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Monday 31 January 2022
Man Formerly from Cedar Rapids Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Firearm After Multiple Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
A man formerly from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who possessed a gun after three prior felony convictions was sentenced January 27, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.
Patrick Derone James, age 28, now from Conyers, Georgia, received the prison term after a June 16, 2021 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea hearing, James admitted possessing a firearm after being convicted of three felonies, specifically forgery, burglary, and possession of crack cocaine with enhanced penalties. Evidence at previous hearings showed that, on March 21, 2020, James was in a vehicle that had been reported stolen along with an adult female and two minor children in Cedar Rapids. In the vehicle, police officers recovered marijuana and a teal firearm with an obliterated serial number. James admitting possessing the firearm for protection and that he had smoked marijuana in the vehicle earlier in the day.
James was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. James was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
James is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-cr-00049.
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Lynn Woman Indicted for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn woman was arrested today for allegedly stealing over $50,000 in Social Security benefits.
Teresa M. Carrington, 64, was charged with one count of theft of public funds. Carrington was released on conditions following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the indictment, from June 2016 through January 2020, Carrington stole at least $50,210 in Social Security benefits.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and John Cremonini, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kansas Man Facing Federal Charges in Maryland for Making Threats to Harm the President of the United States and United States Secret Service AgentsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint was filed on January 28, 2022, charging Scott Ryan Merryman, age 37, of Independence, Kansas, for federal charges of making threats against the President of the United States and interstate communication containing a threat to harm. Merryman is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 3:45 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Brandon Bridgeforth of the United States Secret Service – Kansas City Field Office.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Merryman has made threats against the President of the United States and several United States Secret Service Agents and traveled from his home in Kansas to Maryland. The affidavit alleges that in a series of telephone calls on January 25 and January 26, 2022, Merryman advised law enforcement officers that he was en route to Washington, D.C. to see the President and that he was going to “cut the head off the snake in the heart of the nation.”
As detailed in the affidavit, during an in-person interview with a Secret Service agent on January 26, 2022, in Hagerstown, Maryland, Merryman allegedly reiterated his plans to travel to Washington, D.C. to “cut the head off the snake in the heart of the nation.” During a consent search of Merryman, the agent found no weapons, but Merryman did have a loaded magazine containing three bullets that he was carrying on his person, and a spotting scope in his backpack.
Later that day, Merryman called the Secret Service agent with whom he had spoken in Kansas and told the agent that he had finished speaking with the agents that the Kansas agent “had sent for him and that they had given him the answer.” He told the Kansas agent that the agents in Hagerstown had told him “not to take the bullets to the White House,” then stated, multiple times, “I’m coming for you b***h.” The affidavit alleges that during the course of the conversation, Merryman also stated, “Well, I have a bullet with your name on it,” among other threats.
The affidavit includes a series of increasingly threatening messages Merryman allegedly posted on social media from January 25, 2022, through January 27, 2022. In addition, the affidavit alleges that Merryman contacted the White House switchboard on January 27, 2022, and made threats against the President, using the same telephone number he used to contact the Kansas Secret Service agent. Merryman allegedly stated the threats to a White House operator and to a Secret Service Special Agent to whom his call was referred.
If convicted, Merryman faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for making threats against the President of the United States and a maximum of five years in federal prison for interstate communication containing threats to harm. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the United States Secret Service Baltimore and Kansas City Field Offices for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Justice Department’s National Security Division for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.
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Jury Convicts Big Cabin Man of Sexual Abuse and StrangulationRead the Press Release
A Big Cabin man was found guilty late Friday for sexually assaulting and strangling a former dating partner, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
The jury convicted Christopher Michael Guinn, 23, of aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country and of assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and attempting to strangle in Indian Country.
“Violent acts of sexual and physical abuse such as those committed in this case will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Christopher Guinn preyed on this victim and has now been held accountable by a jury of his peers.”
"The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable for threatening the safety of the communities we serve throughout the state of Oklahoma," said Edward J. Gray, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office.
At trial, the United States alleged that in the early morning hours of March 17, 2019, Guinn sexually assaulted and strangled a former dating partner. During the assault, Guinn held the victim down and grabbed her around the neck. Guinn applied varying degrees of pressure to the victim’s neck and at several points, left the victim gasping for air. The victim testified that Guinn threatened her by saying that if she and her children did not move back in with him, he would find them. He also told her that if she reported the sexual assault, he would come to her mother’s house while the victim was sleeping and rape the victim again. She also believed that Guinn had a gun under the mattress.
After Guinn fell asleep, the victim fled and contacted law enforcement. Deputies with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office responded and met the victim at the hospital. They documented the victim’s injuries and interviewed her. The Tulsa Police Department conducted a SANE exam.
When interviewed by law enforcement, the defendant stated the incident was not rape but consensual sex and theorized the victim was lying because she was jealous of him being with another woman at a party.
The United States showed Guinn had a history of exerting control over women and sexually assaulting them. Two additional women who previously dated Guinn testified about similar assaults they endured by the defendant. They also testified that Guinn physically abused them and isolated them from friends and family. Both had protective orders against the defendant.
In closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Gilmore said both the victim and defendant revealed who they were by their actions. She reminded the jury the victim reported the crime, filed for a protective order, and consistently and repeatedly shared details to both state and federal authorities. Gilmore said the defendant also revealed who he was by his history with women. She said the evidence showed Guinn was controlling, isolating, and took what he wanted despite being told “no.”
The jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts.
The FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Wright and Gina S. Gilmore are prosecuting the case.
Illinois woman sentenced for to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joanna Masias, of Cicero, Illinois, was sentenced today to 30 months of incarceration for attempting to smuggle suboxone into FCI Gilmer in Glenville, West Virginia, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Masias, 37, pled guilty in January 2021 to one count of “Attempt to Introduce a Prohibited Object (Narcotic).” Masias admitted to working with two inmates at the facility to attempt to smuggle suboxone into FCI Gilmer in April 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
High Court of Scotland Denies Appeal of Child Kidnapping FugitivesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The High Court of Justiciary in Scotland has denied the appeal of three individuals and determined there is no bar to their extradition back to the United States to stand trial for an alleged attempted violent kidnapping they planned and attempted in July 2018 in the Western District of Virginia. Further appeals of extradition are possible.
In early August 2018, Valerie Perfect Hayes, 41, Gary Blake Reburn, 58, and Jennifer Lynn Amnott, 36, fled to the United Kingdom after the attempted kidnapping of five children in a Mennonite Community within Dayton, Virginia, and have repeatedly sought to block their extradition back to the United States based on the severity of the mandatory life sentence each would receive if convicted.
“I am grateful to see the extradition process proceeding,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This community was shocked when these events occurred and the underlying plot was uncovered. Although we expect further appeals, the Department of Justice will never stop working to bring those charged back to the United States to face justice.”
Hayes, Reburn, and Jennifer Amnott are charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping involving children, conspiracy to kill witnesses with the intent to prevent communication with law enforcement, kidnapping, attempting kidnapping, attempted killing of a witness, and various firearms offenses.
Jennifer Amnott’s husband, Frank Jesse Amnott, pleaded guilty in December 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit the offense of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to kill witnesses, and one count of brandishing, carrying, and using a firearm in commission of a federal crime of violence.
According to court documents, in 2014, Frank and Jennifer Amnott befriended Hayes, who consistently claimed to the Amnotts, and others, that she worked for the U.S. government and that her work included services for the intelligence community or other clandestine organizations.
In July 2018, the Amnotts were living in Florida when they were contacted by Hayes, who was living with her boyfriend, Gary Reburn, in Maryland. Hayes told the Amnotts that three of her children had been kidnapped and were in the custody of two separate Mennonite families in Dayton, Virginia. Hayes asked the Amnotts for assistance in recovering these children, as well as two additional children. Hayes knew the Amnotts could not conceive their own children and promised that if they helped Hayes kidnap the children, the Amnotts could keep one of the other children as their own.
Hayes, Reburn, and the Amnotts devised a plan to travel from Maryland to Dayton, Virginia to kidnap the children from two separate homes. To effectuate the kidnapping, the conspirators planned to kill the parents of the children. According to the plan, Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott would enter the first house and hold the parents at gunpoint. After the two children were secured by Hayes, Reburn and Frank Amnott would then murder the parents. Next, they planned to drive to the second house, force entry, and perform a similar execution. In planning to kill the parents at both houses, the conspirators sought to eliminate witnesses to the abductions. Afterwards, all of the children would be taken from Virginia to Maryland, and the Amnotts would return to Florida with the child promised to them by Hayes.
All five children to be kidnapped were younger than eight years old.
On the evening of July 29, 2018, the conspirators put their plan into action. Jennifer Amnott remained in Maryland watching Hayes’ other children, but remained in contact, receiving updates from Virginia. Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott waited until nightfall, at which time they drove to the first house. There, a husband and wife were preparing to retire for the evening while their two young children were already asleep.
Hayes approached the door, disguised in clothing to appear as a Mennonite. After the father opened the door, the group forced their way inside and held him at gunpoint. With the father subdued, Hayes began to look for his wife and the two children. Unbeknownst to Hayes, Reburn, and Amnott, when they forced their way into the home, the mother had grabbed a cordless phone and ran outside of the house, hiding in a cornfield near the home. She dialed 9-1-1 to report the incident and a deputy with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office was immediately dispatched.
Inside the home, Amnott and Reburn took the father – at gunpoint – to the basement, where they bound his wrists together behind his back. Reburn went upstairs as Amnott stayed and held him at gunpoint.
Shortly after the 9-1-1 call, a deputy with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene. The deputy entered the house and located the children, who were unharmed and still in their bedroom. The deputy proceeded to the basement where he encountered Frank Amnott, holding the father at gunpoint. Amnott was taken into custody without incident.
Because their planned abduction and murders at the first house had been thwarted, the conspirators did not make their way to the second house as planned. Instead, Hayes and Reburn returned to Maryland where they reunited with Jennifer Amnott, and thereafter escaped to Scotland.
The investigation of the case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs is providing significant support. United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh and Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Jones are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brandon Harris, age 29, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 28, 2022, to 192 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for robbery and weapons offenses.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Brandon Harris pled guilty to conspiring with four other individuals to commit a total of six armed robberies. During a three-hour period on Saturday night, April 6, 2019, Harris and/or his co-conspirators wore masks and brandished guns, including an assault rifle, to rob five establishments in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Harris also pled guilty to conspiring to rob, at gun point, a Rite Aid pharmacy in Harrisburg, on Monday, April 8, 2019.
His codefendant, David Rinehardt, age 21, of Statesville, North Carolina, also pled guilty to conspiring to commit the robberies and was sentenced to 111 months in prison.
Childes Neely, age 30, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to the April 6th robberies, as well Rite Aid pharmacy robbery. Kendrick Groover-Floyd, age 32, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to robbing the Rite Aid. They are awaiting sentencing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation brought this case in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
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Gold Beach Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Gold Beach, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Timothy Shaw Lair, 38, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in July 2019, investigators from McMinnville Police Department notified the FBI after discovering an internet protocol (IP) address in Gold Beach that had accessed and downloaded child pornography. In November 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant on the residence associated with the IP address and discovered child pornography on a computer in Lair’s rented bedroom. A forensic examination of Lair’s digital devices revealed dozens of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
On December 4, 2019, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Lair with receipt and possession of child pornography and, on August 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to both charges.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the McMinnville Police Department and Curry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith R. Harper prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty in Connection with Acadia National Park Triple Vehicular FatalityRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Indian national man pleaded guilty in federal court today to three counts of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence (OUI), and one count of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee.
According to court records, in the early morning hours of August 31, 2019, Praneeth Manubolu, 30, then living in New Jersey on a student visa, was the driver in a motor vehicle crash on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park that injured him and killed his three passengers. Subsequent investigation revealed that Manubolu had been drinking earlier in the evening. His blood alcohol content was determined to be .095% approximately 90 minutes after the crash with the legal limit being .08%. The investigation also revealed that Manubolu’s car was traveling 76 mph approximately three seconds before impact. The speed limit on the section of Park Loop Road where the crash occurred was 25 mph.
On each manslaughter count, Manubolu faces not more than eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. On each of the two OUI counts and the unsafe operation count, Manubolu faces up to six months in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The National Park Service and the Bar Harbor Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of Maine State Police and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
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Felon in Possession of Ammunition Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Bay Minette, Alabama, man was sentenced on January 24, 2022, to 25 months in prison for his illegal possession of ammunition after a prior federal conviction for being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Cornelius Jeremiah Pruitt, 26, was convicted in federal court in 2019 for being a drug user in possession of firearms. Pruitt had been released from custody and was serving a three-year term of supervised release when the United States probation officer assigned to supervise Pruitt discovered that he was illegally in possession of ammunition. Pruitt was indicted on the new federal charge of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and he pled guilty to that charge in October of 2021.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 25-month sentence, which consisted of 15 months on the new charge to run consecutively to 10 months imprisonment for the violation of his supervised release conditions. As conditions of his supervision, Pruitt 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 Pruitt pay $100 in special assessments. The ammunition Pruitt illegally possessed was ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Felon Indicted on Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ORONDE GABRIEL, age 37 of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on January 28, 2022 in a single count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, GABRIEL was previously convicted in federal court for conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm. Being a felon, GABRIEL is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He is charged with having a Taurus model G2C, nine-millimeter handgun on September 27, 2021. If convicted of this offense, GABRIEL faces a maximum term of up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
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Felon Indicted for Shooting During Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DANTE FRAZIER, age 42, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on January 28, 2022 in a three-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and Federal Controlled Substances Act. Specifically, he is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2); discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii); and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, FRAZIER was previously convicted of drug trafficking in St. Bernard Parish and armed robbery in Orleans Parish. Due to his criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. He is now charged with possessing a Mossberg International model 715P, .22 caliber handgun and discharging it in furtherance of narcotics violations on November 6, 2021. He is further alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, as well as fentanyl and cocaine base or “crack.”
If convicted of possession with intent to distribute the methamphetamine, FRAZIER faces a minimum of five (5) years and a maximum of up to forty (40) years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000.00 fine, at least four (4) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base or fentanyl, he faces a maximum of up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, he faces a minimum of ten (10) years and up to a maximum of up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, he faces a maximum of up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
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Erie Woman Admits Taking Her Deceased Father's Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of theft of government property, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Loraleigh Helen Barber, 51, Erie, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from January 1, 2007 through August 2, 2019, Barber received $127,636 in Old Age, Survivor’s Disability Insurance benefits from the United States Social Security Administration, to which she knew she was not entitled. Ms. Barber had served as a representative payee for her father and after he died in December of 2006, yet she never advised the Social Security Administration and kept on receiving and spending the benefits intended for her father.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Barber on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barber.
Downtown Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Credit Cards He Used at Luxury Retail ShopsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained American Express credit cards and then used the cards to purchase more than a half million dollars in goods at luxury stores.
Trace Jevon Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Million Dollar,” a transient living in downtown Los Angeles when he was arrested in 2019, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $521,128 in restitution to American Express.
Jones pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
From at least November 2016 to July 2018, Jones masterminded a scheme to fraudulently obtain and use American Express credit cards for unauthorized purchases at high-end retail stores. To carry out his scheme, Jones enlisted co-conspirators, and obtained the credit card information and other personal identifying information of true American Express account holders.
Jones and his co-conspirators then used this information to convince American Express to send out replacement credit cards in the victims’ names. Jones and his co-conspirators then used the fraudulently obtained credit cards to make purchases at luxury stores such as Barneys, Goyard and Gucci in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa. There, Jones and other conspirators used victims’ stolen information to obtain luxury bags, shoes, jewelry, and other goods.
“This was not a one-time event or an isolated lapse of judgment,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Jones] participated in this scheme at least as early as November 2016, and then coordinated numerous purchases with five coconspirators between May and July 2018, many of whom he recruited. Further, while the ultimate victim here was American Express (because it reimbursed the individual victims), stealing and misusing victims’ PII and account information is a serious nationwide problem that can have lasting impact on individual victims.”
Four other defendants have been sentenced in this case. Terry Ellis Jr., 40, of Chino, and Davion Raymone Ellis, 32, of Eastvale, are serving federal prison sentences of two years and three years, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges in this case. Cherelle Daire Beal, 31, of Eastvale, and Miranda Clare Hensley, 31, of Las Vegas, were given credit for time served and were ordered to serve three years of supervised release. An additional defendant, Jonathan Randall Ross, 33, of Canoga Park, is scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Matthew J. Rosenbaum of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section, Assistant United States Attorney Jeremiah Levine of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Detroit man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Patrick Collins, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Collins, 31, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Collins admitted to working with others to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and heroin from the summer of 2020 to October 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Department of Justice Issues Statement Concerning Ronald Greene InvestigationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr., release the following statement in connection with the Ronald Greene investigation:
“The Department of Justice has an open and ongoing criminal investigation into the incident that resulted in the death of Ronald Greene. The investigation is being handled by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with career prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The investigation has been comprehensive and those conducting the investigation have followed all credible leads. If the investigation reveals prosecutable violations of any federal criminal statutes, the Department will take appropriate action. While the investigation continues, recent reporting citing sources suggesting that the FBI has questioned people about the awareness of certain facts by Governor John Bel Edwards is inaccurate.”
Culloden Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Travis Lee Hanshaw, 49, of Culloden, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on June 15, 2018, Hanshaw sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. The transaction took place at Hanshaw’s residence in Culloden.
Hanshaw faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams 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. 3:19-cr-00198.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and CoercionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Henry Lee White, III (27, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and to possessing ammunition as a convicted a felon. White faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 to January 2021, White forced and coerced Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex throughout the Middle District of Florida and Georgia. He used threats of violence and physical violence to control Victim 1, who was 20 years old. For example, in or around September 2020, White took Victim 1 to an “outcall” at an unknown apartment complex. White became upset because he thought Victim 1 was being deceptive about where she was going and used his revolver to beat Victim 1. He then removed four of the five bullets from the revolver and played Russian Roulette with Victim 1 while holding the gun to her head and pulling the trigger. Victim 1 stated White did this about six or seven times. He then threw Victim 1’s phone at her face, causing a laceration on the center of her forehead.
Ultimately, Victim 1 reached out to law enforcement and a local non-governmental organization for assistance. Law enforcement officers recovered Victim 1 during a joint undercover operation on January 7, 2021. At the time Victim 1 was recovered by law enforcement officers, she had an injury on her left knee that she sustained after White had thrown her to the ground in a hotel.
At the time of his arrest, White was in possession of a chrome and burgundy semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. The firearm had one round in the chamber and several live rounds in the magazine. White knew that he had previously been convicted of several felonies and was not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
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.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida, which is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Task Force is a collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents working together with organizations to detect, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. More information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Connecticut Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 31, 2022, Tirrell Adams, 36, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced in United States District Court to serve 37 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Adams to serve a three (3) year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, Adams agreed to meet with an undercover special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives so Adams could sell to the undercover special agent cocaine base and fentanyl for $5,500. On May 10, 2021, when Adams showed up at the meet location in Northfield, Vermont he was taken into custody. Law enforcement searched Adams incident to arrest and discovered what was later determined to be 90.9 grams of cocaine base and 16.6 grams of fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Rutland Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Vermont Drug Task Force in the collaborative investigation and prosecution of Adams.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Adams. Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth represented Adams.
Clarksburg woman sentenced for carjacking chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Courtney M. Oliverio, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 121 months of incarceration for a carjacking charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Oliverio, 40, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one count of “Carjacking.” On June 3, 2020, Oliverio assisted another in attempting to take a motorcycle from a property in Shinnston, West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Shinnston Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/clarksburg-residents-indicted-carjacking-and-firearms-charges
Cherokee, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to Four Years for Abusive Sexual Contact of A Minor in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Forrest Cole Stamper, 28, of Cherokee, N.C., and an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. also ordered Stamper to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Joining U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement is Chief Josh Taylor of the Cherokee Indian Police Department.
Stamper pleaded guilty to the charge on December 1, 2021. According to plea documents and information presented in court, Stamper admitted that on September 6, 2020, he knowingly engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a minor victim who was under the age of 12 at the time of the offense. Stamper admitted to touching the minor, who is also an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, on the minor’s groin and inner thigh. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Cogburn imposed on Stamper the statutory maximum penalty for the offense.
Stamper is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
Cardinal Health Agrees to Pay More than $13 Million to Resolve Allegations that it Paid Kickbacks to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Ohio-based pharmaceutical distributor, Cardinal Health, Inc., has agreed to pay $13,125,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying “upfront discounts” to its physician practice customers, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical distributors from offering or paying any compensation to induce physicians to purchase drugs for use on Medicare patients. When a pharmaceutical distributor sells drugs to a physician practice for administration in an outpatient setting, the distributor may legally offer commercially available discounts to its customers under certain circumstances permitted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). HHS-OIG has advised that upfront discount arrangements present significant kickback concerns unless they are tied to specific purchases and that distributors maintain appropriate controls to ensure that discounts are clawed back if the purchaser ultimately does not purchase enough product to earn the discount. According to facts that the company has acknowledged in the settlement agreement, Cardinal Health, Inc. failed to meet these requirements because the upfront discounts it provided to its customers were not attributable to identifiable sales or were purported rebates which Cardinal Health’s customers had not actually earned.
“Cardinal Health recruited new customers by offering and paying cash bonuses in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act. Kickback schemes, such as this one, have the potential to pervert clinical decision-making and are detrimental to our federal health care system and taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We commend Cardinal Health for resolving this matter cooperatively.”
“Pharmaceutical distributors are expected to play by the rules and not engage in illegal arrangements,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate kickback schemes that threaten the integrity of our federal health care system, no matter how those schemes are disguised.”
“Cardinal Health thought it hit upon a surefire moneymaker by paying kickbacks to doctors, which cost health benefit programs millions of dollars in potentially fraudulent claims,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Anyone involved in, or entertaining, similar activity should know that health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will pursue anyone trying to profit from this country’s vital health care system.”
The False Claims Act settlements resolve allegations originally brought in lawsuits filed by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relators will receive approximately $2.6 million of the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, HHS-OIG SAC Coyne and Boston FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Lindsey Ross of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
Candia Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Raymond Ted Estes, 56, of Candia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2019, a Federal Bureau of Investigation undercover agent logged into a website known to be involved in the sexual exploitation of minors. Through the investigation, agents identified the defendant as one administrator for the website and determined that the defendant distributed child sexual abuse images to the undercover agent and others. Following additional investigation, on June 5, 2019, agents executed a federal search warrant for Estes’ residence. After agreeing to speak to agents, Estes admitted to uploading and downloading images of child sexual abuse material and that the images were on his phone and his gaming computer. In total, approximately 22,000 images/videos of child sexual exploitation were located on the defendant’s devices, from which 1207 images and 75 videos of known victims of child sexual exploitation were identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“By possessing thousands of child exploitation images and distributing them online, this defendant perpetuated the abuse of the children who appeared in these horrific images,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “This substantial prison sentence demonstrates that these crimes are unacceptable. We will continue to work closely with the FBI and all our law enforcement partners to protect children from exploitation and pursue federal prosecutions of those who possess or distribute child sexual abuse material.”
"Sadly, online predators like Raymond Estes who exploit children are becoming too common. Today’s sentence should make it crystal clear that there is nowhere in cyberspace they can escape justice,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is grateful for our collaborative partnerships across the state, and in this case the Candia Police Department, as we continue to combat crimes against New Hampshire’s youth.”
Estes previously pleaded guilty on October 25, 2021. He was also ordered to pay $26,000 in restitution and to forfeit computer media. Once his sentence is completed, Estes will be under supervised release for five years.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Candia Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Le. The forfeiture portion of the matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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California Methamphetamine Trafficker Receives More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Rotiha Chan, 38, of Stockton California, was sentenced on Friday, January 28, to 136 months in prison for Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of a substance containing Methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams or more of a substance containing Methamphetamine.
According to court documents and other evidence presented in court, the United States Postal Service seized one pound of methamphetamine that Chan had sent to Rocky Run Road in New Bern from Stockton, California on December 2, 2019. A second package was seized by law enforcement nine days later. This package contained another pound of methamphetamine and this time it was addressed to Harbourside Drive in New Bern.
On March 3, 2020, an undercover ATF agent ordered methamphetamine from Chan. Several days later, ATF recieved two packages from Chan which contained approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine. However, the undercover agent contacted Chan and claimed that the packages had been seized by law enforcement and ordered another pound of methamphetamine. As a result, Chan sent two more packages which contained more than 400 grams of methamphetamine.
On April 3, 2020, DEA agents encountered Chan and two others at the Columbus, Ohio airport and seized more than $70,000.00.
On April 15, 2020, ATF purchased another 800 grams of methamphetamine from Chan. Chan sent the methamphetamine in two packages to Eastern North Carolina. Chan was arrested on January 26, 2021, by ATF agents in Stockton, California,
The investigation uncovered that Chan was distributing kilograms amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana to New Jersey, Ohio, and North Carolina.
This is part of operation “Fighting Jelly Fish” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Kinston Police Department and the Homeland Security Investigations-Stockton, California investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-00002-M.
Bucksport Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bucksport man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced William Meier, 57, to 11 years and three months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $86,500 in restitution. Meier pleaded guilty on March 1, 2021.
According to court records, Meier possessed electronic devices containing child exploitation material. The electronics, including a cell phone and a computer with associated drives, were seized from his home on June 13, 2020. Some of the material Meier possessed depicted children under the age of 12.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock told the defendant, “This is not only a crime against individual children. This is a crime against childhood itself and the innocence of childhood.”
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bucksport Police Department, and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, file a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
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Bristol Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Role in Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia man, was sentenced on January 21, 2022 to nineteen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and for using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, Robert Wayne Haislip, a.k.a. Roberto Fabian DeJesus, 49, and others trafficked methamphetamine from sources in Atlanta to various locations in Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, including Smyth County.
Previously, co-defendants Jayson William Firestone, 33, and Matthew Cody Mullins, 26, both of Saltville, Virginia, were sentenced to ten years (for Firestone) and nine years (for Mullins) in prison for distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Brittany Cornelia Hale, 32, of Bassett, Virginia, was also sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, the defendants were traveling in a vehicle in Eastern Tennessee enroute to Southwest Virginia when law enforcement executed a traffic stop. Inside the vehicle, officers found approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns, scales, and eight cellphones. The defendants admitted to investigators that they made twice-weekly trips to Atlanta and brought back three kilograms of methamphetamine per trip for redistribution in Virginia.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh announced the sentence today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Division, the Virginia State Police, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Tennessee 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force, the Smyth County and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Bristol, Virginia Police Department investigated the case.
Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Roy Evans prosecuted the case.
Bluefield Man Admits Distributing Pound of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Eric Lee Flack, 43, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, Flack admitted that on July 28, 2020 he sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine for $5,600 to an undercover informant working with law enforcement. Flack also admitted to selling quantities of hydromorphone to the same undercover informant on two separate occasions in September and November 2020 receiving approximately $3,500 for each transaction. Each drug transaction occurred in Bluefield, West Virginia.
Flack pleaded guilty to distribution of more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and faces at least five years and up to 40 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 Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the Bluefield Police Department and the Princeton Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess 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. 1:21-cr-00255.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
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, 34 U.S.C. § 20711(a).
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, 34 U.S.C. § 20711(d).
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Alabama Man Admits Trafficking Woman for SexRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Alabama pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to charges of sex trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Anthony Juskowich, age 23, who was residing in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty on January 28, 2022, to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
“The defendant’s plea comes following 19 months of diligent work by our Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now) team and marks the first conviction in western Pennsylvania of an individual for the sex trafficking of an adult,” said U.S. Attorney Chung. “I note that this is also National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time set aside to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this horrific crime.”
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that from January 2020 through May 2020, Juskowich knowingly conspired to commit sex trafficking, using force, threats of force, fraud or coercion, on an adult female, A.H., to cause her to engage in commercial sex acts. Additionally, Juskowich pled guilty to knowingly attempting to commit sex trafficking, of the same female, between May 13, 2020, and May 14, 2020.
The Court was further informed that on May 13, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted an undercover operation, posing as a commercial sex buyer, during which time Juskowich arranged the “date”, or commercial sexual activity, to occur at a hotel in Moon Township with A.H. The next day, May 14, law enforcement entered the hotel room and identified themselves as law enforcement, rescuing A.H. from her trafficker, Juskowich.
Juskowich was arrested on the same day, by the Pittsburgh Police, for an outstanding warrant. He told the FBI and Pittsburgh Police that A.H. engages in sex work for money. Juskowich further described his role as driving A.H. from hotel to hotel and keeps the money A.H. made in a safe at their apartment. Juskowich further touted that A.H. makes $10,000 a month working for him and pointed out that he was wearing a $700 Louis Vuitton belt that he purchased with money A.H. made.
Text messages between A.H. and Juskowich raised numerous red flags to investigators working the case, revealing ongoing sex trafficking. For instance, Juskowich required A.H. to make $500 a day and set weekly quotas, telling A.H. that she could not come home without meeting the quota. Hotel records confirmed that from March 5, 2020, through May 15, 2020, Juskowich rented rooms, in A.H.’s name, on approximately 25 separate occasions, in the Moon Township area.
Investigators determined that Juskowich had been grooming A.H. since December of 2019, when the two met in Alabama. After a few failed attempts at expanding his sex trafficking business in Alabama and Georgia, Juskowich convinced A.H, who had never traveled outside of the south, to travel with him to Pittsburgh, where he claimed to know the commercial sex scene. Juskowich coerced and forced A.H. to engage in commercial sex acts based upon the false promise of working towards a legitimate future income source, purportedly by using A.H.’s earnings to purchase and run a fast-food franchise. Juskowich further acknowledged, at the change of plea hearing, that he used physical force and threats of force against A.H. and controlled everything that she did, compelling her to engage in commercial sex acts.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered the defendant remained detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics Division, and the Moon Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Juskowich.
This prosecution is part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now), the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania’s coalition to end human trafficking. Operation
T.E.N. serves as an umbrella coalition for law enforcement, community and non-profit partners in the 25 counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This coordinated effort aims to end human trafficking through education and improved cooperation, thereby enhancing the office’s ability to empower victims of human trafficking to become thriving survivors.After More Than 30 Years with the Department of Justice, United States Attorney Sean R. Berry Announces RetirementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean R. Berry of the Northern District of Iowa has announced his retirement effective January 31, 2022. After Mr. Berry’s departure, Tim Duax, currently First Assistant United States Attorney and Branch Chief of the District’s Sioux City office, will serve as Acting United States Attorney.
Mr. Berry, a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker Law School and the University of Notre Dame, began his career as a federal prosecutor in 1989 when he joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. During his time in Los Angeles, Mr. Berry prosecuted numerous complex white-collar cases and served as the Chief of the Major Frauds Section. After a decade in Los Angeles, Mr. Berry moved to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa. Over the next twenty years, Mr. Berry continued to prosecute the most complex fraud cases and child exploitation cases. Mr. Berry served in numerous leadership roles in the office, including serving as Criminal Chief and First Assistant United States Attorney. Mr. Berry also served as Acting United States Attorney and United States Attorney on multiple occasions when there was no presidentially appointed United States Attorney in the District.
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve in the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Iowa and the Central District of California. Representing the United States for more than 30 years has been a great honor,” Berry said. “It has been a particular privilege to work with the extraordinary attorneys and staff in the Northern District of Iowa. Their deep commitment to the Department of Justice’s mission is demonstrated in everything they do. Of course, all of our work is made possible by our fantastic federal, state, and local law enforcement and agency partners who dedicate their lives and often risk their personal safety to make our communities better and safer.”
Accounts Payable Clerk Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An accounts payable clerk previously employed at a Providence small business today admitted in federal court that he engaged in a scheme to defraud the business by misappropriating more than $300,000 for his personal use, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Grant Devillez, 38, of Dayville, Conn., charged by indictment with ten counts of wire fraud, pled guilty to all charges. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
In pleading guilty, Mr. Devillez admitted that from at least February 2016 through July 2018, he engaged in a scheme to defraud Décor Craft, Inc., of approximately $302,000, by misappropriating funds from the business’ bank accounts and transferring those funds to his own personal bank accounts, to his creditors to pay personal bills, and to the bank account of another person in Massachusetts.
Mr. Devillez admitted that he was given access to the Décor Craft, Inc. bank account to make authorized payments to vendors. He admitted that, instead of making those payments, he would either make a partial payment to the vendors, or no payment at all, and would transfer the remaining funds for his own use. Afterwards, he altered company records to reflect that full payment had been made to vendors.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on April 29, 2022.
Wire fraud is punishable by statutory maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of twice the gross/gain loss, and 3 years’ supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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Saturday 29 January 2022
Former Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer Convicted of Federal Civil Rights OffensesRead the Press Release
Former law enforcement officer Anthony “Tony” Bean was found guilty by a federal court today of violating two arrestees’ civil rights by using excessive force against them. Tony Bean, 61, was convicted following a trial in Chattanooga for using excessive force against two arrestees while he was a law enforcement officer.
Bean was convicted of using excessive force against arrestee C.G. on two occasions during C.G.’s arrest in 2014, while Bean was the Chief of the Tracy City Police Department in Tracy City, Tennessee, and of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during F.M.’s arrest in 2017, while Bean was the Chief Deputy of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office in Grundy County, Tennessee. Bean’s co-defendant, T.J. Bean, faced a single charge at trial and was acquitted of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during the same arrest in 2017.
In June 2021, the court heard evidence over the course of three days that showed that, during C.G.’s arrest in the Tracy Lakes area of Grundy County in 2014, Tony Bean repeatedly punched C.G. in the face while C.G. was handcuffed and compliant, causing C.G. pain and other injuries. The court also heard evidence that, during F.M.’s arrest in Grundy County in 2017, Tony Bean punched F.M. in the face while F.M. was compliant, causing pain and other injuries. In addition, the court heard evidence that Tony Bean bragged about using excessive force against his victims and failed to report his uses of force.
“Every person in our nation has the right to be free from unlawful abuse by police officers, including the use of excessive force during an arrest,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict makes clear that law enforcement officials who use unlawful force are not above the law. We will not stand idly by in the face of criminal misconduct by law enforcement officials in any part of the country.”
“Tony Bean held a position of public trust, and he willfully violated that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “This violation diminishes the tremendous work performed by law enforcement every day. Our office is committed to ensuring the protection of every person’s civil rights.”
“Civil Rights violations are always of great concern, particularly when an officer betrays the oath to protect and serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Knoxville Division. “The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve. When that trust is violated, the law enforcement community is tarnished, and the community’s confidence is broken.”
Tony Bean’s sentencing has been set for June. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment on each of the three counts of conviction.
This case was investigated by the Knoxville Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kathryn E. Gilbert and Andrew Manns of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Brooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Former Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer Convicted of Federal Civil Rights OffensesRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. On January 28, 2022, Anthony “Tony” Bean, 61, of Chattanooga, was found guilty of federal civil rights offenses by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
According to court documents, Tony Bean was convicted following a bench trial for using excessive force against two arrestees while he was a law enforcement officer. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee Francis M. Hamilton III, and FBI Knoxville Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico made the announcement of Tony Bean’s conviction.
While acting as the Chief of the Tracy City Police Department in Tracy City, Tennessee, Tony Bean used excessive force against arrestee C.G. on two occasions during C.G.’s arrest in 2014. Furthermore, Tony Bean used excessive force against a second arrestee during F.M.’s arrest when Tony Bean was the Chief Deputy of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office, in Grundy County, Tennessee. Tony Bean’s co-defendant, T.J. Bean, faced a single charge at trial and was acquitted of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during the same arrest in 2017. Evidence presented at trial in June 2021, over the course of three days, showed that Tony Bean was guilty of federal civil rights offenses.
“Every person in our nation has the right to be free from unlawful abuse by police officers, including the use of excessive force during an arrest,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict makes clear that law enforcement officials who use unlawful force are not above the law. We will not stand idly by in the face of criminal misconduct by law enforcement officials in any part of the country.”
“Tony Bean held a position of public trust, and he willfully violated that trust. This violation diminishes the tremendous work performed by law enforcement every day. Our office is committed to ensuring the protection of every person’s civil rights,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.
“Civil Rights violations are always of great concern, particularly when an officer betrays the oath to protect and serve. The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve. When that trust is violated, the law enforcement community is tarnished, and the community’s confidence is broken,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico.
Bean’s sentencing has been set for June 24, 2022. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment on each of the three counts of conviction.
This case was investigated by the Knoxville Division of the FBI.
Assistant United States Attorney James Brooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Kathryn E. Gilbert and Andrew Manns of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division represented the United States.
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American Woman Who Led ISIS Battalion Charged with Providing Material Support to a Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint filed in 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which is now unsealed, alleges that Allison Fluke-Ekren, a United States citizen, organized and led an all-female military battalion on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and charges Fluke-Ekren with providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Fluke-Ekren was previously apprehended in Syria and transferred into the custody of the FBI yesterday, at which point she was first brought to the Eastern District of Virginia. She is expected to have her initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Alexandria on Monday at 2:00 p.m.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, Allison Elizabeth Fluke-Ekren, aka “Allison Elizabeth Brooks,” aka “Allison Ekren,” aka “Umm Mohammed al-Amriki,” aka “Umm Mohammed,” and aka “Umm Jabril,” 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled to Syria several years ago for the purpose of committing or supporting terrorism. Since her departure from the United States, Fluke-Ekren has allegedly been involved with a number of terrorism-related activities on behalf of ISIS from at least 2014. These activities allegedly include, but are not limited to, planning and recruiting operatives for a potential future attack on a college campus inside the United States and serving as the appointed leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, in order to train women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts. Additionally, Fluke-Ekren allegedly provided ISIS and ISIS members with services, which included providing lodging, translating speeches made by ISIS leaders, training children on the use of AK-47 assault rifles and suicide belts and teaching extremist ISIS doctrine.
The complaint details the eyewitness observations of six separate individuals who collectively observed Fluke-Ekren’s alleged terrorist conduct from at least 2014 through approximately 2017. For example, Fluke-Ekren allegedly told a witness about her desire to conduct an attack in the United States. To conduct the attack, Fluke-Ekren allegedly explained that she could go to a shopping mall in the United States, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure, and detonate the explosives in the vehicle with a cell phone triggering device. Fluke-Ekren allegedly considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. As alleged by the same witness, Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack occurred on United States soil instead.
The complaint further describes Fluke-Ekren’s alleged leadership role in the Khatiba Nusaybah. According to a witness, in or about late 2016, the “Wali” (or ISIS-appointed mayor) of Raqqa, Syria, allegedly permitted the opening of the “Khatiba Nusaybah,” which was a military battalion comprised solely of female ISIS members who were married to male ISIS fighters. Shortly thereafter, Fluke-Ekren allegedly became the leader and organizer of the battalion. Fluke-Ekren’s alleged main objective in this role was to teach the women of ISIS how to defend themselves against ISIS’ enemies. According to another witness, ISIS allegedly mandated women who were staying in Raqqa during the 2017 siege to attend the training. The siege was launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against ISIS with an aim to seize Raqqa, the former de facto capital of ISIS in Syria. The battle began on or about June 6, 2017 and concluded on or about Oct. 17, 2017, at which point the SDF regained controlled of Raqqa.
The members of Khatiba Nusaybah were allegedly instructed on physical training, medical training, Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) driving courses, religious classes and how to pack and prep a “go bag” with rifles and other military supplies. According to eyewitness accounts, some of these classes were allegedly taught by Fluke-Ekren. One witness in particular allegedly observed that the leaders of ISIS and the other members of the military battalion were proud to have an American instructor. Fluke-Ekren also allegedly trained children on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Fluke-Ekren is charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Gibbs from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
American Woman Who Led ISIS Battalion Charged with Providing Material Support to a Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A
criminal complaint filed in 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which is now unsealed , alleges that Allison Fluke-Ekren, a United States citizen, organized and led an all-female military battalion on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and charges Fluke-Ekren with providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.Fluke-Ekren was previously apprehended in Syria and transferred into the custody of the FBI yesterday, at which point she was first brought to the Eastern District of Virginia. She is expected to have her initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Alexandria on Monday at 2:00 p.m.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, Allison Elizabeth Fluke-Ekren, aka “Allison Elizabeth Brooks,” aka “Allison Ekren,” aka “Umm Mohammed al-Amriki,” aka “Umm Mohammed,” and aka “Umm Jabril,” 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled to Syria several years ago for the purpose of committing or supporting terrorism. Since her departure from the United States, Fluke-Ekren has allegedly been involved with a number of terrorism-related activities on behalf of ISIS from at least 2014. These activities allegedly include, but are not limited to, planning and recruiting operatives for a potential future attack on a college campus inside the United States and serving as the appointed leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, in order to train women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts. Additionally, Fluke-Ekren allegedly provided ISIS and ISIS members with services, which included providing lodging, translating speeches made by ISIS leaders, training children on the use of AK-47 assault rifles and suicide belts, and teaching extremist ISIS doctrine.
The complaint details the eyewitness observations of six separate individuals who collectively observed Fluke-Ekren’s alleged terrorist conduct from at least 2014 through approximately 2017. For example, Fluke-Ekren allegedly told a witness about her desire to conduct an attack in the United States. To conduct the attack, Fluke-Ekren allegedly explained that she could go to a shopping mall in the United States, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure, and detonate the explosives in the vehicle with a cell phone triggering device. Fluke-Ekren allegedly considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. As alleged by the same witness, Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack occurred on United States soil instead.
The complaint further describes Fluke-Ekren’s alleged leadership role in the Khatiba Nusaybah. According to a witness, in or about late 2016, the “Wali” (or ISIS-appointed mayor) of Raqqa, Syria, allegedly permitted the opening of the “Khatiba Nusaybah,” which was a military battalion comprised solely of female ISIS members who were married to male ISIS fighters. Shortly thereafter, Fluke-Ekren allegedly became the leader and organizer of the battalion. Fluke-Ekren’s alleged main objective in this role was to teach the women of ISIS how to defend themselves against ISIS’ enemies. According to another witness, ISIS allegedly mandated women who were staying in Raqqa during the 2017 siege to attend the training. The siege was launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against ISIS with an aim to seize Raqqa, the former de facto capital of ISIS in Syria. The battle began on or about June 6, 2017 and concluded on or about October 17, 2017, at which point the SDF regained controlled of Raqqa.
The members of Khatiba Nusaybah were allegedly instructed on physical training, medical training, Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) driving courses, religious classes, and how to pack and prep a “go bag” with rifles and other military supplies. According to eyewitness accounts, some of these classes were allegedly taught by Fluke-Ekren. One witness in particular allegedly observed that the leaders of ISIS and the other members of the military battalion were proud to have an American instructor. Fluke-Ekren also allegedly trained children on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Fluke-Ekren is charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant United States Attorney John T. Gibbs from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-mj-231.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed one or more crimes. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Friday 28 January 2022
Whitley County Man Sentenced to 516 Months for Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — A Corbin, Kentucky, man, Douglas M. Edmonson, 38, was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for kidnapping.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Edmonson and his three co-defendants lured a victim to a location in Tennessee, using an unrelated party’s Facebook account. Edmonson and his co-defendants then forced the victim into a vehicle and transported her to Corbin. Edmonson used a .38 revolver and a homemade pipe bomb to coax the victim’s compliance. The victim was bound, blindfolded, and repeatedly assaulted during the 2-day kidnapping. In describing the offense conduct, the Court stated, “[i]f hell is a place, it is almost on the edge of hell. Seeing how people can behave toward each other and treat each other. It is degrading. It is exploitive. It is sub-human to treat a person this way and to put a person in such fear for her life and to strip her, literally and figuratively, of human dignity so astonishingly.”
The Court also found that Edmonson occupied a leadership role, employed a dangerous weapon, and demanded a ransom. The Court further ruled that Edmonson sexually exploited and inflicted serious bodily injury upon the victim. The yearlong investigation revealed that Edmonson and his co-defendants employed firearms, as well as destructive devices during the kidnapping. On August 11, 2018, ATF agents were called to the kidnapping scene and assisted in locating and detonating several homemade destructive devices. The evidence revealed that the kidnapping was fueled by a perceived methamphetamine debt and underlying drug trafficking on the part of Edmonson.
In handing down the sentence, the Court commented that, “in the meth world there's almost a parallel culture where people in that world believe that they're their own police, they're their own law enforcement, they're their own collection agents. That they are operating outside of the boundaries that the rest of us take for granted. And I think that most of America would be kind of shocked what I hear in this courtroom month after month.”
Edmonson pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Edmonson’s co-defendant, Bryanna Soper, 27, of Corbin, Ky., was sentenced to 396 months and five years of supervised release. Dallas Chain Perkins, 23, of Jellico, Tenn., and Erik Peace, 34, of Corbin, Ky., are scheduled to be sentenced in February 2022.
“The victim in the case was lured, restrained, held for drugs or ransom, threatened with firearms and homemade explosives, brutally beaten, burned, and repeatedly assaulted,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “As the Court commented, this uninhibited violence caused unspeakable suffering; so now, the defendant will face the significant consequences of his despicable and brutal conduct. His appalling crimes more than justify the sentence imposed and serve to strengthen our commitment to combatting the drug trafficking violence in our communities.”
“These defendants were part of an armed drug-trafficking group that committed heinous acts of violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “I commend the efforts of the ATF agents and our Kentucky State Police and Williamsburg Police partners who worked diligently on this year-long investigation to help bring justice to this victim who has had to endure the unimaginable. We hope that this sentencing brings some form of healing to the victim and sends the message that ATF and our law enforcement partners will not stand by and allow these acts of violence."
Under federal law, Edmonson and Soper must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon their release from prison, Edmonson will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years.
United States Attorney Shier; Special Agent in Charge Morrow; Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Wayne Bird, Williamsburg Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and KSP, with assistance provided by the Williamsburg Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. The PSN program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Westerville man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting 5-year-oldRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A man convicted at trial in summer 2021 of crimes related to creating child pornography of his sexual abuse of a 5-year-old was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 300 months in prison.
A jury convicted Christopher M. Sammons, 28, of four child exploitation crimes in June 2021.
“Sammons’ conduct is truly some of the worst of the worst,” United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “The defendant molested a 5-year-old child repeatedly and shared pornographic images of the child with others. His prison sentence is deserved. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who abuses the most vulnerable in our society.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, on March 11, 2019, an undercover FBI agent in Little Rock, Arkansas, received a message from Sammons regarding sexual interest in children.
Throughout their conversations, Sammons encouraged the undercover agent to “just make some homemade stuff” when discussing the availability of child pornography.
Sammons detailed sexually abusing a then 5-year-old victim and also offered to “share her next time if you’re interested in a long-term thing.” Sammons sent the agent child pornography files and suggested plans for he and the agent to exchange videos of themselves sexually abusing minors.
Based on IP address information, the investigative lead was forwarded to FBI Columbus and a Task Force Officer here began communicating with Sammons. Sammons told the task force officer he had been sexually abusing the victim for a year.
Sammons abused the victim while he was babysitting her and he was scheduled to babysit on the day he had arranged to exchange sexually explicit videos with the undercover agent. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Sammons’ house before the scheduled babysitting began, preventing Sammons from engaging in the planned pornographic exchange.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati District; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch, Legal Director of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative, represented the United States in this case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Vice President of Kenwood Keys Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay over Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that, on January 27, 2022, Patrick Souter entered a guilty plea in federal court in Milwaukee to charges that he willfully failed to truthfully account for and pay over “trust fund” payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202.
According to documents filed in court, Souter is the vice president and a 50 percent shareholder of Kenwood Keys. Federal law requires employers to collect payroll taxes (which include federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes) from the wages paid to its employees, and to pay over these taxes to the United States through the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The taxes withheld from wages paid to employees are commonly referred to as the “trust fund” portion of payroll taxes. Federal law also requires employers to pay additional payroll taxes to the IRS in an amount equal to the employees’ share of Social Security and Medicare taxes. These taxes are referred to as the “matching” portion of payroll taxes.
According to court filings, beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2020, Souter regularly failed to pay over to the IRS all or a portion of trust fund payroll taxes that he had withheld from employees’ wages. During that same time period, Souter also regularly failed to pay to the IRS all or a portion of the matching part of payroll taxes owed by Kenwood Keys. As part of his plea, Souter admitted that during the period from 2006 through 2020, he failed to pay the IRS a total of $559,249.82 in payroll taxes.
The IRS Criminal Investigation division in Milwaukee is investigating this case, which is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
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United States Attorney’s Office and IRS Issue Tips for Avoiding Tax Season FraudRead the Press Release
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – Each year, taxpayers’ personal information is compromised through phishing scams or by unscrupulous tax preparers. With tax season kicking off on January 24, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) urge taxpayers to be aware of tax-related fraud.
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref encouraged all taxpayers to be vigilant as tax season kicks off: “Having a safe, strong community in Eastern Washington includes ensuring that taxpayers are protected from fraud. We will continue to work closely with our colleagues at IRS to ensure not only that all taxpayers pay their fair share, but that no one is taken advantage of by shady preparers or online scams. As tax season begins, I urge all taxpayers in Eastern Washington to file federal taxes timely and to be on the lookout for unsolicited offers that look too good to be true.”
“In the midst of a pandemic that has greatly affected us all, some people see an opportunity to illegally line their own pockets. IRS-CI is continually using all of its resources to protect the public from fraudsters, but there are also things that taxpayers can do this filing season to protect their financial well-being,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS-CI Seattle Field Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS-CI are committed to protecting taxpayers from those who seek to cheat the U.S. tax system, and offer the following ten tips to help taxpayers avoid tax season fraud:
1. Choose tax preparers wisely. Look for preparers who are available year-round.
2. Ask tax preparers for their IRS Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (“PTINs”). All paid preparers are required to have these numbers.
3. Do not use ghost preparers. These are preparers who will not sign tax returns they prepare.
4. Do not fall victim to tax preparers’ promises of large refunds. All taxpayers must pay their fair share of taxes.
5. Do not sign blank tax returns. Taxpayers are ultimately responsible for what appears on the tax returns that are filed with the IRS, no matter who prepares them.
6. Make sure that tax refunds are received and deposited into the bank accounts of taxpayers, not tax preparers.
7. Do not take telephone calls from anyone claiming to be the IRS or threatening legal action on behalf of the IRS. The IRS does not make calls like this. Hang up on anyone claiming to be a representative of the IRS.
8. Do not respond to text messages, emails, or social media posts from anyone claiming to be the IRS. These communications may contain malware that can compromise personal information.
9. Do not click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or text messages about tax returns. These messages are fraudulent.
10. Protect personal and financial information. Never provide this information in response to unsolicited text messages, emails, or social media posts from anyone claiming to be the IRS.
This year’s tax season began on January 24 and continues through April 18 for most taxpayers. U.S. taxpayers are subject to tax on worldwide income from all sources and must report all taxable income and pay taxes according to the Internal Revenue Code.
Taxpayers found to be committing fraud may be subject to penalties including payment of taxes owed plus interest, fines and jail time. In the Eastern District, a tax preparer named Jonathan Schumann was recently sentenced to six months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns. Schumann operated a tax return preparation business, J’s Income Tax, out of his residence in Richland, Washington. He prepared false tax returns claiming fraudulent and inflated itemized deductions, including charitable contributions, personal property taxes, and unreimbursed employee business expenses.
For more tips on how to choose tax professionals or file complaints, visit IRS.gov. Taxpayers who suspect tax violations by a person or business may file a report with the IRS using Form 3949A, Information Referral. Taxpayers can also report phishing emails to [email protected] and IRS impersonation scams to TIGTA.gov.
U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition of Australian Tech Entrepreneur in Multimillion-Dollar Text-Messaging Consumer Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Joleen D. Simpson, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that EUGENI TSVETNENKO, a/k/a “Zhenya,” a dual citizen of Australia and Russia, was extradited from Australia and arrived in the United States this morning. TSVETNENKO was extradited on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from the defendant’s alleged participation in a scheme to charge mobile phone customers millions of dollars in monthly fees for unsolicited, recurring text messages about topics such as horoscopes, celebrity gossip, and trivia facts, without the customers’ knowledge or consent—a practice referred to as “auto-subscribing.” The portion of the fraudulent scheme that TSVETNENKO and his co-conspirators orchestrated defrauded mobile phone users of approximately $41,389,725, and netted TSVETNENKO and his co-conspirators more than $20 million in proceeds. TSVETNENKO will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Eugeni Tsvetnenko is alleged to have surreptitiously subscribed hundreds of thousands of cell phone users to a $9.99 per-month charge for recurring text messages they did not approve or want. As a result of their auto-subscribing scheme, Tsvetnenko and his co-conspirators are alleged to have silently drained over $41 million in illegal proceeds from their unknowing victims. Thanks to the continued efforts and coordination with our Australian law enforcement counterparts, Tsvetnenko, an Australian national, has now been extradited to the U.S. to answer the call of American justice.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Joleen D. Simpson said: “Today's extradition is clear proof that Mr. Tsvetnenko's vast fortune and residence on another continent did little to shield him from answering the charges brought against him by American authorities. The defendants in this case have learned the hard way that the reach of Federal law enforcement extends far beyond the borders of the United States.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “Tsvetnenko and his co-conspirators concocted a scheme that turned thousands of mobile phone customers into unwitting subscription service participants, as alleged. These customers incurred monthly charges for services they never subscribed to and, in many cases, disregarded as spam until the charges turned up on their monthly statements. Ultimately, as we allege, the defendants were able to steal more than $40 million and realize more than $20 million in profits. Today's case is a reminder for all of us to maintain awareness of the charges we incur on our financial statements. No matter how insignificant a fraudulent charge may seem, the bigger picture often tells a different story.”
According to allegations in the Superseding Indictment against TSVETNENKO, evidence presented at the trial of co-conspirators Darcy Wedd (Wedd) and Fraser Thompson (Thompson), and other public filings:
From at least in or about 2012 through in or about 2013, TSVETNENKO, Wedd, Thompson, and others engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud consumers by placing unauthorized charges for premium text messaging services on consumers’ cellular phone bills through a practice known as auto-subscribing. TSVETNENKO owned and operated several content provider companies and mobile industry companies in Australia that, among other things, created and sold premium text messaging content to consumers. Wedd operated Mobile Messenger, a U.S. aggregation company in the mobile phone industry that served as a middleman between content providers (such as some of TSVETNENKO’s companies) and mobile phone carriers. Mobile Messenger was responsible for assembling monthly charges incurred by a particular mobile phone customer for premium text-messaging services and placing those charges on that customer’s cellular phone bill.
Beginning in or about early 2012, Wedd, Thompson, who was the Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations for Mobile Messenger, and two other senior executives of Mobile Messenger (CC-3 and CC-4) recruited TSVETNENKO to their auto-subscribing scheme to increase revenues at Mobile Messenger. TSVETNENKO agreed and established two new content providers based in Australia, CF Enterprises and DigiMobi, to auto-subscribe on Mobile
Messenger’s aggregation platform. CC-3 furnished lists of phone numbers to TSVETNENKO, along with an auto-subscribing “playbook,” which provided TSVETNENKO with guidance on how to auto-subscribe without being caught. The “playbook” described how to conceal the fraud scheme by making it appear as if the customers had, in fact, elected to purchase the text-messaging services, when in truth they had not.
The consumers who received the unsolicited text messages typically ignored or deleted the messages, often believing them to be spam. Regardless, the consumers were billed for the receipt of the messages, at a rate of $9.99 per month, through charges that typically appeared on the consumers’ cellular telephone bills in an abbreviated and confusing form, such as with nonsensical billing descriptors that often consisted of random letter and numbers. The $9.99 charges recurred each month unless and until consumers noticed the charges and took action to unsubscribe. Even then, consumers’ attempts to dispute the charges and obtain refunds from CF Enterprises or DigiMobi were often unsuccessful. Wedd, to whom CC-3, CC-4, and Thompson all reported, oversaw the scheme at Mobile Messenger.
TSVETNENKO, with the assistance of Wedd, Thompson, CC-3, and CC-4, started
auto-subscribing consumers in approximately April of 2012. TSVETNENKO’s auto-subscribing
activities, which continued into 2013, victimized hundreds of thousands of mobile phone customers, who were auto-subscribed through Mobile Messenger and charged a total of approximately $41,389,725 for unwanted text messaging services. Wedd, Thompson, CC-3, and CC-4 agreed that TSVETNENKO would keep approximately 70% of the auto-subscribing proceeds generated by CF Enterprises and DigiMobi, and that the remaining 30% of the auto-subscribing proceeds would be divided evenly among Wedd, Thompson, CC-3, and CC-4.
After obtaining proceeds of the fraud scheme, TSVETNENKO worked with other co-conspirators to launder the proceeds. TSVETNENKO and his co-conspirators distributed the proceeds of the fraud scheme among themselves and others involved in the scheme by, among other things, causing funds to be transferred through the bank accounts of a series of shell companies and companies held in the names of third parties. This was done to conceal the nature and source of the payments and TSVETNENKO and his co-conspirators’ participation in the fraud.
Through their successful orchestration of this fraud scheme, TSVETNENKO and his co-conspirators generated more than $20 million in fraud proceeds for themselves. TSVETNENKO personally retained approximately $15.4 million in fraud proceeds for his role in the scheme.
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TSVETNENKO 41, of Perth, Australia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which also carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the IRS-CI and the FBI. In addition, Mr. Williams thanked law enforcement partners in Australia, especially the Australian Attorney-General’s Department and the Australian Federal Police, well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their significant support and assistance with the defendant’s extradition.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jilan Kamal and Olga I. Zverovich are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Members of the Mount Vernon Goonies Street Gang Sentenced for Participating in the Murder of Dean DanielsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RAHEEM JONES, a/k/a “Trigga,” was sentenced to 25 years in prison for participating in the 2014 murder of Dean Daniels and his participation multiple other shootings in furtherance of the gang. In November 2021, co-defendant MARKEL OVERTON, a/k/a “Kellz,”was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his participation in the Daniels murder and other violent affairs of the Goonies gang.
According to allegations in the Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
Between 2007 and 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, JONES and OVERTON were members of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Goonies.” In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Goonies committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder and robbery; they conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute narcotics; and they obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and firing them. Both JONES and OVERTON held senior status in the Goonies gang.
In the afternoon of September 22, 2014, OVERTON and JONES accompanied two Goonies associates to retaliate against Dean Daniels for robbing one of the Goonies associates of his car. When they spotted Daniels, OVERTON and JONES waited in the car while the two Goonies associates left the vehicle with a gun to confront Daniels. The Goonies associates shot Daniels twice in the vicinity of Park Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York before running back to the vehicle to flee the scene. Daniels died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
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JONES, 33, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of using a firearm in connection with an assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, whichcarried a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
OVERTON, 32, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carried a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Mount Vernon Police Department and the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives from the FBI, Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Westchester County Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, New York City Police Department, and U.S. Probation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Anden Chow is in charge of the prosecution.
Two Former Federal Correctional Officers Plead Guilty to Bribery and Smuggling Contraband SchemeRead the Press Release
Two former correctional officers pleaded guilty this week to engaging in bribery and smuggling contraband into Leavenworth Detention Center.
According to court documents, Janna Grier, 36, of Horton, Kansas, previously worked as a correctional officer at Leavenworth Detention Center, a privately run, maximum-security federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. Grier used her position to smuggle contraband into the prison and also solicited other prison officials to use their position to smuggle contraband into Leavenworth.
On Jan. 25, Grier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer bribes and provide contraband to inmates of a federal prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Willie Golden, 28, of Overland Park, Kansas, also previously worked as a correctional officer at Leavenworth Detention Center. Golden used his position to smuggle contraband — including tobacco, synthetic cannabinoids, cellular telephones and marijuana — into the prison in exchange for bribe payments.
Today, Golden pleaded guilty to conspiracy to accept bribes and provide contraband to inmates of a federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge William J. Hannah of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Chicago Field Office, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Charles A. Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and DOJ-OIG are investigating the cases.
Trial Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Dahoud A. Askar of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the cases.
The cases are part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat prison corruption. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section is prosecuting three other former Leavenworth officials for similar alleged conduct. See United States v. Cheyonte Harris, Case No. 2:21-cr-20054 (D. Kan.); United States v. Jaqueline Sifuentes, No. 2:21-cr-20053 (D. Kan.); United States v. Jeane Arnette, No. 2:21-cr-20063 (D. Kan.). An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Separately, the Public Integrity Section and the FBI recently obtained convictions against three former North Carolina prison officials who smuggled contraband, including illegal narcotics, into a state facility in exchange for bribes. See United States v. Ollie Rose, III, No. 4:20-CR-96 (E.D.N.C.); United States v. Kenneth Farr, No. 4:21-CR-9 (E.D.N.C.); and United States v. Jeremy Chambers, No. 4:21-CR-38 (E.D.N.C.).
Two Austin Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Robbery and Shooting of Convenience Store EmployeeRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – Two Austin men were sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms today for participating in an attempted robbery of an Austin gas station convenience store that resulted in the shooting of an employee of the business. Deon Ross, 37, who shot the employee, was sentenced to 271 months in federal prison. Lavante Carter, 19, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, on October 7, 2020, at approximately 11 p.m., Ross and Carter attempted to rob a gas station on IH-35 in Austin. Both Carter and Ross displayed their firearms to two store employees who were working that night. After demanding money, Ross shot one of the employees.
Ross pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence and one count of discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Carter pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
“These significant sentences reflect our office’s unwavering commitment to address violent crime in our community and protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “I am grateful for the collective efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Austin Police Department in investigating this case.”
“Thanks to the hard work of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, dangerous offenders are now off the streets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “The sentencing of Deon Ross and Lavante Carter represent federal, state, and local law enforcement's commitment to combat violence and restore peace to our local community."
Ross was arrested on December 6, 2020 and has been in custody since that date. Carter was arrested on October 12, 2020 and has been in custody since that date. Both defendants have remained in federal custody since their arrests on March 4, 2021, on the indictment in the case.
The FBI and the Austin Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel Cohen and Keith Henneke prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Tulsa Man Sentenced for Abusing a 3-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man responsible for abusing a three-year-old child was sentenced Friday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Craig Allan Morrison, 37, to 25 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
A federal jury found Morrison guilty of two counts of child abuse in Indian Country and his girlfriend, Amanda Lyn Walker, 42, guilty of two counts of enabling acts of child abuse in Indian Country. Walker was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Jan. 10, 2022.
“Craig Morrison brutally assaulted this young victim and will spend 25 years in federal prison for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Victims of violence are best supported by a team of medical professionals, victim advocates, law enforcement and prosecutors. In this case, their collaborative work was critical to detecting the abuse, protecting the boy from further harm, and fighting for justice on his behalf.”
Federal prosecutors argued that, based on the facts of the case, an appropriate sentence for Morrison would be 25 years in federal prison. In court documents and proceedings, prosecutors explained the child was severely beaten but also suffered severe mental trauma resulting from the time he lived with Morrison and Walker. According to victim impact statements, the child initially hid in closets, avoided eye contact, was scared of taking baths and would scream in terror, and did not like being held or consoled.
Prosecutors explained the long term impact of abuse was far greater for a child victim than it would be for an adult victim. They explained that because of the child’s age and stage of development, the aggravated assaults and trauma his body carries from the abuse would have a more significant and life-long impact on the child. Prosecutors and a guardian ad litem for the child emphasized that the trauma of Morrison’s repeated abuse and Walker’s enabling and willful failure to protect her child could create ripples across the child’s life.
Child mental and physical abuse are forms of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). According to the CDC, ACEs can have measurable and “lasting negative effects on health, well-being, as well as life opportunities…” Toxic stress from ACE’s can change brain development and affect how the body responds to stress, and are often linked to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance misuse in adulthood. The more ACE’s people experience at a young age, the greater the impact.
In sentencing, Judge Heil noted Morrison’s other conviction for a domestic violence strangulation in 2008 in violation of a protection order and that Morrison’s violence had escalated. Prosecutors argued Morrison’s propensity toward violence endangered the public and he should be incarcerated for a significant amount of time to protect others.
The couple went to trial in June 2021.
During the trial, the jury received evidence describing two separate instances of child abuse involving a then three-year-old child.
On Feb. 18, 2020, the couple took Walker’s then three-year-old-child to St Francis Hospital for injuries they claimed occurred after the child fell or jumped from his bed. Suspecting abuse, hospital staff contacted pediatricians who specialize in child abuse cases to further examine the child. The child was found to have extensive bruising to his head, back, shoulder, abdomen, buttocks, and leg. Also found were scabbed abrasions on his scalp and on the right side of his forehead. Laboratory testing further showed elevated liver enzymes and elevated amylase. One of the pediatricians who treated the child testified that the laboratory tests indicated liver and pancreatic injuries. She further explained that the child’s injuries showed the child had suffered blunt force trauma and were the result of child abuse. The victim remained at the hospital for five days for treatment.
During an investigation, Tulsa police officers learned of another incident that took place on or about Dec. 20, 2019, when family members observed and photographed a hand-shaped bruise on the child’s face. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Walker told a relative that Morrison had hit the child in the face while sleeping due to a “night terror” and that the child’s other bruises were from falls. The relative also reported several other examples where Walker allowed Morrison to mistreat the child, including shoving food into the child’s mouth, causing him to choke.
Walker was further warned by one of Morrison’s family members in text messages to distance herself from Morrison because he was dangerous. The family member also reported that Morrison said the child cried for no reason, so Morrison gave the child reason to cry.
The crimes took place within the Muskogee Nation Reservation, and the minor is a citizen of the Comanche Nation.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Noble Nelson and Chantelle D. Dial prosecuted the case.
Transporting stolen firearms sends Kalispell man to prison for two yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to transporting stolen firearms and ammunition from a storage unit after an abandoned rental truck was found in Idaho was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $101,900 restitution, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Jeremy Anthony O’Canna, 33, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to transportation of stolen firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2019, Idaho Falls, Idaho police officers responded to a report of an abandoned U-Haul vehicle that appeared to have been stolen. An investigation led to a Kalispell man, who then discovered his storage unit in Kalispell had been burglarized and that he was missing firearms, ammunition and other items. The investigation further led to O’Canna and evidence of him entering the victim’s storage unit and removing guns and ammunition. O’Canna sent Facebook messages to people asking if they needed guns and sent photographs of guns and ammunition he had to sell. He claimed he was on his way to Idaho Falls to sell guns to Mexicans. The firearms and ammunition have not been recovered. Co-defendant Joseph Vernon Holmstrom of Kalispell pleaded guilty to charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department and Idaho Falls Animal Control.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in ToledoRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Anthony Robinson, 25, of Katy, Texas, was sentenced on Thursday, January 27, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick to 10 years in prison after Robinson pleaded guilty to a fentanyl drug trafficking conspiracy in the Toledo area.
According to court documents, in March of 2018, Robinson and co-defendants Barbera Wilson and Darrius Lewis conspired together to distribute fentanyl in Toledo. As part of the conspiracy, Robinson and Lewis made arrangements to obtain narcotics in Houston, Texas, and transport the drugs to the Toledo area. On one occasion, Robinson and Wilson drove a rented vehicle containing narcotics from Houston to be distributed in Toledo.
On March 20, 2018, Robison mailed a package containing approximately one kilogram of fentanyl back to Houston. Federal agents subsequently seized this package. Federal law enforcement investigators then executed a search warrant at two hotel rooms Robinson, Lewis, and Wilson occupied and seized an additional amount of fentanyl and currency.
In total, investigators seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl and 8,416 in U.S. currency related to the trafficking conspiracy.
Defendant Barbera Wilson was sentenced to 12 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Defendant Darrius Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2022, for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security and the Toledo Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa M. Sterling and Matthew D. Simko.
Tampa Paralegal Sentenced to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James Moody has sentenced Eric Liebman (34, Tampa) to 15 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud. Liebman had pleaded guilty on September 24, 2019.
According to court documents, from January 2010 through February 2017, Liebman conspired with his co-defendant, James Lee Clark, to defraud mortgage creditors and guarantors, such as Fannie Mae, which held mortgage notes on properties that were in foreclosure. Liebman and Clark falsely and fraudulently represented to the distressed homeowners facing foreclosure that in exchange for executing quitclaim or warranty deeds for their properties to an entity controlled by Liebman, they would negotiate with the mortgage creditors to prevent foreclosures. Liebman and Clark convinced the distressed homeowners to pay them rent or agree to put their houses up for sale. In order to continue to collect ill-gotten rents, or profit from sales of the properties, Liebman filed fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in the names of the homeowners to prevent the mortgage creditors from lawfully foreclosing and taking title to the properties.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. The Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, also provided substantial investigative support. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Two Armed Robberies at Area Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle has sentenced Giovanni Gort (32, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for two counts of armed robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Gort was also ordered to pay $535 in restitution. He had pleaded guilty on October 26, 2021.
According to facts presented in court, in the early morning of February 10, 2021, Gort entered the 7-Eleven convenience store on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa. Gort pulled out a gun, pointed it at the store clerk, and said “give me everything you got. I be back to see you. If you say something, I’m going to come back and shoot you.” The clerk took $435 from her cash register and gave it to Gort, who then fled the scene. The clerk immediately reported the incident to law enforcement and stated she had never been so scared in her life.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Gort entered a 7-Eleven convenience store located on Memorial Highway in Tampa and said, “give me all your money, bro,” before ordering the two store clerks behind the counter at gunpoint. The clerks gave Gort approximately $100 in a plastic bag. While they were collecting the money, the clerks saw Gort rack the slide of the gun. Keeping the employees at gunpoint while he backed out of the store, Gort then fled the scene.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna Hale and Craig Gestring.
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.
St. Louis man pleads guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm after domestic disputeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp accepted a plea of guilty from Marlin Tobius, Jr., today. Tobius was previously indicted by a grand jury for unlawful possessing firearms, which police uncovered while responding to a domestic-violence incident.
According to the plea agreement, on October 21, 2020, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department ("SLMPD") received a domestic-disturbance call from a woman who reported that her boyfriend had pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. The officers entered the home as Tobius exited the upstairs bathroom, and he was taken into custody. Officers then searched the bathroom and found a loaded 9mm Glock 17 GEN5 handgun with a large-capacity magazine. Additionally, officers recovered a similar 9mm Glock 17 GEN4 handgun, also loaded with a large-capacity magazine, on top of a dresser near the top of the stairs. Tobius was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Tobius also admitted to obstructing justice by repeatedly calling the victim and pressuring to recant while he was in jail.
The maximum possible penalty provided by law for this offense is imprisonment of not more than ten years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine. The Court also may impose a period of supervised release of not more than three years.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
St. Louis man pleads guilty for his role in the armed robbery of a local fast-food establishmentRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Ronald Scott on January 27, 2022, for knowingly robbing a commercial establishment and knowingly brandishing a firearm in furtherance of that crime. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Scott in August 2020. Judge Clark set sentencing for May 10, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on September 18, 2019, Scott and his co-defendant robbed the McDonald's Restaurant located at 1119 North Tucker, Saint Louis, Missouri, within the Eastern District of Missouri. Scott, a former employee from this McDonald’s location, brandished a pistol in commission of the robbery. Both suspects were wearing masks and one was wearing a grey backpack.
Scott and his co-defendant left the McDonald's in a silver Chevrolet Impala. A few days after the armed robbery, the silver Chevrolet Impala was stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers. Officers discovered McDonald's hats and a McDonald's paycheck stub addressed to Scott in the Impala.
Additional investigative measures to include forensic analysis of items seized from the vehicle lead to the subsequent identification and arrest of Scott.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.