
- For more information from the Department of Justice about reporting frauds related to the pandemic, see https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
U.S. Attorney Ross Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“I am honored to be chosen as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “As a member of this important committee, I look forward to sharing issues, which impact the Western District of New York and the entire Department, with Attorney General Garland and my colleagues. I know that by working collaboratively we will create solutions resulting in safer communities, here in the Western New York and throughout the country.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.# # # #
U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“I am extremely honored and humbled by my appointment to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” said U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory Harris. “I will do my best to represent the United States Attorneys’ community, and I look forward to working with Attorney General Merrick Garland and the other members of the AGAC.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“I am honored to have been selected by Attorney General Garland for this role and I am excited for the opportunity to work collaboratively with other U.S. Attorneys across the country, and to lend my voice to prosecution policy and the rule of law,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “I appreciate the ability to amplify the excellent work of our team here in the District in engaging with our sovereign tribal partners, in interdicting contraband on the border, and in addressing the other unique issues we face in Arizona.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-035_Advisory Committee Appointment
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison Appointed to serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“I am honored to have been appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, where I will be able to continue to support the Department of Justice’s priorities of upholding the rule of law, protecting civil rights, and keeping our country safe,” stated U. S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “I embrace and share in these priorities for my own beautiful, richly diverse district, the Eastern District of Michigan. My primary goal for this district is to ensure that its citizens not only feel protected and safe, but also valued. I am honored to have the opportunity to advance this mission along with my esteemed colleagues who have also been appointed to this very important Committee.”A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.Dawn N. Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn N. Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. From 1990 to 2002, she was an attorney in private practice where she focused on criminal matters as well as a range of civil matters. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where she served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit from 2010 to 2014. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
"I am honored to have been chosen to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys,” Darcie McElwee, U.S. Attorney, District of Maine, said. “The work of the AGAC is vital to furthering our priorities of addressing hate crimes, stopping the flow of illegal drugs into our communities, preventing human trafficking and exploitation, and combatting corporate and other white-collar crime. This is a valuable opportunity to ensure that issues facing Mainers every day are heard at the highest level, and I look forward to working with the Attorney General and the committee to help make our country – and Maine – safer.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white-collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
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U.S. Attorney Damian Williams Appointed to Chair Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department. I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
Attorney General Advisory Committee Chair Damian Williams said: “I am honored and humbled to accept Attorney General Garland’s appointment as Chair of this vital committee. I look forward to the opportunity to offer insight, along with my outstanding U.S. Attorney colleagues around the country, to continue to ensure that the rule of law is carried out fairly and equally for all Americans.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
DENVER – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced that U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan is being appointed, along with 11 other U.S. Attorneys, to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“It is an honor to get the chance to work closely with my colleagues and the Attorney General on important policy matters,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “It is equally an honor to further the mission of the men and women who work tirelessly every day in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to battle for justice on multiple fronts.”
The appointees to the AGAC include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan was nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado on September 28, 2021, and he was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 19, 2021. Mr. Finegan rejoined public service from private practice at a global law firm, where he served as the Regional Managing Partner for the Americas, as well as the Denver Managing Partner. Previously, Mr. Finegan was the Chief of Staff for the Denver Mayor as well as the Denver City Attorney, positions he held simultaneously. During that time, he worked daily with the Manager of Public Safety, the Denver Police Department, and the Denver Sheriff’s Office. Prior to this, Mr. Finegan served as Chief Legal Counsel in the Office of the Governor for the State of Colorado. His full biography appears here.
U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung Appointed to Serve as Vice Chair on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“Being appointed Vice Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee is truly an honor and a privilege,” said U.S. Attorney Chung. “I look forward to this great opportunity to represent our district and my U.S. Attorney colleagues, to advocate for the rule of law, and to provide counsel to the Attorney General on policy, and management and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorney’s offices nationwide.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in International relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and has held various roles, including deputy chief of the major crimes section, civil rights coordinator, and Project Safe Neighborhood coordinator, during her tenure with the office (2014 to 2021), Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has announced the appointment of U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown of the Western District of Louisiana to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. Brown, along with 11 other U.S. Attorneys from around the United States, will serve on the AGAC. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown of the Western District of Louisiana was confirmed by the Senate in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Other appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
“It is an honor to have been selected to serve on this committee with my fellow U.S. Attorneys from around the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “I take this appointment very seriously and am excited to begin the work of addressing matters and issues affecting the hard work that the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office do every day to uphold the laws of the Constitution of the United States.”
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U.S. Attorney Announces Indictment of Georgia Man for Laundering Proceeds from Fraud Schemes Perpetrated by Nigeria-Based Criminal EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Patrick Freaney, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), announced the indictment of UWEMEDIMO UMOREN in connection with his role in a fraud and money laundering conspiracy based in Nigeria, involving the theft of millions of dollars from victims across the United States. UMOREN was previously arrested in Georgia on December 17, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Uwemedimo Umoren, as alleged, was a member of a multimillion-dollar fraud enterprise built on the cruel exploitation of elder adults. Among other tactics, members of Umoren’s prolific fraud scheme posed as romantic interests to their victims, with the sole purpose of syphoning their bank accounts. We thank our outstanding law enforcement partners at the United States Secret Service for their continued vigilance in the effort to protect elder Americans from fraud.”
Secret Service Special Agent-in-Charge Patrick Freaney said: “As alleged, the defendant participated in multiple fraud schemes, including romance and investment scams that targeted some of our most vulnerable community members, the elderly. While the defendant in this case will answer the charges brought against him in the Southern District of New York, the threat posed by those who seek to financially victimize the elderly persists. Although elder fraud endures, the U.S. Secret Service remains vigilant in identifying and investigating those who wish to defraud the elder population out of their retirements and savings.”
According to allegations in the criminal complaint and the indictment filed against UMOREN:[1]
From at least in or about 2016 through at least in or about December 2021, the defendant was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in Nigeria that committed a series of business email compromises and investment and romance scams against individuals and businesses located across the United States. The objective of the Enterprise’s business email compromise fraud scheme was to trick and deceive businesses and individuals into wiring funds into accounts controlled by the Enterprise through the use of email accounts that “spoofed” or impersonated employees of a victim company or third parties engaged in business with a victim company. The Enterprise conducted the investment scams by contacting victims by phone and email regarding purported investment opportunities that the members of the Enterprise said could generate millions of dollars in returns. Finally, the Enterprise conducted the romance scams by using electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, or online dating websites that deluded victims, many of whom were vulnerable older men and women who lived alone, into believing the victim was in a romantic relationship with a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had gained the trust of the victims, they used false pretenses to cause the victims to transfer money to bank accounts controlled by members of the Enterprise.
UMOREN received fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in more than a dozen business bank accounts that he controlled in Georgia. The business bank accounts were opened in the names of companies formed by the defendant that were purportedly involved in, among other things, automobile sales and health care. From in or about 2016 through at least in or about December 2021, UMOREN controlled at least 15 bank accounts that received deposits totaling over approximately $8 million.
Once UMOREN received fraud proceeds in bank accounts under his control, he withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise abroad. The defendant laundered the fraud proceeds through his businesses by, among other things, using the proceeds to purchase automobiles and other goods from U.S.-based suppliers and distributors of such products and shipping those products to Nigeria and elsewhere. The defendant’s transactions had the appearance of legitimate business transactions when, in fact, the products had been purchased using the proceeds of fraud schemes. This trade-based money laundering scheme was designed to obscure the origin of the fraud proceeds as well as the identity of the ultimate beneficiaries of these schemes.
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UWEMEDIMO UMOREN, 60, of Hoschton, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
The maximum potential sentences 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 USSS. Mr. Williams also thanked the USSS Field Office in Atlanta, Georgia, for its assistance in the investigation of this case.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Juliana N. Murray is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Complaint and Indictment and the description of the Complaint and Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Two men, William E. Sykes, Jr., 54, and Dionte Marquell Brown, 25, both of Silvis, Illinois, were sentenced on March 29, 2022, for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin. Sykes, who had been convicted of distribution of heroin and conspiring to distribute heroin, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Brown, who was convicted of conspiring to distribute heroin, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
According to court documents, Sykes and Brown, along with Brown’s sister, Mary Ann Brown, dealt heroin from an apartment they shared in Silvis. When law enforcement executed a search warrant on the apartment, they found heroin, plastic baggies, and a digital scale. Court documents further showed that heroin distributed by Sykes and Brown caused the death of a Silvis woman in September 2019.
At the hearing, U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow emphasized the tragic consequences of Sykes and Brown’s crimes, the need for their sentences to deter others from engaging in similar conduct, and the hope that such deterrence would prevent other families from going through the pain of losing a loved one. Judge Darrow also ordered that the men pay $10,360 in restitution (joint and several) to the family of the overdose victim.
Both Sykes and Brown had pleaded guilty in August 2021. Sykes faced statutory penalties of up to forty years in prison for distribution of heroin and conspiring to distribute heroin. Brown faced up to twenty years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin. Mary Ann Brown also pleaded guilty to heroin distribution in July 2021 but has not yet been sentenced.
“This case starkly demonstrates what drug dealers can expect when they choose to sell poisonous drugs in our communities,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Thomas Hodges. “Our office commends the Silvis Police Department’s dedication and perseverance in working up the chain to target drug dealers in our community. Their collaboration with FBI is a successful example of leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against drug dealers who profit off of vulnerable individuals with little care for the potentially tragic effects.”
“With this sentencing, two more drug dealers have been effectively stopped from spreading dangerous narcotics into Illinois communities,” said David Nanz, the Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office.“This case highlights the danger posed to communities when drug dealers recklessly push illegal substances without regard for the deadly consequences. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to be vigilant and aggressive in our pursuit of criminals whose actions endanger others.”
The Silvis Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hodges and Kate Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
Two Federal Inmates Sentenced for Possessing Cellphones in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 29, 2022, federal inmates Ralph Hooper, age 43, and Jordan Reid, age 29, entered guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle to possessing cellphones in the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg (USP Lewisburg), Lewisburg, PA. After accepting their guilty pleas, Magistrate Arbuckle sentenced both inmates. Hooper received 2 months’ imprisonment to run consecutive to his 128-month sentence for his participation in an interstate heroin and cocaine drug trafficking organization. Reid received 1 month of imprisonment to run consecutive to his 75-month prison sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon and in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Federal law prohibits inmates from possessing cellphones due to the institutional security risks posed by their use.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the cases. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the cases.
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Three District of Columbia Men Indicted on Federal Charges in Series of Armed Robberies of Retail and Commercial BusinessesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men, all from the District of Columbia, have been indicted on federal conspiracy charges stemming from a series of recent robberies of employees of various retail establishments, including gas stations, liquor stores, hotels, and restaurants.
The indictments, which were unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Those indicted include Stephon Harrigan, 28, his brother, Aaron Harrigan, 26, and Tavarus Thompson, 28. Stephon Harrigan was arrested on March 6, Tavarus Thompson was arrested on March 18, and Aaron Harrigan was arrested yesterday. All remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
As alleged in the indictment, beginning on or about Jan. 1, 2022, and continuing through at least March 6, 2022, the defendants agreed to carry out robberies of retail and commercial establishments. They had different roles in the crimes that followed. They wore dark clothing and often wore masks or other clothing over their faces as well as gloves. One or more of the defendants was armed with a firearm. They also used various vehicles, including stolen vehicles, to flee from establishments after the robberies or attempted robberies, the indictment alleges.
The indictment lists 25 robberies from Jan. 12 through Feb. 22, at locations in Northeast, Northwest and Southeast Washington as well as in Mount Rainier, Maryland, and Silver Spring, Maryland.
All three defendants were indicted on charges of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and sale or receipt of stolen vehicles. Stephon Harrigan and Thompson also were indicted on firearms-related offenses, and Stephon Harrigan additionally was indicted on kidnapping and carjacking charges.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia, South Carolina Field Office, and the Mount Rainier, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Fletcher and Solomon Eppel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Three Charged with Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three individuals made initial appearances in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, charged with allegedly trafficking cocaine shipped to Rhode Island from Puerto Rico through the United States Postal Service, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
May Rosario, 27, Patri Hiciano Felix, 24, and Rafael Fleury Munoz, 22, of Providence, are charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine; and unlawful use of a communication facility (including the mail) to facilitate the distribution of a controlled substance.
It is alleged in charging documents that on March 26, 2022, a United States Postal Service carrier was approached by a male seeking to take custody of a Priority Express parcel she was preparing to deliver to a Providence residence. It is alleged that the male, who refused to provide an ID to the carrier, showed the postal carrier a photo of the package, claiming that the package had been sent to him. The carrier refused to provide the package to the man and left the area, taking the package with her. As she drove away, the male began to follow her in his vehicle.
It is further alleged that two days later, authorities became aware that a single individual or device was tracking the delivery of a package addressed to a Johnston residence. As Rhode Island State Police surveilled the Johnston location, they saw a vehicle slowly drive through the area twice. It is alleged that moments after the package was delivered to the front porch of the residence, a person ran out from behind the building to the front porch and then entered the building. About twenty minutes later, the same vehicle that the State Police surveillance team saw driving through the area earlier in the day reappeared. It is alleged that the person previously seen running into the building ran back out with the Priority Mail Parcel and got into the vehicle, which then drove away. A State Police cruiser nearby stopped the vehicle. It is alleged that the package delivered to the Johnston residence was found on the floor of the vehicle, and that Rosario, Hiciano Felix, and Fleury Munoz were inside the car.
A court-authorized search of the package seized in Johnston was found to contain 1.07 kilograms of cocaine; the package addressed to the Providence residence was found to contain 1.15 kilograms of cocaine. It is alleged that the Postal Carrier in Providence identified Rosario as the person who attempted to retrieve a package from her on March 26.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
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Ten Indicted in $2.7M Little Rock Fraud RingRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Ten defendants have been indicted for their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy that involved theft of pandemic unemployment funds. Khi Simms, 27, of Alexander, Arkansas, was ordered to remain in federal custody late yesterday afternoon after a detention hearing held before United States Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray.
Three other defendants, Brelyn London, 27; Karl Harris, 26; and Deuntae Diggs, 26; all of Little Rock, are also in custody awaiting trial. The remaining six defendants, Madison Clark, 24, of Alexander; Keshoun Coleman, 23; Derrick Harris, 19; Terence Holman, 27; Brandon Shavers, 29; and Quentin Watson, 27; all of Little Rock, have been released on bond to await trial, which is scheduled for April 18, 2022.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used unemployment debit cards, which were designed to distribute pandemic unemployment assistance made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), to withdraw funds to which they were not entitled. According to the indictment, Madison Clark worked as a contract employee with a bank who had a role in distributing these unemployment debit cards for the state of California’s Employment Development Department.
The indictment alleges that Clark used her access to issue debit cards, remove fraud blocks, and add credits to unemployment debit card accounts, resulting in approximately $2.7M in losses as calculated to this point in the investigation. Clark and Simms, and others Simms recruited, then used fraudulent debit cards to withdraw the funds Clark made available.
All ten defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1M, and not more than five years of supervised release. All ten defendants are also charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allison W. Bragg.
An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Susanville Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Darrel Wayne Kratzberg, 46, of Susanville, was sentenced on Monday to 10 years and 10 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, federal and local law enforcement officers began an investigation into Kratzberg’s distribution of methamphetamine in and around Susanville, in February 2018. The investigation was part of a larger effort between local and federal law enforcement agencies to identify sources of drugs, especially opioids, within Lassen County. Over the course of two months, agents conducted five controlled buys of methamphetamine and one controlled buy of heroin from Kratzberg.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Susanville Police Department, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation-High Desert State Prison, and the Lassen County District Attorney’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly prosecuted the case.
This effort 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sudbury Bookkeeper Arrested on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former bookkeeper for a Lexington interior design firm was arrested today on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection an alleged scheme to embezzle over $180,000.
Christina Iannelli, 49, of Sudbury, was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Iannelli was released on conditions following an initial appearance this morning in federal court in Boston.
According to the indictment, Iannelli was an independent contractor for an interior design firm based in Lexington. Beginning in or about October 2018, Iannelli allegedly prepared dozens of fraudulent invoices with inflated totals derived from inaccurate math, and then issued herself checks for the inflated amounts due from the firm’s checking account. It is also alleged that, beginning in or about July 2019, Iannelli issued herself dozens of additional unauthorized checks. In both instances, Iannelli allegedly used a signature stamp in the name of the firm’s owner to issue the fraudulent checks.
To conceal the fraudulent payments, it is alleged that Iannelli made false entries in the firm’s accounting records. In total, Iannelli allegedly embezzled over $30,000 through inflated compensation checks and over $150,000 through additional unauthorized checks.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lexington Police Chief Michael McLean made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Sudbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
South Carolina Man Is Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Robbing Three PharmaciesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christopher Michaud, 43, of Chesterfield, South Carolina, was sentenced to 147 months in prison and three years of supervised release today on robbery and firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief J. Bryan Gilliard of the Monroe Police Department.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between January and April 2020, Michaud robbed three pharmacies and illegally obtained large amounts of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. In two of the robberies, Michaud brandished a firearm. The first robbery occurred on January 26, 2020, during which Michaud walked into the Walgreens pharmacy located at 500 Fincher Street in Monroe, North Carolina, and handed a note to the pharmacy clerk. The note stated that Michaud had a gun and instructed the clerk to hand over specific prescription opioids. The clerk complied and Michaud fled the scene with various prescription medications including Oxycodone pills, generic Xanax pills, and Methadone pills.
On March 4, 2020, Michaud robbed the CVS pharmacy located at 625 East Roosevelt Boulevard in Monroe. Michaud entered the pharmacy at approximately 6:15 p.m. and gave a note to the clerk demanding certain prescription medications and threatening to come back and shoot everyone. During the robbery, Michaud flashed a small handgun at the clerk and demanded that the clerk “make it quick.” The clerk handed Michaud a bag with prescription drugs and Michaud left the store. The third robbery occurred on April 2, 2020, during which Michaud robbed the Walgreens located at 1993 Dickerson Boulevard in Monroe. Once again, Michaud handed the pharmacy clerk a note demanding prescription narcotics and flashed a handgun. The clerk complied, but during the robbery another store employee called 911 to report the incident. Officers with the Monroe Police Department arrested Michaud as he exited the pharmacy. At the time of the arrest, law enforcement recovered the stolen prescription medications and the pistol that Michaud used during the robbery.
On June 23, 2021, Michaud pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery of a business affecting interstate commerce, or “Hobbs Act” robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Michaud is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making this announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and the Monroe Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Smith County Man Guilty of Federal Income Tax ViolationRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Whitehouse, Texas, man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Anthony D. Klein, 47, pleaded guilty to attempting to evade or defeat tax today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.
According to information presented in court, for tax year 2016, Klein filed an IRS Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, with the Internal Revenue Service. On that form, he claimed that he had no taxable income and that he was entitled to credits in the amount of $5,836.00. In fact, he had taxable income of approximately $538,188.07 for tax year 2016. In filing the return, Klein intended to evade and defeat the payment of income tax that was due and owing to the United States.
Klein admitted that the tax loss for tax year 2016 is $194,780; for tax year 2017 is $98,431.00; for tax year 2018 is $74,191.00; and for tax year 2019 is $36,890.00, for a total tax loss of $404,292.00.
Klein faces up to five years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan R. Jackson.
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Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed firearms was sentenced March 29, 2022, to more than 2 years in federal prison.
Justin Figueroa, 25, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 22, 2021, guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from at least 2017 through 2021, Figueroa was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and had been convicted of an April 2020 felony drug offense, both prohibit Figueroa from possessing guns. However, Figueroa possessed five guns from April 2017 through June 2020, specifically, a 5.56/.223 rifle, two Glock 9mm pistols, a 5.7X28mm pistol, and a .38 caliber revolver. Figueroa also admitted that he possessed the guns in connection with his felonious drug trafficking, and that on one occasion traded a gun for a controlled substance. That gun was later found to be part of an attempted murder of a 2-year-old.
Figueroa was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Figueroa was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Figueroa is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4051. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Settlement Agreement Reached with Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families to Address Discrimination Against Parents with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. DCYF is a state agency responsible for child welfare services, juvenile corrections, and children’s behavioral health services.
The investigation was opened after the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HHS received multiple complaints from parents with disabilities. Three complaints alleged that DCYF failed to provide sign language interpreter services to parents who are deaf during DCYF child protection investigations, including when DCYF removed their children from their homes. A fourth complaint alleged that DCYF based conclusions about the parental capacity on a parent’s disabilities (epilepsy and intellectual disabilities) and failed to provide reasonable modifications to the parent’s plan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and HHS investigated and concluded that DCYF may not have taken appropriate steps to ensure for effective communication with parents and caretakers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, the investigation indicated that DCYF lacked sufficient policies, procedures, and related training to ensure that DCYF fulfills its obligations under federal civil rights laws to ensure that individuals with disabilities have an equal opportunity to access to DCYF’s services because of disability.
Under the terms of the agreement, DCYF will, among other things, create and implement a policy on how it will communicate effectively with individuals who have communication disabilities including individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition, it will ensure sufficient contracts with qualified interpreting services, provide training to all personnel on federal civil rights laws and accommodations for individuals with disabilities, designate an ADA coordinator, and report quarterly for three years.
“Eliminating disability discrimination is important in any context,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha, “but nowhere more so than when interactions that affect the integrity and unity of families are on the line. We are pleased that, as a result of today’s settlement, DYCF is committing to meet its obligations to remove barriers to full and appropriate service in these critical encounters, regardless of disability.”
“Recipients of federal financial assistance, like state agencies that provide child welfare and other services, have a fundamental responsibility under law to take necessary steps to eliminate unnecessary barriers for those who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said OCR Director Lisa Pino. “This agreement sends an important message to organizations to examine and update their policies, procedures, and training programs to fulfil their obligations to those that they serve."
This matter was handled jointly by Assistant United States Attorney Amy R. Romero and HHS Investigator Timothy Stark.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging a public entity or public accommodation in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement or 401-709-5000.
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Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national residing in Lynn pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Inmar Samuel Aguiluz-Palacios, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry before U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young who scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2022. Aguiluz-Palacios was charged on Feb. 3, 2022.
According to court documents, Aguiluz-Palacios was deported on three previous occasions, in May 2004, June 2015 and December 2015. Sometime after his 2015 removal, Aguiluz-Palacios illegally returned to the United States. On Aug. 15, 2021, Aguiluz-Palacios was arrested in Lynn for assault with a dangerous weapon. In January 2022, Aguiluz-Palacios was convicted of assault and sentenced to nine months in state prison.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Aguiluz-Palacios will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. 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 Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Roxbury Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Roxbury man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to gun and drug offenses.
Omari Peterson, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Sept. 7, 2022.
In January 2021, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities by Peterson in the Boston area. On Feb. 18, 2021, Peterson sold crack cocaine and cocaine to a cooperating witness. A search of Peterson’s apartment on March 5, 2021 recovered two firearms, a Sig Sauer P220 pistol and a Ruger LCP .380 pistol, along with 136 rounds of various caliber ammunition. During a subsequent search of Peterson’s storage unit in Quincy on March 6, 2021, six additional firearms and 67 rounds of various caliber ammunition were also seized.
The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement. The investigation was led by FBI’s Metro Boston Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rochester Man Going to Prison for Selling Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nijesh Gurung, 20, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who handled the case, stated that between July 27 and September 28, 2020, Gurung sold five Personal Made Firearms, aka “ghost guns,” to an undercover officer. Gurung sold the firearms, which had no known firearm manufacturer, model, or serial number, for as little as $1,100 and as much as $1,600 each. On October 1, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Gurung’s Tacoma Street residence and recovered an unknown caliber semiautomatic pistol, with no serial number, 29 rounds of ammunition, and other parts and accessories and tools used in the production of ghost guns.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division, and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Interim Sheriff Philip Povero.
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Renton, Washington, resident charged federally for huge stash of drugs and gunsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 43-year-old Renton, Washington, man was transferred to federal custody today and charged with drug and gun crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. David Christopher Pitts was initially arrested in December 2021, following an undercover investigation of his drug trafficking activities. Pitts appeared today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further hearings.
According to records filed in the case, in November and December 2021, a person working with law enforcement purchased fentanyl from Pitts at his residence in Renton. After obtaining a search warrant, officers with the Seattle Police Department SWAT team arrested Pitts without incident and searched his residence. In the main bedroom, officers found three different handguns – one of them stolen. In the closet of the bedroom there was a hard-shell case containing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and Xanax bars. In a safe in that same closet investigators found heroin, cocaine, suboxone, ketamine, fentanyl pills, and medical grade fentanyl. There was also more than $55,000 in cash.
In a second bedroom, which Pitts had been using as a storage space, officers found fifteen handguns, four semiautomatic assault rifles, two bolt action rifles, and a 12-guage shotgun. Throughout the residence, there were numerous items that appeared to be stolen goods, such as power tools, computer equipment, laptops, and camera gear. Many of these items are often traded for drugs.
Due to the amount of drugs involved in this case, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a consecutive 5-year prison term in addition to any term imposed on the drug crime.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department as part of the FBI’s Violent Crime, Gang and Organized Crime Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin H. Becker.
Rensselaer Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic-Related Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Hector J. Sanchez, age 30, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty today to defrauding pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs administered by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). Sanchez also admitted to fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Sanchez pled guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft with respect to his unemployment insurance fraud scheme. He admitted to soliciting the personal identifying information of other people on social media and using the information to submit false unemployment insurance applications to NYSDOL. He also admitted that he fraudulently obtained a PPP loan by falsely claiming to run a car wash business.
Sanchez agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $131,560 to the State of New York and $12,500 to the PPP lender.
The mail fraud convictions carry maximum terms of 20 years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2022 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. 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.
The case was investigated by USPIS, USDOL-OIG, and HSI, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations and the Albany Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Chisholm.
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.
Peoria Man Convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict today against Vincent Nichols, Jr., 34, of the 3600 block of West Hedge Hill Lane, in Peoria, Illinois, for possession of a firearm by a felon. Sentencing for Nichols has been scheduled for July 28, 2022 at the federal courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.
Over two days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that on September 23, 2020, Nichols was a passenger in a car being driven by an individual with an outstanding arrest warrant. Peoria Police Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and arrested the driver. Police then searched the car and asked each of three additional occupants to step out. During the search, police located a 9mm handgun directly on top of the seat where Nichols had been sitting. The gun was loaded with 15 rounds of live ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
In pretrial filings, the government had established that Nichols had previously been convicted of a felony offense punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
Nichols remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. At sentencing, Nichols faces statutory penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release. Should Nichols be deemed a career criminal, his sentencing range would increase to 15 years to life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by the Peoria Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna and Sarah Holst Schryer represented the government at trial.
Penn Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Herbert Lee Walker, 27, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on October 25, 2019, detectives with the Allegheny County Homicide Unit went to the residence Walker shared with his paramour. During the execution of a search warrant at the residence, investigators recovered approximately 139 bricks, or nearly 7,000 stamp bags, of heroin and fentanyl, from a suitcase that had Walker’s name on it, and paperwork for Walker inside of it. Investigators also recovered approximately $12,000 in cash, a firearm, and ammunition from the basement. A state arrest warrant was issued for Walker. On February 13, 2020, Pittsburgh Police officers attempted to arrest Walker in connection with that warrant on Baum Boulevard. Walker fled in a vehicle, striking two marked police cars and driving the wrong way down a one-way street at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2022, at 10:30 AM The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that the defendant remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Allegheny County Police Department, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Walker.
Penn Hills Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-Year Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Penn Hills, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and uttering counterfeit securities, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Daquan Jones, age 27, pleaded guilty to three counts before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Jones participated in a multi-year conspiracy involving the deposit of counterfeit checks into banks in the Pittsburgh area. Jones’ involvement involved depositing counterfeit checks and withdrawing money from bank accounts that was made available as a result of the counterfeit checks. .
Sentencing in this matter has not yet been scheduled. The law provides for a total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $1,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered the defendant released on an unsecured bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspectors and Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Daquan Jones.
Oswego County Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jay Elhage, age 39, of Palermo, New York, was sentenced today to serve 13 years in prison for distributing, receiving, attempting to receive, and possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
In addition to the 13-year term of imprisonment, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to begin after Elhage is released from prison, ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victims, and imposed $600 in special assessments. Elhage also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
During a 3-day jury trial in December 2021, the evidence established that Elhage used an online peer-to-peer file-sharing program to distribute, receive and attempt to receive child pornography and that he possessed thousands of child pornography images and videos on three devices found in the bedroom of his home.
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the New York State Police-Computer Crimes Unit and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J.L. Brown and Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.