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25 February 2022
Bloomsburg Woman Sentenced to 12 Months’ Imprisonment for $430,000 Fraud Scheme, Including $300,000 in Covid Relief FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Vicki Hackenberg, age 57, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 12 months of imprisonment for perpetrating a bank fraud and money laundering scheme that included nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief guaranteed by the Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Hackenberg pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy involving her codefendant, Darryl Corradini, and others. The conspirators created a shell corporation, CGM Realty LLC, and opened bank accounts and a Bitcoin trading account in the corporation’s name, by using false and forged documents. The conspirators allegedly used the accounts to receive over $135,000 in fraudulently obtained funds, and over $296,000 from a PPP loan that was obtained with false and forged documentation. That documentation included false information and certifications about CGM Realty LLC’s employee payroll obligations, and intention to use the funds for approved purposes, when in fact CGM Realty LLC had no employees or legitimate business operations. Forged IRS documentation also was included with the PPP application, containing false information about CGM Realty LLC’s nonexistent payroll obligations. Over $350,000 was then used to purchase Bitcoins, a type of cryptocurrency.
During sentencing, Chief Judge Brann highlighted Hackenberg’s prior state conviction for a similar fraud offense, noting that she was on probation at the time she committed the instant offense. In addition to the Hackenberg’s sentence of imprisonment, Chief Judge Brann also ordered her to pay $431,289 to the victims of her crimes. Hackenberg’s codefendant, Darryl Corradini, also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by agents with the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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BitConnect Founder Indicted in Global $2.4 Billion Cryptocurrency SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in San Diego returned an indictment today charging the founder of BitConnect with orchestrating a global Ponzi scheme. BitConnect is an alleged fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platform that reached a peak market capitalization of $3.4 billion.
According to court documents, Satish Kumbhani, 36, of Hemal, India, the founder of BitConnect, misled investors about BitConnect’s “Lending Program.” Under this program, Kumbhani and his co-conspirators touted BitConnect’s purported proprietary technology, known as the “BitConnect Trading Bot” and “Volatility Software,” as being able to generate substantial profits and guaranteed returns by using investors’ money to trade on the volatility of cryptocurrency exchange markets. As alleged in the indictment, however, BitConnect operated as a Ponzi scheme by paying earlier BitConnect investors with money from later investors. In total, Kumbhani and his co-conspirators obtained approximately $2.4 billion from investors.
The indictment further alleges that, after operating for approximately one year, Kumbhani abruptly shut down the Lending Program. Kumbhani then directed his network of promoters to fraudulently manipulate and prop up the price of BitConnect’s digital currency, a commodity known as BitConnect Coin (BCC), to create the false appearance of legitimate market demand for BCC. Kumbhani and his co-conspirators also concealed the location and control of the fraud proceeds obtained from investors by commingling, cycling, and exchanging the funds through BitConnect’s cluster of cryptocurrency wallets and various internationally based cryptocurrency exchanges.
According to the indictment, to avoid regulatory scrutiny and oversight of BitConnect’s cryptocurrency offering, Kumbhani evaded U.S. regulations governing the financial industry, including those enforced by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). For example, although BitConnect operated a money transmitting business through its digital currency exchange, BitConnect never registered with FinCEN, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act.
“Crime, particularly crime involving digital currencies, continues to transcend international boundaries,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to protecting victims, preserving market integrity, and strengthening its global partnerships to hold accountable criminals engaging in cryptocurrency fraud. We thank our partners around the world for their continued efforts.”
“This indictment alleges a massive cryptocurrency scheme that defrauded investors of more than $2 billion,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to pursuing justice for victims of cryptocurrency fraud.”
“Today’s indictment reiterates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and addressing bad actors defrauding investors and sullying the ability of legitimate entrepreneurs to innovate within the emergent cryptocurrency space,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith of the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office. “Dressing up a tried and true fraud scheme with a new twist and basing it overseas will not deter the resolve and dedication of the FBI to meticulously investigate and bring such fraudsters to justice.”
“As cryptocurrency gains popularity and attracts investors worldwide, alleged fraudsters like Kumbhani are utilizing increasingly complex schemes to defraud investors, oftentimes stealing millions of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “However, make no mistake, our agency will continue our long tradition of following the money, whether physical or digital, to expose criminal schemes and hold the fraudsters accountable for their illegal acts of trickery and deceit.”
Kumbhani is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodity price manipulation, operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted of all counts, he faces a maximum total penalty of 70 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Kumbhani is at large.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Silva, Mark W. Pletcher, Carl Brooker, and Lisa Sanniti of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice Office of International Affairs provided indispensable assistance to the investigation.
All investor victims of the BitConnect fraud are encouraged to visit the webpage https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/us-v-glenn-arcaro-21cr02542-twr to identify themselves as potential victims and obtain more information on their rights as victims, including the ability to submit a victim impact statement.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Beckley Woman Sentenced to More than Five Years in Prison for Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Cayla Danielle Lindsay, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years and nine months in federal prison for using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Lindsay admitted that on July 23, 2020 during a traffic stop of a car she was driving in Beckley, law enforcement officers found approximately 27 grams of heroin that she intended to distribute. The officers also found a Springfield, XDS 9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol Lindsay was carrying at the time. Lindsay also admitted that on May 6, 2021, she possessed a SCCY, CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The firearm was found during a search law enforcement conducted at her residence in Beckley. Lindsay acknowledged that at the time she possessed the firearm she knew she had been previously convicted in federal court of the felony offense of distribution of oxycodone, and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled 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. 5:21-cr-00090.
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Beaver County Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Possessing Illegal Firearms and Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 50 months’ imprisonment and seven years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal child exploitation and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on William Johnson, age 34, of Monaca, PA 15061.According to information presented to the court, Johnson, on April 3, 2019, possessed more than 100 digital photographs and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, some of whom were under the age of 12 years and depicted in sadistic and violent imagery, as well as possessed 12 unregistered firearms, including a Glock pistol with an installed auto switch, a Smith and Wesson rifle with a bump stock, and eight silencers. Each of the 12 firearms required registration under the National Firearms Act.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hardy acknowledged the serious and violent nature of Johnson’s crimes and the damage and long-term effect on child victims who are subjected to sexual exploitation.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Barbour County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph Wayne Dadisman, of Philippi, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Dadisman, 49, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Dadisman admitted to having more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” and “ice,” in June 2021 in Barbour County.
Dadisman faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug Task Force and the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on President Biden’s Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme CourtRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the following statement regarding the President’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court:
“President Biden has made an outstanding choice in selecting Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. I have known Judge Jackson since she served as a federal public defender. I also had the privilege to serve alongside Judge Jackson during her eight years as a district judge before she joined the D.C. Circuit. I have witnessed firsthand her exceptional abilities as both a lawyer and a judge, her commitment to the rule of law and equal justice under law, and her generosity of spirit. I commend President Biden for nominating Judge Jackson. I am confident that she will be an exemplary member of our nation’s highest court.”
24 February 2022
Wisner Man Sentenced to 168 Months for Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Kaden Henry, 23, of Wisner, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 23, 2022, in Omaha, by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine and money laundering. Henry received a sentence of 168 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. Henry was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $8,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
Beginning in mid-2018, a Drug Enforcement Administration task force started investigating the methamphetamine distribution operation of David Short in the Omaha-metro area. This investigation included a court ordered Title III interception of phone calls and text messages, allowing agents to identify the scope of the conspiracy and its members. As part of this investigation, Henry was identified as a source of methamphetamine that was delivering to the Omaha-metro area.
On October 29, 2020, Henry delivered 387 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover DEA agent. On November 12, 2020, Henry was arrested and was in possession of two pounds of methamphetamine. A search of Henry’s residence revealed another pound of methamphetamine. Additional evidence showed that Henry was sending the money obtained from the sale of methamphetamine to Sinaloa, Mexico.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the DEA, Nebraska State Patrol, and the Omaha Police Department.
West Fork Woman Sentenced over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A West Fork woman was sentenced today to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on September 16, 2020, the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force (DTF) conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Christie Marie Soumah, age 45, in Washington County, Arkansas. The methamphetamine was sent to the DEA laboratory in Miami and tested positive for 55.3 grams of pure methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
Waverly Man Convicted for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that James Nieman, 45, of Waverly, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for theft of government funds. Nieman was sentenced to 5 years’ probation, 12 weekends of intermittent confinement, $272,202 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case began in November of 2017, when SSA received an anonymous tip that Nieman was collecting social security disability payments, representing that he did not work due to disability. Meanwhile, he was self-employed as a floor installer. Nieman received SSI and HHS Medicare benefits from November 2001 to March 2019. During that time, he voluntarily, intentionally, and knowingly made misrepresentations regarding his employment and income to receive benefits to which he was not entitled.
Based upon Nieman’s misrepresentation he was not eligible for SSI nor Medicare benefits. The investigation revealed that Nieman received $226,737.70 in SSI benefits to which he was not entitled and $45,464.30 in HHS benefits to which he was not otherwise entitled to, totaling $272,202.00
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.
Washington County Man Sentenced to 192 Months for Possessing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sean Eckrote, age 38, of Granville, New York, was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for possessing and distributing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Eckrote pled guilty on June 3, 2021, admitting to possessing and distributing images and videos of child pornography to members of a private chat group. Eckrote admitted that he distributed child pornography to others in exchange for other child pornography, and to gain acceptance within the private chat group. Eckrote also admitted to possessing additional images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone, including depictions involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of toddlers.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 30-year term of supervised release, which will begin after Eckrote is released from prison. Eckrote will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
United States and United Arab Emirates Sign Bilateral Agreement Enhancing Law Enforcement CooperationRead the Press Release
On Thursday, the United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) enhancing evidence sharing, judicial cooperation and assistance in criminal investigations and prosecutions.
U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi Chargé d’Affaires Sean Murphy and Emirati Minister of Justice Abdullah Sultan Al Nuaimi signed the MLAT on behalf of their nations at the Ministry of Justice in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The bilateral U.S.-UAE instrument was negotiated over the past several years by the Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
This historical bilateral agreement with the UAE will further strengthen relations and advance law enforcement cooperation between the two countries. The MLAT will improve and streamline U.S. law enforcement’s ability to obtain and exchange evidence needed for investigations and prosecutions and deepen the cooperation against terrorism and transnational organized crime, including cybercrime. The treaty removes onerous procedural obstacles to cooperation while ensuring adherence to the protections of the U.S. Constitution and other laws.
Present at the signing were officials from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, FBI and the UAE’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The new agreement enhances bilateral relations by affording both nations with improved information-sharing and creates a regularized and streamlined channel for obtaining law enforcement assistance. The MLAT will better enable prosecutors to exchange information facilitating the prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime. It will improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism, cybercrime, drug trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, money laundering, fraud and other serious transnational criminal offenses.
United States Attorney Dena J. King Participates in Youth Discussion About Teen Dating ViolenceRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (TDVAPM). U.S. Attorney Dena J. King was joined yesterday by representatives with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Mecklenburg County’s Community Support Services to host a discussion on the topic of youth violence, with a focus on teenage unhealthy and abusive relationships.
In observing TDVAPM, U.S. Attorney King said, “This year’s theme is ‘Talk About It’ and that is exactly what all of us should be doing. Engaging in conversations with teenagers about what teen dating violence is, what it looks like, what it feels like, how to prevent it from happening, and how young people can protect themselves from abusive dating situations.”
During yesterday’s discussion with more than 15 youths, U.S. Attorney King talked about the importance of teaching young people how to navigate romantic relationships, how to communicate their feelings in healthy ways, and how to handle emotional situations in a non-aggressive manner. The discussion also centered around the many forms of teen dating abuse such as physical, psychological, sexual, emotional and verbal aggression, harassment, stalking, and exploitation, and warned teens that dating abuse happens in person, via social media or through a different mode of technology.
U.S. Attorney King also highlighted the importance of reporting the abuse. According to statistics, one in three teens in the United States will experience a form of abuse from an intimate partner before adulthood. U.S. Attorney King further noted that teen dating violence cuts across lines of age, gender, race, religion and socioeconomic status, and that dating abuse is just as serious in LGBTQ+ relationships as it is in heterosexual relationships.
During the discussion, the participants discussed the role of social media and the intersection between technology and teen dating violence. “As technology advances and our means of communication change, so does the form of dating violence. Tweens, teens and young adults who are victims of cyber stalking, text messaging harassment, and cyber bullying are just as much in danger as victims of physical abuse,” U.S. Attorney King stated. “What’s equally significant is that the experience of violence, abuse and trauma in the formative years can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.”
As the misuse of technology is becoming an increasingly common tactic on the part of harmful partners, the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has shared a new resource funded by the OVW, the Teens and Technology Resource Series. The Teens and Technology resources aim to help adults who teach, work with, and care for teenagers understand technology from their perspective to empower teenagers to safely navigate relationships and technology use. These resources include examples of technology abuse, uses and misuses of social media applications, and five ways to engage with young people.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking, there are many services available to help, including:
Teen Dating Abuse Hotline, 1-866-331-9474, text ‘LOVEIS’ to 22522, or visit loveisrespect.org;
- State, territory and tribal sexual assault and domestic violence coalitions, which can direct you to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved; and
- The StrongHearts Native Helpline, which offers online chat on their website and a hotline – at 1-844-7NATIVE (or 1-844-762-8483) and provides culturally-appropriate services and advocacy to American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence.
To close out Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, on Monday, February 28, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. CST join @SAFEatx program Expect Respect for a youth-led workshop to learn more about the issue, how to support youth experiencing dating violence, & how to prevent it from happening. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87664006352#success
U.S. Attorney’s Office announces settlement agreement with Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club over special project grantsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Fred J. Federici today announced a settlement agreement with the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club to resolve issues involving two special project grants awarded to the Club.
According to the settlement agreement, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded two grants to the Club to purchase land for construction of a new facility. HUD granted the Club $268,245 in 2003 and $497,050 in 2004, from which a total of $750,986.51 was distributed to the Club. In 2005 the Club used the funds to purchase a parcel of land located at 1107 Ocate Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
At issue was the Club’s failure to use the grant funds as outlined in the agreements. The government asserted that the Club failed to build a new facility and then did not return the funds as prescribed by HUD, federal law, and the grant agreements. Additionally, the sale of portions of the land by the Club, other encumbrances on the land incurred by the Club, and the Club’s failure to remit the proceeds of those encumbrances to the United States violate federal law, the grant agreements and the False Claims Act.
“The United States relies on grant recipients to use taxpayer-funded grants appropriately,” said U.S. Attorney Federici. “Failure to do so violates the law and the public trust and will be vigorously pursued by the Department of Justice.”
"This unfortunate mismanagement of HUD program funding not only violates the public trust, it is a gross injustice to the communities directly impacted," said Special Agent-in-Charge Bertrand Nelson with the HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG). "HUD OIG is committed to ensuring HUD community development grants are appropriately managed and used for the benefit of the communities they are intended to assist."
In accordance with the settlement, the Club has paid $1,407,640.58 to the United States. The United States releases the Club from any civil or administrative monetary claim for the Club’s conduct in this matter under the False Claims Act.
Assistant United States Attorney Sean Cunniff and Auditor Julie Chappell represented the United States in this settlement agreement.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Enforces Americans with Disabilities Act Against Airport Parking CompanyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that it resolved a claim of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act against Canopy Airport Parking and its parent company, ProPark, Inc.
Canopy Parking operates a 4,500-space parking lot near the Denver International Airport. As part of its airport-parking service, Canopy provides a shuttle service to the airport. A complaint was filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office against Canopy by a customer who uses a wheelchair because of a disability. The complainant and his wife alleged that in December 2018, Canopy was unable to provide wheelchair-accessible shuttle service from its parking lot to the Denver International Airport. The complainant had called and e-mailed ahead. Canopy represented that a wheelchair-accessible shuttle would be available. But when the complainant and his wife arrived at Canopy, they discovered that the only wheelchair-accessible shuttle had been out of service for weeks. The couple had to park elsewhere and risked missing their flight as a result of Canopy’s failure to ensure wheelchair-accessible shuttle service. The complainant alleged that Canopy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. That Act requires companies to ensure equal access to transportation services for customers who use wheelchairs.
To resolve the complaint, Canopy agreed to pay $2,000 in compensatory damages to the complainant. Canopy also agreed to buy two wheelchair-accessible shuttles, develop a plan to ensure that customers who use wheelchairs would be provided with the same service as other customers, train its employees, and adopt other policies and procedures to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Companies that provide transportation for their customers must serve individuals with disabilities equally, including customers who use wheelchairs,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We are pleased that Canopy has agreed to acquire wheelchair-accessible vehicles and to implement policies and procedures to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Canopy’s parent company, Propark, is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeyen Wu.
Two Shotgun-Wielding Carjackers Who Attacked Rideshare Driver and Passenger Near Philadelphia Zoo Federally ChargedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Alex Fernandez-Pena, 32, and Juan Jose Rodriguez, 20, both of Philadelphia, PA, were arrested and charged by Indictment on charges of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence stemming from an incident earlier this year in the Parkside section of Philadelphia. Both defendants were taken into federal custody and will make their initial appearances on these charges tomorrow, February 24, 2022.
On January 3, 2022, the defendants used their Honda Accord to bump the rear bumper of a Lyft vehicle, an Infiniti G37, that was transporting a passenger on the 1100 block of North 40th Street. After the Lyft driver exited his vehicle, Fernandez-Pena allegedly pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at the driver-victim and then drove off with the Lyft vehicle after its passenger escaped through a rear door. The driver-victim, who had a license to carry a firearm, shot Fernandez-Pena before the defendant drove away in the victim’s vehicle. The victim then shot Rodriguez, the suspect who allegedly initiated the attack by rear-ending the Infiniti, after Rodriguez threatened to run the victim over with his Honda. Philadelphia Police officers subsequently captured both defendants nearby. The attack occurred in broad daylight around 2:30 p.m., less than a mile away from family attractions like the Please Touch Children’s Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo.
“As we have said many times since launching the #AllHandsOnDeck initiative, our Office and our federal partners are doing everything we can to support the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecute cases federally when appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Here, the defendants allegedly committed a brazen carjacking at gunpoint in the middle of the afternoon in busy neighborhood; an offense that certainly meets the criteria for federal indictment. We are committed to bringing the full might of the federal justice system to this battle.
“ATF’s main objective will always be keeping our citizens safe,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This indictment is indicative of ATF’s continued efforts working with our partners and proudly serving as part of the joint carjacking task force, being led by the Philadelphia Police Department. We will continue working with our local, state, and federal partners in making sure violent individuals are held accountable when they threaten the safety of the community.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, as well as a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years’ incarceration.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Miller.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Men Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Their Fourteen Hour Armed Robbery Spree in Evansville and ElberfieldRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Davontai Jones-Robinson, 25, of Evansville, Indiana, and Trinity Taylor, 27, of Prattville, Alabama, were sentenced to federal prison late yesterday for the armed robbery of three different convenience stores. The robberies took place in under fourteen hours on August 13 and 14, 2020 in Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties. The men were each sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison for federal offenses including commercial robbery, conspiracy, and related firearms offenses.
As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted that on the evening of August 13, 2020, Taylor drove Jones-Robinson to a Kwik Stop convenience store in Evansville. Jones-Robinson entered the store with a rifle, brandished the firearm at the clerk, and stole an unknown quantity of cash and cigarettes from the business. During the robbery, Taylor circled the store in the getaway car he had rented from Alabama three days earlier. After the robbery, Jones-Robinson returned to the car with the rifle and robbery proceeds and fled with Taylor. The two men split the proceeds and, according to Jones-Robinson, spent them at the Tropicana Casino.
Hours later, early in the morning of August 14, 2020, Taylor drove Jones-Robinson to a Circle K convenience store in Evansville. Again, Jones-Robinson entered the store with a rifle and brandished the firearm at the clerk. Jones-Robinson demanded that the clerk open the cash register and then stole an unknown quantity of cash and cigarettes. Taylor again waited nearby in the getaway car. After the second robbery, the two men fled from the scene together and split the proceeds of the robbery.
Several hours after the second robbery, in the late morning of August 14, 2020, Taylor drove Jones-Robinson to a Chuckles convenience store in Elberfield, Warrick County. Again, Jones-Robinson entered the store with a rifle and brandished the firearm at the clerk. Taylor again waited nearby in the getaway car. After the third robbery, the two men again fled from the scene together and split the proceeds of the robbery.
That afternoon, law enforcement officers located Taylor driving the car he had rented and used as the getaway car in each of the three robberies. At the time, Taylor was in possession of nearly $300 in U.S. currency.
Very early in the morning of August 15, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an Evansville residence shared by Jones-Robinson, Taylor, and another individual. Investigators seized clothing apparently worn by Jones-Robinson during the three robberies. Around the same time, law enforcement officers located Jones-Robinson. Jones-Robinson disclosed the location of the rifle he used to commit the robberies, and investigators seized it along with cash from Jones-Robinson’s car that were a portion of the proceeds of the robberies.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations Indiana Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. The Evansville Police Department, Warrick County Sheriff’s Department, and the Indiana State Police also provided valuable assistance. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendants be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following their release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.
Twelve defendants charged related to drug distribution conspiracy after joint federal, state, and local operation in North CharlestonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — A joint team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested 12 individuals today who have all been charged in federal court for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that operated in and around North Charleston.
These defendants have been charged by indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Additionally, some of the defendants have been charged with various firearms offenses. The following defendants have been arrested:
- FREDRICK WENDELL MCCRAY, a/k/a “Dub,” 41, of North Charleston was charged with conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and a quantity of heroin, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- TYRONE COX, a/k/a “T-Player,” 41, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of ammunition.
- TYRONE WILSON, a/k/a “Mooch,” 60, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of ammunition.
- LAJUSTIN WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Smurf,” 39, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana.
- TERRELL KURT MYERS, a/k/a “Relly Boy,” a/k/a “Nut,” 40, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a quantity of marijuana.
- KEVIN WILLIAM DUKES, a/k/a “KD,” 36, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a quantity of heroin.
- DEMETRIC GANTT, a/k/a “Meech,” 42, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine.
- TRAVIS WRIGHT, a/k/a “Beno,” 41, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine.
- KENNETH ROGER BROWN, a/k/a “Kenny G,” a/k/a “Three,” 31, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
- CORNELIUS WALKER, a/k/a “Lil Black,” 19, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a quantity of marijuana, as well as possession of a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a machine gun.
- KENDRICK SMALLS, a/k/a “Ken Lo,” 31, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and unlawful possession of a machine gun.
CLAYTON THOMAS, a/k/a “CJ,” 22, of North Charleston, was charged by separate indictment with multiple counts of knowingly making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of the firearms.
Agents are still searching for a fugitive in the case who has also been charged in the conspiracy.
Several defendants also are charged with one or more counts of using a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking. If they are convicted the defendants face various penalties, with some facing up to life in prison.
During the investigation into these drug trafficking organizations, agents have seized substantial amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and firearms, some of which were illegally modified to operate as fully automatic machine guns.
“Drug organizations, especially those using firearms, are a serious and direct threat to the communities they invade, and this office will always stand with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the South Carolinians that call these places home,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “In addition to our many partners who assisted in this operation, I want to especially thank the brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way this morning to safely and professionally execute the takedown in this case.”
“Today’s arrests demonstrate our commitment to taking drug offenders off the street,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic. “The FBI’s reach is far and wide and we, along with our law enforcement partners, are dedicated to using the necessary measures to aggressively investigate and root out those who are at the core of these problems in our South Carolina communities.”
“Today’s operation should send a very clear message to criminal organizations: intimidation, violence, and their associated crimes will not be tolerated in our community,” said Special Agent In Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina and South Carolina. “HSI Charleston proudly collaborates with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the safety of the public and I am confident that the success achieved during this interagency partnership will only continue to grow in future efforts.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Lowcountry Violent Crime Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, North Charleston Police Department, Charleston Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Summerville Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and the Charleston County Aviation Authority.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, 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. Assistant United States Attorneys Allessandra Stewart, Chris Lietzow, and Everett McMillian are prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Three Former Minneapolis Police Officers Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Violations for Death of George FloydRead the Press Release
Following a trial that lasted nearly five weeks, a federal jury in St. Paul, Minnesota, found three former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers guilty of federal civil rights offenses arising out of the death of George Perry Floyd Jr. on May 25, 2020.
Former MPD Officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were found to have deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to and the death of Mr. Floyd. Thao, Kueng and former MPD Officer Thomas Lane also were found to have deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs when they saw him restrained in police custody in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him, resulting in bodily injury to and the death of Mr. Floyd. Both offenses are violations of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 242.
The convictions announced today are separate from and in addition to any and all charges the State of Minnesota has brought against these former officers related to the death of Mr. Floyd. The federal charges addressed civil rights offenses that criminalize violations of the U.S. Constitution.
“Today’s verdict recognizes that two police officers violated the Constitution by failing to intervene to stop another officer from killing George Floyd, and three officers violated the Constitution by failing to provide aid to Mr. Floyd in time to prevent his death,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to seek accountability for law enforcement officers whose actions, or failure to act, violate their constitutional duty to protect the civil rights of our citizens. George Floyd should be alive today.”
Co-defendant Derek Chauvin previously entered a guilty plea in connection with the federal case. Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving Mr. Floyd of his constitutional rights while Chauvin was serving as an MPD officer. Chauvin also acknowledged that his conduct resulted in death and that he acted in callous and wanton disregard of the consequences to Mr. Floyd’s life. In addition, Chauvin was tried in state court and convicted of second-degree murder. In 2021, Chauvin was sentenced in state court to 22.5 years in prison.
Evidence presented at the federal trial for defendants Thao, Kueng and Lane established that on May 25, 2020, then-MPD Officer Chauvin held his knees on Mr. Floyd’s neck and back as Mr. Floyd lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting. As soon as Mr. Floyd was on the ground, Chauvin placed his knee on the back of Mr. Floyd’s neck, while Kueng placed his knee on Floyd’s lower body. Chauvin would not remove his knee for the next nine minutes and 29 seconds, and Kueng maintained his position for the next eight minutes and 11 seconds. Throughout this period, Mr. Floyd pleaded with officers 25 times to let him breathe.
As Mr. Floyd lost consciousness and a pulse, Chauvin and Kueng maintained their positions on his body. Even as Mr. Floyd ceased movement and stopped speaking, and even as Lane noted that Mr. Floyd was “passing out” and Kueng said he could not find a pulse, none of the CPR-certified defendants did anything to stop Chauvin from keeping his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck or to render the medical aid that they were trained and required to provide. Even as EMTs arrived and checked Mr. Floyd’s pupils and pulse, Chauvin did not move his knee and the other officers on scene did not render aid to Mr. Floyd.
Firefighters and EMTs unsuccessfully attempted to revive Mr. Floyd on the way to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The county medical examiner ruled Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide due to cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.
After the incident, an MPD supervisor and, later, an MPD lieutenant, spoke with Lane and Kueng. On both occasions, Lane and Kueng both omitted that Chauvin had knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck, that Mr. Floyd had been restrained on his stomach for nine and a half minutes, that Mr. Floyd had lost consciousness, and that officers had not been able to find a pulse. Additionally, Kueng told the supervisor that Mr. Floyd did not stop moving until after an ambulance arrived on scene, which he admitted at trial was false. At trial, the MPD lieutenant testified that, after watching video taken by a bystander, he realized that what he was told and what was on the video was “totally different.” He further testified that if an MPD officer observed another officer using too much force or doing something illegal, the officer has a duty to intervene to stop it, regardless of rank or seniority. Testimony offered at trial established that this duty to intervene is enshrined in MPD policy and is a component of the police department’s training program.
Evidence presented at trial also showed that MPD officers were required to complete emergency medical responder (EMR) training prior to entering the police academy, which includes CPR training. Further, MPD policy requires officers to determine if a subject is injured after a use of force and to render medical aid as soon as reasonably practical and requires officers assisting a person experiencing a medical crisis to provide first aid while awaiting EMS.
The jury found that the defendants disregarded this training and willfully violated Mr. Floyd’s constitutional rights. Kueng and Thao failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s use of unlawful force and all three defendants failed to provide aid to Mr. Floyd as he suffered a medical emergency at the hands of a fellow police officer.
The jury found that the defendants disregarded this training and willfully violated Mr. Floyd’s constitutional rights. Kueng and Thao failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s use of unlawful force and all three defendants failed to provide aid to Mr. Floyd as he suffered a medical emergency at the hands of a fellow police officer.
No sentencing date has been set. The statutory maximum sentence for the death-resulting violation of Section 242 is life in prison.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats and Special Agent in Charge Michael F. Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division announced today’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with the cooperation of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The case is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bates, LeeAnn Bell, Evan Gilead, Manda Sertich and Allen Slaughter of the District of Minnesota.
Three Former Minneapolis Police Officers Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Violations for Death of George FloydRead the Press Release
St. Paul, Minn. — Following a trial that lasted nearly five weeks, a federal jury in St. Paul, Minnesota found three former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers guilty of federal civil rights offenses arising out of the death of George Perry Floyd, Jr. on May 25, 2020.
Former MPD Officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were found to have deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to and the death of Mr. Floyd. Thao, Kueng, and former MPD Officer Thomas Lane also were found to have deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs when they saw him restrained in police custody in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him, resulting in bodily injury to and the death of Mr. Floyd. Both offenses are violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242.
The convictions announced today are separate from and in addition to any and all charges the State of Minnesota has brought against these former officers related to the death of Mr. Floyd. The federal charges addressed civil rights offenses that criminalize violations of the U.S. Constitution.
“Those who have sworn to enforce our nation’s laws must abide by them. Today’s verdict recognizes that two police officers violated the Constitution by failing to intervene to stop another officer from killing Mr. Floyd, and three officers violated the Constitution by failing to provide aid to Mr. Floyd in time to prevent his death,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to seek accountability for law enforcement officers whose actions, or failure to act, violate their constitutional duty to protect the civil rights of our citizens.”
Acting United States Attorney Charles J. Kovats stated, “Today, former officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane stand convicted by a jury of their peers of willfully violating Mr. Floyd’s civil rights. The same rights guaranteed to each and every one of us by the United States Constitution. They had a moral responsibility, constitutional requirement, legal requirement, and a duty to intervene… and by failing to do so, they committed a crime. This is a reminder that all sworn law enforcement, regardless of rank or seniority, individually and independently have a duty to intervene and to provide medical aid to a person in need.”
Co-defendant Derek Chauvin previously entered a guilty plea in connection with the federal case. Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving Mr. Floyd of his constitutional rights while Chauvin was serving as an MPD officer. Chauvin also acknowledged that his conduct resulted in death and that he acted in callous and wanton disregard of the consequences to Mr. Floyd’s life. In addition, Chauvin was tried in state court and convicted of second-degree murder. In 2021, Chauvin was sentenced in state court to 22.5 years in prison.
Evidence presented at the federal trial for defendants Thao, Kueng, and Lane established that on May 25, 2020, then-MPD Officer Chauvin held his knees on Mr. Floyd’s neck and back as Mr. Floyd lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting. As soon as Mr. Floyd was on the ground, Chauvin placed his knee on the back of Mr. Floyd’s neck, while Kueng placed his knee on Floyd’s lower body. Chauvin would not remove his knee for the next nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds, and Kueng maintained his position for the next eight minutes and eleven seconds. Throughout this period, Mr. Floyd pleaded with officers 25 times to let him breathe.
As Mr. Floyd lost consciousness and a pulse, Chauvin and Kueng maintained their positions on his body. Even as Mr. Floyd ceased movement and stopped speaking, and even as Lane noted that Mr. Floyd was “passing out” and Kueng said he could not find a pulse, none of the CPR-certified defendants did anything to stop Chauvin from keeping his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck or to render the medical aid that they were trained and required to provide. Even as EMTs arrived and checked Mr. Floyd’s pupils and pulse, Chauvin did not move his knee and the other officers on scene did not render aid to Mr. Floyd.
Firefighters and EMTs unsuccessfully attempted to revive Mr. Floyd on the way to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The county medical examiner ruled Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide due to cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.
After the incident, an MPD supervisor and, later, an MPD lieutenant, spoke with Lane and Kueng. On both occasions, Lane and Kueng both omitted that Chauvin had knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck, that Mr. Floyd had been restrained on his stomach for nine and a half minutes, that Mr. Floyd had lost consciousness, and that officers had not been able to find a pulse. Additionally, Kueng told the supervisor that Mr. Floyd did not stop moving until after an ambulance arrived on scene, which he admitted at trial was false. At trial, the MPD lieutenant testified that, after watching video taken by a bystander, he realized that what he was told and what was on the video was “totally different.” He further testified that if an MPD officer observed another officer using too much force or doing something illegal, the officer has a duty to intervene to stop it, regardless of rank or seniority. Testimony offered at trial established that this duty to intervene is enshrined in MPD policy and is a component of the police department’s training program.
Evidence presented at trial also showed that MPD officers were required to complete emergency medical responder (EMR) training prior to entering the police academy, which includes CPR training. Further, MPD policy requires officers to determine if a subject is injured after a use of force and to render medical aid as soon as reasonably practical and requires officers assisting a person experiencing a medical crisis to provide first aid while awaiting EMS.
The jury found that the defendants disregarded this training and willfully violated Mr. Floyd’s constitutional rights. Kueng and Thao failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s use of unlawful force and all three defendants failed to provide aid to Mr. Floyd as he suffered a medical emergency at the hands of a fellow police officer.
No sentencing date has been set. The statutory maximum sentence for the death-resulting violation of section 242 is life in prison.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats, and Special Agent in Charge Michael F. Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division announced today’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the cooperation of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The case is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bates, LeeAnn Bell, Evan Gilead, Manda Sertich, and Allen Slaughter of the District of Minnesota.
Terrebonne Parish Man Sentenced for Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that KENDALL PARKER, Jr., age 28, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 16, 2022 to thirty (30) months of imprisonment for possessing a machinegun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
Court documents show the machinegun PARKER possessed was found during a search of his residence by state law enforcement officers investigating the distribution of controlled substances on April 16, 2020. The firearm PARKER possessed is a modified Glock model 17, nine-millimeter handgun. The manufacturer’s back-slide plate had been removed and replaced with an “A.F.S.” brand aftermarket back slide plate, also known as a “Glock switch.” This modification converted the firearm from a semi-automatic pistol to a fully automatic machinegun.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Strauss prosecuted the case.
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State Prison Inmates Plead Guilty to Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Two New York State prison inmates pled guilty today to conspiring with others to defraud pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs administered by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).
Reginald Thornton, age 29, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He admitted to conspiring with others to file unemployment insurance claims in his own name and in the names of other inmates, even though they were incarcerated by New York State at the Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone, New York. Inmates were not eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits.
Lord Paulin, age 41, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and admitted to conspiring with Thornton and another person to file a false unemployment insurance claim in his own name while he was also incarcerated at Bare Hill.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Anthony J. Annucci, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS); and Roberta Reardon, Commissioner of NYSDOL.
Thornton agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $31,276 to the State of New York. Paulin agreed to restitution in the amount of $10,004.
The mail fraud convictions carry maximum terms of 20 years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and terms of supervised release of up to 3 years. Thornton’s identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. Thornton and Paulin are scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2022 by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
These cases were investigated by USDOL-OIG, HSI, USPIS, and the Offices of Special Investigations of NYSDOCCS and NYSDOL. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Chisholm and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
St. Croix Man Previously Convicted of a Felony Sentenced to 56 months in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Lionel Woodley, 36, of St. Croix, appeared before Judge Wilma A. Lewis, in U.S. District Court and was sentenced on the charge of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
Judge Lewis sentenced Woodley to a 56-month prison term, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2019, Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) officers stopped the vehicle driven by Woodley at around 11:30 p.m. for failing to observe a stop sign and passing on a double yellow line. During the traffic stop, VIPD officers noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from Woodley’s vehicle. The officers searched the vehicle and located a revolver in the center console, a bag on the front seat containing approximately 20 grams of marijuana, approximately 7 grams of cocaine, along with $105.00, and a scale. Police also found and seized $701 on Woodley’s person. Woodley did not have a license to possess the firearm and had previously been convicted of the felony offense of Attempted Robbery Second Degree by the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.
The Virgin Islands Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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South Texas man admits to smuggling cocaine on passenger busRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 21-year-old Hidalgo County man has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, Matthew Ethan Joseph Castillo admitted he knowingly attempted to smuggle the narcotics past a U.S. Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint.
On Sept. 29, 2021, Castillo was traveling on a Tornado commercial passenger bus that entered the primary inspection area of the checkpoint near Falfurrias. There, a service canine alerted to a specific piece of luggage in the lower compartment of the bus. Authorities identified Castillo as the owner.
They searched the item and found two wooden tortilla presses, each containing two bundles of cocaine. They had been individually wrapped in carbon paper and coffee and sealed in plastic.
The drugs had an estimated street value of more than $300,000.
Sentencing has been set for May 31 before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. At that time, Castillo faces a minimum of five and up to 40 years in prison as well as a maximum $5 million possible fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck is prosecuting the case.
South Florida Man Gets over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl Disguised as Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A U.S. District Court Judge in South Florida has sentenced a 26-year-old Fort Pierce man to 121 months in federal prison for trafficking nearly 400 grams of fentanyl.
On November 16, 2020, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Deputies observed Dakaree Deval Brown conducting a drug deal. Brown entered the back passenger seat of a parked vehicle while carrying a blue backpack. When one of the officers activated his vehicle’s emergency lights, Brown ran from the car he was in, taking the backpack with him. Deputies caught Brown after a short foot chase. They searched his backpack and found over 700 pills that, based on the pills’ markings, appeared to be Oxycodone. Later testing revealed, however, that the pills were actually pressed tablets of fentanyl, made to look like Oxycodone. Inside the backpack, the officers also discovered multiple baggies containing white powder, a digital scale, a loaded gun magazine, and over $7,000 cash.
Brown pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance on September 24, 2021.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; and Ken J. Mascara, Sheriff, Saint Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
DEA Miami and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14013.
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Six Arrested in Multi-Jurisdictional Fentanyl TakedownRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Six individuals from Maine and Massachusetts were arrested yesterday in connection with their roles in an alleged fentanyl trafficking organization with activity that spanned across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
Randell Starlin Medina Rodriguez, 26, of Andover; Williams Colon Sanchez, 26, of Lawrence; Douglas Morris, 31, of Bangor, Maine; Robert Rodriguez Jr., 48, of Portland, Maine; and Cortney Moulton, 37, of West Bath, Maine, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Germania Amparo, 29, of Andover, was charged separately with distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to the charging documents, in early 2021, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and counterfeit oxycodone pills in and around the Andover and Lawrence areas. The investigation revealed that the defendants allegedly conspired to deliver hundreds of grams of fentanyl throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Specifically, it is alleged that Massachusetts-based dealers Medina Rodriguez, Colon Sanchez, Amparo and others delivered large quantities of fentanyl to wholesale customers including Morris, Rodriguez Jr. and Moulton, who in turn would distribute those substances in Maine and New Hampshire. Over the course of the investigation, over 4.3 kilograms of suspected fentanyl was seized.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hassink and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Salisbury Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Large-Scale Heroin Distribution Operation on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Jason Lawrence Green, age 40, of Salisbury, Maryland, today to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin, which he sold on the dark web, which is part of the internet that is only accessible by using specific software that disguises the true location and identity of computers using the software to communicate.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Colonel Adrian Baker, Superintendent Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Dorchester County Sheriff James W. Phillips, Jr.
According to Green’s guilty plea, from at least 2018 through October 2019, Green used an apartment and a storage unit in Salisbury, Maryland to sell and distribute heroin on the dark web and using encrypted email services.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Green initially operated as “CaliClaire” on the Dream Market, a dark web marketplace for controlled substances and other illegal goods. After Dream Market closed in April 2019, Green sold heroin through encrypted email services under the usernames “CaliClaire” and “clairebear2.” Green sent the heroin to buyers throughout the country using the U.S. mail (USPS).
For example, on June 20 and August 28, 2018, an undercover investigator purchased one gram of heroin from CaliClaire’s vendor site on Dream Market for approximately $200 in bitcoin, a cryptocurrency. The next day, law enforcement surveilled Green as he drove a white BMW from his home to the post offices in Ocean City, Maryland and Salisbury, respectively, and deposited parcels in a mailbox. After the BMW drove away, investigators searched the mailbox and recovered the parcel addressed to the address provided to CaliClaire by the undercover investigator. Each parcel contained one gram of a substance that field-tested positive for heroin. Investigators also recovered two additional parcels that Green had placed in the mailbox in Salisbury. After obtaining search warrants, investigators found that the parcels contained 3.5 and 4.5 grams, respectively, of a tan powdery substance that appeared to be heroin.
CaliClaire was inactive on Dream Market from September 7, 2018 until December 4, 2018—the same time that Green was in custody after being arrested by Ocean City police on unrelated state charges. Green was released on electronic monitoring on December 4, 2018. Six days later, CaliClaire posted an update on Dream Market claiming that the vendor had taken a “break” due to the loss in value of bitcoin, followed by another update on December 21, 2018 stating that heroin would be available for purchase again starting on December 25, 2018. Dream Market was shut down sometime between January and April 2019.
In June and September 2019, law enforcement seized two USPS parcels (later found to contain heroin) being shipped to addresses in Fairfax County, Virginia and Washington County, Oregon. Investigators contacted the intended recipients and learned that they were former CaliClaire customers on Dream Market. The Virginia recipient told investigators that CaliClaire had resumed selling heroin directly to customers under the CaliClaire username on Encrypted Email Service A. Investigators learned from the Oregon customer that CaliClaire was also selling heroin directly to customers under the username “clairebear2” on Encrypted Email Service B.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in September and October 2019, investigators conducted two undercover purchases from clairebear2 on Encrypted Mail Service B, each time obtaining 2 grams of heroin for $300 in bitcoin. Investigators surveilled Green following each undercover purchase. After the first purchase, investigators observed Green delivering parcels to a drive-up mailbox in Delaware. The mailbox where Green deposited the parcel was searched and the parcel addressed to the undercover officer was found. It contained three grams of a substance that field-tested positive for heroin. After the second purchase, Green was seen accessing a storage unit he was renting and later that day depositing multiple parcels in a mailbox in Berlin, Maryland. The parcel addressed to the undercover officer was delivered to investigators a few days later and contained a clear zip-top bag holding approximately 2.5 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for heroin.
Search warrants were executed at Green’s residence and storage unit on October 16, 2019. Law enforcement recovered a total of 77 grams of heroin; approximately 41 grams of cocaine; approximately five grams of MDA, a controlled substance often sold as “ecstasy”; approximately 33 grams of amphetamine; more than 1.4 kilograms of marijuana, with all but 48 grams packaged in heat sealed bags; 334 grams of cutting agent; and drug paraphernalia, including numerous digital scales, a money counter, and packaging materials. In addition, investigators seized six firearms, including a .40 caliber pistol which had been reported stolen from an officer with the Federal Air Marshal Service; a Level 3A body armor vest; ammunition; $13,796 in cash; mailing materials; a laptop computer and several cellular phones, including an iPhone.
A subsequent forensic analysis of Green’s iPhone found data of Green’s use of Encrypted Mail Service B and a mobile cryptocurrency storage application which showed that before the phone was seized, the wallet held approximately 15.97 bitcoin, which at that time was worth approximately $130,000. A forensic analysis of the laptop revealed, among other things, internet searches related to the addresses of customers; the names and addresses of approximately 56 individuals who appeared in either return or recipient addresses on parcels seized during the investigation and found to contain heroin, including undercover purchases; email addresses for Encrypted Email Services A and B; a password to Encrypted Email Service B; USPS tracking numbers, including for the undercover parcels; and approximately 44 PDF files containing USPS shipping labels from nearly every heroin parcel seized during the investigation.
This case was prosecuted utilizing resources from the Dark Market and Digital Currency Crimes (DMDCC) Task Force. The DMDCC Task Force is a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI – Baltimore, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Food and Drug Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department, targeting the use of dark net marketplaces and digital currencies to facilitate criminal activities. The past several years have witnessed a significant increase in the use of the internet (both the clear net and dark net) and digital currencies to facilitate, for example, the illegal sale and distribution of narcotics and firearms, computer technologies (including hacking tools), and Personal Identifiable Information (PII). In response to this rising threat, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI, and their partners formed the DMDCC Task Force to facilitate stronger collaboration among law enforcement partners combatting these crimes.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Maryland State Police, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Christopher M. Rigali, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Romanian National Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud Conspiracy Related to a Scheme to Steal Checks Intended for Religious Institutions from the MailRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Romanian national Mateus Vaduva, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Florida yesterday to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to steal donation checks intended for religious institutions from the mail. Judge Chuang also ordered Mateus Vaduva to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is $1,320,885.84 and entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $79,551.07, equal to the proceeds Vaduva obtained as a result of the conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Quenton Sallows, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
According to his guilty plea, beginning in June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and his co-conspirators conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions. Conspirators, including Vaduva, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks.
As part of the scheme to defraud, Vaduva and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions under false identities. Conspiracy members often opened fictitious bank accounts with the aid of a conspiracy member that was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions. In addition, Vaduva and his co-conspirators used at least two extended family members who were minors to assist in the account openings.
Vaduva and co-conspirators then withdrew cash from the fraudulent bank accounts through ATMs and spent the illegally obtained proceeds using debit cards associated with the bank accounts.
Throughout the scheme to defraud, Vaduva personally deposited at least approximately 126 stolen checks totaling at least approximately $79,551.07. In total, co-conspirators deposited at least 3,067 stolen checks from Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and elsewhere, totaling at least approximately $1,307,484.23. Vaduva admitted that based on the length, scope, and type of involvement in the scheme and his relationship with other conspirators, more than $550,000, but less than $1.5 million in actual and intended loss was foreseeable to Vaduva.
Co-conspirators Daniel Velcu, age 44; Marian Unguru, age 37; Marius Vaduva, age 27; and Vali Unguru, age 19, all of Baltimore, Maryland, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and are awaiting sentencing. Nicolae Gindac, age 53, of Dania Beach, Florida pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for His Role in Burning of RPD Car Duing May 2020 Violent Protests in RochesterRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Miguel Ramos, 21, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of rioting for his role in violent protests held in the City of Rochester in May 2020, was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Ramos was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $4,287 to the City of Rochester.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie M. Kocher, who handled the case stated that on May 30, 2020, Rochester Police Department (RPD) officers were assigned to assist with crowd control during protests scheduled at the Public Safety Building (PSB) on Exchange Boulevard. During the late afternoon/early evening, those protests, being held in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, turned violent and resulted in vandalism, damaged property, looting, and fires.
During the course of the protests, Ramos and others set fire to a marked Rochester Police Department patrol vehicle parked in front of the Public Safety Building. The burning of the RPD car, which was completely destroyed, was broadcast, and recorded on Facebook Live, which streamed the burning online in real time. Ramos also took photographs of himself at the riot and sent those photographs to others via text message to encourage them to participate in the riot.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith; the Gates Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Long; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley; the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, under the direction of Lieutenant Robert Hill; and the Rochester Fire Department, under the direction of Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr.
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Reptile Dealer Sentenced to Prison on Lacey Act and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal judge in Valdosta, Georgia, yesterday sentenced Ashtyn Michael Rance, 35, to 33 months in prison on each count to run concurrently, a $4,300 fine and three years of post-release supervision. The judge also prohibited Rance from possessing or selling wildlife during the supervisory period. Rance pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2021, to violating the Lacey Act and unlawfully possessing firearms.
In pleading guilty, Rance admitted that on Feb. 22, 2018, he shipped three eastern box turtles and 16 spotted turtles from Valdosta to a customer in Florida, in a package falsely labeled as containing tropical fish and common lizards. He was paid $3,300 for the turtles and knew they were being subsequently trafficked to China.
Rance further admitted that on May 10, 2018, he shipped 15 Gaboon vipers from Valdosta to Florida. The snakes were worth approximately $900 and also headed to a buyer in China. He falsely labeled the package as containing harmless reptiles and ball pythons. Rance had legally imported 100 Gaboon vipers and other venomous snakes from Africa to Atlanta. He received a special permit to transport the snakes out of Georgia, but he later returned to Valdosta with 16 vipers.
Rance possessed and sold the reptiles in violation of Georgia laws. The federal Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, transporting wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife is illegal under state laws. It is also a Lacey Act violation to falsely label a package containing wildlife.
The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a semi-aquatic turtle native to the eastern United States and Great Lakes region. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is endemic to forested regions of the East Coast and Midwest. Collectors prize both species in the domestic and foreign pet trade market, where they are resold for thousands of dollars. The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) is native to central Sub-Saharan Africa. Its venom can cause shock, loss of consciousness or death in humans. Authorities intercepted the package containing the vipers to minimize the risk of a bite or escape.
Additionally, Rance acknowledged that he possessed a Bushmaster Carbine .223 caliber rifle and Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his Valdosta residence that he was prohibited from owning as a convicted felon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement in Vero Beach, Florida, ATF and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation as part of Southern Surge Task Force’s Operation Middleman. The operation focused on the trafficking of reptiles from the United States to China. The government is represented by Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit for the Middle District of Georgia.
Reptile Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Trafficking Animals, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A Florida reptile dealer caught shipping venomous snakes and turtles from his residence in Valdosta as part of “Operation Middleman,” a multi-agency investigation focusing on the trafficking of reptiles from the United States to China, has been sentenced to prison for violating the Lacey Act and unlawfully possessing firearms.
Ashtyn Michael Rance, 35, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to serve 33 months in prison on each count concurrently to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $4,300 fine by U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson on Feb. 23, after previously pleading guilty on Nov. 18, 2021, to one count Lacey Act trafficking and one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition, Judge Lawson prohibited Rance from possessing or selling wildlife while under supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Rance admitted that on Feb. 22, 2018, he shipped three eastern box turtles and 16 spotted turtles from Valdosta to a customer in Florida, in a package falsely labeled as containing tropical fish and common lizards. He was paid $3,300 for the turtles and knew they were being subsequently trafficked to China.
Rance further admitted that on May 10, 2018, he shipped 15 Gaboon vipers from Valdosta to Florida. The snakes were worth approximately $900 and also headed to a buyer in China. He falsely labeled the package as containing harmless reptiles and ball pythons. Rance had legally imported 100 Gaboon vipers and other venomous snakes from Africa to Atlanta. He received a special permit to transport the snakes out of Georgia, but he later returned to Valdosta with 16 vipers.
Rance possessed and sold the reptiles in violation of Georgia laws. The federal Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, transporting wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife was illegal under state laws. It is also a Lacey Act violation to falsely label a package containing wildlife.
The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a semi-aquatic turtle native to the eastern United States and Great Lakes region. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is endemic to forested regions of the East Coast and Midwest. Collectors prize both species in the domestic and foreign pet trade market, where they are resold for thousands of dollars. The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) is native to central Sub-Saharan Africa. Its venom can cause shock, loss of consciousness, or death in humans. Authorities intercepted the package containing the vipers to minimize the risk of a bite or escape.
Additionally, Rance acknowledged that he possessed a Bushmaster Carbine .223 caliber rifle and Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his Valdosta residence that he was prohibited from owning as a convicted felon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement in Vero Beach, Florida, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation as part of Operation Middleman. The operation focused on the trafficking of reptiles from the United States to China.
Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources, Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit for the Middle District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Repeat fraudster sent to prison againRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 63-year-old Sugar Land resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions related to a mail and wire fraud conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge convicted Maxwell Chibueze Ezenwa on all 15 counts as charged Nov. 9, 2021, following a six-day bench trial. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit and eight counts of wire fraud affecting financial institutions as well as conspiracy to commit mail fraud and five counts of mail fraud.
Today, Judge Eskridge imposed a 78-month term of imprisonment for the two conspiracies and underlying fraud convictions to be served concurrently. He must also serve three years of supervised release following the sentences. At the hearing, the court heard Ezenwa had been convicted of bank fraud in 2000 and how the his actions have affected the victims in this case. In handing down the prison term, Judge Eskridge noted Ezenwa’s recidivist conduct and complete lack of remorse for his bad acts.
During the trial, Judge Eskridge heard testimony from seven civilian witnesses whom Ezenwa and co-conspirators had victimized. Four financial institution representatives testified to show how their the fraud affected their businesses. They described how Ezenwa’s various bank accounts were constantly flagged for suspicious transactions and how all his accounts were ultimately closed for fraud.
Law enforcement provided further details, describing their investigation and other evidence collected and analyzed, such as a voluminous number of records and data from multiple cellular phone extractions. They also detailed the interviews of dozens of witnesses.
Two co-conspirators and a federal detention center inmate also told the court about their roles in the conspiracy and knowledge of the fraud scheme.
Ezenwa attempted to convince the court he did not know he was engaged in criminal or fraudulent activity. However, Judge Eskridge heard Ezenwa was actually on bond in state court for the wire fraud activity when he engaged in the subsequent mail fraud.
The court found Ezenwa was involved in two fraud schemes that occurred from 2013 to 2014 and from 2018 to 2019.
Ezenwa will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Clark County Sheriff’s Office in Washington. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Lu and Sherin Daniel prosecuted the case.
Repeat Felon Arraigned on Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Kenneth Moss, Jr., 40, of Detroit, was arraigned on an indictment today charging him with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
According to court records, Moss allegedly committed the offenses in Wayne County and within the Eastern District of Michigan on March 16, 2020, August 22, 2021, and August 25, 2021. Specifically on March 16, 2020, police officers responded to an alleged assault and contacted Moss, who ran from police. After being detained, police recovered a firearm and a quantity of crack cocaine that was packaged in a way consistent with an intent to distribute. Moss is prohibited from possessing firearms based on multiple prior felony convictions. More recently, on August 22, 2021, Moss is alleged to have fired a handgun outside of a residence. Shortly thereafter, on August 25, 2021, police executed a search warrant at Moss’s residence and recovered the firearm allegedly used to commit the shooting a few days before.
Moss has been in custody since his arrest on February 10, 2022, on a criminal complaint. Moss faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and up to twenty years in prison if convicted of the drug charge.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Detroit office of the ATF investigated this case with the assistance of the Detroit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Registered Sex Offender Arrested for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A lifetime Level 1 sex offender was arrested and charged by criminal complaint yesterday for possession of child pornography.
Eric Robert Johnson, 49, of Billerica, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Johnson will appear in federal court in Boston at 1 p.m. this afternoon.
According to the charging document, a search of Johnson’s residence resulted in the recovery of a laptop computer and other electronic devices, including multiple hard drives that were found hidden in Johnson’s ceiling. A preliminary review revealed that at least one of Johnson’s electronic devices contained images and videos depicting child pornography, including videos of children as young as approximately six to ten-years-old. Forensic review of the devices remains ongoing.
Additionally, according to the criminal complaint, during the search of Johnson’s residence, diapers were found and at least three mutilated dolls with the vaginal region sliced to make a hole in each doll’s body. Two children’s backpacks containing various children’s clothing including bathing suits and a nightgown were found under his bed and a bag of children’s costumes along with a sex toy were recovered in the basement.
Johnson was previously convicted in 1992 on state charges in New Hampshire of two counts of rape of a child with force.
The charge of possession of child pornography after a prior conviction for a sex offense provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of 10 years, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Raleigh Police Officer Arrested for Cocaine Distribution While on DutyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh Police Officer had his initial appearance today on charges of distributing cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was arrested yesterday on these charges.
According to court documents, Keven Rodriguez, 33, a Field Operations Division Officer with the Raleigh Police Department, distributed cocaine while on duty in his patrol car.
The complaint alleges that the investigation began when members of the Raleigh Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that Rodriguez was distributing controlled substances in the Raleigh area, and that Rodriguez was a police officer.
The complaint also alleges that a confidential source arranged to meet with Rodriguez on January 24, 2022. Rodriguez drove to the meeting location in his marked Raleigh Police Department patrol car and was carrying his duty firearm. The confidential source met with Rodriguez and gave Rodriguez $2,600 in cash. Rodriguez then gave suspected cocaine to the confidential source. The drugs were later tested by a lab and confirmed to be approximately 56 grams of cocaine.
The complaint charges Rodriguez with two counts: (1) distribution of a quantity of cocaine; and (2) possession of a firearm in furtherance of, and using and carrying a firearm during, a drug trafficking crime.
He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison if convicted, and a maximum of life in prison.
Michael Easley, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Raleigh Police Department are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Portland Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A known member of Portland’s Hoover Criminal Gang was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Cocoa Dalonta Taplin, 27, of Fairview, Oregon, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents and testimony, as part of a federal racketeering investigation of the Hoover Criminal Gang, law enforcement obtained photos of Taplin, a convicted felon, holding and posing with two firearms. On April 6, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Taplin with illegally possessing a firearm. On April 16, 2021, federal agents arrested Taplin and executed a search warrant on his Fairview residence. On November 30, 2021, Taplin pleaded guilty.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, and FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
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.
Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearm with Fifty Round Extended MagazineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that MIKAL BLACK, age 24, a resident of Ironton, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 22, 2022 to fifty-seven (57) months of imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Upon release from imprisonment, BLACK will serve three (3) years of supervised release and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court documents show that BLACK had brandished a firearm on multiple occasions throughout July and August of 2020. The firearm was seized on August 11, 2020 and found to be a Glock .40 caliber handgun, loaded with a fifty (50) round drum magazine containing forty-nine (49) rounds of ammunition. BLACK was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a conviction for manufacturing a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance in the 25th Judicial District Court of Louisiana.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Strauss prosecuted the case.
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Pittsburgh Man Pleads to Making Threats by PhoneRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of making a threat by telephone to destroy a building, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Albert Morris, 60, of the City’s Homewood neighborhood, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Feb. 1, 2021, Albert Morris called in two bomb threats: one related to the William S. Moorhead federal building in downtown Pittsburgh, the other related to the J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, D.C.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2022, at 11:30 a.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 Morris on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Morris.
Physician pays over half million to settle allegations concerning ultrasound billingRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A 41-year-old primary care doctor has paid $504,588.40 to resolve allegations that he billed for excessive ultrasounds, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Dr. Jose Escandon operates in Mission. From Aug. 1, 2014, to Oct. 31, 2018, Escandon violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of claims to Medicare for ultrasounds that were medically unnecessary or unreasonable.
This investigation arose out of a proactive review of claims data showing Escandon was a significant statistical outlier for ultrasound claims.
As part of the settlement, Escandon and Dr. Jose A. Escandon dba Escandon Diagnostic Clinic agreed to a three-year integrity agreement with Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG).
The agreement promotes compliance with the Medicare statutes, program requirements and written directives and all other federal health care programs. Among other obligations, Escandon and the clinic must establish and maintain a compliance program and engage an independent organization to perform quarterly claims reviews. The agreement also requires Escandon and the clinic to routinely report on these obligations to DHHS-OIG.
The USAO jointly conducted the investigation with DHHS-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Pennsylvania Man Arrested on Several Counts of Immigration Document Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for committing immigration documents fraud and aggravated identity theft in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Luc Fikiri Matthews, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was indicted on Feb. 9, 2022, on six counts of submitting false and fraudulent immigration documents and six counts of committing aggravated identity theft. Matthews is scheduled to make his initial appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2017 and 2018, Matthews falsely represented himself as an immigration attorney in order to attract business from noncitizens who did not have legal permanent resident status in the United States. Under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, the victims of certain qualifying crimes that occur in the United States, including noncitizen victims who might otherwise be subject to immigration removal proceedings, may be eligible to obtain a U Visa and remain in the United States. After agreeing to represent new clients and charging them fees, Matthews prepared and submitted false and fraudulent U Visa application documents to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
The documents prepared by Matthews included multiple fraudulent statements, such as falsely representing that his clients had been the victims of certain qualifying crimes, or containing false names, signatures, and other false means of identification, from various visa applicants and government officials located in New Jersey and New York. None of Matthews’ clients ever actually received a U Visa.
Each count of immigration documents fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Each count of aggravated identity theft is punishable by up to two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other term imposed, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special-Agent-in-Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Camden office.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oregon Man Faces Federal Charges After Twice Breaking Windows, Destroying Property at a Planned Parenthood ClinicRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—An Oregon man faces federal charges after twice breaking windows and destroying property at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Grants Pass, Oregon because the clinic provides reproductive health services.
Devin Friedrick Kruse, 26, a Grants Pass resident, has been charged by misdemeanor criminal information with two counts of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
According to court documents, on November 23, 2021, Kruse is alleged to have intentionally broken security cameras and a window at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Grants Pass. He returned three days later, on November 26, 2021, and threw a concrete block through a window at the clinic and tore down the clinic’s intercom system. The clinic has remained closed since these incidents occurred.
Kruse will make his first appearance in federal court on March 14, 2022.
Misdemeanor violations of the FACE Act are punishable by up to one year in federal prison.
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 Grants Pass Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce and John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
A criminal information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In 1994, Congress passed the FACE Act in response to an increase in violence toward patients and providers of reproductive health services. The FACE Act prohibits violent, threatening, damaging and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with an individual’s right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services.
If you or someone you know is in danger, please call 911.
Suspected violations of the FACE Act can be reported to the FBI by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug Trafficking and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Bobby Joe Baer, 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brain C. Buescher for possessing with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm during the drug trafficking offense. Baer was sentenced to consecutive sentences of 115 months for the drug trafficking offense and 65 months for the firearm offense, with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
On January 13, 2021, officers with the Omaha Police Department were called to check on Baer, who appeared to be unresponsive in a vehicle. When officers made contact with Baer, they saw a firearm in his waistband. Baer was a convicted felon and had outstanding warrants. Baer was arrested and his vehicle searched. During the search, officers found 20 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 106 Months for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Terrance Traynham, age 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court on February 23, 2022, in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Traynham to 106 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Traynham will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On July 18, 2020, officers arrested Traynham in an Omaha hotel. On his hip, Traynham was carrying a stolen Glock 19, 9 mm pistol. He was carrying 86 fentanyl pills in his pocket which he intended to distribute. Traynham was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for delivery, distribution, dispensing, manufacturing, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (2016) and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving (2019).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Omaha Police Department and was part of an operation by the Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Role in Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced the Jurrell Parker, 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 24, 2022, for Aiding and Abetting the Transportation of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaging in Sexually Explicit Conduct. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Parker to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Parker will begin a 10-year term of supervised release and will also be required to register as a sex offender.
On April 19, 2019, Parker used Kik, an online application with servers located outside the State of Nebraska, to communicate with an undercover law enforcement officer that had assumed the identity of another user of the application. Law enforcement had previously located several Kik chat conversations in which it appeared child pornography material was being traded by the members of the chat. During the online conversation, Parker sent the undercover officer a “Mega” hyperlink, which directed the officer to a folder of 113 video files of child pornography. Mega is a cloud storage and file hosting service offered by Mega Limited, an Auckland, New Zealand-based company.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force obtained subscriber information and IP login history associated with Kik user that had shared the Mega hyperlink, which ultimately led to Parker’s residence in Omaha, Nebraska. On April 22, 2019, the FBI executed a federal search warrant of Parker’s Omaha residence and seized Parker’s phone. A search of that phone located 9 images and 5 videos of minors, between the age of 8 and 15 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 136 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Joshua Pennington, 29 years old, of Reading, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Pennington was sentenced to 136 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. When released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to documents in the case, beginning in September of 2018, Pennington began contacting a minor through social media. The minor eventually agreed to meet Pennington, who traveled from Ohio to Indiana in January of 2019. Pennington picked up the minor and drove to a church parking lot, where they engaged in sexual activity. When a police officer approached his car, Pennington directed the minor to tell the officer he/she was over the age of 18.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lafayette Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
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Oakland Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Million Dollar Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal court sentenced Christina Burden today to 36 months in prison following her guilty pleas to two counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds; U.S. Department of the Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Special Agent in Charge Rod Ammari; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
Christina Burden, 32, of Oakland, was originally charged on February 3, 2021, in a federal complaint alleging bank fraud in obtaining pandemic relief funds from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) for her shell entity “Blessing Box Co LLC.” This entity was among multiple shell entities, including the “Burden Consulting Group LLC,” that Burden used in her fraud scheme. As outlined in the complaint, the PPP is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was enacted by the U.S. Congress in March of 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from dire economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loan proceeds were distributed to faltering businesses for limited, identified business expenses such as payroll costs, mortgage interest, rents, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on a PPP loan to be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses and used at least 60% of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. Similarly, the EIDL Program provided low-interest loans to small businesses in regions affected by disasters, and EIDL funds became available to all states and territories due to the magnitude and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her plea agreement, Burden admitted she registered multiple fictitious businesses with the California Secretary of State, then modified documents by inserting incorrect dates relating to the purported business operations in order to qualify the fictitious businesses for loans from the PPP or EIDL programs. Along with her fraudulent applications to the relief programs, Burden submitted fake IRS tax documents, such as fake IRS Form 940 and IRS W-3 forms. The IRS tax documents contained false statements about the number of business employees, payroll costs, and wages paid, among other false statements. Burden admitted in her plea agreement she was aware that the availability and amount of PPP and EIDL loans was tied to the creation and operational dates of the businesses, the employee numbers, and the payroll costs, and that she intentionally misrepresented all of that information. In total, Burden fraudulently claimed she had 89 employees and a monthly payroll of more than $700,000 in her fictitious businesses, according to government documentation.
In total, Burden attempted to obtain more than $4.5 million in pandemic relief loans. She admitted that she actually received $992,291 in fraudulent-obtained PPP loans and $150,900 in fraudulently obtained EIDL loans and advances.
After receiving the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds, Burden used the money for a buying spree of high-end luxury items and services. In a brief filed for the sentencing hearing, the government outlined that Burden spent $184,000 on private jet travel, other airfare, and hotel expenses; $124,000 on luxury purchases from Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom; $16,000 on boat and car rentals; and $14,000 on restaurants and entertainment. Another $150,000 was spent on Mercedes, Land Rover, and Nissan automobiles.
In addition to the 36 month prison sentence imposed for bank fraud and money laundering, United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered that Burden pay restitution in the amount of $1,143,191. The sentence also included a three year period of supervision following Burden’s release from prison. Burden was ordered to surrender into custody to begin her sentence on April 7.
Abraham Fine is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by TIGTA, IRS-CI, the FBI, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG).
Owner and Two Top Executives of South Florida Health Insurance Telemarketing Business Indicted for FraudRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Yesterday afternoon, a federal grand jury in East St. Louis returned an indictment charging a former owner and two top tier executives of a south
Florida telemarketing business known as Simple Health with federal fraud offense. Former owner
Steven Dorfman, 37, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, former Chief Compliance Officer, Candida L. Girouard, 45, of Valrico, FL, and former Vice President of Sales John A. Sand, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, were all charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and eight counts of wire fraud.
Simple Health, also known as Health Benefits One, sold health insurance policies over the phone.
The vast majority of the policies sold by Simple Health were limited indemnity plans.
Limited indemnity plans have a relatively low cap on the amount of medical expenses they will cover. After those caps are reached, the patients are responsible for paying 100% of their medical expenses out of their own pockets.The indictment alleges that Simple Health employed a deceptive sales script to trick people into purchasing the limited indemnity plans. Among other things, the script required the
Simple Health salespersons to tell the customers that: “The whole idea of this plan is to make your out of pocket expenses as low as possible . . . .” and “When all is said and done, you end up with pennies on the dollar!!” Relying on these and other false and misleading representations, thousands of people across the country purchased limited indemnity plans from Simple Health. According to the indictment, after customers purchased these policies, they frequently called Simple Health’s
Customer Service Department and complained that (1) they had incurred significant medical expenses that they had been led to believe would be covered, but were not; (2) their doctors and hospitals did not accept the limited indemnity plans; and (3) their prescription drug costs were not covered, contrary to what they were told when the purchased the policies.In October 2018, the Federal Trade Commission’s Midwest Regional Office in Chicago took action to prevent Simple Health from defrauding any additional consumers. The complaint filed by the FTC requested that the federal court in south Florida enter an injunction prohibiting Simple Health from violating federal consumer protection laws. In addition, at the request of the FTC, the court appointed a receiver take over operations of the business. The litigation in that case is ongoing.
“We credit the Federal Trade Commission for their continued vigilance to protect the community from predatory and unscrupulous businesses operating online,” said United States Attorney
Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Crimes like those alleged in the indictment rob people of their hard-earned money, but worse, they have catastrophic consequences when expected insurance benefits aren’t there in a time of need. These offenses ruin lives and must be dealt with harshly.”
The indictment charges that from May 4, 2012, through November 1, 2018, Simple Health sold policies to over 400,000 people nationwide, generating revenues to Simple Health of more than $190,000,000. Simple Health sold 1,175 policies to individuals residing in all 38 counties that comprise the Southern District of Illinois.Dorfman, Girouard, and Sand are scheduled to appear in federal court in East St. Louis on Monday, March 7, 2022, for their arraignments. Because the alleged scheme was conducted via telemarketing and victimized ten or more persons over the age of 55, the maximum penalty for the conspiracy count is 30 years, pursuant to the SCAMS Act. Each of the mail and wire fraud counts carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. In addition, the defendants can be ordered to pay full restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois made the announcement. The
St. Louis Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Verseman and Peter Reed are prosecuting the case.Montgomery Woman Found Guilty of Lying to a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, Tressa Nile Jones-Arnold, 30, from Montgomery, Alabama, was convicted of making a false statement to a federal agent, announced U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in March of 2020, Jones-Arnold bought a Glock, model 45, 9mm semi-automatic pistol at a pawn shop in Montgomery. As part of that transaction, Jones-Arnold completed an ATF form that required her to verify she was buying the gun for herself. Later, on September 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the residence of Lonnie Dontae Mitchell, who was in a relationship with Jones-Arnold and had a child with her. Agents were searching for evidence of suspected drug and human trafficking activity. During the search, law enforcement found a Glock 9mm along with a number of items related to the sale of illegal drugs. The 9mm handgun found was the same firearm previously purchased by Jones-Arnold. Mitchell has multiple felony convictions on his record and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
On October 13, 2020, federal agents interviewed Jones-Arnold. She told them she unintentionally left the gun at Mitchell’s house under the bed the weekend before the search was conducted and the gun was found. However, as early as May 2020, Jones-Arnold had sent text messages to Mitchell referring to the gun. In August, she texted him, “Well you need to get a gun registered to yourself cause I don’t feel comfortable with u having a gun registered to my name,” and “I’ll buy it back from u!”
Mitchell was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in July of 2021 and is facing a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Following yesterday’s conviction, Jones-Arnold is facing up to five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set for Jones-Arnold. Mitchell’s sentencing is still pending as well.
“Lying to federal investigators is a serious crime, and so is providing a firearm to a felon,” stated U.S. Attorney Stewart. “Violent crime is on the rise around the country and far too many criminals are using firearms to terrorize their communities. Ms. Jones-Arnold’s actions placed a gun in the hands of an individual who could not purchase one for himself because of his criminal history, then she lied to federal agents to cover for them both. I hope this conviction serves as an important reminder that those who lie to federal investigators or provide guns to felons will face criminal consequences.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Montgomery Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys James P. Lamb and Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Drug Smuggling OperationRead the Press Release
EL PASO – Yesterday, a Mexican national was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in a large marijuana conspiracy.
According to court documents, Victor Gerardo Villegas, aka Victor Gerardo Villegas-Villalva, Gera, 34, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, was a member of the Gente Nueva de Durango Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) from 2013 until his arrest in early June 2019. The DTO controls human and drug smuggling through the Valle de Juarez, which is located south of the Lower Valley of El Paso County, Texas.
The DTO was responsible for smuggling large quantities of marijuana using undocumented non-citizens carrying makeshift backpacks with about 50 pounds of marijuana per pack. The DTO transported the marijuana from El Paso to destination cities, such as Oklahoma City. As smuggling coordinator for the DTO, Villegas managed operations through the Valle de Juarez, including distributing marijuana and transporting drug proceeds back to Ciudad Juarez. As part of the conspiracy, Villegas directed DTO members in the El Paso area to rent at least two residences to temporarily store marijuana for further distribution.
On September 10, 2021, a jury found Villegas guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Other members of the DTO include Ernesto Daniel Rubio-Cervantes, 29, of Fabens; Jesus Dominguez, 33, of Tornillo; Marcos Andrade-Luna, 54, of Sonora, Mexico; Rudy Cruz Fierro, 29, of Fabens; Santiago De Leon-Zavala, 25, of Tornillo; and Isac Gamez-Ruiz, 47, of Sonora, Mexico.
“I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners as we work together to pursue not only individual drug traffickers, but also large drug trafficking organizations and their leadership,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff.
“Drug trafficking organizations don’t just traffic in drugs, as this case highlights,” said Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Division. “The DEA, joining forces with our federal partners, will continue to investigate and pursue those who threaten our communities with illegal activity, especially when they prey on others to commit their illegal acts.”
“The FBI would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations for their partnership and dedication,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey. “As a result of our collective efforts, members of this criminal organization will no longer plague our communities in West Texas and across the nation with their brazen acts of violence, drug trafficking, and human smuggling.”
“This individual played a key role in a transnational criminal organization that posed a public safety threat to our border community by using our neighborhoods as locations for criminal activity,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge, El Paso Division, Frank Burrola. “This sentence is the culmination of HSI’s dedication and commitment to work jointly with our law enforcement partners to rid our streets of criminals who would trash our communities for their own greed.”
Rubio-Cervantes pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. On October 18, 2017, Rubio-Cervantes was sentenced to 72 months in prison.
Dominguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. On November 30, 2017, Dominguez was sentenced to 63 months in prison.
Andrade-Luna pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. On January 5, 2018, Andrade-Luna was sentenced to 88 months in prison.
Fierro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. On February 22, 2018, Fierro was sentenced to 102 months in prison.
De Leon-Zavala pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. On June 25, 2019, De Leon-Zavala was sentenced to 72 months in prison.
Gamez-Ruiz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. On November 22, 2019, Gamez-Ruiz was sentenced to 51 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the El Paso Divisions of DEA, FBI and HSI as a joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andres Ortega and John Johnston prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Member of Zuni Pueblo sentenced to five years in prison for sexually abusing a minor in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Byron Calavaza, 33, of Zuni, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, was sentenced on Feb. 23 in federal court to five years in prison for sexually abusing a minor in Indian Country. Calavaza pleaded guilty on March 23, 2021.
According to the plea agreement, Calavaza sexually abused the minor victim on four occasions between Dec. 25, 2017, and Jan. 21, 2018, at a residence on the Zuni Pueblo. Calavaza admitted to committing intentional and unlawful sexual abuse of a minor who was between the age of twelve and fifteen.
Upon his release from prison, Calavaza will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Zuni Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson prosecuted the case.
Member of Large-Scale Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL ESTREMERA, 42, last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 138 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a fentanyl trafficking ring, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in Connecticut. The investigation revealed that members of the organization were receiving kilogram-quantities of narcotics, primarily fentanyl, from a source of supply, and then distributing the drug to various narcotics traffickers, including Estremera. Estremera and others then sold the drug to street-level distributors.
Members of the organization delivered cash generated from the sale of narcotics to a money broker in Brooklyn, New York, who assisted in laundering the narcotics proceeds before they were transferred to leaders of the drug trafficking organization. On August 14, 2019, investigators stopped Estremera’s car, after Estremera met with a drug associate, and seized $14,960 in cash. On August 28, 2019, after observing Estremera transferring a shopping bag to another individual, investigators stopped the other individual’s vehicle and seized $72,570 in cash that was contained in the bag. Between August and October 2019, law enforcement seized more than $100,000 in cash from other members of the drug trafficking organization.
Members of the organization used several locations to store, process and package fentanyl for street stale, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain. Estremera used an apartment on South Street in West Hartford to process, package and store narcotics. On March 13, 2020, investigators searched the apartment and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 500 wax folds of the drug.
Estremera and several co-defendants were arrested on April 28, 2020. On that date, investigators seized approximately $100,000 in cash, a firearm, several thousand wax folds of suspected fentanyl, and numerous items used in the processing and packaging of narcotics.
Estremera has been detained since his arrest.
On June 3, 2020, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Estremera and nine others with narcotics distribution and money laundering offenses. On July 20, 2021, Estremera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Estremera’s criminal history includes a state drug conviction for which he served a 42-month prison sentence, and a federal conviction stemming from his role in a Hartford-area heroin trafficking ring. In February 2009, was sentenced in federal court 120 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release. He was released from prison in March 2018 and was on supervised release at the time of his arrest for his conduct in this case.
Judge Hall sentenced Estremera to 120 months of imprisonment for trafficking fentanyl, and a consecutive 18 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) Strike Force and the New York Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.