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31 March 2022
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Submitting Fraudulent EIDL and PPP Applications in $865k Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Denver – The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announced that Patricia Gilroy, 58, of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for a wire fraud scheme in which she received $865,351 as a result of fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications that she submitted.
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the PPP and EIDL program.
According to the plea agreement, from April 2020 through April 2021, defendant Patricia Gilroy submitted fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications to the SBA and participating lenders on behalf of ten inactive, shell companies that she controlled seeking loans from the EIDL and PPP programs. In these applications, Gilroy made false statements about the number of employees and the amount of gross revenues and cost of goods sold that the companies had in the 12 months prior to January 31, 2020. In the applications, Gilroy also falsely agreed to use the funds solely as working capital for the companies when, in fact, she intended to use the funds for other purposes, including making personal investments. Three of the PPP applications, three applications for second PPP draws, and two EIDL applications were approved and funded. As a result, companies controlled by Gilroy received $856,351 in PPP and EIDL proceeds.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General in connection with their work on the Colorado-based EIDL Fraud Task Force. The prosecution was handled by Pegeen Rhyne and Sarah Weiss, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Colorado, Denver.
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.
CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-00063-DDD
Fentanyl Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Federal Distribution Charge for 30,000 ‘Pressed Pills’Read the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Smyth County man, who ordered approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills from California and sold them in Southwest Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court.
Zachary Ryan Hutton, 21, of Marion, Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia, and Southwest Virginia in particular, has seen a dramatic uptick in substance abuse disorder in recent years,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Disrupting and prosecuting fentanyl trafficking networks—especially pressed pills—is one of my Office’s top priorities. We know we cannot arrest our way out of this epidemic, but when traffickers brazenly spread tens of thousands of lethal pills across the country and into our Virginia communities, we will hold them accountable.”
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating a flood of illegal pills in Smyth County, Virginia that resembled pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone pills, but were inconsistent in size, shape, and color, indicating that they were counterfeit pills. The investigation revealed that the active ingredient in these “pressed” pills was fentanyl. Pills of this type are sometimes referred to as “Roxicodone,” “pressed,” or “M30” pills. The pills often have an imprint of an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other side.
In June 2021, the U.S. Postal Service–Office of Inspector General intercepted a package addressed to “Ryan Hutton” at the residence of Hutton’s grandmother in Marion, Virginia. The package contained approximately 561 grams of pressed fentanyl pills.
Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package, at which time Hutton was arrested and found to be in possession of an additional 798 pressed pills. During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement learned that Hutton had ordered fentanyl pills by mail for at least four months, received approximately 30,000 pills during that time frame, and paid a source in California $20,000 for the most recent package.
Hutton is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2022 and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. In addition, Hutton will pay a $50,000 judgment to the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service–Office of the Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case.
Federal Trial Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts Against New Orleans Man in Connection with the 2013 Murder of Loomis Armored Guard Hector TrochezRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CURTIS JOHNSON, JR., 30, of New Orleans, was found guilty today after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk.
The jury found JOHNSON guilty as charged in the second superseding indictment for Conspiracy to Obstruct and Obstruction of Commerce by Robbery, Murder, and Violations of the Federal Gun Control Act. He will be sentenced on July 13, 2022. JOHNSON faces a maximum term of life imprisonment.
In November 2019, co-defendants Jeremy Esteves and Robert Brumfield III were found guilty by a jury at trial, while co-defendants Lilbear George, Chukwudi Ofomata, and Jasmine Theophile previously pleaded guilty. George and Ofomata were sentenced to a 480-month term of imprisonment. Esteves, Brumfield and Theophile will be sentenced on April 6, 2022.
According to court documents, on the morning of December 18, 2013, CURTIS JOHNSON, JR., along with co-defendants, George, Ofomata, and Jeremy Esteves, robbed a Loomis armored vehicle as it was making a delivery of approximately $265,000 to the Chase Bank at the intersection of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues. As the Loomis guard, Hector Trochez, prepared to make the delivery, George and Ofomata, both armed, exited the vehicle (a Chevy Tahoe stolen by George in preparation for the robbery), and ordered Trochez to give up the money. Trochez pulled his weapon and fired at the robbers. Ofomata and George fired their weapons in Trochez’s direction. JOHNSON fired at the Loomis truck to keep the driver inside. Trochez was fatally struck on the left side of his forehead and suffered a graze wound to his elbow. One of the robbers ran towards the rear of the Loomis truck and took possession of the money bag before re-entering the Tahoe. The robbers fled the Chase Bank parking lot.
A witness seated in a vehicle at the corner of S. Claiborne and S. Carrollton Avenues observed the shooting and provided a description of the shooters and the vehicle they occupied. That witness followed the Chevy Tahoe as it fled the location of the shooting/robbery. During the vehicle’s flight, one of the shooters fired at the witness’s vehicle in an attempt to deter the witness from following. The witness observed the Chevy Tahoe arrive in the 1700 block of Adams Street and saw the four robbers exit the Chevy Tahoe and enter the awaiting Honda Accord driven by Brumfield. The Honda Accord fled the Adams Street location, leaving the Chevy Tahoe behind.
The Tahoe was recovered by the New Orleans Police Department and searched pursuant to a federal search warrant. During the search, FBI agents observed that the steering wheel column of the vehicle had been breached. Agents located two screwdrivers on the floorboard and a bandana on the console. The items were collected and submitted for DNA testing at the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory. An unknown DNA profile, later confirmed to be that of George, was recovered from one of the screwdrivers. Likewise, the DNA recovered from the bandana was confirmed to be that of CURTIS JOHNSON, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the New Orleans Police Department and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany L. Reed, Gregory M. Kennedy, and Inga Petrovich prosecuted the matter.
Federal Jury Convicts Hopkins Man for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Eleven Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Hopkins, Minnesota man guilty of distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of eleven people and caused serious bodily injury to four people, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a 10-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Aaron Rhy Broussard, 31, was convicted on 17 counts, including conspiracy, importation of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substance analogues.
“Aaron Broussard was a black-market drug dealer,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “Concerned only with his profits, Broussard sold illegal, dangerous drugs over the internet. The defendant’s deadly fentanyl killed eleven young, healthy, and vibrant victims, and caused serious bodily harm to at least four others. Even after Broussard found out his customers were overdosing, he callously continued to ship out deadly drugs. I thank the jury for their service in a difficult case. I offer my condolences and gratitude to the family members of victims across the county who traveled to the District of Minnesota to testify at trial. I applaud the trial team for their work in bringing the defendant to justice.”
“Today’s verdict is the culmination of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into an individual who used innovative techniques to supply an incredibly lethal substance to an unwitting community,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “In the time since Broussard’s arrest in 2016, our nation has seen an unprecedented rise in overdose deaths attributed to synthetic substances such as fentanyl. As Broussard is now held accountable for his actions, the DEA continues to educate communities on the dangers of this potent substance while also working with our local, state, tribal and federal partners to remove the threat of drug traffickers pushing this highly addictive substance.”
“The prosecution and conviction of Aaron Broussard is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to conduct investigations with the common goal of taking down internet vendors of illicit narcotics. Broussard worked under the belief he was an anonymous individual selling dangerous narcotics, such as the deadly fentanyl uncovered in this investigation, which resulted in the deaths of almost a dozen citizens. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives,” stated Inspector in Charge Ruth M. Mendonça of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Denver Division.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2014 through December 6, 2016, Broussard obtained controlled substances, including fentanyl, from China-based drug suppliers. Broussard conspired with his China-based suppliers to smuggle what would prove to be deadly drugs into the country. Broussard marketed these drugs for sale on his website, PlantFoodUSA.net, under the guise of selling plant food. He then used the United States mail and a United States Postal Service “Click-N-Ship” account to send out packages of deadly drugs around the country.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on March 12, 2016, Broussard placed a drug order for 100 grams of 4-FA, a controlled substance analogue, which was shipped from China. The package actually contained 100 grams of 99% pure fentanyl. Although Broussard had experienced a similar mix-up in August 2015 and was repeatedly told to test his drugs, he just didn’t bother. Between March 31 and April 27, 2016, Broussard sent his branded packages containing fentanyl to more than a dozen customers throughout the United States. The customers had ordered and were expecting to receive an amphetamine analogue, similar to Adderall. They were not opiate users and had no tolerance for the deadly fentanyl Broussard sent them. After ingesting the fentanyl, believing it was Adderall, eleven of the customers died from a fentanyl overdose, and at least four customers suffered serious bodily injury. Broussard continued distributing his deadly packages despite hearing about adverse reactions. Even after he learned that several customers had been hospitalized and nearly died, Broussard never warned his customers not to take the deadly drugs. Broussard did reach out to his suppliers in China to request a discount on his next drug delivery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the University of Minnesota Police Department, the Peoria Heights (Illinois) Police Department, the Dallas (Texas) Police Department, the Broome County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County (California) Sheriff’s Office, Garrard County (Kentucky) Sheriff’s Office, Hazel Green (Wisconsin) Police Department, and the Atlanta (Georgia) Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Hollenhorst and Melinda A. Williams tried the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Anchorage Man of Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A federal jury convicted an Anchorage man on two counts of distributing heroin following two controlled operations in June 2020.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jason McAnulty, aka “Snoop,” 38, sold approximately 101 grams of heroin for $5,000 cash on June 17, 2020, and nine days later sold approximately 25 grams of heroin for $1,300 cash to a law enforcement source. Following the two controlled buys, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McAnulty’s residence in July 2020 where they found more than $34,000 cash and other drug distribution contraband.
“Opioids are fueling an addiction crisis that is killing Alaskans, destroying lives and causing unfathomable misery,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr., of the District of Alaska. “For the sake of a few dollars, drug dealers like McAnulty willingly become instruments and facilitators of this tragic carnage. With our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work to stop these dealers and protect the public with consequential prosecutions.”
“Part of keeping Anchorage safe is arresting those who distribute drugs on our streets. Our HIDTA unit is designed for this purpose,” said Anchorage Chief of Police Michael Kerle. “Because of HIDTA’s focus on drug trafficking along with our strong relationships with our law enforcement partners we are able to arrest dangerous drug traffickers like Jason McAnulty.”
McAnulty was indicted on the charges in September 2020. Following his conviction at trial, McAnulty faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison given his State of Alaska conviction for a serious violent felony – Robbery in the First Degree. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD), in support of Alaska’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Tran and Stephan Collins are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Alaska’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). HIDTA was established in 2018 to enhance and coordinate efforts among local state and federal law enforcement agencies, providing equipment, technology and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of Alaska.
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Federal Judge Sentences McDowell County Man to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jonathan Leslie Carver, 27, of Nebo, N.C., was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison today for the production of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Carver’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and he will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
“Carver harmed a child for his sexual gratification and shared the abuse online,” said U.S. Attorney King. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their thorough investigation of this case. The evidence gathered helped put this predator behind bars where he belongs.”
“Stopping those who prey on the innocence of children is one of the most important missions HSI has,” said Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “Whenever one of these images is shared or viewed it victimizes an innocent child all over again. We will continue to focus the full resources of HSI on investigating and holding accountable those who engage in this type of horrific activity.”
“Another successful collaborative effort with our federal partners bringing a child predator to justice,” stated Sheriff Buchanan. “We should always do all we can to protect our children and keep them safe.”
On September 1, 2021, Carver pleaded guilty to using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. According to court records, in November 2020, HSI was notified that an individual with the screen name “Johnnybegood115,” later identified as Carver, was using the Kik social media messaging application to create and distribute child pornography. In December 2020, law enforcement issued a search warrant for Carver’s Kik account. A forensic analysis of the information obtained revealed that Carver had produced images and videos of himself sexually abusing an infant and used his Kik account to distribute the child pornography online.
The case was investigated by HSI and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Federal Authorities Announce Charges Related to Multi-Million Dollar Sport Gambling Business Involving Current and Former Pro AthletesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities today announced a series of cases stemming from an illegal gambling operation that involved current and former professional athletes, some of whom assisted with the business and others who placed large bets on games.
In documents unsealed Wednesday in United States District Court, the principals of the operation agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges and admitted they took in millions of dollars in bets, many of which were facilitated by a Costa Rica-based gambling website. One of the leaders of the scheme also admitted that he failed to report to the IRS nearly $1.5 million in income he received from the gambling scheme over two years.
The owner of the online gambling business and website pleaded guilty earlier this month and admitted the business was illegal under California law because it involved at least five people, operated for at least six years, and often had gross revenue of well over $2,000 on a single day.
Four new cases and related plea agreements were unsealed this week against:
- Wayne Nix, 45, of Newport Coast, a former minor league baseball player, who was charged with one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports gambling business, and one count of filing a false tax return;
- Edon Kagasoff, 44, of Lake Forest, Nix’s longtime partner in the operation, who was charged with one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports gambling business;
- Howard Miller, 63, of Gardena, who was charged with one count of aiding and abetting the operation of an illegal sports gambling business by assisting in the collection and payout of gambling proceeds related to the Costa Rica-based website; and
- Celebrity Financial LLC, dba Sherman Oaks Check Cashing, which was charged with failing to maintain an effective money laundering program related to it cashing at least $18 million in checks from the illegal sport gambling business at its San Fernando Valley check cashing store.
Representatives of Celebrity Financial appeared in court on March 28. Nix made his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon, and he is scheduled to formally enter his guilty plea on April 11. Miller has agreed to appear in court this afternoon, and Kagasoff has agreed to appear in court on Friday.
The Justice Department also announced that earlier this month the court unsealed cases against two other defendants:
- Kenneth Arsenian, 52, of Newport Beach, who pleaded guilty on January 26 to four charges: operating an illegal sports gambling business, filing a false tax return, money laundering, and accepting a financial instrument for unlawful internet gambling; and
- Joseph Castelao, 56, of Rancho Palos Verdes, the owner of the gambling website – Sand Island Sports – who pleaded guilty on March 15 to operating an illegal gambling business.
According to the court documents made public this week, Nix began operating a bookmaking business about 20 years ago. Through his contacts in the sports world, Nix developed a client list that included current and former professional athletes, and he employed three former Major League Baseball players to assist with the business.
Kagasoff joined Nix in the gambling operation around 2014, and they used an online infrastructure and calling center operated by Sand Island Sports to create accounts for bettors, according to court documents, which note that Nix and his associates paid winning bets and retained nearly all of the money collected from bettors.
Nix’s plea agreement outlines specific incidents related to the betting scheme, including receiving payments for gambling losses from a professional football player, a Major League Baseball coach and a baseball analyst. The plea agreement also discusses a bettor who wagered $1 million a year with Nix’s operation, a $5 million bet on the 2019 Super Bowl, and a sports broadcaster who told Nix he was going to refinance his home to pay off gambling debts.
In relation to the tax count against him, Nix admitted receiving $1,466,947 in income that he failed to report on his 2017 and 2018 federal income tax returns. In his plea agreement, Nix agreed to pay all back taxes due for those years – a total of $1,248,429, which includes the back taxes, penalties and interest. Nix also agreed to forfeit to the government nearly $1.3 million seized in February 2020 from two bank accounts and two brokerage accounts he controlled.
When Arsenian pleaded guilty in January, he admitted failing to report to the IRS more than $2.8 million in income for the years 2015 through 2018. Arsenian has agreed to pay $1.1 million in back taxes, plus additional penalties and interest. Arsenian also agreed to forfeit $341,459 in United States currency seized from his residence in February 2020.
In its plea agreement, Sherman Oaks Check Cashing admitted that it encouraged customers to bring large business checks – far in excess of the $10,000 that normally triggers a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) to federal authorities – and employees of the company told customers that it would not file CTRs. As a result, many of its customers brought checks that were proceeds of unlawful activity, including two customers of the gambling operation who cashed at least $18.35 million in checks. Sherman Oaks Check Cashing admitted that it made at least $500,000 in profits by engaging in this activity. In its plea agreement, the company agreed to pay a $500,000 fine, which is the maximum penalty under the law.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter. The HSI agents are part of the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeff Mitchell of the Major Frauds Section and Dan Boyle of the Asset Forfeiture Section are prosecuting these cases.
Fort Washakie Man Pleads Guilty to Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that XAVIER BRANDON GUINA, 25, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and suffocation on March 29, 2022, before United States District Court Chief Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Sentencing has been set for June 17, 2022.
Guina faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release 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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00129-SWS
Fort Washakie Man Pleads Guilty to Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that JARED MATTHEW NOSEEP, 24, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by strangulation on March 29, 2022, before United States District Court Chief Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Sentencing has been set for June 17, 2022.
Noseep faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, 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. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 22-cr-00014-SWS
East St. Louis Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – Eugene Falls, 42, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to
405 months’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Cocaine; Attempted Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Distribution of Heroin; and Money Laundering. Falls was convicted of all charges by a jury on December 2, 2021. The jury also found that Falls had a prior drug conviction that subjected him to an enhanced sentence.
Evidence established during the trial and sentencing hearing demonstrated that from between December 2018 through March 2019, Falls was responsible for receiving or distributing over 19 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of heroin in the Southern District of Illinois, and he laundered drug proceeds to conceal his drug distribution operation. He was arrested in March 2019 during a deal in which he was attempting to receive another ten pounds of methamphetamine.Falls was previously convicted in the Southern District of Illinois for Conspiracy to Distribute
Cocaine Base and Distribution of Cocaine Base, and he was still on supervised release for that case at the time he committed these new offenses. At the sentencing hearing, Falls faced a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment as a result of that prior offense. He will be required to serve a new 10-year term of supervised release once he completes this term of imprisonment.The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Dracut Construction Business Owner Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a commercial and residential construction business in Dracut was sentenced yesterday for an income diversion and payroll tax scheme resulting in a tax loss that exceeded $1 million.
James P. Enwright, 53, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to three years of probation with the first year under home incarceration. The government recommended a sentence of two years in prison. On March 2, 2021, Enwright pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of failure to pay over taxes.
Enwright owned and operated Enwright Construction for over 20 years. From 2013 through 2018, Enwright withheld from his tax preparer over $2.8 million of Enwright Construction’s gross receipts. In addition, during the tax quarters ending March 31, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2019, Enwright paid over $3 million in wages to his employees in cash “under the table.” As a result of his conduct, Enwright underreported his personal income tax obligations and failed to report and pay the IRS the employment taxes owed on the cash wages. In total, Enwright caused a loss to the IRS of $1,025,312.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Donna man sentenced for hostage taking during smuggling attemptRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 23-year-old local resident has been ordered to federal prison after holding two men against their will and demanding ransom, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Miguel Angel Castillo pleaded guilty Jan. 29, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced him to 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted this was Castillo’s third time in federal court following two prior convictions for alien smuggling. Further, the instant offense occurred while Castillo was on federal probation.
In August 2019, two men illegally entered the United States in hopes to reunite with their families in New Jersey and California. As part of the smuggling attempt, they stayed at Castillo’s stash house in Donna.
From Aug. 1-15, 2019, Castillo held the men against their will and forced them to call their family members to request ransom monies. Castillo threatened both men with a firearm and said he would kill them if they did not comply.
One victim’s family members paid over $6,000 ransom for his release.
On Aug. 15, 2019, the two men were transported to a motel in Donna. There, they were eventually able to obtain a phone and call for help.
Castillo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Donna Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell prosecuted the case.
Defendant Sentenced for Dog-Fighting Conspiracy and Illegal Possession of a FirearmsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to federal charges resulting from a lengthy investigation into a significant multi-state dog fighting conspiracy.
According to court documents, Raymond L. Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Beginning in November 2019, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in dog fighting based out of Richmond, and extending into Baltimore, Maryland. In late 2020, law enforcement agents executed three residential search warrants in Virginia and one residential search warrant in Maryland, and seized numerous dogs that were being used for organized dogfighting, together with dog-fighting paraphernalia, firearms and ammunition.
During the investigation, Johnson communicated with his co-conspirators about breeding and fighting dogs, past dog fights, coordination of upcoming dog fights, and other topics detailing the business and the brutality of dogfighting. Johnson hosted two dog fights at his residence, videos of which were recovered by law enforcement. Agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s Henrico residence on November 19, 2020, and recovered 9 pit bull terrier-type dogs with scarring consistent with dog-fighting. Agents also seized other evidence of dog fighting activities at Johnson’s residence, including dog collars, medications, supplies and supplements, and a treadmill used to train dogs for fighting.
Agents also recovered firearms and ammunition from Johnson’s residence, including an AK47 style rifle. As a convicted felon, it was illegal for Johnson to possess those firearms and ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Todd Kim, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; made the announcement after sentencing by Senior United States District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Special assistance was provided by the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony and Trial Attorneys Banu Rangarajan and William Shapiro with the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section, are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr -108
Defendant Sentenced for Dog Fighting Conspiracy and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A Virginia resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to federal charges resulting from a lengthy investigation into a significant multi-state dog fighting conspiracy.
According to court documents, Raymond L. Johnson, 41, of Henrico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Beginning in November 2019, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in dog fighting based out of Richmond, and extending into Baltimore, Maryland. In late 2020, law enforcement agents executed three residential search warrants in Virginia and one residential search warrant in Maryland, and seized numerous dogs that were being used for organized dog fighting, together with dog fighting paraphernalia, firearms and ammunition.
During the investigation, Johnson communicated with his co-conspirators about breeding and fighting dogs, past dog fights, coordination of upcoming dog fights, and other topics detailing the business and the brutality of dog fighting. Johnson hosted two dog fights at his residence, videos of which were recovered by law enforcement. Agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s Henrico residence on Nov. 19, 2020, and recovered nine pit bull terrier-type dogs with scarring consistent with dog fighting. Agents also seized other evidence of dog fighting activities at Johnson’s residence, including dog collars, medications, supplies and supplements and a treadmill used to train dogs for fighting.
Agents also recovered firearms and ammunition from Johnson’s residence, including an AK47 style rifle. As a convicted felon, it was illegal for Johnson to possess those firearms and ammunition.
“Raymond Johnson actively participated in a multi-state criminal enterprise that caused the needless suffering of innocent animals,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Johnson’s sentence demonstrates that dog fighting is a serious crime, which deserves a substantial penalty.”
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador for the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General Animal Law Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and Henrico County Police Animal Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Banu Rangarajan and William Shapiro of Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Cumberland Man Charged with Possessing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Cumberland man made an initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday, charged with allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Patrick K. Newton, 26, is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography, and possession and access with intent to view child pornography. He was released on unsecured bond following an appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge.
It is alleged in charging documents that, in January, a Homeland Security Investigations agent reviewed information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a person allegedly downloading and sharing child pornography. The agent determined that an email and IP address allegedly belonging to Newton was being used to view and share the material.
On Wednesday, HSI and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Newton’s residence. It is alleged that videos and images of child pornography were discovered during a brief on-scene forensic preview of a cell phone and a digital storage device belonging to Newton. Several computers, cell phones, and a second digital storage device were seized and will further analyzed by the ICAC Task Force.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Corinth Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Corinth man pleaded guilty in federal court today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, the FBI and the Denton, Texas Police Department were tasked with finding Francis Cahill, aka Bruce Cossett, 73, and learned that he may have moved to Maine. The Maine State Police was asked to help in determining his location. Cahill was subsequently located at his residence in Corinth and arrested by the Maine State Police. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Cahill admitted that he possessed two firearms in his residence. A subsequent search of Cahill’s residence uncovered a .22 caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun. Cahill is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 1978 conviction in Texas for murder.
Cahill faces up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, if the Court determines that Cahill is an armed career criminal, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. Cahill will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI; the Denton, Texas Police Department; the Maine State Police; and the ATF investigated the case. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the case.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- Randy Grayson, 43, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on January 15, 2017, Memphis Police Officers noticed a silver Infiniti G35 with expired license plates, running. As Officers approached the vehicle, they observed Grayson sitting unconscious in the driver’s seat with a black pistol on his lap.
Officers quietly surrounded the vehicle and opened the unlocked driver’s side door. They were able to wake Grayson and retrieve the weapon without incident. The pistol was a Sig .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber and several in the magazine. In addition, Grayson had a knife clipped to his waist and a bag of marijuana in his front pocket which contained several individual bags of marijuana, totaling 26.8 grams.
On January 9, 2020, Grayson pled guilty.
Grayson failed to attend his sentencing hearing on June 8, 2020 and remained a fugitive for approximately a year and a half.
On March 25, 2022, United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Grayson to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The PSN initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Cleveland Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl that Led to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury convicted Devonte L. Fellows, 26, of Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, March 25, 2022, of distributing fentanyl that led to the death of an individual. The jury returned the verdict after a four-day trial before Judge Donald C. Nugent in Cleveland.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, detectives with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department began an investigation into the April 26, 2019, overdose death of an individual found unresponsive. During the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered a substance containing fentanyl from the deceased’s residence. The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office performed a full autopsy and determined that the cause of death was acute fentanyl toxicity.
Court records state that investigators later determined that Defendant Devonte L. Fellows distributed a fentanyl mixture to the victim, who ingested it, overdosed and died. During an interview with investigators, Fellows admitted to selling drugs, including fentanyl, to the deceased.
Fellows is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2022. He faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
This investigation was conducted by the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department and the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Christopher J. Joyce.
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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.
22-120
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.
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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