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Tuesday 1 February 2022
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 12 Years for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Mona Pryor, 38, has been sentenced to 148 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on September 14, 2019, officers with the Memphis Police Department were called to Eglesfield Drive (New Horizon Apartments) regarding individuals loitering. Once on the scene, officers found Mona Pryor in possession of a Charco .38 Special revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition and a Lexus that had been reported stolen in a carjacking approximately three hours prior.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Pryor admitted to possessing the firearm and obtaining the Lexus in a drug trade, not a carjacking. Two months later, on November 15, 2019, Pryor was apprehended by law enforcement in Missouri and found in possession of a stolen Taurus 9mm handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition. On January 29, 2021, Pryor was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
On January 27, 2022, United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Pryor to 70 months to be served consecutive to the 78-month sentence received in the Eastern District of Missouri, for a total sentence of 148 months of imprisonment. He will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on
targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Regina Thompson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig was assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for the Sale of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas T. Barber has sentenced Jarrett Parker Truman (25, Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing an unregistered firearm. The Court also ordered Truman to forfeit the firearms and ammunition associated with the offenses. Truman had pleaded guilty on October 22, 2021.
According to court documents, during January and February 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) used a confidential informant (“CI”) to make controlled purchases of firearms from Truman. Truman sold the CI a total of eight firearms including four handguns, an AK-47 style pistol, and a rifle. In addition, Truman also sold a non-serialized rifle equipped with a silencer, which he had failed to register with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
As a previously convicted felon, Truman is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Apple Inc.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Haiteng Wu, 32, of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced today to serve 26 months in prison for participating in a three-year conspiracy to defraud Apple Inc. out of more than $1 million.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and Greg Torbenson, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge for the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Wu pleaded guilty in May 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Today, the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan sentenced Wu to the time he already has served in custody, which amounts to approximately 26 months. He also ordered Wu to pay $987,000 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. Judge Sullivan previously ordered Wu to forfeit his interests in two condominium units, one in McLean, Virginia, the other in Arlington, Virginia. Wu purchased the Arlington condominium for cash during the conspiracy.
According to publicly filed court documents, Wu immigrated to the United States in 2013 to study engineering. After earning his Master’s Degree in 2015, he secured lawful employment in the United States, but then embarked on a roughly 3 ½-year-long scheme to defraud Apple. As part of the scheme, Wu and other conspirators received shipments of inauthentic iPhones from Hong Kong. Those phones contained spoofed IMEI numbers and serial numbers that corresponded with authentic in-warranty iPhones. The conspirators then returned the inauthentic phones to Apple, claiming that the phones were legitimate, in-warranty phones, all in an effort to receive authentic replacement iPhones from Apple. The fraudulently obtained authentic iPhones were then shipped back to conspirators overseas, including in Hong Kong.
Wu, who most recently was residing in McLean, Virginia, recruited others, including his wife, Jiahong Cai, and Teang Liu to participate in the conspiracy. Wu also procured fake identification documents, used aliases, opened multiple commercial mail receiving agency mailboxes, and arranged for members of the conspiracy to travel throughout the United States.
In total, Wu acknowledged defrauding Apple out of nearly $1 million and intending to defraud the company out of even more money.
Wu, Cai, and Liu were arrested in December 2019, and Wu has been in custody since that time. Like her husband, Cai pleaded guilty in May 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Judge Sullivan sentenced Cai, a Chinese national, to time served following her guilty plea. She spent just over five months in custody. Liu, 37, of Alexandria, Virginia, pleaded guilty to that same offense in February 2021, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2022.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud Section, and Senior Counsel Ryan K.J. Dickey of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. They were assisted by Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Mariela Andrade, Amanda Rohde, and Brian Rickers, former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Brittany Phillips, and Angeline Thekkumthala, and Records Examiner Angela De Falco.
Chicago-Area Gun and Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Sixty-Five Years in Prison for Firearms and Drug Offenses in East Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Markham, Illinois, man, Deon Evans, 37, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, to sixty-five years and eight months’ imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine, carrying and possessing a firearm during his drug trafficking crimes, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Evans faced mandatory consecutive twenty-five-year sentences for his separate offenses of carrying a firearm while distributing heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his possession of methamphetamine (in the form of the street drug “ecstasy”) with the intent to distribute it. Judge Bruce further determined that Evans was involved in the trafficking of at least eight to twenty-four firearms. And Judge Bruce found that Evans had obstructed justice by providing false testimony during his case. Evans’s sentence was enhanced because he was on federal supervised release at the time of his offenses from a 2007 conviction for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in the Southern District of Iowa.
Evans was convicted following a jury trial in January 2020. During the three-day trial, the government presented evidence to establish that Evans traveled from his residence in Markham to a gas station in Gilman, Illinois, in July 2016, where he sold 48.4 grams of heroin in exchange for $4,500. The next month, Evans again travelled to the gas station to meet the same buyer, this time bringing an associate and two loaded firearms. During this meeting, Evans sold 124.3 grams of heroin for $11,250.
After the August 2016 heroin sale, Evans’s BMW was stopped by troopers with the Illinois State Police as it was heading north on Interstate 57. During the search of Evans’s car, troopers found the cash used to purchase the heroin hidden under the back seat, along with the two fully loaded firearms, an extra magazine, and 173 ecstasy pills that contained methamphetamine. Trial evidence established that Evans obtained one of those firearms – a Glock, Model 30, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol – by trading a heroin user two grams of heroin and $100 in exchange for the gun, which had been stolen from Indiana. Additional trial evidence showed that Evans used two women – known as “straw purchasers” – to purchase guns for him in Birmingham, Alabama, which he then sold illegally in Chicago.
“Unfortunately, gun violence and deadly opioids, such as the heroin distributed in this case, continue to represent a danger to our communities here in the Central District of Illinois,” said Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller, who represented the government at sentencing. “We will continue to support our federal and local law enforcement partners in pursuing these prosecutions in order to deter this dangerous behavior.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Chicago Division, Springfield Resident Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Springfield, Illinois, and Birmingham Field Offices; and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miller and Rachel E. Ritzer represented the government at trial.
Centralia Man Sentenced for Maintaining Drug HouseRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – John Fodero, 53, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced on Monday, January
31, 2022, to five years in prison for maintaining a drug house within 1000 feet of a school.
Fodero will serve six years of supervised release upon his release from prison. Fodero was also
ordered pay a $5000 fine and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, Fodero allowed numerous persons to utilize his residence to buy,
sell, and use illegal, controlled substances including fentanyl. Area emergency
personnel responded to overdose calls originating from his residence ten times within a ten-month
period during 2020 to 2021.This case was investigated by the Centralia Police Department and the FBI-Springfield Division
Safe Streets Task Force.Career Criminal Sentenced to over 15 Years for Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Alfonzo Manning, 42, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, agents with the West Tennessee Drug Task Force received an anonymous tip about a man with a Ford F-150 truck obstructing traffic and selling drugs on Hillcrest Street.
After a brief period of surveillance, agents approached the truck and noticed the defendant, Alfonzo Manning, was the only occupant. Officers could also see in plain view on the console, two bags of suspected narcotics. Manning was immediately placed into custody.
The drugs weighed approximately 67 grams and tested positive for fentanyl which was later confirmed at the TBI laboratory. Also found in the vehicle were digital scales. Manning had a significant amount of cash on his person.
Manning has an extensive criminal history, with prior felony convictions for domestic assault, felony theft, sale of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of heroin with intent to sell, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, criminal attempt, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell. As a result of these prior felony convictions, Manning is classified as a career offender under federal law sentencing guidelines.
On October 22, 2021, Manning pled guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
On January 26, 2022, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Manning to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by four years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Cox prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Camden County Man Charged with Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Camden County man made his initial appearance today on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Manuel A. Quinones, 47, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 31, 2022, in East Brunswick, New Jersey, law enforcement officers searched Quinones’ vehicle based on probable cause after learning that Quinones possessed narcotics in the vehicle. They recovered approximately 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills and approximately seven pounds of suspected crystal methamphetamine. Law enforcement then obtained written consent to search Quinones’ residence and recovered additional illegal drugs, two firearms, ammunition, a high-capacity drum magazine, and a bulletproof vest. Quinones has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, including a controlled substance offense.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The felon in possession of ammunition charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) and the N.J. State Police Crime Suppression Central Unit, Opioid Enforcement Task Force, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, for their assistance. The NYDETF comprises special agents and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division; New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Pesce of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
British Citizen Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Helping Design and Operate Fraudulent Investment Scheme Related to Co-Working BusinessRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JAMES MOORE was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for helping design and operate a scheme to defraud more than 800 investors of more than $57 million by making false and fraudulent representations about, among other things, the management, profitability, and operations of a co-working space company called Bar Works Inc. and related entities (“Bar Works”). On June 7, 2019, MOORE was found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud following a week-long jury trial before United States District Judge Richard M. Berman, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “James Moore partnered with notorious fraudster Renwick Haddow to design a massive Ponzi scheme that lured hundreds of unsuspecting investors from around the world, and from which Moore and affiliated companies siphoned 65 percent of each of their recruited victims’ investments. Moore then obstructed justice and lied about the scheme to federal agents. Today’s lengthy sentence sends a clear message that perpetrators of investment fraud will be prosecuted and held accountable.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment filed against James Moore and statements made in related court filings and proceedings, including his trial:
In late 2009, MOORE partnered with Renwick Haddow, who is also a British citizen, to sell investments in a hotel scheme in which investors lost money. Haddow had been disqualified as a director of any U.K. company for eight years, and later sued by the Financial Conduct Authority, a British regulator, for operating investment schemes through misrepresentations that lost investors substantially all of their money. These sanctions and lawsuit were publicized extensively online.
Beginning in 2015, MOORE chose to partner with Haddow again, this time to solicit investments into Bar Works through material misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the identity of Bar Works’ management and the financial condition of that company.
In order to conceal his role at Bar Works because of the negative publicity on the internet related to past investment schemes and government sanctions in the United Kingdom, Haddow adopted the alias “Jonathan Black.” Notwithstanding Haddow’s control over Bar Works, Moore and others knowingly distributed the Bar Works offering materials listing Black as the chief executive officer of Bar Works and claiming that Black had an extensive background in finance and past success with start-up companies. As MOORE well knew, “Jonathan Black,” was an entirely fictitious person, created to mask Haddow’s control of Bar Works.
Among other things, MOORE helped devise and distribute pitch materials that contained the misrepresentations. MOORE and an affiliated Spanish-based company, United Property Group, coordinated a substantial sales force to recruit investors knowing that the materials contained the falsehood. MOORE advised Haddow as to how to continue to conceal the truth concerning the identity of “Jonathan Black,” and affirmatively represented to potential sales partners that he was communicating with CEO “Jonathan Black.” MOORE also advised Haddow how to evade foreign law enforcement authorities. MOORE personally received approximately $1.6 million from Bar Works before helping to launch a competing co-working space investment project.
MOORE repeatedly lied to the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and federal law enforcement agents to cover up his role in the Bar Works scheme. On August 11, 2016 – while the Bar Works scheme was still operating – MOORE participated in a recorded phone interview with the SEC and reiterated that Jonathan Black was a real person who he understood to be the CEO of Bar Works, notwithstanding knowing that Black was fake. MOORE claimed that he never asked to speak to Jonathan Black, even though in the prior months, MOORE had been misrepresented to multiple agents that he was working closely with Black.
On February 15, 2017, MOORE was interviewed by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents following his arrest for a separate investment scheme in connection with a development project he was promoting in Florida. In a videotaped interview, MOORE lied and told agents he had not done anything for money since 2010, even though he had gotten approximately $1.6 million from Bar Works alone.
Moore’s conviction is his second federal felony conviction related to property investments. He was previously convicted in 2018 of misprision of a felony for his role in a property investment fraud in Florida, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
In addition to the prison term, MOORE, 60, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release. MOORE was also ordered to pay restitution of $57,579,790.00, forfeiture of $1,599,257.46, and a fine of $50,000.
Renwick Haddow, 53, pled guilty on May 23, 2019, to one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to the Bar Works scheme, and one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to a separate investment scheme involving Bitcoins. Haddow’s sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2022.
Savraj Gata-Aura, 35, pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his participation in the scheme, and was sentenced to 48 months in prison on July 27, 2020, by Judge Jed. S. Rakoff.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately brought civil actions against MOORE, Haddow, and Gata-Aura, for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Beatrice Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Michael Hawkins, 58, of Beatrice, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Hawkins to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
During the conspiracy, Hawkins was purchasing methamphetamine in Lincoln and redistributing the methamphetamine to several individuals in Beatrice. On April 8, 2019, Beatrice Police Department executed a search warrant on Hawkins’s residence and seized four grams of methamphetamine. Cooperating witnesses were willing to testify that Hawkins was purchasing methamphetamine in Lincoln and taking it to Beatrice where he would sell it to several individuals.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and Beatrice Police Department.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland yesterday 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 December 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.”
“The new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking provides our office with an opportunity to bolster our commitment to prosecuting human traffickers,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Over the years we have worked with federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases, and we have collaborated on task forces with energetic and compassionate non-profit partners across Arizona. We look forward to more opportunities to work together in the future to ensure traffickers are held accountable and victims are rescued and supported.”
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.
In December 2021, as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat trafficking, the Office for Victims of Crimes awarded grants to two Arizona non-profits to assist victims of human trafficking. Our Family Services, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona was awarded $600,000 to provide safe, stable housing and individualized services to victims of human trafficking in Pima County, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24. The International Rescue Committee in Tucson (IRC) received $349,585 to develop, expand, and strengthen services for domestic and foreign victims of human trafficking, including programs that provide trauma-informed, victim-centered services in Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz Counties.
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.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-006_Combat Human Trafficking
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today 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.”
“Consistent with the Justice Department’s strategy, the investigation and prosecution of all forms of human trafficking remain top priorities for our office,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “We are proud of our outstanding, decades-long record of prosecuting human trafficking offenses. We pursue numerous sex trafficking investigations every year, securing convictions and lengthy sentences that further public safety and protect vulnerable children and adults. We also vigorously pursue forced labor investigations and recently secured lengthy prison sentences for traffickers who exploited domestic servants from overseas, as well as convictions of owners of a restaurant and cleaning service that exploited their own adult and minor relatives they brought to this country.”
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.
U.S. Attorney Talbert continued, “We are committed to continuing and enhancing our critical work in the identification and prosecution of offenses related to forced labor, international sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of both children and adults. As part of that commitment, we work continually to strengthen partnerships with our federal, state, and local partners. This includes our close working relationships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor, which grew out of our office’s prior participation in the Justice Department’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team program.”
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 fext 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
PORTLAND, Maine -- 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.”
The District of Maine was one of six districts designated in 2016 through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
“Anyone can become a victim of sex and labor trafficking, but some of Maine’s most vulnerable people are especially susceptible. This includes children and marginalized youth; people with unstable housing; survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse; those with a history of substance use disorder; people facing poverty; and refugee and migrant workers,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Even during a pandemic, the internet and social media have given traffickers a platform to recruit victims.”
“Preventing and combatting human trafficking is a top priority for our office, and we are committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners in order to protect victims and prosecute those who exploit our most vulnerable neighbors,” McElwee said.
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.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today 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.”
“Unfortunately, human trafficking isn’t a problem that only happens somewhere else – it exists right here, in North Carolina,” commented United States Attorney Michael Easley. “This office has long been committed to fighting this horrible crime and I look forward to continuing to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to advance our shared goal to identify, locate, and recover victims of trafficking. My office will ensure that anyone who exploits vulnerable victims is held accountable. We will not tolerate traffickers who engage in this form of modern-day slavery, effectively imprisoning victims and treating them as less than human, and we will work tirelessly to rid our communities of this horrendous offense.”
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
DATELINE -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today 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.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is committed to the prosecution of human trafficking and to serving the exploited victims of this evil crime,” said United States Attorney Andrea Martinez. “Together with our local, state, tribal, and federal partners, we will continue to focus our efforts on the strategic dismantlement of human trafficking networks that operate in our state.”
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
Department Strategy Supports National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joins Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in releasing 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.”
“The Eastern District of Wisconsin long has been a leader in seeking to hold human traffickers accountable for their conduct, which often involves incredible cruelty and the infliction of physical and emotional harm day after day,” said U.S. Attorney Frohling. “We have regularly pursued cases involving forced labor, child sex trafficking, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. As part of the national strategy being announced today, we look forward to continuing to work with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement colleagues and community partners to bring offenders to justice and provide crucial support for trafficking victims.”
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.
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For further information contact: [email protected]
(414) 297-1700
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
Local efforts to strengthen engagement and coordination mirror the national strategy
February 1, 2022 -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today 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.”
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.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised that human trafficking is everywhere, including in the Western District of Michigan. “My office is committed not only to prosecuting this horrendous crime, but also collaborating with and supporting the efforts of various community organizations who provide support to victims and bring awareness to this issue,” said Birge.
Collaborative projects and local partners that correspond with the national strategy of strengthening engagement and coordination include:
- In December 2021, the Department of Justice provided the Kent County Sheriff and Solutions to End Exploitation (SEE) Human Trafficking Task Force $750,000 in grant funds to identify and respond to human trafficking in Kent County. The task force will consist of members from local, state, and federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, and service providers who will address victim needs.
- Last week, the Michigan Abolitionist Project, SEE and The Joseph Project hosted a Statewide Human Trafficking Summit attended by members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The summit brought together cross-functional teams with different skill sets and resource offerings. This virtual summit allowed law enforcement, civilians, and human trafficking victims to collaborate on how to address specific human trafficking issues impacting the State of Michigan.
- The Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force provides both training and outreach programing, recently co-sponsoring a viewing of and panel discussion about the Michigan film “Ring of Silence,” a true account of a young girl being sex trafficked. The U.P. task force is a collaborative effort among members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, state prosecutors, state and local law enforcement agencies, tribal communities, and social service providers all in the U.P.
- The Wyoming Police Department now houses a Crisis Aid International office which is staffed with a full-time advocate available 24/7 to assist trafficking victims and their families in obtaining necessary resources such as therapy and housing. In December 2021, representatives from the U.S Attorney’s Office, federal agencies, and local law enforcement gathered to learn about Crisis Aid International’s Children’s Anti-Exploitation Partnership Program, a new resource in the Western District of Michigan.
U.S. Attorney Birge encourages the community to be aware of indicators of trafficking and report suspicious activity.
Indicators of human trafficking can include the following:
- An individual with an inability to produce identification or other documents because they are in a third party’s possession and control;
- An individual who is unable to freely contact friends or family;
- An individual who is coached on what to say to law enforcement or other authority figures;
- An individual who lacks knowledge or awareness as to what happens to the money they earn/are supposed to earn;
- An individual who lacks knowledge or awareness as to how much money they earn;
- An individual who is unable move or travel freely;
- Garnishment of a salary to pay off a fee imposed by their employer;
- Juveniles engaged in commercial sex; and
- Frequent visits to the emergency department.
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.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice DepartmentRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today 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."
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.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Darraill Davis has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on December 15, 2019, officers with the Memphis Police Department responded to a 911 hang up call at a home in Memphis. When officers arrived at the scene, they encountered Davis behaving erratically and attempting to get into a silver sedan. As they attempted to contact him, Davis fled on foot. When he was detained a short distance away, officers recovered a silver Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol from Davis’ person. An investigation revealed Davis had been holding his girlfriend hostage and assaulting her all day. During one of the assaults, he pointed the .40 caliber pistol at her and hit her in the head. Davis is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a weapon.
On August 18, 2021, Davis pled guilty to being a felon in possession.
A search of his criminal history revealed, multiple Tennessee state convictions for domestic assault, aggravated burglary, illegal possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of dihydrocodeinone with intent to sell, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell. At the time of this offense, Davis was on probation with the state of Tennessee.
As a result of his felony convictions, Davis is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition and was determined to be an armed career criminal under federal sentencing guidelines and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 188 months imprisonment.
On January 24, 2022, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Davis to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office - Violent Crime Unit.
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22 people charged in connection with a multi-million dollar Paycheck Protection Program fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Twenty-two individuals, residing across the United States, have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and other related charges in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $3,899,377 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
“These defendants allegedly took advantage of the emergency lending provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program that were intended for business owners suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “The charges reinforce our resolve to hold accountable those who steal pandemic relief funds and use them for their own personal gain.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who misuse IRS information systems in their efforts to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice in this endeavor.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the indictments, and other information presented in court: From April 2020 through August 2020, the conspirators in the scheme allegedly submitted, or assisted in the submission of, PPP loan applications on behalf of twenty-two businesses. In connection with the scheme, defendant Richard Mahee allegedly directed defendant Mark Mason to fabricate documents on behalf of individuals that Mahee identified so they could apply for and receive PPP loans. Mason allegedly communicated with the purported business owners about the loan amount they wanted to receive, and then fabricated tax documents and other supporting documents to submit with the PPP loan application to support that amount.
For their work on the PPP loan applications, Mason and Mahee allegedly received a percentage of the funded loan amount as a “success fee” from each purported business owner. Mason then allegedly began fabricating documents to support fraudulent PPP loan applications for other individuals. These individuals allegedly communicated with Mason about the loan amount they wanted to receive, submitted loan applications with the supporting documents Mason created, and then paid Mason a percentage of the funded loan amount.
Mark Mason, 49, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2022 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loans obtained by M&N Enterprise LLC, d/b/a Atlanta Business Capital and Advocate Business Capital LLC. As part of his guilty plea, Mason admitted his participation in fraudulent conduct totaling between $3.5 million and $9.5 million.
In addition to the charges against Mason, twenty-one other defendants have been charged in eight separate indictments, the last of which was unsealed on January 27, 2022:
- Richard Mahee, 49, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, ARG Media LLC, and several other businesses’ loans.
- Kristen Alexander, 49, of Denver, Colorado, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in several businesses’ loans.
- David Burge, 67, of Flat Rock, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Elemental Comfort, LLC.
- Gina Destito, 59, of Elgin, South Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in the loan obtained by her business, HomePoppins.com LLC.
- Jim White, 49, of Hammonton, New Jersey, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, AJW Home Services and Design LLC.
- Morgan Brown, 29, of Nashville, Tennessee, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, BHG LLC.
- Carlos Stephens, 50, of Gretna, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, 31 Minds LLC.
- Marvin Lewton, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Powers Transport Group LLC, and the loan application filed for his business, DirtySouthHipHop Online Media Group LLC.
- Ion Overman, 52, of Valley Village, California, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with her involvement in the loan obtained by her business, Bryanston Square, Inc.
- Dale Godboldo, 46, of Valley Village, California, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loans obtained by his business, Mahout Star LLC, and the loan obtained by Bryanston Square, Inc.
- Freddy Mitchell, 53, of Asheville, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Freddy Mitchell & Associate LLC.
- Timothy Patrick, 54, of Asheville, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Integrity Management Group/IMG, and the loan obtained by Freddy Mitchell & Associate LLC.
- Melissa Myrick, 44, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in several businesses’ loans.
- Kirk Codrington, 47, of East Flat Rock, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, KC Global Enterprises Inc.
- Dereck Clark, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Geppetto, d/b/a Dee’s Landscaping LLC.
- Michael Myrick, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, MYCO Enterprises LLC.
- Darius McCants, 47, of Birmingham, Alabama, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, BBF Inc.
- Dondre Berry, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Houzzit Inc.
- Marcos Soza, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Yes Auto Sales Inc.
- Brittany Shearod, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in the loan obtained by her business, Bez Knows Talent LLC.
- Michael McGee, Jr., 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Arc Michael Logistics LLC.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants' guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Hartigan and Lauren Macon are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Monday 31 January 2022
Woodbury County Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Fabian Alcaraz-Santillan, 25, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, to 123 months in federal prison.
Alcaraz-Santillan pled guilty on September 8, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the hearings, evidence showed that from August 2020 through September 11, 2020, Alcaraz-Santillan and others conspired to distribute more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Alcaraz-Santillan received multiple packages of methamphetamine concealed in women’s corsets from Mexico with the intent for further distribution.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Alcaraz-Santillan was sentenced to 123 months imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Alcaraz-Santillan remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4090.
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Virginia Inmate Sentenced for Role in Pandemic Unemployment Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia inmate was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits by using the personal identifying information of over 30 other Virginia prison inmates.
According to court documents, in 2020, Michael Anthony White, 39, originally of Norfolk, was incarcerated at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center. Beginning in May 2020, he worked with Mary Landon Benton, 38, of Portsmouth, to collect the personally identifiable information of other inmates to fraudulently apply for Virginia unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. White provided Benton information for inmates at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center, resulting in approximately ten successful unemployment claims for inmates there. Michael Lee Lewis, Jr., an inmate at the Augusta Correctional Center, provided Benton and another co-defendant, Angelica Cartwright-Powers, with information for inmates at his facility.
Benton, with the help of White and inmates at two other prisons, submitted successful applications for Virginia unemployment benefits for 31 inmates. Cartwright-Powers additionally submitted successful applications for four inmates.
White and his co-conspirators, along with the prisoners whose information was used for the unemployment applications, shared the proceeds of the crimes, which amounted to over $330,000. Although the conspirators initially obtained $436,834, the Virginia Employment Commission was able to reclaim some of the disbursed funds after discovering the fraud.
Benton and Lewis have both been sentenced for their roles in the scheme to 78 and 115 months of imprisonment, respectively. Cartwright-Powers, has pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington, DC Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of “Operation Checkmate,” the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force. The task force is led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, DOL-OIG, DHS-OIG, and the Virginia Department of Corrections. This investigation included assistance from the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-33.
United States Attorney Commemorates National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg highlights efforts by federal, state, and local partners to prevent and combat human trafficking in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month. The United States Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force leads law enforcement’s combined efforts to inform and protect communities across the district throughout the year.
“Human trafficking is a crime that crosses all borders and affects communities worldwide,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, local, and international partners to vigorously prosecute those responsible for committing these heinous crimes.”
During the 31 days of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month (January), the Human Trafficking Task Force, headed by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell and with the support of the USAO-MDFL community outreach coordinators, assisted in the coordination and safe delivery of various virtual events to enable broader participation in joint human trafficking efforts, while preventing the spread of COVID-19. These presentations included the following:
- “Combatting Human Trafficking on the Front Line: How Nurses Play a Critical Role,” presented during Advent Health’s 4th Annual Human Trafficking symposium. At least 240 healthcare professionals attended this virtual event, which highlighted that healthcare professionals are the 3rd top point of contact (after friends/family and law enforcement) for Human Trafficking victims seeking assistance. The presentation also explored the importance of documenting and preserving evidence by healthcare professionals, as well as the ability to identify signs and respond effectively to potential trafficking situations.
- The Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force virtual roundtable convened to discuss the Task Force’s collaborative approach to combatting human trafficking. The group spoke about the challenges and successes during the pandemic and large-scale events, as well as the role that technology has played in targeting, recruiting, and trafficking victims. Participating agencies included the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tampa Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Selah Freedom. The event was hosted by the FBI Tampa Citizens Academy Alumni Association.
- “The Good Fight: A Strategic Approach to Supporting Juvenile Survivors of Human Trafficking,” a panel discussion, was hosted by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Black Prosecutor’s Association. The virtual event highlighted the ways criminal justice stakeholders work collaboratively with child advocates and victim service providers to develop cross-system solutions to support survivors of human trafficking. The event was livestreamed to Facebook.
In addition to providing education, prevention, and technical and training assistance, the USAO-MDFL also vigorously prosecutes human trafficking crimes. Some of the most recent cases include:
United States v. Samuel Christopher Templeman and Deborah Lynn Templeman – In June 2021, Samuel Christopher Templeman pleaded guilty to conspiring to sex traffic a child, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His wife, Deborah Lynn Templeman, pleaded guilty to possession of child sex abuse material and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. According to the plea agreements, in 2018, Samuel Templeman and the child victim began regularly using heroin and crack cocaine together. Also at that time, a pimp began directing the child victim to engage in sex acts in exchange for drugs. In July 2019, a court terminated the Templemans’ custodial rights over the child victim and ordered them not to have any contact with the child. The child was then placed in foster care, from which the child ran away. In late August 2019, Samuel Templeman received over $25,000 in inheritance, which the Templemans used to entice the child to return to them. By mid-October 2019, the Templemans had spent the entire inheritance, primarily on drugs for Samuel Templeman and the victim. Thereafter, the only legitimate income for the Templemans and the victim was Deborah Templeman’s bi-weekly salary, which they spent 1-2 days after receipt. During the remaining portions of each month, the Templemans’ only income was derived from their sex trafficking of the child victim for money and the victim’s occasional panhandling. The Templemans spent most of that money on drugs and the rest on living expenses. On December 11, 2019, a detective from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office went to Deborah Templeman’s place of employment in an attempt to locate the victim. While there, the detective overheard phone conversations in which Samuel Templeman told Deborah Templeman that he was taking the victim to a “date,” a common slang term for an appointment for the child to have sex for money, and that he would then come pick up Deborah Templeman. When Samuel Templeman later arrived at Deborah Templeman’s workplace, authorities arrested him and recovered the child victim. Pursuant to a search warrant, investigators reviewed Deborah Templeman’s cellphone and found it contained sexually explicit images of the child victim. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Wolfson.
United States v. Henry Lee White, III – White was indicted in March 2021 and charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, transportation of an individual in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution, coercion and enticement, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. White pleaded guilty on December 29, 2021, and is pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life, imprisonment. According to court documents, between June 2, 2020, and January 7, 2021, White used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex. During that time, White trafficked Victim 1 within the Middle District of Florida, and transported Victim 1 from Florida to Georgia so that Victim 1 could engage in prostitution. Victim 1 was recovered during a Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force operation in January 2021. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
United States v. Jamel Muldrew – Muldrew was arrested on a criminal complaint in April 2021 and charged with sex trafficking of a minor, interstate transportation of a person to engage in prostitution, and enticement of a person to travel interstate for prostitution. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, imprisonment. The victim was recovered during a Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force operation in April 2021. According to court records, as part of this operation, an undercover officer arranged to engage in prostitution with a minor victim at a local hotel in exchange for $800. A male, later identified as Muldrew, then drove the minor victim to the hotel, dropped her off, and drove to a nearby mall parking lot to wait. After being dropped off, the minor victim entered the hotel room where she was met by detectives. Law enforcement officers arrested Muldrew in the mall parking lot and searched him, recovering multiple fictious identity documents for both himself and the minor victim. Subsequent investigation revealed that, from February until April 2021, Muldrew had trafficked the minor victim across the country to engage in prostitution, including in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and ultimately Florida, where he was arrested. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston (Texas) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Carlton C. Gammons.
United States v. Bladimir Moreno et al. – Three defendants were indicted in September 2021 and charged with labor trafficking, conspiracy, and racketeering. According to court documents, from 2015 through 2017, the defendants participated in running a labor contracting company for H-2A agricultural workers called Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), which functioned as a criminal enterprise. LVH subjected multiple Mexican H-2A agricultural workers employed in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, and North Carolina to forced labor. LVH also harbored H-2A workers in the United States after their visas had expired for financial gain and committed visa fraud and fraud in foreign labor contracting. This case was investigated by the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force (to include the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office), with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray and Trial Attorneys Avner Shapiro and Maryam Zhuravitsky of the Civil Rights Division.
United States v. Michael Davis – Davis was convicted at trial in April 2021 of conspiring and attempting to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. He was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison in July 2021. This case is a result of an undercover operation by FBI Denver. According to court records, in December 2017, Davis attempted to recruit and entice a fictious minor to travel to Tampa to engage in commercial sex. Davis orchestrated the purchase of a one-way bus ticket for the child and arranged to pick her up from the bus station. At trial, Davis’ co-defendant testified to Davis’ role in the conspiracy and that she had also been trafficked by Davis. Davis was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
United States v. Sean Patrick Farrelly – Farrelly pleaded guilty in June 2019 and was sentenced in April 2021 to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor. According to court records, between March 2018 and February 2019, Farrelly recruited, enticed, and solicited a 16-year-old child to engage in commercial sex acts, by texting the victim, sending her pictures of money, and providing her with alcohol or marijuana. Farrelly paid the child victim $30 to $40 each time that they engaged in sexual intercourse. This case was investigated by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
United States v. Gregory Thomas Garcia – Garcia was indicted and charged with one count of commercial sex trafficking of a minor in October 2020 and was sentenced in July 2021 to 16 years in prison and ordered to pay $6,250 in restitution. According to court documents, Garcia began communicating via text message with a 16-year-old child. A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations discovered the text messages between Garcia and the victim while investigating a separate crime. The victim confirmed to the special agent and a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that she had met with Garcia more than 20 times and on each occasion, Garcia had paid her to allow Garcia to sexually abuse her. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Uncasville Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KATHRYN POCOCK, 59, of Uncasville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 1991, Pocock has operated Sunshine Cleaners, LLC, a home cleaning business. Between 2015 and 2019, Pocock withdrew approximately $855,000 from the business and failed to report those proceeds on the relevant tax forms for the business and on her federal income tax returns. The investigation revealed that Pocock regularly cashed numerous client checks that had been paid to her business, deposited some checks into her personal bank account, and paid her employees “under the table.” Pocock wrote checks payable to cash from her personal and business bank accounts, and paid employees in cash without properly collecting and paying over employment tax to the IRS or sales and use taxes owed to the State of Connecticut.
The investigation also revealed that Pocock provided her tax preparer with false spreadsheets and supporting documentation that significantly understated her income and employee-related expenses.
Pocock’s criminal conduct resulted in a total tax loss of $213,965, comprising unreported taxes of $180,451 owed to the IRS and $33,514 owed to the State of Connecticut. Judge Meyer ordered Pocock to pay full restitution.
Pocock pleaded guilty to the offense on September 15, 2021.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Katherine E. Boyles.
U.S. Attorney Ross Marks the End of Human Trafficking Awareness Month with an Appeal to the PublicRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross is marking the end of Human Trafficking Awareness Month with a call to action for the community. “It’s extremely important to encourage awareness and shine a light on the victimization and tragic consequences of human trafficking, however, it’s not an effort that should be limited to just one month a year,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross, who served as the lead prosecutor of the Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force for approximately eight years.
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. According to the U.S. State Department, there are an estimated 24.9 million people - adults and children - subjected to human trafficking around the world, including here in the United States.
Signs that someone may be the victim of sex or labor trafficking include:
• Living with employer
• Poor living conditions
• Multiple people in cramped space
• Inability to speak with others alone
• Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
• Employer is holding identity documents
• Signs of physical abuse
• Submissive or fearful
• Unpaid or paid very littleU.S. Attorney Ross further stated, “For eight years as the lead prosecutor of the Human Trafficking Task Force, I worked with victims of both sex and labor trafficking, building cases against the traffickers, and I saw firsthand the devastating impacts that human trafficking has on the lives of victims and communities. I encourage everyone to know the signs of trafficking and ask questions. If you suspect someone is being coerced into sex or labor acts, please act by calling the local authorities or the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Together, we can make a positive difference.”
If you are a victim of human trafficking or know someone who may be, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Additional resources can be found at https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
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Two Navajo Nation men sentenced for robbery in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Julian Silversmith, 44, of Jones Ranch, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court on Jan. 28 to nine years in prison for one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in Indian Country. Co-defendant Aurelius Eddie, 20, of Vanderwagen, New Mexico, was sentenced also Jan. 28 to twelve years in prison for one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country. Both defendants are members of the Navajo Nation.
Silversmith pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2019, while Eddie pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, 2019.
According to their plea agreements and other court records, on April 18, 2019, Silversmith drove co-defendants Eddie and Kevin Marquez, 22, of Gallup, New Mexico, to a convenience store in Vanderwagon, knowing that they intended to rob the store. As Eddie and Marquez entered the convenience store, they began waving firearms, and Eddie fired a round into the ceiling. They then proceeded to steal alcohol from the refrigerators and behind the counter while Marquez pointed his firearm at the clerk. Eddie admitted that following the robbery he fired a round at two Navajo Police officers.
The crimes were committed on the Navajo Nation.
Upon release from prison, Silversmith and Eddie will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Marquez pleaded guilty on Sept. 26, 2019, to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On Jan. 27, 2021, Marquez was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release.
The office of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department and Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Spindle and Frederick Mendenhall prosecuted the case.
Two Huntington Men Appear in Federal Court in Connection to Roles in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a drug ring and distributed various drugs in Huntington appeared today in federal court. William Raeshaun Byrd, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Christopher Leon Vest, 33, also of Huntington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Vest faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.
According to the plea agreements and statements made in court, Byrd and Vest both admitted that they participated in the conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Byrd frequently received shipments of fentanyl and cocaine which were transported from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington by vehicle. For each shipment, Byrd received a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine. The drugs were provided to Byrd on consignment and Byrd would pay for the drugs after he distributed them in Huntington. Byrd further admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to accept the shipments and distribute the drugs. Vest frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Vest provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Vest also admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to receive deliveries and to distribute the drugs.
On July 29, 2021, Byrd and Vest were arrested after an indictment was returned charging multiple individuals in the investigation and search warrants were executed at both men’s residences on that date. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including two firearms and over $113,000 in United States currency at Byrd’s residence. Byrd admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including four firearms and over $86,000 in United States currency from Vest’s residence. Vest admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. Search warrants were also executed at the two residences operated by Vest. During those searches, law enforcement officers seized over a kilogram of cocaine, 800 grams of fentanyl, and 450 grams of methamphetamine that Vest intended to distribute and two additional firearms.
To date, seven defendants have been convicted as result of the investigation.
“Thanks to the excellent work of the FBI and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force, this drug ring was shut down,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Byrd and Vest, who were distributing significant amounts of deadly drugs, will no longer be endangering the public.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force conducted the investigation. 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. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans are handling the prosecutions.
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. 3:21-cr-00109.
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Thirty-Four-Year-Old Houston Man Charged with Trafficking 13-Year-Old Female into the New Orleans Area to Perform Commercial Sex ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RANDI LEWIS, age 34, from Houston, Texas, was charged on January 28, 2022 by a federal grand jury in a five-count indictment with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1594(c) and 1591(a) (Count 1), sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a) and 1591(b)(1) (Count 2), interstate transportation of a minor for purposes of unlawful sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count 3), coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) (Count 4), and production of child sexual abuse material, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) (Count 5), for his role in bringing a thirteen-year-old female from Houston to New Orleans for the purpose of her engaging in commercial sex acts in June 2021.
According to the indictment, LEWIS met his co-conspirator, a female born in 2003, in about 2019. LEWIS recruited the female to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction, and she complied. Together, LEWIS and his co-conspirator met the victim, who was thirteen years old, in the Houston, Texas area not later than June 21, 2021. At LEWIS’s direction, the co-conspirator recruited the victim to perform commercial sex acts under LEWIS’s direction. Soon thereafter, she introduced the victim to LEWIS. After the victim agreed, LEWIS arranged for he, his co-conspirator, and the victim to travel to New Orleans on a Greyhound bus for the purpose of his co-conspirator and the victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Between June 22, 2021, and June 24, 2021, his co-conspirator and the victim performed multiple commercial sex acts in the New Orleans area. LEWIS created and caused to be created advertisements on an online classified ad service commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money, through which LEWIS received telephone calls, text messages, and messages via social media applications inquiring about, scheduling, and arranging prostitution calls with his co-conspirator and the victim. LEWIS arranged for sexually explicit pictures of the victim to be used in the advertisements. LEWIS and his co-conspirator also gave the victim illicit and mood-altering drugs, including marijuana, to numb her senses, control her behavior, and/or to encourage her to engage in commercial sex acts. Law enforcement authorities recovered the victim at a hotel in Terrytown, Louisiana, on June 24, 2021.
If convicted on all counts, LEWIS faces the following maximum sentence for each count: a a maximum term of life in prison as to Count 1, mandatory minimum term of fifteen (15) years and up to a maximum term of life as to Count 2, mandatory minimum term of ten (10) years and up to a maximum term of life as to each of Counts 3 and 4, and a mandatory minimum term of fifteen (15) years and up to a maximum term of thirty (30) years as to Count 5, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count. LEWIS may also be required to register as a sex offender.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Statement from Assistant Attorney General Kristen ClarkeRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division issued the following statement today regarding the hearing in United States v. McMichael et al.:
“We respect the court’s decision to not accept the sentencing terms of the proposed plea and to continue the hearing until Friday.
“The Justice Department takes seriously its obligation to confer with the Arbery family and their lawyers both pursuant to the Crime Victim Rights Act and out of respect for the victim. Before signing the proposed agreement reflecting the defendants’ confessions to federal hate crimes charges, the Civil Rights Division consulted with the victims’ attorneys. The Justice Department entered the plea agreement only after the victims’ attorneys informed me that the family was not opposed to it.”
St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to $841,000 COVID-Relief Scheme to Defraud the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft in connection to a more than $840,000 covid-relief fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, Kyle William Brenizer, 33, was the owner and manager of True-Cut Construction LLC (“True-Cut”), a contracting and construction company located in Brooklyn Park. In August 2018, True-Cut and Brenizer were ordered by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to cease and desist from doing business. In December 2019, True-Cut’s contractor license expired and was never renewed.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2020, Brenizer submitted a false and misleading Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application in the name of True-Cut seeking approximately $841,000, but the application was denied. On May 12, 2020, Brenizer again submitted a false and misleading PPP application in the name of True-Cut seeking approximately $841,000 in PPP funds. This time, in order to conceal his role in submitting a fraudulent application , Brenizer submitted the application under the name of another individual whom Brenizer falsely claimed was the 90 percent owner of True-Cut. Brenizer further falsely stated that True-Cut’s average monthly payroll was $336,400 for approximately 30 employees. In support of both loan applications, Brenizer caused to be submitted to the lender fraudulent supporting documentation, such as falsified bank statements and IRS documents. In addition, Brenizer falsely certified that he was not subject to any pending criminal charges even though he was named in multiple felony charges pending in the State of Minnesota for such charges as check forgery, identify theft, and theft by swindle. Due to these various misrepresentations and omissions, on May 13, 2020, Brenizer’s second application was approved, and he received $841,000 in PPP funds.
According to court documents, instead of using the PPP funds for authorized business expenses, such as payroll, Brenizer transferred approximately $650,000 to a bank account unrelated to True-Cut and made a $29,000 payment to purchase a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, among other impermissible expenditures and transactions.
Brenizer pleaded guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
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.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS – Criminal Investigations, the FBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Allison K. Ethen are prosecuting the case.
South Florida Political Consultant Who Defrauded Covid-19 Relief Program Headed to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, a federal district judge in Fort Lauderdale sentenced 29-year-old Damara Holness to 20 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small businesses financially survive the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Holness must pay $300,000 in restitution.
In 2020, Holness applied for a $300,000 forgivable, federally-guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Holness Consulting, Inc., a Florida company that she owned. Holness claimed in the on-line loan application, and through supporting fraudulent payroll tax forms, that her company employed 18 people and spent an average of $120,000 each month on payroll, neither of which was true. A bank in Georgia approved Holness Consulting’s PPP loan application based on the lies and wired $300,000 to the company’s bank account in Florida.
Once the money hit the bank account, Holness checks from the company bank account made out to others who agreed, for a fee, to help with the fraud. People receiving the checks would endorse and return them to Holness. Then, Holness would cash the checks at the company’s bank, give about $300 to the check endorser and keep the rest of the cash for herself – about $1,000 per check.
Damara Holness is a former president of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, II.
FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who suffered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60229.
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Somerset County Woman Charged with $1 Million Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, woman was charged for her role in fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Nivah Garcis, 51, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. She made her initial appearance by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Garcis submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications to a lender on behalf of two purported businesses and three fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of three purported businesses.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The applications Garcis submitted each allegedly contained fraudulent representations to the lender – a Federal Home Loan Bank member – and the SBA, including bogus federal tax documents purportedly from the IRS. Garcis also fabricated the existence of employees and wages paid through the purported businesses. According to IRS records, however, none of the purported tax documents that Garcis submitted in support of her loan applications were ever in fact filed with the IRS. Based on Garcis’s alleged misrepresentations, her loan applications for her purported businesses were approved for approximately $1.05 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses. Garcis then used the proceeds for various personal expenses, including a BMW SUV.
The count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The count of money laundering carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Donnelly; special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; and special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and David E. Dauenheimer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s 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 charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Somerset County Man Pleads to Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Somerset County pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession and distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Kristian E. Heller, 46, of Windber, PA pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about April 20, 2021, Heller knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed one or more visual depictions, namely, videos and images in individual computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and which depict prepubescent minors and minors who have not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, all of which had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, by means of a computer, and all of which had been produced using materials which had been mailed and shipped in interstate and foreign commerce.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, 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 Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Heller.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better 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.
Signal Peak Energy fined $1 million, sentenced to three years of probation for violating environmental, worker safety regulations at Roundup coal mineRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — Signal Peak Energy LLC, which admitted to willful violation of health and safety standards at its underground coal mine near Roundup by failing to report injuries to workers and improperly disposing mine waste, was sentenced today to pay a $1 million criminal fine and to three years of probation, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Signal Peak Energy pleaded guilty in October to four counts of willful violation of health and safety standard, a misdemeanor.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Judge Cavan followed the terms of a plea agreement by imposing the statutory maximum $250,000 fine for each count of conviction and ordering probation. Judge Cavan also ordered $400 restitution to be paid to one of the injured workers.
“This case holds Signal Peak Mine accountable for its utter disregard for environmental and worker health and safety standards. Mine owners provided little in the way of meaningful oversight of mine operations as long as the mine’s managers could meet reported safety and production goals. That lax oversight fostered a climate of fraud, which today cost the mine $1 million in fines. In addition, mine managers lied about the mine’s expenses, its safety record, and other matters, which separately resulted in individual criminal convictions and charges for nine persons, including former mine vice presidents and their associates, on crimes ranging from embezzlement, tax evasion and bank fraud to money laundering, drugs and firearms violations. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin M. Rubich, Zeno B. Baucus and Timothy Tatarka along with the IRS, FBI, Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency for investigating and prosecuting this case and bringing wrongdoers to justice,” U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
"The IRS, along with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously pursue corporate officers who victimize their investors and violate the public trust," said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. "High-ranking corporate officials hold positions of trust not only in their companies but also in the eyes of the public. That trust is broken when such officials abuse their power and commit crimes.”
“Signal Peak, under the direction of its former corrupt top executives, perpetuated an unsafe work environment for several years,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Federal law entitles everyone to a safe workplace, and we encourage the public to report hazardous working conditions or any wrongdoing so a proper investigation can take place.”
“The provisions of the Mine Safety and Health Act are essential to keeping miners safe on the job, and operators have a responsibility under the law to ensure those protections are in place at all times,” said Department of Labor Regional Solicitor John Rainwater. “We are pleased that our Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency partners take mine safety and health seriously and will not hesitate to use all available tools to make mines safer through prosecutions like these.”
“Signal Peak Energy violated mandatory health and safety standards by pumping mine water waste down bore holes without the required permits,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Montana. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that EPA and its partners will hold corporations accountable when they ignore environmental regulations and put worker’s health at risk.”
In the Signal Peak Energy case, the government alleged in court documents that from 2013 through 2018, Signal Peak Energy habitually violated mandatory health and safety standards in the Mine Safety and Health Act during the mine’s operation. These violations included both environmental safety and worker safety standards. The violations occurred with the full knowledge, direction and participation of the mine’s most senior management during that period, including the president and CEO, the vice president of surface operations, the vice president of underground operations and the safety manager.
The government further alleged that senior managers directed mine employees to improperly dispose of mine waste by pumping the waste, known as slurry, into abandoned sections the mine and failed to report as required injuries to employees while pressuring injured workers not to report injuries as work related. One worker suffered a crushed finger that later required amputation and a second worker suffered a severe head laceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin M. Rubich, Zeno B. Baucus and Timothy Tatarka prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency.
PACER case reference. 21-79.
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San Antonio Man Gets Prison Time for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $345,136.68 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax evasion.
On September 14, 2018, Robert Steven Powell, 68, was found guilty of three counts of tax evasion. According to testimony at trial, Powell was a member of a tax scheme organization that promoted tax evasion. Although Powell earned wages as high as $236,098 per year, he failed to pay income taxes from 2000 to 2013. Powell evaded payment of his federal taxes by submitting false W-4 forms to his employer and claiming he was exempt from federal income tax withholding. Powell also placed a house and recreational vehicle in other names and attempted to conceal his physical address from the IRS by obtaining identification documents from multiple states using false personal residence addresses.
“Millions of Americans faithfully pay their income taxes every year,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Those who dodge paying taxes disproportionately burden their fellow citizens and will face the consequences.”
“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Charlotte Field Office. “Individuals who corruptly violate the law to further their business interests and intentionally evade paying their fair share of taxes undermine public confidence in our tax system.”
The IRS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris prosecuted the case.
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Salvadoran Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A native of El Salvador living illegally in Springfield, Arkansas, was sentenced today in federal court to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 12 kilograms of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Luis Alexander Guzman Calderon, also known as Bryan Jose Pinto Sandoval, was arrested after a high-speed automobile chase in Mobile County during July of 2021 on I-65 in the Saraland area involving several local law enforcement agencies. The chase ended when Guzman Calderon’s vehicle, a Honda Civic, wrecked near Dauphin Street in Mobile. During the pursuit, Calderon, who was the passenger in the vehicle, threw out a black plastic trash bag containing 12 kilograms of methamphetamine. Police recovered the bag and the drugs. The driver of the Honda, Umberto Rosales Mendoza, has also entered a guilty plea to the federal conspiracy charge and will be sentenced on March 7, 2022.
Chief United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 135 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of five years. As a condition of supervision, Guzman Calderon will be delivered to a duly authorized immigration official for deportation consideration. As other conditions of his supervision, Guzman Calderon will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Guzman Calderon pay $100 in special assessments.The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Rapid City Individuals Charged with Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that two Rapid City, South Dakota, people have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Amber Ashlin, age 33, and Eugene Perez, age 42, were indicted on January 20, 2022. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on January 26, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of ten years up to life in federal prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from Ashlin and Perez conspiring with each other and others to distribute methamphetamine in Deadwood and Rapid City between January 2018 and December 2021. Both are previously convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms and were illegally in possession of semi-automatic pistols in September 2021. The charges are merely an accusation and Ashlin and Perez are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), which is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Ashlin and Perez were detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Previously Deported Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 28, 2022, Imer Jose Mejia-Morales, age 33, was sentenced to time served (26 days) of imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release, by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Mejia-Morales pleaded guilty to having illegally reentered the United States sometime after his last removal to Mexico in June 2016. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States again sometime after that time. He was located in the United States on March 30, 2021, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, after a vehicle stop performed by Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is expected he will be removed to Mexico at the completion of his sentence.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joanne M. Sanderson.
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Olean Man Arrested, Charged with Making Interstate ThreatsRead 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 Luke Marshall Wenke, 29, of Olean, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making threats to injure another person in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, on September 3, 2020, an acquaintance of Wenke’s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was arrested and charged federally with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to Hamas. On September 22, 2020, Wenke began sending a series of threatening communications via email and telephone to Victim 1, an attorney representing the individual arrested. The complaint states that Wenke believes that Victim 1 is not appropriately representing the individual. In an email, on January 23, 2022, Wenke stated in part: “I will gladly take a steel chair to your face until I get what I want here. You don't respect me...but you will.” Wenke sent another email on January 24, 2022, which contained a photograph of Victim 1’s residence.
Wenke is being held pending a detention hearing today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia and the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Ohio man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Nathan D. Smith, of Bridgeport, Ohio, has admitted to a methamphetamine charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Smith, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Smith admitted to selling methamphetamine near Golden Towers in Marshall County in March 2021.
Smith faces at least one and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to federal gun and drug crimes he committed while he was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville.
According to court documents, on June 14, 2021, Jacob Benjamin Loper, 20, an inmate at the Western Regional Jail, used recorded jail phone lines to speak with an individual outside of the jail. Loper instructed the individual to go to a residence at Marcum Terrace in Huntington to recover $1500 worth of suboxone that belonged to Loper and was believed to be in the possession of another person. Loper consented to the individual carrying a firearm to retrieve the suboxone. Loper’s associate was unable to retrieve the suboxone from the residence. As Loper’s associate and another individual at the scene were driving away from the residence, a shootout occurred between them and an occupant of the residence. Subsequent to the shooting, Loper communicated via phone with the person believed to be in possession of the suboxone and threatened that if he did not receive his drugs or get paid for them, that shootings would keep happening.
Loper pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute suboxone and conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department and the West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigation Division.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.
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. 3:21-cr-00215.
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North Charles Crips Member Sentenced to 12½ Years for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12½ years (150 months) of imprisonment and six years of supervised release on his conviction of violating the conditions of his supervised release and violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Davee Ward, age 31, formerly of Pittsburgh’s North Side. Ward is a member of a violent gang who call themselves the North Charles Crips.
According to information presented to the court, in 2013, Ward was convicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania of distribution of heroin. In that case, the Court imposed a sentence of 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. The conditions of release included, among other conditions, that the defendant not violate any federal, state or local law.
On July 25, 2016, a search of a vehicle Ward occupied revealed distribution quantities of heroin, $4,100 in cash, and multiple cellular telephones. He was arrested by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. As that conduct constituted a violation of the conditions of his supervised release, the Court issued a warrant for arrest, but, before that arrest warrant was received by the Allegheny County Jail, the defendant had already been released on bond and absconded. It was almost two years before the defendant was arrested again.
Regarding his supervised release violation, which was not contested, the Court imposed a sentence of six months’ imprisonment. For the events of July 25, 2016, the Court imposed a sentence of 144 months to run consecutive with the six-month sentence imposed for the supervised release violation for a total of 150 months’ imprisonment. The Court also imposed six years of supervised release to follow the 144-month sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ward.
North Carolina Man Arrested for Instructing Others on Making and Using ExplosivesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Duplin County man has been charged in an indictment for teaching another individual how to make and use an explosive, knowing that the individual intended to use that instruction in the attempted murder of federal law enforcement, in violation of 18 USC 1114, all in violation of Title 18, USC Sections 842(p)(2)(B) and 844. Christopher Arthur, 38, residing in Mount Olive, North Carolina, was arrested on January 22, 2022, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr., today.
According to court documents, in 2018 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received information that another individual was attempting to organize and recruit for a militia group and was preparing to engage against the United States Government. On May 27, 2020, that individual was stopped by law enforcement in New York and was shot and killed following a two-hour police pursuit and an exchange of gunfire. During the execution of a search warrant on his vehicle, law enforcement located three improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Numerous additional IEDs and firearms were found in the search of his residence along with multiple Tackleberry Solutions tactical instructional manuals which named as the author Christopher Arthur. A review of the individual’s cell phone indicated that he had attended training with Arthur at Tackleberry Solutions in Mount Olive for multiple days in March of 2020.
According to the search warrant affidavit for Arthur’s residence, on March 19, 2021, the FBI covertly requested a free PDF document from Tackleberry Solutions. After a short period of time, an email was received from Arthur indicating that he had to keep parts of the information in the PDF off of the internet since explosives were such a touchy topic. Arthur also gave his phone number and mailing address. Arthur then began communicating via phone regarding the manuals.
On May 5, 2021, Arthur, at Arthur’s residence in Mount Olive, explained how to properly place IEDs through one’s property, the importance of creating a fatal funnel, the setup and use of remote-activated firearms, and how to evade arrest after killing members of law enforcement – all after learning the recipient of the explanation intended to kill federal law enforcement who might come to his home. At the conclusion, Arthur demonstrated how to make components of IEDs, to include tripwire switches and improvised initiators. Once he was finished demonstrating how to make the components, Arthur provided them to the recipient of his training.
Subsequent to Arthur’s arrest, a search warrant was executed at his home. During the search, multiple IEDs, an IED striker plate, an electronic IED trigger and other IED components, a pistol suppressor, bulk gunpowder, and mixed Tannerite explosive were recovered.
“According to these charges, the defendant provided someone with training on explosive devices knowing that person intended to use that information to murder or attempt the murder of law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Michael Easley. “This type of behavior is criminal, it is unacceptable, and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Here in Eastern North Carolina, we will protect the brave men and women of law enforcement who are sworn to protect us. The Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute those whose actions would further violence against those in uniform. Our public servants in law enforcement deserve nothing less.”
"Law enforcement officers are being feloniously killed in the line of duty at an alarming rate. 2021 saw the most officers murdered since the 9/11 attacks. The behavior alleged in this indictment, training someone in methods of how to kill or injure law enforcement, is both serious and frightening," said Robert R. Wells, FBI Special Agent in Charge.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Raleigh Police Department and Cary Police Department are investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
North Carolina Man Arrested After Using Snapchat, Grindr to Solicit Teenagers in Southwest VirginiaRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A North Carolina man was arrested January 24, 2022 on criminal charges related to his alleged solicitation of teenage boys in Southwest Virginia using the social media applications Grindr and Snapchat.
According to court documents, Jonathan Avery Shumate, 53, of Warrensville, North Carolina, used both Snapchat and Grindr to contact two teenage males residing in Grayson County, Virginia, and offered to provide vapes and vaping materials in exchange for the boys sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. After communicating online for several weeks, Shumate offered to bring the teens vaping supplies, which they paid him for with cash. Later, Shumate told the victims they could provide him with nude pictures of themselves instead of cash for the vaping supplies. Shumate also offered to provide oral sex for the juveniles.
“We live in an online world where our children and teens are connected, virtually, to people all over the globe,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “While online safety starts at home, when individuals seek to exploit our youth using the internet and its social media sites, it is the job of the Department of Justice to step in.”
“Without caution and awareness, social media platforms can easily become a catalyst for predatory behavior as demonstrated by Mr. Shumate,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said. “Protecting unsuspecting youth from what could become life-long consequences at the hands of online predators is a responsibility the FBI and our partners take very seriously. If you’ve been victimized, or know of a similar situation occurring, please report it to us at 1-804-261-1044, or online at tips.fbi.gov.”
Shumate is charged with one count of attempting to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a minor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Multiple Individuals Sentenced to Prison as a Result of Joint Federal and State Investigations of Drug Trafficking Organizations in BurlingtonRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – Tristan Davis, of Burlington, was sentenced on January 28, 2022, to over 23 years in prison for his involvement in a drug conspiracy dating back to 2001. He is the last of eight defendants to be sentenced after they were charged in November 2019. Davis, age 36, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Davis was previously found guilty, along with Kendrick Page and Breon Armstrong, of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, which included ice methamphetamine and cocaine base (crack cocaine), after a jury trial in July 2021. At sentencing, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey found Davis possessed a firearm related to his drug trafficking activities and maintained a house in Burlington to store, manufacture and distribute controlled substances. At sentencing, Chief Judge Jarvey described the conspiracy as “a scourge upon Burlington and eastern Iowa.” He went on to say the conspiracy was responsible for “huge quantities of methamphetamine and other controlled substances over a very long period of time.”
Davis was one of eight individuals from Burlington who were charged federally in November 2019, after the execution of numerous federal search warrants in Burlington, and elsewhere.
Others charged, and sentenced, as a part of this drug conspiracy include:
• Kendrick Ramon Page, sentenced to 28 years and 4 months of imprisonment
• Breon Raquon Armstrong, sentenced to 17 ½ years of imprisonment
• Alphonso Edmond, sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment
• Lavelle Harris, sentenced to 21 years and 8 months of imprisonment
• Lamar Harris, sentenced to 17 ½ years of imprisonment
• Frederrick Dewayne Reed, sentenced to 13 years and 4 months imprisonment
• Michael Rees, sentenced to 12 years and 7 months of imprisonmentThese charges stem from an investigation conducted by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including: the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce; Burlington Police Department; Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; West Central Illinois Taskforce; Quincy, Illinois, Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Henry County Sheriff’s Office; Mt. Pleasant Police Department; West Burlington Police Department; Keokuk Police Department; Ft. Madison Police Department; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa City Police Department; Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; North Liberty Police Department; Coralville Police Department; Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office; Louisa County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Bettendorf Police Department; Illinois State Police; Monmouth, Illinois, Police Department; Macomb, Illinois, Police Department; Galesburg, Illinois, Police Department; Adams County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office; and Fulton County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office.
The United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa has prioritized the prosecution of those responsible for drug and violent offenses in Southeast Iowa, to include the Burlington area. “The Department of Justice is committed to continue to collaborate with our state and local partners to address violent crime that threatens safety in communities like Burlington. This investigation, and others like it, demonstrates the continued resolve of our federal, state and local law enforcement officers to hold accountable those who engage in drug trafficking and the act of violence that go with it,” stated United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal.
Most recently, in November 2021, eight men were federally charged with participating in a methamphetamine conspiracy after several federal search warrants were executed at Burlington residences. Those charged in November 2021 include: Clyde Stewart, Jr.; Rudolph Allen; Kendric Childs; Brian Davis, Jr.; Demetrius Goudy; Gregory Johnson; Marcus Johnson; and one other individual who remains at large. The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Since 2019, twenty-two individuals from Burlington have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine in Southeast Iowa.
Others from Burlington who have been recently federally prosecuted include:
John Patrick Auwaerter, sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:18-cr-101
Michael Lee Davis, sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:18-cr-102
Rachel Marie Horn, sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-6
Gerald Victor Terry, sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-19
Pamela Sue Hester, sentenced to 10 years and 10 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-41
Michael Antonio Davison, sentenced to 26 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Norris Davison, sentenced to 15 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Wilbert James Bowers, sentenced to 12 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Justin Harold Love, sentenced to 10 years and 10 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Anthony Collins, sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-46
Charles Lester Warner, sentenced to 12 years and 7 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-87
Lloyd Davenport, sentenced to 21 years and 10 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-91
Allen Julian Fields, Jr., sentenced to 10 years and 1 month of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-117
Terry Lee Douglas III, sentenced to 16 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:20-cr-42Mobile Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 Years for Transporting a Minor from Kentucky for Purposes of Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock sentenced defendant Nathaniel Blancher, 38, to forty years in prison for Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, and Penalties for Registered Sex Offenders. Blancher entered a guilty plea to those offenses on October 28, 2021.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, on May 29, 2021, Nathaniel Blancher, a convicted sex offender, left his home in Mobile and drove to Louisville, Kentucky, and picked up a 14-year-old girl and returned to Mobile with her. When the girl’s parents discovered that she was missing, they immediately contacted law enforcement in Kentucky. Kentucky law enforcement was able to find Blancher’s cell phone number on the Caller ID, and they used that information to track Blancher back to Mobile. Mobile Police Department officers responded to Blancher’s home. Blancher initially denied that the girl was with him, but eventually relented and let officers into his home where they found the girl hiding in the bathroom. The girl was forensically interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Mobile. She admitted that she had sexual intercourse with Blancher, who is 38 years old, in his apartment when they arrived in Mobile. She also admitted to being in an online relationship with Blancher for approximately three years. She reported that Blancher knew she was 14 years old and younger during the course of their relationship. She said that Blancher had previously traveled to Louisville approximately one month earlier, and they had engaged in sex acts at a hotel in Louisville.
Blancher previously had been convicted of Possession of Child Pornography on October 21, 2020. As a result of this conviction, Blancher was required to register as a sex offender. Blancher was on probation for that offense when he traveled to Kentucky to pick up the 14-year-old girl.
The victim and her parents were present at the sentencing hearing and addressed the Court by submitting written letters.
Chief Judge Beaverstock imposed a forty year sentence of incarceration. The judge also ordered Blancher to serve a twenty-five year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge Beaverstock ordered that Blancher pay $10,400 in special assessments. Blancher will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mobile Police Department, and the Louisville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment for Possessing Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Henry Segura, 32, of Memphis has been sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on November 13, 2019, members of the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit conducted a search warrant at a residence where Segura was known to store and distribute narcotics. They found 628 grams of marijuana, 916 grams of methamphetamine, 86.93 grams of cocaine, 107 hydrocodone pills, 37 oxycodone pills, 156 alprazolam pills, 93 fentanyl pills, and two firearms.
On March 4, 2020, while executing an arrest warrant on Segura, members of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office along with the United States Marshals Service recovered an additional 2.63 grams of marijuana and 17.56 grams of cocaine.
In April 2021, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment against Segura charging violations of both the narcotics and gun laws. On October 21, 2021, the defendant pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
On January 27, 2021, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Segura to 144 months in federal prison to be followed by five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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McKees Rocks Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months’ incarceration followed by 10 years’ supervised release on his conviction of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Galen Gray, age 35.
According to information presented to the Court, in and around March 2014, Gray possessed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The government further informed the Court that Gray’s personal cell phone contained evidence of Skype and Kik conversations showing that Gray had engaged in online chats in order to seek and receive child sexual abuse material (child pornography). The government also presented the Court with evidence that Gray had accessed the Internet and child sexual abuse material in August and November 2020 while he was on pretrial release and prohibited from doing so. In imposing sentence, Judge Fischer recognized that Gray’s criminal conduct was egregious and stated that consumers, like Gray, create a market for producers of such material. Judge Fischer read and listened to Impact Statements provided by the victims of Gray’s crime and recognized the never-ending cycle of abuse that victims of child pornography crimes are subjected to as their images are used over and over again on the Internet.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the North Fayette Township Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gray.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
McDowell County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A McDowell County man pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Timothy Edwards, 25, of Yaeger, admitted that from April 2020 through February 2021 he engaged in sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl. During that time frame, he produced multiple videos of himself engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor. He also directed the minor to produce and send sexually explicit videos of herself to him. Edwards additionally caused the minor to engage in live video chats during which she would send video of herself masturbating.
Edwards faces at least 15 and up to 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 West Virginia State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-00186.
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Massachusetts Town Official Indicted for Fraud in Role as Property Manager for a Woonsocket Condominium AssociationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The property manager of a Woonsocket, RI, condominium community was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Providence on five counts of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Cheryl S. Sullivan, 67, a real estate broker, tax preparer, property manager, and the chairperson of the Board of Tax Assessors for the Town of Dedham, MA., was arrested earlier today by FBI agents.
An indictment returned on January 26 and unsealed today alleges that Sullivan, acting in the capacity as a property manager for the River Island Condominium Association, devised a scheme to access Association funds for her own personal use. It is alleged that beginning as early as February 2019, Sullivan used a debit card attached to the association’s checking account to withdraw cash for her own use from ATMs located at the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, MA.
According to information presented to the court, a joint FBI and Plainville Police Department investigation determined that Sullivan allegedly defrauded the Association of approximately $46,500.
Ms. Sullivan pled not guilty and was released on unsecured bond following today’s arraignment.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Tara Hoisington, 34, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to two charges of possessing drugs with intent to distribute, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 20, 2020, a Manchester police officer was surveilling a house that was known to be used for drug activity and observed a vehicle operated by Hoisington leave the location. After stopping the vehicle for a traffic violation, the officer observed a crack pipe on the driver’s seat. Hoisington refused consent to search the vehicle. When the officer told her he would seek a search warrant, she asked for the $10,000 in the trunk that she claimed to be holding for a friend. After the officer denied her request, Hoisington and her passenger walked away from the scene.
Officers later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found $14,293.92, scales, cellphones, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. A data extraction of Hoisington’s cellphone included communications related to drug distribution.
On August 24, 2020, Manchester police officers again stopped Hoisington for a traffic violation. After the stop, Hoisington was arrested on outstanding warrants. After her arrest, Hoisington admitted that drugs were in the car. A search pursuant to a warrant yielded $3,120, packaging materials, cellphones, methamphetamine, and approximately 140 grams of fentanyl. She further admitted to drug distribution activities and confirmed the $14,293.29 that had been previously recovered from her vehicle was the proceeds of drug trafficking.
Hoisington is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2022.
“Drug traffickers continue to threaten public safety in Manchester by seeking to profit from the sale of deadly substances,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Through Operation SOS, we are working closely with the Manchester Police Department to identify and prosecute the criminals who are selling fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in the Queen City. These important enforcement efforts are taking drug dealers off the street and sending the message that those who choose to sell drugs in Manchester will face substantial consequences in federal court.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being 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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