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Monday 7 February 2022
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues to Fight Fraud Related to the Covid-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today Maryland United States Attorney Erek L. Barron announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has entered into a memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Special Inspector General Brian D. Miller of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) and Deputy Inspector General James D. Powell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Office of Investigations, regarding the investigation and prosecution of fraud relating to The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While many of our neighbors have suffered to make ends meet during this ongoing pandemic, others stole taxpayer money meant to put food on the kitchen table,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “These partnerships allow us to beef up our efforts to prosecute those who steal from the American taxpayers.”
“SIGPR’s partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has already produced results and we are excited to continue our work to protect pandemic relief funds from fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Since the start of 2021, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 23 defendants with criminal offenses based on fraud schemes connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. These cases involve attempts to defraud over $14 million and more than $419,000 has been seized as the proceeds of these fraud schemes. These cases were made possible by the coordination, perseverance, and skill of the many law enforcement partners working with us to bring to justice those committing COVID-19-related fraud.
The SIGPR MOU will allow the US. Attorney’s Office and SIGPR to enhance their efforts to provide a coordinated response to CARES Act funding fraud, with an emphasis on organized criminal activity; to link and associate isolated CARES Act-related complaints with larger schemes and related criminal activity; to speed up the prosecution of these cases and deter future fraud by increasing awareness of successful criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions against individuals and businesses engaging in CARES Act fraud.
The DOL-OIG MOU will allow up to two DOL-OIG special agents to be co-located in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Baltimore and Greenbelt, allowing a quicker response and more comprehensive and coordinated investigations involving CARES Act fraud, especially related to unemployment insurance fraud.
U.S. Attorney Barron also provided the following updates on the status of the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to combat COVID-19 related fraud, including schemes targeting the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) fraud
The PPP and EIDL fraud cases charged federally in Maryland during 2021 involve a range of conduct, from individual business owners who inflated their payroll expenses to obtain larger loans than they otherwise would have qualified for, to fraudsters applying for multiple loans using false claims about their purported business entities, and/or charities. Most charged defendants misappropriated loan proceeds for prohibited purposes, such as the purchase of houses, cars, jewelry, and other luxury items. For example, Brandon Fitzgerald-Holley, of Suitland, Maryland, used his non-operational nonprofit, the Coalition for Social Justice and Reform Incorporated (the Coalition), to fraudulently obtain $305,854 in PPP loan funds, even though the Coalition had no employees, income, or regular operations since its formation in 2018. Fitzgerald-Holley admitted that he used the funds to purchase personal items including clothing, a pool table, televisions, electronic equipment, a 2020 Dodge Charger Scat, and various accessories for the vehicle. He also used the funds to fund a vacation rental. Fitzgerald-Holley is awaiting sentencing.
In addition to Fitzgerald-Holley, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged eight other defendants with PPP and/or EIDL fraud. Those charges remain pending.
Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud
More than $860 billion in federal funds were appropriated for UI benefits through September 2021, to assist individuals who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Investigation indicates that international organized criminal groups have targeted these funds by using stolen identities to file for UI benefits throughout the country. Domestic fraudsters have also committed UI fraud. For example, an indictment filed in September 2021 alleges that from February 2020 through February 2021, three Maryland men, Gladstone Njokem, Martin Tabe, Sylvester Atekwane, and others conspired to fraudulently obtain more than $2.7 million in unemployment benefits. The indictment alleges that the conspirators impersonated victims in order to submit fraudulent UI claims, by obtaining the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims, often under false pretenses. The defendants allegedly shared the PII amongst themselves and with others and used the victims’ PII to submit fraudulent applications for UI benefits in Maryland, Michigan, and Tennessee. The defendants are awaiting trial.
A total of six defendants, including Njokem, Tabe, and Atekwane, are charged with UI fraud and those charges remain pending.
Fraudulent Websites
To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland has shut down 17 fraudulent websites which appear to have been used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the site, in order to use the information for nefarious purposes, including fraud, phishing attacks, and/or deployment of malware. The seized websites were almost identical to the names of authentic U.S. websites, including COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, retailers, and purported COVID-19 treatment. Several of the seized websites purported to sell vaccines and other treatments for the COVID-19 virus. Often, the fake domains mimicked the stylistic designs and language of the authentic U.S. website. After the seizures, individuals visiting the website see a message that the website has been seized by the federal government and are redirected to another website for additional information.
Of the three defendants charged with attempting to use a fraudulent website to sell fake COVID-19 vaccines, two are awaiting trial and one has pleaded guilty to his role in the fraud scheme.
Other COVID-19 related fraud schemes
Nicholas Milano White was sentenced to eight years in federal prison and was ordered to pay $29,324 in restitution for conspiring to steal mail, stealing benefits under the CARES Act, and aggravated identity theft. White was arrested after stealing mail from multiple U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in the Baltimore metropolitan area in March 2020, and Postal Inspectors learned that he had been conducting a bank fraud scheme that involved falsifying and cashing stolen checks. After his arrest, White continued engaging in fraud, including submitting a false claim for Florida state unemployment benefits using the personally identifying information of another person, and illegally acquiring and cashing an Economic Impact Payment check issued in the name of a couple residing in Maryland, in the amount of $2,900. In another case, Tyrese Carter, a former Federal Emergency Management Agency employee detailed to work in a Small Business Administration (SBA) virtual call center, was assigned to assist potential disaster loan applicants by answering questions about the SBA’s EIDL program. Carter admitted that he posed as an SBA employee to induce a victim business owner to wire him funds received. Specifically, Carter emailed the victim using an account created in the name of the purported SBA employee and directed the victim to wire funds to a PayPal account created in the name of “SBA Financial.” Carter was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered by pay restitution of $8,738.
Other defendants are charged with allegedly selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards and fraudulently obtaining funds by claiming financial hardship as a result of COVID-19, respectively. Those charges remain pending. Another defendant was convicted of selling misbranded disinfectants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Can You Do?
We encourage the public to follow these three steps when accessing COVID-19 related information and services online:
First, be careful where you click. Fraudulent websites are designed to look like legitimate websites. Websites may have small spelling errors or an additional letter or two in website URLs and email addresses, or a different domain suffix. Check email addresses and links to ensure you’re where you want to be.
Second, guard your personal information. Don’t enter it on an unknown website or in response to an unsolicited email. Criminals are trying to capture your information to compromise your identity and access your financial accounts. Your response may also deploy malware that compromises your digital device.
Third, always remember: the COVID-19 vaccine is not for sale. Only a limited number of manufacturers have authorization to provide the vaccine in the U.S. The federal government is covering the cost of the vaccine for all people living in the U.S. You will never be asked to pay for a vaccine.
In addition to the DOL-OIG and SIGPR, U.S. Attorney Barron recognized the efforts of a wide range of law enforcement partners for their work in COVID-19 related cases, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the FBI; the U.S. Secret Service; the IRS-CI; the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Offices of Inspectors General from SBA, Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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.
To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to fight fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Mannford Man Sentenced for Sending Sexually Explicit Pictures to Individual He Believed Was a MinorRead the Press Release
A man who thought he was sending sexually explicit pictures to a 15-year-old runaway, but instead was communicating with an undercover investigator, was sentenced in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Johnny Wayne Rose Jr., 41, of Mannford, to 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
In October 2021, Rose Jr. pleaded guilty to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. In his plea agreement, Rose Jr. admitted that he used his cell phone, Facebook, and Kik to converse with an individual he believed was a 15-year-old female runaway who was addicted to methamphetamine. In those conversations, he attempted to convince the individual he believed to be a minor to meet for sex and offered to provide methamphetamine to the “minor.” He also asked for topless photographs from the “minor” and sent sexually explicit photographs of himself. Instead of speaking to a minor female, Rose Jr. was unknowingly communicating with an undercover investigator from the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office. The communications and photographs Rose Jr. sent constituted the attempted transfer of obscene material to an individual he believed was 15 years of age. The communications occurred between Feb. 25, 2021, and March 5, 2021.
This case was brought as part of Operation Clean Sweep, a four-month long operation that concentrated law enforcement efforts on counteracting the spike in internet facilitated child-exploitation crimes in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The operation was carried out in partnership with more than a dozen local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies. This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case
Manchester Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Fentanyl Trafficking and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Robert Audette, 32, of Manchester, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 12, 2019, Manchester police detectives executed a search warrant at an apartment Audette shared with his girlfriend, Quinn Pollock. A search of their room yielded $1,200 in counterfeit currency, drug paraphernalia, various drugs, and a loaded 9 mm handgun in the bed headboard. A search of Pollock’s vehicle revealed a backpack that Audette had been seen carrying during police surveillance. Officers had observed Audette place the backpack into the vehicle just prior to the search. The backpack contained a scale, 9 mm ammunition, and baggies containing over 40 grams of fentanyl.
Audette previously pleaded guilty on October 18, 2021. Pollock pleaded guilty to drug charges on November 20, 2020, an received a time-served sentence.
“Armed drug dealers present a serious threat to public health and safety,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Fentanyl traffickers endanger the community by selling a potent and deadly substance. When these drug peddlers are armed with firearms, the risk of violence and death is further increased. As this case demonstrates, we are working closely with the Manchester Police Department to identify and prosecute armed drug traffickers and hold them accountable for their unlawful conduct.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Daniel Trevino, 45, formerly from Primghar, Iowa, pled guilty on February 5, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Trevino admitted that between December 2020 and April 2021, he and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. On April 24, 2021, Trevino was stopped while driving. After Trevino showed signs of impairment, law enforcement received permission to search a bag located next to Trevino. Inside the bag, law enforcement discovered a scale, cell phones, and other drug paraphernalia. When the vehicle was being secured to be towed, a black magnetic box fell from the steering column which later was found to contain approximately a quarter pound of methamphetamine. Trevino admitted he had just picked up the methamphetamine from a source in Colorado.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Trevino remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Trevino faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4076. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced MS-13 gang member Edin Velasco Garcia, age 21, of Frederick, Maryland, to 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assault with a deadly weapon, in connection with his assault of two victims whom he believed were rival gang members. The sentence was imposed on February 2, 2022.
The was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department.
MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Velasco Garcia was a member of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”).
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
As detailed in his plea agreement, from at least January 2019, Velasco Garcia agreed with members of MS-13 to conduct and participate in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity that included narcotics trafficking, extortion, and acts of violence.
According to his plea agreement, on March 22, 2019, Velasco Garcia and several other MS-13 members and associates approached Victim 1 and Victim 2 in a parking lot in Frederick, Maryland. They asked Victim 1 and Victim 2 if they were in a gang and they responded that they were not. Victim 2 had “18” tattooed on his arms, which is related to the 18th Street gang, one of MS-13 primary rival gangs. After calling other gang members on the phone to joint them, Velasco Garcia pulled out a black folding knife and attempted to stab Victim 2 with an overhead motion, but missed. Victim 2 ran but was caught by the group and punched several times. Victim 2 broke away and attempted to run away, but MS-13 members tackled him, punching and kicking Victim 2 several times before one person hit Victim 2 in the head with a rock. During the attack Velasco Garcia threw up several MS-13 gang signs. When the attack began, Victim 1 ran in a different direction and was also attacked. Gang members punched Victim 1 in the face and he was slashed with the knife in the face. Victim 1 was unconscious for a period of time and gang members stole his cell phone. Both Victim 1 and Victim 2 were transported to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.
Velasco Garcia admitted that the assaults on Victim 1 and Victim 2 were intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13 and allow members to maintain or increase their status within the gang.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Zachary Stendig, who prosecuted this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Logan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Logan man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on January 26, 2021, at the residence of Brian Dometric Knox, 37, in Cross Lanes. During the search, officers found approximately 79 grams of methamphetamine. Knox admitted that he possessed and intended to sell the methamphetamine. Knox also admitted that from December 1, 2020 to January 22, 2021, he sold approximately one ounce of methamphetamine every week.
Knox pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 11, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the West Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00170.
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Justice Department Finds that Pennsylvania Courts Discriminated Against People with Opioid Use DisorderRead the Press Release
The Justice Department found that the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, through the actions of its component courts, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by prohibiting or limiting the use of disability-related medication to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) by individuals under court supervision. The letter of findings demands that Pennsylvania addresses the civil rights violations identified during the course of the investigation conducted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.
The Justice Department identified three specific individuals with OUD who had been discriminated against by the Northumberland and Jefferson County Courts of Common Pleas. Two individuals alleged that the Jefferson County Court ordered all probationers to stop using their prescribed medication for OUD. A third individual alleged that the Northumberland County Court required her to stop using her prescribed OUD medication to graduate from drug court. The department’s investigation corroborated these allegations and additionally found evidence that multiple other county courts in Pennsylvania have treatment court policies that discriminate against individuals with OUD.
Pursuant to Title II of the ADA, the department provided the Pennsylvania judiciary with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
“Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder are protected by the ADA but too often face discrimination rooted in stereotypes and myths rather than in science. This is exactly the sort of discrimination the ADA was designed to prevent,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Ensuring that court-involved individuals with Opioid Use Disorder have access to the medications they need is critical to support recovery efforts and to break the cycles of opioid addiction that have harmed families and communities across our country. Ensuring that courts are employing science-driven and data-informed approaches to this crisis is an important priority for the Civil Rights Division.”
For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. The letter can be viewed here.
Justice Department Announces Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the release of the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“Addressing human trafficking in Northern Ohio remains a top priority for our office and our law enforcement partners,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “As a united front, law enforcement in Northern Ohio continues to aggressively pursue traffickers and deliver critical aid to victims. This new plan, combined with grant funding awarded last fiscal year, will help us continue and improve our fight against human trafficking.”
In 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio secured a number of notable convictions and sentences against human traffickers, including:
- Manish Raj Gupta. A former Toledo-area physician who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and illegally dispensing a controlled substance. Gupta was sentenced to 235 months in prison.
- Larrien Brown-Austin. A Canton man who pleaded guilty to participating in a sex trafficking conspiracy that forced multiple women to perform commercial sex acts for profit. Brown-Austin is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2022.
- Reuben Rankin. A Cleveland man who was convicted of assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Rankin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2022.
In addition, to support the victims of human trafficking, various organizations in the Northern District of Ohio were awarded approximately $8.7 million in grant funding this fiscal year from the Department of Justice to provide services and aid, including:
- $4.4 million awarded to the City of Cleveland and City of Akron to support the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
- $1 million awarded to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center for services for minor victims of sex trafficking,
- $600,000 awarded to Promedica Toledo Hospital to train sexual assault nurse examiners.
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, click here.
Jennifer Faith Pleads Guilty to Murder for Hire in Husband’s DeathRead the Press Release
Jennifer Lynne Faith, the Oak Cliff woman who convinced her boyfriend to shoot her husband to death, pleaded guilty on Monday to orchestrating the murder, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In February 2021, prosecutors charged Ms. Faith, 49, with obstruction of justice. In September 2021, they added a charge of use of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire, an offense that carries a potential death sentence. Ms. Faith pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire charge before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle on Monday morning. In return for her plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the obstruction charge and to recommend a sentence of life imprisonment. Sentencing will ultimately be at the discretion of the judge.
“Jennifer Faith’s cold-blooded plot to murder her husband was made all the more heinous by the way she behaved after his death. Even as she wept for her late husband on TV, Ms. Faith was corresponding with his murderer, plotting about how to cover up their crime,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, DPD, and our law enforcement partners remain committed to getting justice for Jamie. We are proud to hold Ms. Faith accountable for her crimes, and look forward to proving our case against her boyfriend, Mr. Lopez, in court. Truth will prevail in the end.”
“Lies, deceit and ultimately the murder of a loving spouse. After attempting to manipulate family, friends and caring citizens, Mrs. Faith has now admitted to her heinous acts. I could not be prouder of the work of all those involved in this investigation, specifically, the Dallas Police Department Homicide Unit, the United States Attorney’s Office, and ATF Special Agents. What’s done in the dark will always come to light,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to plea papers, Ms. Faith admitted that her boyfriend, Darrin Ruben Lopez, 49, gunned down her husband, American Airlines technology director Jamie Faith, on Oct. 9, 2020 in front of his home in Oak Cliff. (Mr. Lopez has been charged by the state with murder and by the feds with a gun crime. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Like all defendants, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
Ms. Faith admitted that she knew Mr. Lopez – whom she called her “one and only love” – had suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, leaving him disabled. Both before and after the murder, she sent Mr. Lopez money and gifts, and even provided him with two credit cards which she paid off using the proceeds of a “Support Jennifer Faith” GoFundMe fundraiser launched in the wake of her husband’s death.
She also admitted that before the murder, she used two phony email accounts to correspond with Mr. Lopez, assuming the identities of her own husband and one of her friends in order to falsely convince Mr. Lopez that her husband was physically and sexually abusing her. (In plea papers, Ms. Faith stipulated that no such abuse ever occurred.) Ms. Faith admitted that she downloaded stock images depicting injuries from the internet and attached them to some of the emails to convince Mr. Lopez that the abuse was actually occurring.
Seven months into her relationship with Mr. Lopez, Ms. Faith exited her home with her husband to walk their dog, she acknowledged in plea papers. One minute into their walk, Mr. Lopez – who allegedly drove from his home in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, to the Faiths’ home in Dallas, where he laid in wait at a neighbor’s home – allegedly shot Mr. Faith seven times before fleeing the scene in his black Nissan Titan pickup truck, which had a distinctive “T” decal on the back window.
After she learned that law enforcement was aware of the “T” decal, Ms. Faith appeared on DFW’s ABC affiliate, WFAA, and plead with the public to help investigators locate the decaled truck. Following the interview, Ms. Faith texted Mr. Lopez and encouraged him to remove the sticker from his truck, she admitted.
“I woke up in a bit of a panic… Something is eating away at me telling me you need to take the sticker out of the back window of the truck,” she texted him. “I don’t normally overreact like this… really think you need to get that sticker off ASAP, like today.” Mr. Lopez allegedly removed the sticker the following day.
Meanwhile, approximately one month after her husband’s death, Ms. Faith admitted, she initiated a claim with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company seeking approximately $629,000 in death benefits Mr. Faith had through his employer. She periodically updated Mr. Lopez on the status of the claim. In text messages, the pair discussed using the money to apply for a residence in her name in Tennessee.
In January 2021, shortly after she was asked to come in for questioning by investigators, Ms. Faith reached out to Mr. Lopez to coordinate their cover stories, she admitted in plea papers.
“If asked about you, you are an old friend going through a divorce. We talk every night because I am helping/giving support with the girls,” she texted. “Just in case they pulled phone records and ask.”
“Good idea,” Mr. Lopez responded. “You are doing good.”
ATF agents arrested Mr. Lopez on murder charges in Cumberland Furnace on Jan. 11, 2021. The firearm used to kill Mr. Faith was recovered inside Mr. Lopez’s home.
On Feb. 2, 2021, shortly before she was charged, Ms. Faith contacted a third party and asked that a message be forwarded to Mr. Lopez, who at the time was in custody in Dallas.
“I am with him, will always be with him regardless of whatever has happened. I’ve needed to be cautious because every communication is being monitored,” the message read in part. “Please tell him ASAP I will always be his.”
The Office of the United States Attorney General approved Ms. Faith’s plea agreement, as is customary in cases involving death penalty eligible cases. She is slated to be sentenced on May 26.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department’s Homicide Unit conducted the investigation with the assistance of the ATF’s Nashville Field Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Aviation Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. NDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.
Indiana PA Man Pleads to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Indiana, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Ahmed Doumbia, 28, pleaded guilty to a lesser-included offense at Count One and to the offense at Count Two of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about July 5, 2018, to on or about May 5, 2020, Doumbia did conspire to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as “crack,” as well as, conspired to commit money laundering.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
OCDETF conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The task force is headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and is comprised of members drawn from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Indiana Borough Police Department.
In Separate Cases, Three Maryland Men Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation of Children to Produce Child Pornography and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Federal grand juries in Maryland have returned indictments against three men in unrelated cases charging them with sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography and related charges. Charged in the three indictments are Gary Rocky Jones, age 42, of Baltimore; Dennis James Harrison, age 39, of Rocky Ridge, Maryland; and Jose Alexander Diaz-Rodriguez, age 22, of Thurmont, Maryland.
The indictments were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Jason Lando of the City of Frederick Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III.
A superseding indictment was returned on February 2, 2022, against previously convicted sex offender Gary Rocky Jones, adding 27 counts of sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography, 15 counts of use of an interstate commerce facility, specifically, the internet, to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity—relating to 15 minor victims from around the country, and commission of a felony crime involving a minor by a registered sex offender, to his original charges of distribution and possession of child pornography. The superseding indictment alleges that between 2014 and August 2015, Jones twice produced images and videos of a minor male engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The victim was age 14 to 15 years old during the exploitation. The superseding indictment also alleges that from September 2018 through August 2020, Jones used social media accounts to persuade, entice, and coerce another 15 minor males from several states and ranging in age from eight to 17 years old, to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During these internet-based communications, Jones allegedly caused and attempted to cause the victims to produce live and recorded visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, both alone and with others, and send Jones the sexually explicit images and video via the internet. Further, the superseding indictment alleges that on April 2, 2018, Jones distributed child pornography, and possessed child pornography from December 2, 2014 through January 31, 2020, and from May 29, 2017 through July 14, 2020, respectively, in affiliation with two separate email addresses and related storage accounts. Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that between 2015 and September 2020, Jones committed felony offenses involving minors while Jones was required to register as a sex offender under Maryland law.
According to Harrison’s nine-count indictment, which was returned by the Grand Jury on February 3, 2022, Harrison sexually exploited two minor girls beginning when the one victim was two years old and when another victim was 10 to 11 years old, to produce child pornography; coerced and enticed a 12-year-old victim to engage in illegal sexual conduct; possessed child pornography; and committed a felony crime involving a minor while he was a registered sex offender. From at least September 2020 through August 2021, Harrison engaged in sexual activity with Jane Doe 1, a 12-year-old girl who resided in Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that Harrison picked-up Jane Doe 1 from her residence and drove her to various location in Maryland, including Harrison’s residence, where he engaged in illegal sexual activity with Jane Doe 1. The indictment alleges that Harrison attempted to and did use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce Jane Doe 1 to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce visual depictions of such conduct. Harrison also allegedly used a hidden camera and a mobile phone in 2018 to produce a series of image files depicting Jane Doe 2, a 10-to-11 year old minor, nude and partially nude in a bedroom and bathroom in Pennsylvania and in a bathroom in Maryland. The images were taken without the knowledge of Jane Doe 2. The indictment alleges that on August 12, 2021, Harrison possessed child pornography on his phone, a tablet, several USB drives, and a micro SD card. Finally, the indictment alleges that Harrison committed these offenses involving a minor while he was required to register as a sex offender under Maryland law.
Finally, Jose Alexander Diaz-Rodriguez is charged in a three-count indictment, returned on February 3, 2022, with sexual exploitation of a child on July 26, 2021, by employing, using, persuading, inducing and coercing a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct; for distributing child pornography on June 4, 2021; and for possessing visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on July 26, 2021.
If convicted, Jones and Harrison each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum sentence of 50 years in federal prison for each count of sexual exploitation of a child; a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment for each count of coercion and enticement of a child; a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, and a mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison for commission of a felony crime involving a minor by a registered sex offender. Jones also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography. Diaz-Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child; a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. 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. Jones is in federal custody and is scheduled for trial on December 5, 2022. Harrison and Diaz-Rodriguez are in custody on state charges and will have an initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, although dates for those hearings have not been set.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the Jones case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Paul A Riley. Mr. Barron also recognized the FBI, the City of Frederick Police Department, and the Frederick State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the Diaz-Rodriguez case, and HSI, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the Harrison investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, Chief Counsel with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, who are prosecuting the Diaz-Rodriguez and Harrison cases.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Crack Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man caught last year with cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, pleaded guilty today.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Donald Duane Cole, 51, admitted that he was present when agents executed a search warrant at his residence on 9th Avenue in Huntington on July 29, 2021. Cole admitted to agents that he was in possession of crack cocaine and agents seized crack cocaine during the search. Cole admitted that he intended to sell the crack cocaine. Cole further admitted that he participated with others in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl in the Huntington area between April and July 2021.
Cole pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-00007.
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Hamilton meth trafficker sentenced to more than eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Hamilton man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in Missoula and Ravalli counties was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
George Thomas Walker, 44, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Walker trafficked methamphetamine in Missoula and Ravalli counties from about October 2019 until February 2021. Confidential informants told law enforcement that Walker was a prolific trafficker and that he mostly obtained his meth from Washington and brought it back to Missoula for distribution. In October 2020, law enforcement located Walker in his vehicle. In a search of the vehicle, officer found two firearms, ammunition, meth and drug paraphernalia. During a traffic stop of Walker in February 2021, law enforcement later searched his vehicle and recovered meth, heroin and other drug paraphernalia. And in March 2021 in Ravalli County, law enforcement searched the residence of an associate of Walker’s and recovered meth in property that Walker had left for safe keeping.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Missoula Police Department, Great Falls Police Department, Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Department of Correction’s Probation and Parole Division.
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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Fredonia Man Going to Prison for 50 Years for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Dustin Post, 26, of Fredonia, NY, who was convicted of production and possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 50 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who handled the case, stated that the New York State Police in Fredonia began investigating Post after receiving a parental complaint involving the commission of a possible sex offense upon a minor. In the summer of 2019, Post video-recorded his sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl. On November 15, 2019, investigators removed a cellular telephone, a laptop computer, and four flash drives from Post’s residence. A forensic analysis of the electronic devices recovered multiple images and videos of child pornography. During the course of the investigation, a total of nine minor females and one adult female were identified as victims of Post.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major James Hall.
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Four Men Sentenced to Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Four men charged with federal firearms offenses in late 2020 and 2021 have been sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough.
Kai R. Estomo-Encallado, 21, of Grayson, Texas, was sentenced on February 4, 2022, to 24 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for possession of a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches long.
Donovan Hoover, 26, of the 600 block of Wood St. in Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, to 30 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a felon.
Eric Allison, 26, of the 2200 block of E. Laurel St. in Springfield, was sentenced on January 24, 2022, to 18 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year-term of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a felon.
Latayveon Wells, 22, of the 200 block of N. State St. in Springfield, was sentenced on October 18, 2021, to 24 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a felon.
All of the men had previously pleaded guilty to the offenses of conviction.
The statutory penalties for the offenses of conviction are up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release.
“Even one gun in the hands of someone who should not possess a weapon can lead to fatal consequences,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore. “The collaboration between local and federal agencies as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods is essential to reducing gun violence in our community.”
The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: (1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; (2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; (3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and (4) measure results with the goal of reducing the level of violence in our communities, not increasing the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in and of themselves.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; the Springfield Police Department; and the Illinois State Police investigated the cases as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Senor-Moore and Sarah Seberger represented the government in the prosecutions.
Former La Joya official convicted in bribery schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – The former La Joya Independent School District (LJISD) assistant superintendent of Student Services has admitted to taking $28,000 in bribes, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Luis Morin, 41, Mission, pleaded guilty today and agreed to forfeit $28,000.
As part of the plea, Morin admitted to receiving approximately $28,000 as bribes beginning in 2019 for his official and favorable recommendations at LJISD. They pertained to energy savings contracts awarded to a company as well as job order contracts and facilitating the processing of pay applications related to those contracts. The LJISD school board subsequently approved the contracts Morin recommended.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea and set sentencing for April 19. At that time, Morin faces up to five years in federal prison.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Department of Agriculture, Texas Department of Insurance and McAllen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Former Jacksonville School Teacher Arrested for Possessing Videos Depicting the Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Paul Gillis (64, Jacksonville) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possessing a computer disk drive containing videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. If convicted, Gillis faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Gillis was arrested at his home by FBI agents on February 2, 2022.
According to court documents and information provided in open court, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Gillis’s residence on February 2, 2022, and seized a computer hard disk drive that was inside a desktop computer belonging to Gillis. A forensic review of this disk drive revealed that it contained videos depicting prepubescent children being sexually abused.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Alabama Correctional Lieutenant Sentenced for Failing to Intervene in Unlawful Inmate AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that Willie M. Burks III, 41, a former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant, was sentenced today in federal court to 108 months’ imprisonment, with two years of supervised release to follow. Burks was convicted by a federal jury on July 21, 2021 of failing to stop an officer under his command from assaulting an inmate at ADOC’s Elmore Correctional Facility.
The evidence at trial established that on Feb. 16, 2019, former Correctional Sergeant Ulysses Oliver Jr., Burks’ subordinate, went to an observation room holding two handcuffed and unresisting inmates. Oliver, intending to punish the inmates for bringing contraband into the prison, pulled the first inmate from the observation room into an adjacent hallway, where he struck the victim multiple times with his fists and feet, and then used his collapsible baton to repeatedly strike the victim. Burks came into the hallway after Oliver had finished beating the first inmate. Burks then stood and watched as Oliver pulled the second inmate from the observation room, threw him on the floor, and beat the inmate with his feet and his collapsible baton. Despite having the duty, ability and opportunity to intervene to stop Oliver from beating the second inmate, Burks only stood by and said, “it’s fair.” Other ADOC correctional staff who reported to Burks were present for some or all of the assaults, but none intervened to stop Oliver from beating the inmates.
After the assault, Burks allowed Oliver to come back into the observation room where the victims were held. As Burks again stood by and did nothing, Oliver entered, stood over the victims, and shoved the tip of his baton into the face of one of the victims, lacerating the victim’s face.
Oliver and two other former corrections officers have pleaded guilty in connection with this incident. Oliver pleaded guilty to assaulting the two inmates on April 2, 2019. Former ADOC correctional officers Bryanna Mosley and Leon Williams pleaded guilty in May and July 2019, respectively, to failing to intervene to stop the assaults.
“Those working inside our jails and prisons have a duty to intervene in the face of unlawful and violent conduct being carried out by their colleagues,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under the Constitution, correctional officers may not physically assault inmates for violations of prison rules, and any officials who see this happening must do what they can to stop it. The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute officers who stand by and do nothing while other officers brutalize inmates in their charge.”
“The job of a correctional officer can be difficult and hazardous,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “A vast majority of them serve with honor and are dedicated to upholding their duty to protect and serve. Unfortunately, some choose to ignore their sacred oaths and engage in criminal conduct or turn a blind eye when others do so. This office will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s laws and hold officers who break the law accountable.”
“The unacceptable actions of Willie Burks in no way reflect the hard and tireless work of our corrections staff, who endeavor each day to provide a safe and rehabilitative environment for all incarcerated people,” said Arnaldo Mercado, the ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms Burks’ behavior and blatant violation of his sworn oath to serve. Any and all incidents such as this are thoroughly investigated and, if appropriate, referred to the proper prosecuting authority. We extend our thanks to the DOJ for their assistance in bringing forth justice in this case.”
“The mission to protect the civil rights of American citizens is a priority of the men and women of the FBI and does not end after incarceration,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Duchene of the FBI’s Mobile Division. “The actions of the corrections officers in this case will not be tolerated and we are proud to be a part of bringing them to justice.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Mobile Division and ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts of the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Katherine DeVar and David Reese of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Fontana Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking Underage Girl He Met on InternetRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man who paid a teenager he met on the internet to have sex with him on two occasions was sentenced today to 136 months in federal prison.
Jason Dee Taylor, 42, of Fontana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal. Judge Bernal also ordered Taylor to pay $3,508 in restitution to the victim.
At the conclusion of a four-day trial in November 2021, a federal jury found Taylor guilty of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Taylor contacted the victim on a public website. They exchanged messages through that website’s messenger feature and then switched to communicating via Instagram messenger.
Although she initially represented that she was 19 years old, the victim told Taylor almost immediately that she was 16, even though she was 15 years old at the time. In response, Taylor wrote her, “I’ll be honest. I like your age, it’s kinda hot.”
Twice in April 2020, Taylor drove to Santa Barbara County, picked up the victim, took her to a hotel, and paid her a total of $600 for sex.
That same month, the victim’s family friend, whose phone she used to communicate with Taylor, found the messages between Taylor and the victim. When a member of the victim’s family sent Taylor a message informing him that they were going to report him to law enforcement, Taylor deleted his Instagram account, but not before the family friend had taken screenshots of the incriminating communications.
“The minor victim was not a fully developed young woman with whom [Taylor] had sex in the heat of the moment, only to find out she was underage,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Rather, this was a case where [Taylor] looked for, found, and exploited a teenager who was willing to sell her body for money because that is what he wanted.”
The FBI investigated this matter, with the assistance of the Guadalupe Police Department, the Santa Maria Police Department, and the Fontana Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Florida man sentenced for filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRSRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Windsor Nycklass, of West Park, Florida, was sentenced today to 36 months of incarceration for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Nycklass, 32, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of “Wire Fraud” and one count of “Aggravated Identity Theft.” In March and April 2015, Nycklass unlawfully obtained the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of multiple taxpayers without their knowledge and consent. Nycklass then used the taxpayers’ information to fraudulently access the IRS eAuthentication (“eAuth”) Online Taxpayer System. Nycklass then filed fraudulent tax returns using the taxpayers’ identities. The fraudulent tax returns were processed at an IRS facility location in Martinsburg.
Nycklass was ordered to pay $50,801 in restitution to the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration – Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Florida Woman Facing Federal Indictment for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Janice Martina Mason, age 28, of Melbourne, Florida, with second degree murder. The indictment was returned on February 3, 2022.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the U.S. Park Police.
According to the indictment, on November 24, 2021, Mason killed Victim 1 on property under the jurisdiction of the United States.
If convicted, Mason faces a maximum sentence of life in federal 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. Mason is in custody on related state charges. She is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on February 14, 2022, although that date has not yet been confirmed.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Park Police for their work in the investigation and thanked Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess and her office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Nazmy and Kim Oldham, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Felon in Possession Gets Max TimeRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – An Arkansas man was sentenced on Tuesday to the statutory maximum 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Antonio Leshun Johnson, Age 44, of Elaine, Arkansas, was found in possession of a firearm by Hernando City police officers in May of 2018. Officers initially made contact with Johnson because his vehicle was obstructing traffic on Commerce Street. During that contact, an officer patted Johnson down for safety and found a loaded Taurus Model PT 845 .45 caliber handgun in his pants pocket. Officers subsequently found a loaded .45 caliber magazine in the driver’s door and a loaded .45 caliber magazine in the trunk. A duffel bag on the back seat of the vehicle contained an Olympic Arms Model K23P 5.56 mm pistol with added vertical foregrip, laser, rail light, and ammunition casing catcher.
Johnson had a lengthy criminal history with felony convictions dating back to the 1990’s. In 1998, Johnson was convicted in California of two counts of robbery and assault with a firearm. In 2004, he was again convicted in the Northern District of California of Armed Robbery and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and received a ten-year sentence for those offenses. More recently, in 2019, Johnson was convicted in the Western District of Tennessee for three counts of Bank Robbery, Using a Firearm in a Crime of Violence and Kidnapping. Johnson received a sentence of 432 months for those offenses.
In announcing the maximum ten-year sentence in the instant case, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock acknowledged that the sentence was intended to help promote respect for the law, deter criminal conduct, and protect the public.
“Removing violent armed criminals from our streets is a key goal of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program and a priority for this office,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “As always, we appreciate the cooperation and assistance of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to help meet this goal and make our communities safer.”
“The collaborative effort of federal and local law enforcement, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has led to the lengthy sentencing of this career criminal and is another example of our commitment to fight gun violence,” said ATF New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities and hold accountable those who threaten our safety.”
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Illegally Selling “Ghost Gun” in Chicago SuburbRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on a firearm charge for illegally selling a “ghost gun” to a convicted felon in a Chicago suburb.
The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Thursday convicted JOSEPH GHANDOUR of illegally selling an AR-15 rifle to the felon during a meeting in a grocery store parking lot in Deerfield, Ill., on July 28, 2017. The rifle was considered a “ghost gun” because it contained no identifiable serial number and had been manufactured by another individual from parts collected from various sources. Unbeknownst to Ghandour, the felon to whom he sold the rifle was cooperating with law enforcement.
Ghandour, 31, of Glenview, Ill., was convicted of selling or disposing of a firearm to a convicted felon who could not lawfully possess a firearm. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albert Berry III and Chester Choi.
Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is a centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force aimed at reducing gun violence. As part of the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
Federal Jury Convicts Lincoln Man for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal jury last week convicted the last defendant in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Alacaliph Woodard, 52, of Lincoln, after three days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor. Woodward was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and “crack” cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The evidence at trial showed that Woodard was present during the execution of a federal search warrant. Woodard was found to be in possession of a firearm and a distribution amount of methamphetamine, cocaine base (more commonly known as “crack cocaine”), and powdered cocaine. Agents also recovered more than $6,000 and evidence of drug distribution. Woodard conspired directly with the leader of the organization to distribute the drugs found during the search warrant.
Demetris Sims, 41, of Anniston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, “crack” cocaine, in January 2022.
Shelton Lewis Sims, 41, and Laroyal Dontarius Fomby, 34, both of Lincoln, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, “crack” cocaine. Sims pleaded guilty in July 2021. Fomby pleaded guilty in August 2021.
Brent Scott Conner, 42, of Anniston, and David Lee Clark, 39, of Lincoln, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, “crack” cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in July 2021.
DEA investigated the case along with the Lincoln Police Department and Talladega Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake Milner and Jonathan Cross are prosecuting the cases.
Federal Indictment Charges Telecommunications Company with Conspiring with Former Motorola Solutions Employees to Steal TechnologyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A telecommunications company conspired with former employees of Chicago-based Motorola Solutions Inc. to steal digital mobile radio technology developed by Motorola, according to an indictment unsealed today in federal court in Chicago.
According to the indictment, Motorola Solutions developed the DMR technology through years of research and design. Motorola Solutions marketed and sold the radios, which are sometimes referred to as “walkie-talkies,” in the United States and elsewhere. The indictment alleges that China-based HYTERA COMMUNICATIONS CORP. LTD. recruited and hired Motorola Solutions employees and directed them to take proprietary and trade secret information from Motorola without authorization. The charges allege that while still employed at Motorola, some of the employees allegedly accessed the trade secret information from Motorola’s internal database and sent multiple emails describing their intentions to use the technology at Hytera.
From 2007 to 2020, Hytera and the recruited employees used Motorola’s proprietary and trade secret information to accelerate the development of Hytera’s DMR products, train Hytera employees, and market and sell Hytera’s DMR products throughout the world, the indictment states. According to the indictment, Hytera paid the recruited employees higher salaries and benefits than what they received at Motorola.
The 21-count indictment was partially unsealed today by court order in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges Hytera with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. Hytera and others are also charged with individual counts of possession or attempted possession of stolen trade secrets. The names of other defendants who have not appeared in U.S. District Court are redacted.
The indictment was announced by John C. Kocoras, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells, Steven Dollear, and Vikas Didwania.
Hytera’s arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, the company faces a potential criminal fine of three times the value of the stolen trade secret to the company, including expenses for research, design, and other costs that it allegedly avoided.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Federal Indictment Charges PRC-Based Telecommunications Company with Conspiring with Former Motorola Solutions Employees to Steal TechnologyRead the Press Release
A federal indictment was unsealed today in the Northern District of Illinois, charging a telecommunications company with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. The indictment alleges that a telecommunications company conspired with former employees of Chicago-based Motorola Solutions Inc. to steal digital mobile radio (DMR) technology developed by Motorola.
According to court documents, Motorola Solutions developed the DMR technology through years of research and design. Motorola Solutions marketed and sold the radios, which are sometimes referred to as “walkie-talkies,” in the United States and elsewhere. The indictment alleges that PRC-based Hytera Communications Corp. LTD recruited and hired Motorola Solutions employees and directed them to take proprietary and trade secret information from Motorola without authorization. The charges allege that, while still employed at Motorola, some of the employees allegedly accessed the trade secret information from Motorola’s internal database and sent multiple emails describing their intentions to use the technology at Hytera.
As alleged, from 2007 to 2020, Hytera and the recruited employees used Motorola’s proprietary and trade secret information to accelerate the development of Hytera’s DMR products, train Hytera employees, and market and sell Hytera’s DMR products throughout the world, the indictment states. According to the indictment, Hytera paid the recruited employees higher salaries and benefits than what they received at Motorola.
The 21-count indictment was partially unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago by court order. It charges Hytera with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. Hytera and others are also charged with individual counts of possession or attempted possession of stolen trade secrets. The names of other defendants who have not appeared in U.S. District Court are redacted.
If convicted, Hytera faces a potential criminal fine of three times the value of the stolen trade secret to the company, including expenses for research, design, and other costs that it avoided. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, First U.S. Attorney John C. Kocoras for the Northern District of Illinois and Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells, Steven Dollear and Vikas Didwania for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Nic Hunter of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Denham Springs Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Brittany Monroe Knapp, age 35, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, to 46 months in federal prison following her conviction for wire fraud. The Court further sentenced Knapp to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $869,940.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, on or about November 14, 2019, Knapp submitted an expense report from a computer located in Baton Rouge to the Oceans Healthcare corporate office in Plano, Texas, in which she falsely represented that Employee A had authorized the purchase of certain equipment from a vendor, at a cost of approximately $1,338.00, to conceal the fact that she had actually charged $1,338.00 in Oceans Healthcare funds to an online PayPal account that she controlled.
Also according to Knapp’s admissions, on or about December 15, 2019, from a computer located in Baton Rouge, Knapp submitted an expense report to the Oceans Healthcare corporate office in Plano, Texas, in which she falsely represented that Employee A had authorized the purchase of certain products from the vendor for approximately $1,919.62, to conceal the fact that she had actually charged $1,919.62 in Oceans Healthcare funds to an online PayPal account that she controlled.
Throughout the course of the fraudulent scheme, Knapp, without authority, embezzled over $750,000 of Oceans Healthcare funds to which she was not entitled.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
EL DORADO – A Hamburg man was sentenced today to 92 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.
According to court documents, during an investigation on December 9, 2019, the Ashley County Sheriff’s Department and the Arkansas State Parole Office conducted a search of the residence belonging to Richard Patrick Stanley, 35. The Search resulted in officers locating and seizing two firearms and narcotics from the residence.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Ashley County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Arkansas State Parole Office and the ATF, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Conspiring San Jose Fraudsters Sentenced to Prison in Automobile Resale SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Seymur Khalilov, Ramil Heydarov, and Orkhan Aliyev all were sentenced today to 24 months, 20 months, and 20 months in custody, respectively, for their roles in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. The sentences were handed down by the Hon. Susan Illston, United States District Judge.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2021. According to the plea agreements, between 2016 and May 2021, Khalilov, 32; Heydarov, 31; and Aliyev, 32, all of San Jose, conspired to purchase high-mileage vehicles, roll back the odometers, and falsify documentation to make the vehicles appear newer. The co-conspirators then allegedly sold the vehicles on Craigslist at significant profits. The defendants admitted they fraudulently sold at least 78 vehicles in this way for a total of at least $550,000.
Judge Illston sentenced the defendants as follows:
Defendant
Prison Term
Restitution/Forfeiture
Supervised Release
Khalilov
24 months
To Be Determined
3 years
Heydarov
20 months
$379,325 forfeiture
3 years
Aliyev
20 months
$196,578 forfeiture
3 years
Judge Illston has not yet scheduled a date for a hearing to determine Khalilov’s restitution. In addition, Judge Illston ordered that victims of the scheme have one year from the date of judgment to come forward to seek restitution; any forfeited monies remaining after that period will be forfeited to the United States.
According to the defendants’ plea agreements, from at least October 2017 through December 2020, Khalilov, Heydarov, and Aliyev conspired to purchase high-mileage vehicles, roll back the odometers, and falsify documentation to make the vehicles appear newer. Specifically, the co-conspirators altered the odometers of numerous vehicles and altered registrations and titles, among other items, to fraudulently decrease the mileage readings of the vehicles and, thus, increase their sales value.
The government’s sentencing memorandum provides additional details of the scheme. For example, the memorandum provides an example of how Khalilov altered an odometer on a vehicle so that the mileage was reduced from 35,000 to 35 miles. The co-conspirators also admitted they posted advertisements of the vehicles on Craigslist to advertise the vehicles to victims who were not aware of the fraudulent alterations. Additionally, the defendants admitted using doctored driver’s licenses containing their photograph but the names of prior vehicle owners to facilitate the sale of these vehicles. Evidence in the case demonstrated Aliyev possessed multiple driver’s licenses with the same photograph but different people’s names. The co-conspirators each acknowledged that the goal of the conspiracy was to sell vehicles to victims for an increased price based on the fraudulent odometer readings. According to the plea agreements, the co-conspirators sold at least 78 vehicles with rolled back odometer readings, resulting in a total loss to the victims of between $550,000 and $1 million.
All three defendants were charged in a single criminal complaint filed on May 3, 2021, and each was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349.
They each pleaded guilty to the charge.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually. When purchasing a vehicle, Homeland Security Investigations recommends that people protect themselves by taking the following steps:
• Purchase your own vehicle-history report prior to purchasing a car and compare the mileage on the report to the advertised mileage.
• Check the seller’s physical identification card or driver license and ensure it matches the information on the vehicle’s pink slip.
• Avoid using cash, when possible. Cashier’s checks and other payment methods might be safer and easier to track.
• Conduct transactions at public places where there are cameras and other people around.
• If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ankur Shingal, Leif Dautch, and Christopher Kaltsas are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk and Soana Katoa. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Division in Vallejo, the San Ramon Police Department, and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigations.
Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Cyberstalking Federal Probation OfficerRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for cyberstalking his federal probation officer.
ISAAC MYLES partially exposed his genitals to an officer from the U.S. Probation Office during an official visit to Myles’s home in September 2018. Myles at the time was on court-supervised release after recently completing a federal prison sentence. After the incident in his home, Myles repeatedly called the officer, leaving sexually explicit voicemails on her phone and referring to the officer in obscene and degrading terms.
Myles, 52, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of cyberstalking. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman on Wednesday sentenced Myles to four years and four months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of court-supervised release.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; David Gelement, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared C. Jodrey.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dana Stevenson, 30, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with a shooting that occurred in Charleston. In connection with a separate incident, Stevenson also pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl in South Charleston.
According to statements made in court, Stevenson illegally possessed 9mm caliber ammunition on July 5, 2021. The ammunition was recovered at the scene of a shooting that occurred in broad daylight at Central and Glenwood Avenues on Charleston’s West Side. Stevenson is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to his 2018 federal convictions in the Southern District of West Virginia for the felony offenses of distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Approximately five weeks later on August 12, 2021, members of the South Charleston Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Stevenson and Stevenson fled at a high rate of speed. Stevenson was eventually apprehended and officers recovered approximately 38 grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia from the vehicle. The quantity of fentanyl and presence of certain paraphernalia established that Stevenson intended to distribute the drug.
Stevenson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Stephanie S. Taylor are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 2:21-cr-00161.
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Camden Man Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Robbing BanksRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 92 months in prison for his role in a bank robbery spree in July 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Laque Hunter, 37, of Camden, previously pleaded guilty to Count Three of an indictment charging him with bank robbery. Judge Renée Marie Bumb imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On July 24, 2018, Anthony L. Livingston, 50, of Camden, recruited Hunter to rob the Collingswood Ocean First bank on his behalf, and drove Hunter to the bank. Hunter robbed the bank with a demand note. Livingston served as the getaway driver, and the two split the proceeds. Livingston was convicted at trial in May 2019 of two counts of bank robbery and was sentenced in November 2021 to 200 months in prison.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Hunter to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI-Cherry Hill, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabriel Rodriguez; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay; the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert “Whip” Wilson; the Collingswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kevin J. Carey; the Gloucester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief W. Harry Earle; and the Stratford Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ronald M. Morello, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen M. Harberg and Patrick C. Askin of the Camden Office.
Berkeley County man sentenced for his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Curtis Davis, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for drug distribution, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Davis, age 31, pled guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base.” Davis admitted to having 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in June 2019 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Bank CEO Stephen M. Calk Sentenced to One Year and One Day for Corruptly Soliciting A Presidential Administration Position in Exchange for Approving $16 Million in LoansRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that STEPHEN M. CALK was sentenced to one year and one day of imprisonment for corruptly using his position as the head of a federally-insured bank to issue millions of dollars in high-risk loans to Paul Manafort in exchange for personal benefit: CALK’s placement on the Donald J. Trump 2016 presidential campaign and assistance from Manafort in trying to obtain a senior position with the incoming presidential administration. On July 13, 2021, CALK was found guilty of financial institution bribery and conspiracy to commit financial institution bribery following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Stephen Calk abused his position as the CEO of a federally-insured bank to try to buy himself prestige and power by trading millions of dollars in high-risk loans for influence with a presidential campaign and consideration for positions at the highest levels of the Defense Department. Today’s sentence sends the message that those who corrupt federally regulated financial institutions will be held to account.”
As reflected in the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial:
CALK, The Federal Savings Bank, and Paul Manafort
STEPHEN M. CALK was the chairman and chief executive officer of The Federal Savings Bank, a federal savings association headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with an office in New York, New York. The Bank was owned in its entirety by National Bancorp Holdings, a Chicago-based bank holding company, and CALK was the chairman, chief executive officer, and owner of approximately 67% of the holding company.
Paul Manafort was a lobbyist and political consultant. Beginning in or about March 2016, Manafort held a senior role with Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential, and from June 2016 through August 2016, he served as chairman of the presidential campaign. After Manafort’s formal role with the presidential campaign concluded in or about August 2016, Manafort continued to be informally involved in the campaign. Beginning in or about November 2016, when Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States, Manafort provided informal input to the presidential transition team.
The Corrupt Scheme
Between in or about July 2016 and January 2017, CALK engaged in a corrupt scheme to exploit his position as the head of the Bank and the holding company in an effort to secure a valuable personal benefit for himself, namely, Manafort’s assistance in obtaining for CALK a senior position in the presidential administration. During this time period, Manafort sought millions of dollars in loans from the Bank. CALK understood that Manafort urgently needed these loans in order to terminate or avoid foreclosure proceedings on multiple properties owned by Manafort and Manafort’s family. Further, CALK believed that Manafort could use his influence with the presidential transition team to assist CALK in obtaining a senior administration position.
CALK thus sought to leverage his control over the Bank and the loans sought by Manafort to his personal advantage. Specifically, CALK offered to, and did, cause the Bank and holding company to extend $16 million in loans to Manafort in exchange for Manafort’s requested assistance in obtaining a high-level position in the presidential administration. For example, and while Manafort’s loans were pending approval, CALK provided Manafort with a ranked list of the governmental positions he desired, which started with Secretary of the Treasury, and was followed by Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Commerce, and Secretary of Defense, as well as 19 ambassadorships similarly ranked and starting with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy.
In approving these loans to Manafort, CALK was aware of significant red flags regarding Manafort’s ability to repay the loans, such as his history of defaulting on prior loans. Moreover, given the size of the loans, Manafort’s debt became the single largest lending relationship at the Bank. In order to enable the Bank to issue these loans without violating the Bank’s legal limit on loans to a single borrower, CALK authorized a maneuver never before performed by the Bank, in which the holding company—which CALK also controlled—acquired a portion of the loans from the Bank.
During the same time period, Manafort provided CALK with valuable personal benefits. First, in or about the summer of 2016, during the presidential campaign—and just days after CALK and the rest of the Bank’s credit committee conditionally approved a proposed $9.5 million loan to Manafort — Manafort appointed CALK to a prestigious economic advisory committee affiliated with the campaign. And second, in or about late November and early December 2016—after Donald J. Trump had been elected President, after Manafort’s first loan from the Bank had been issued, and while a second set of loans worth $6.5 million sought by Manafort was pending approval by the Bank— Manafort used his influence with the presidential transition team to assist Calk, recommending CALK for an administration position. Due to Manafort’s efforts, CALK was formally interviewed for the position of Under Secretary of the Army on January 10, 2017 at the presidential transition team’s principal offices in New York, New York. CALK was not ultimately hired.
To conceal the unlawful nature of his scheme, CALK made false and misleading statements to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regarding the loans to Manafort. For example, CALK falsely stated to the OCC regulators that he had not known that the Manafort’s properties had been in foreclosure prior to issuing the loans. CALK also stated that he had never desired a position in the presidential administration.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, CALK, 56, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and 800 hours of community service. CALK was also ordered to pay a $1 million fine on Count 1 and a $250,000 fine on Count 2.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul M. Monteleoni, Hagan Scotten, Benet Kearney, Alexandra N. Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
According to the Human Trafficking Institute’s Annual Report for 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa (USAO-SDIA) was sixth in the nation for number of new human trafficking defendants, equal with the number of defendants in United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia. Since 2019, the USAO-SDIA has successfully prosecuted the following human trafficking defendants.
• Kendall Andrew Streb, of Hills, was sentenced to 268 months in prison following a jury trial where he was convicted of three counts of child sex trafficking, two counts of distribution of methamphetamine to children, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful user in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
• Isaiah Patterson, of Cedar Rapids, was sentenced to 144 months in prison for sex trafficking a 15-year-old victim following a plea of guilty.
• Tommy Tate Collins, of Cedar Rapids, was sentenced to 201 months in prison following a guilty plea to one count of child sex trafficking.
• Albert Kelly Price, of Iowa City and North Liberty, was sentenced to 348 months in prison for his guilty plea to two counts of child sex trafficking and admissions he sex trafficked three minors between the ages of 14 and 16.
• Arrion Marcus West, Jr., of Iowa City, was sentenced to 210 months in prison following a guilty plea where he admitted to sex trafficking two minor children, ages 15 and 17.
• Marlin Santana Thomas, of Des Moines, was sentenced to life imprisonment for sex trafficking six adult victims and one 14-year-old victim. Thomas pleaded guilty to the offenses. At the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented that Thomas had raped, attempted to sex traffic, and/or physically assaulted 11 additional women.
• Hershel James Ratliff, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced to 360 months in prison following a jury trial where he was convicted of four counts of sex trafficking minors, two counts of sex trafficking, and distribution of Xanax to a minor.
• Earl Jonell Jackson, of Omaha, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for transportation and sex trafficking of a child following his plea of guilty.
• Darrius Decnan Redd, of Manchester, was convicted by a federal jury of sex trafficking an adult victim, facilitation of prostitution, and distribution of a controlled substance to a person under the age of 21. Redd is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2022.
Local law enforcement partners, as well as state and federal agencies have had a vital role in the investigation of federal human trafficking cases in the Southern District of Iowa. “We are thankful for our partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office and their commitment to investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases,” stated Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston. “Partnerships between local, state and federal agencies are critical in the fight against these crimes.” Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert added, “Although we have collectively achieved significant success, it goes without saying that we will continue to invest our time and resources to combat human trafficking. The nature of these crimes is horrific, and we will continue to leverage our partnerships at the local, state and federal level to provide for the needs of the victims and bring accountability to the perpetrators. Our pursuit is on-going.”
The USAO-SDIA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorneys who prosecute human trafficking cases and a team of victim specialists to assist victims through the criminal justice process, as well as to provide victims of human trafficking with emotional support. USAO-SDIA victim specialists work closely with victim specialists with the FBI, as well as local organizations such as, but not limited to, the Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Center, University of Iowa Rape Victim Advocacy Program, Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center, Crisis Intervention Services, Family Resources, Inc., and Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program.FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated, “Human trafficking is modern day slavery. Its victims lead lives of misery. The FBI is on the front lines of the fight against this heinous crime. The DOJ National Strategy supports our continuing efforts to work closely with our local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement partners to investigate all forms of human trafficking, regardless of a victim’s age or nationality, and bring those perpetrators who exploit victims to justice. The FBI never loses focus on the victims of human trafficking, and our Victim Services Division works tirelessly to assist survivors in navigating the aftermath of the crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
• Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
• Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
• Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
• Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
• Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
• Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
• Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
• Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Recently, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“While the threats our fellow citizens face are many and varied, because of the physical and emotional toll human trafficking offenses take on vulnerable victims, these cases deserve our purposeful focus,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to focus our efforts on seeking justice for vulnerable victims and holding traffickers and those who prey on trafficking victims accountable. We will expand our collaboration with victims and the organizations that serve them to help get them the services and support they need. Whether the survivor is a child or an adult, no human being deserves to be coerced into commercial sex for the benefit of another.”
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017. U.S. Attorney Myers has appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Hilton to serve as the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Southern District of Indiana. Hilton will continue to build on the district’s strong foundation of investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases throughout the Southern District.
Working closely with law enforcement, prosecution, and probation partners, as well as victim-service providers and child protection agencies, the Southern District of Indiana has successfully prosecuted multiple sex trafficking cases. This includes work with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Whitestown Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and Homeland Security. Notable results include the following:
- United States v. James Young resulted in a 26-year prison sentence for the primary trafficker of four minors. Raheem Simmons was also prosecuted for his role in the operation, and Wayne Wilson received a three-year federal prison term for obstructing justice during the prosecution.
- United States v. Nahtanha Garcia-Herrera, et. al. resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for the primary offender and a ten-year prison sentence for Tyrece Jones. Two other individuals, Rhonda Badger and Vaughn Isom, were imprisoned for their respective roles in the offenses against 2 minor girls.
- United States v. William Muzzall resulted in an 11-year prison sentence for the primary trafficker of one minor. Ashani Burnett-Cisse was also prosecuted for Attempted Witness/Victim Tampering and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment.
- United States v. Marvin Rankins, et. al. resulted in a 10-year prison sentence for the primary trafficking of one minor. Two other women were prosecuted for their respective roles in the trafficking enterprise.
- United States v. Breanda Smith resulted in a 78-month prison sentence for a woman who trafficked a minor. Her co-defendant, Cordney Thurman, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in the offense.
- In 2021, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury’s verdict and the 40-year prison sentence in United States v. Elijah Vines. Vines trafficked a minor female in the Indianapolis area in the fall of 2016. He was convicted after a jury trial in 2019. Two other individuals were also convicted for their roles in the trafficking enterprise. That case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristina Korobov, Brad Shepard, and Lawrence Hilton.
On December 23, 2021, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced almost $87 million in funding to combat human trafficking, provide supportive services to trafficking victims throughout the United States and conduct research into the nature and causes of labor and sex trafficking.
OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) continues to manage the largest amount of federal funding dedicated to providing services to victims of human trafficking. OVC strengthens the victim service response to human trafficking through grant funding, training and technical assistance and leadership in the field. For example, OVC-funded human trafficking task forces initiated more than 2,800 new investigations nationwide between June 2019 and July 2020, and its victim service grant programs reached nearly 10,000 clients over a 12-month period. OJP’s investments figure prominently in the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
- United States v. James Young resulted in a 26-year prison sentence for the primary trafficker of four minors. Raheem Simmons was also prosecuted for his role in the operation, and Wayne Wilson received a three-year federal prison term for obstructing justice during the prosecution.
Atlantic County Company and its Owner Admit Taking Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, construction company and one of its owners entered into a settlement agreement with the United States in which they admitted violating the False Claims Act by taking a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to which the company was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to admissions and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses.
Christopher Construction Company Inc. (the “Company”) and one of its owners, Dennis Christopher, applied for and received a PPP loan totaling $255,507. Christopher, on behalf of the Company, falsely certified in the PPP application that neither the Company nor any individual owning 20 percent or more of its equity was subject to an indictment or other criminal charges. When he completed the application, however, Christopher knew that another owner of the Company was subject to a criminal indictment. Christopher’s false certification on the application caused a bank to approve a PPP loan and caused the Small Business Administration (SBA) to pay a loan processing fee to the lender and to guarantee the loan through the PPP.
Prior to entering into the settlement agreement, the Company repaid the PPP loan balance in full, relieving the SBA of any liability to the lender. The Company and Christopher agreed to pay $53,325 in damages and civil penalties. The settlement with the Company and Dennis Christopher resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also credited special agents of the SBA - Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Pat L. Christopher v. Christopher Construction Company, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 20-7500 (D.N.J.)
Arizona Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Aggravated Role in Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Robert Darnell Beal, 41, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court on February 7, 2022, by United States District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 180 months imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. On June 25, 2021, Beal was found guilty of conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after a five-day jury trial in Honolulu.
Clare E. Connors, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said the evidence presented in court showed that Beal flew to the Dayton International Airport in Ohio from Phoenix, Arizona, on December 10, 2014, and took possession of over four pounds of fentanyl that was transported from the San Francisco Bay Area to Dayton, Ohio by another individual.
Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) monitoring wiretaps authorized by the United States District Court determined that the fentanyl was being transported to Dayton, Ohio on December 10, 2014 by a drug trafficking organization operating on Maui and in Northern California. The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration in Ohio, working in conjunction with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, effected a stop of Beal’s taxicab outside the Dayton International Airport and seized 4,007 grams of fentanyl in Beal’s travel bag.
Beal faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months (15 years) imprisonment after the prosecution filed an enhancement alleging a prior federal felony conviction for possessing cocaine base with intent to distribute in the District of New Mexico.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maui Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and assisted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Muehleck.
Albuquerque smoke shop owner appears in court on firearm and drug chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Gabriel Monico Guevara, 40, of Albuquerque, made an initial appearance in federal court today, facing charges of possessing firearms during, in relation to or in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Guevara will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 9.
According to a criminal complaint, Albuquerque police executed a search warrant on Guevara’s residence and a smoke shop he owns through a limited liability company (LLC). During the search of Guevara’s residence, investigators allegedly found seven firearms, six of which were loaded and three of which allegedly were stolen. They also allegedly recovered approximately 35.67 pounds of marijuana, 56 oxycodone pills and approximately 3 grams of cocaine. During the search of the smoke shop, investigators found three firearms, two of which were loaded and allegedly stolen. They also allegedly recovered an additional 20.47 pounds of marijuana.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Guevara faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime and Gangs Task Force (VCGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque District Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nora Wilson is prosecuting the case.
Akron Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Akron man who participated in a multi-state methamphetamine conspiracy was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison. Dennis Deire Mosely, Jr., 35, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Mosley admitted that he participated in the conspiracy during the month of July 2019. Mosley admitted that he and another individual made arrangements to acquire methamphetamine in the Columbus, Ohio area. On July 24, 2019, Mosley and the other individual traveled from Akron to Columbus and acquired at least three pounds of methamphetamine. The other individual then delivered the methamphetamine to an individual in Sissonville the next day. Mosley admitted that he knew the methamphetamine would be distributed in the Southern District of West Virginia when he helped acquire it.
“Meth is a significant public safety threat in our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “That’s why my office and our law enforcement partners are collectively focused on shutting down meth trafficking organizations and holding meth traffickers accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force conducted the investigation. Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00246.
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Saturday 5 February 2022
Wagner Woman Charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Felony Child AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Wagner, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and one count of Felony Child Abuse.
Tina Sully, age 51, was indicted on February 1, 2022. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on February 3, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and up to $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between November 26, 2017, and May 23, 2021, Sully unlawfully assaulted a minor female victim who had not attained the age of 18, with a belt and a hanger.
The Indictment also alleges that during the same period of time as stated above, Sully abused, exposed, tortured, tormented, and cruelly punished the same victim.
The charges are merely accusations and Sully is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office, and the Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
Sully was released on bond pending trial, which has been set for April 12, 2022.
Nebraska Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Newcastle, Nebraska, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Joseph Ross Burks, age 40, was indicted on February 1, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on February 3, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between May 22, 2021, and July 27, 2021, Burks, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under state law, and having traveled in interstate commerce, failed to register and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Burks is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
Burks was returned to State Custody pending trial, which has been set for April 12, 2022.
Friday 4 February 2022
York Man Sentenced to Six Years of Imprisonment for Smuggling Cocaine Through the U.S. MailRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hector Castro-Padro, age 36, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment on February 3, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into York County from Puerto Rico.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in November 2019, Castro-Padro tried to receive a box he knew contained a kilogram of cocaine. The box had been shipped from Puerto Rico and was destined for an address in York. However, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted the box and discovered the cocaine. Law enforcement authorities continued the investigation by having the box delivered and then arrested Castro-Padro when he took custody of it.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Worcester Man Sentenced on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today in connection with brandishing a loaded sawed-off shotgun in December 2019.
Steven Dillon, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 43 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Sept. 27, 2021, Dillon pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm.
On Dec. 25, 2019, Dillon went out drinking following a family Christmas dinner. He returned to his apartment intoxicated and approached the teenagers who had stayed home. After arguing with the teenagers, he went to his bedroom and retrieved a sawed-off shot gun, which he cocked while walking down the hall towards the room occupied by the teenagers. The teenagers barricaded themselves in the bedroom and contacted police. When police arrived, they found Dillon in the apartment and the shotgun and ammunition in his bedroom. Dillon was previously convicted of a felony punishable by more than one year in prison and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Winner Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Winner, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on February 3, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Amber Heth, age 34, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Heth was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2020. She pled guilty on November 1, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy wherein Heth was involved with others, including her sister, to distribute over 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in and around Winner, South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Heth was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Wilkes Co. Moonshiner Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Clifton Ray Anderson, Jr., 47, of Boomer, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States of excise taxes on distilled liquor and to violate the laws of the United States, including the interstate transportation of untaxed liquor and possession of an unregistered still, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Anderson’s co-conspirators, Roger Nance, 76, of Wilkesboro, N.C., Huie Kenneth Nicholson, 75, of Hamptonville, N.C., and Gary Matthew Ray, 53, of Roaring River, N.C., previously pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge as Anderson. James Patterson, 71, of Dinwiddie, VA, previously pled guilty in a separately filed case in the Western District of North Carolina to distributing untaxed moonshine distilled by Anderson.
According to filed plea documents and today’s plea hearing, from April 2018 to September 2020, Anderson conspired with Nance, Nicholson, and Ray to operate and maintain an illegal still at a barn owned by Ray in Wilkes County. Anderson leased the barn from Ray for $500 per month and used it to illegally produce more than 9,000 gallons of untaxed liquor, commonly known as moonshine. Court records show that, during the relevant time period, Nance, Nicholson and Ray transported the moonshine across state lines to Patterson in Virginia for sale and distribution, which resulted in a total federal and state excise and sales tax loss of over $100,000.
Anderson was released on bond following his guilty plea. The conspiracy charge and the charge of possession of an unregistered still each carry a maximum prison sentence of five years and $250,000 fine.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the work of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the Triad Municipal ABC Board for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Savage, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.
West Des Moines Man Sentenced to 97 Months Prison for Tax Fraud and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A West Des Moines man was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison for multiple federal offenses, including money laundering and making false claims for tax refunds. The court also ordered restitution in the amount of $404,440.85 and a special assessment of $925.
Jeffrey Allan Kock, age 50, was convicted by a jury on September 29, 2021, of a total of 13 counts, including five counts of the willful failure to file individual income tax returns; two counts of making false claims against the United States; wire fraud; mail fraud; three counts of money laundering; and concealment of an asset.
The trial evidence showed that Kock made false claims for tax refunds on two IRS Forms 1041, which is a form used by estates and trusts. Kock fraudulently requested refunds in the amounts of $20,671 and $10,921,192, which were initially paid by the Internal Revenue Service. Kock used some of the proceeds to purchase three luxury automobiles, which were eventually recovered by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to federal seizure warrants. The trial evidence also showed that Kock attempted to purchase a multi-million dollar residence, but that the transaction was not successful. Shortly after the second fraudulent refund was paid, the Internal Revenue Service recovered most of the fraudulently-obtained proceeds.
The trial evidence also showed that Kock worked in the local restaurant and bar industry during the years 2014-2018, earning sufficient income to require the filing of individual income tax returns. However, IRS records showed that Kock did not file individual returns for these years.
“Complying with the nation’s tax laws is a responsibility we all share. Not only did Mr. Kock consistently fail to file his federal tax returns, but he stole from taxpayers by submitting false claims for tax refunds he was not entitled to. Mr. Kock then tried to live a lavish lifestyle by purchasing luxury vehicles and a house with stolen taxpayer funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This sentence shows the dedication that IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Justice have to recovering ill-gotten assets and putting criminals behind bars for such acts.”
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing over 400 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DIEGO AGUILAR-VALDOVINOS, age 38 of Federal Way, Washington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl before United States District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on February 2, 2022. Sentencing has been set for April 25, 2022.
According to the indictment, on or about July 27, 2021, the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed a controlled substance, a mixture containing fentanyl of at least 400 grams or more, with the intent to distribute it.
Possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment; five years to life supervised release; up to a $10 million fine and a $100 special assessment.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming State Highway Patrol, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret M. Vierbuchen.
United States Files False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Tuscaloosa Psychiatrist for Improper Prescribing of Nuedexta to Nursing Home ResidentsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced that the United States has filed suit against Dr. Charles T. Nevels, a psychiatrist who has worked in several nursing homes in Alabama. The complaint alleges that Dr. Nevels caused the submission to Medicare and Medicaid of false and fraudulent claims for the prescription drug Nuedexta, which is indicated only for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a condition characterized by involuntary laughing or crying. Nuedexta has not been shown to be safe and effective in non-PBA types of emotional lability that can commonly occur, for example, in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.
The complaint alleges that from 2015 through 2019, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Nuedexta paid Dr. Nevels more than $400,000 to make speeches, but the speeches had few attendees, little value, and were intended to compensate Dr. Nevels for prescribing Nuedexta. For instance, in November 2016the pharmaceutical company paid Dr. Nevels a $2,000 speaker fee to give a presentation in Decatur, Alabama, that the company’s records show had no attendees.
“The Department of Justice will fight to protect nursing home residents, including by ensuring that prescribing decisions affecting them are free from undue influence, and the medications they receive are medically appropriate for them,” said U.S Attorney Escalona.
The complaint further alleges that the pharmaceutical company also paid Dr. Nevels for the expenses he claimed related to the presentations he gave. For instance, in addition to the speaker fee he received for each presentation, the pharmaceutical company paid Dr. Nevels over $1,500 for claimed expenses associated with a presentation at The Arrogant Butcher in Phoenix, Arizona, and over $1,200 for claimed expenses associated with a presentation at the Gamlin Whiskey House in St. Louis, Missouri.
Additionally, the complaint alleges, with Dr. Nevels’ assent, the pharmaceutical company’s sales representative visited nursing homes where Dr. Nevels worked and sought to convince nurses there to refer patients to Dr. Nevels, to help him “build [his] base of business.” In return, Dr. Nevels prescribed Nuedexta to nursing home residents who did not have pseudobulbar affect. In 2015, Dr. Nevels accounted for more than half of all Medicare claims for Neudexta in Alabama, and between 2015 and 2019, he caused more than $6 million in Medicare claims and $800,000 in Medicaid claims for the drug.
The allegations of the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
United States Attorney’s Office Reminds State and Local Government Agencies to Designate an Americans with Disabilities Act CoordinatorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that it has issued a
Dear Colleagues Letter reminding state and local government agencies that they are required by law to designate Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) Coordinators and inviting ADA Coordinators to an informational meeting.The Dear Colleagues Letter announces that on March 15 at 2 pm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be holding a virtual meeting for ADA Coordinators in Virginia in order to provide information on the steps that state and local governmental entities can take to comply with the ADA and provide an opportunity for questions and collaboration.
When Congress passed the ADA, it recognized that discrimination against individuals with disabilities persists in critical areas, including access to public services. Through the ADA, Congress explained that it was issuing a national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities by providing strong and enforceable standards. In support of these goals, the ADA regulations require state and local government agencies with 50 or more employees to designate personnel, who are knowledgeable in how the ADA applies to the agency’s programs, services and activities, to coordinate its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under the ADA, including investigating any ADA complaints. To ensure that the public and the agency’s employees may easily locate the designated employees, the ADA regulations also require public entities to publish contact information for the ADA Coordinators.
The Dear Colleagues Letter explains that the ADA Coordinator “may serve as the point of contact for individuals with disabilities to request auxiliary aids and services, policy modifications, and other accommodations in order to participate in the services, programs, or activities of the public entity.” The Dear Colleagues Letter also includes links to numerous Department of Justice publications that provide detailed discussions of the ADA’s requirements, including publications on ADA.gov: “ADA Update: A Primer for State and Local Governments,” “Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities,” “ADA Requirements: Effective Communication,” “ADA Checklist for Polling Places.”
The United States Attorney’s Office, through its Civil Rights Enforcement (“CRE”) Unit, and in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. This office vigorously enforces a variety of federal statutes that prohibit discrimination, including the ADA, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. The CRE Unit also enforces the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, which protect military members as they enter and return from active duty.
For more information on the ADA, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.