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1 February 2022
Justice Department Announces National Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland yesterday released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“Our office has dedicated resources to prosecute trafficking crimes and respond to the needs of the victims,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “We are committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to coordinate efforts to bring to justice those who use violence, intimidation, coercion, or fear to exploit their victims.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination, and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally funded, locally led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance, and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Johnstown Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison and 5 Years’ Supervised Release for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 63 months in prison followed by five years’ supervised release on his conviction for possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on William Jay Clark, 34.
According to information presented to the court, on February 23, 2017, Clark knowingly possessed pictures and videos in individual computer graphic files which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Clark.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Great Falls woman admits meth, fentanyl distribution that led to deathRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman admitted on Jan. 31 to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl that led to the death of another individual, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.
Brandie Rae Fulbright, 40, pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. Fulbright faces a mandatory maximum of 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 5. Fulbright was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Aug. 23, 2020, Great Falls police officers were dispatched to a camper trailer where they found a man, identified as John Doe, deceased on a bed. Co-defendant Kent Fox was on the scene and told officers he was friends with Doe, had last seen Doe two days earlier and had driven Doe to his camper after seeing him use meth. Fulbright had sent Fox to check on Doe when she hadn’t heard from him, and Fox found Doe deceased. An investigation found evidence of communications among Fox, Fulbright and Doe about the use and distribution of various drugs. In an interview with law enforcement officers, Fox admitted to picking up Doe on Aug. 21, 2020 and taking him to his home so that Doe could buy meth from Fulbright. Doe traded an AR-15 rifle to Fulbright in exchange for some meth and two blue pills. Fulbright then gave the rifle to Fox, and Fox returned Doe to his camper. Investigators learned that Doe had the meth and two blue pills when he returned home and gave some of the meth to an individual. The individual saw Doe inject himself with meth obtained from Fox and Fulbright and then slump over on his bed. An autopsy determined that Doe died from an overdose of a combination of meth and fentanyl. Fox previously pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Great Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Georgia Men Sentenced to Prison for Dog-Fighting and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Two Georgia residents convicted on dog-fighting and drug distribution charges resulting from an investigation into a significant multi-state dog-fighting and cocaine trafficking ring were sentenced to prison today.
Jarvis Lockett, 41, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 10 years’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and cocaine distribution. Co-defendant Christopher Raines, 51, of Talbotton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 135 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and pay a fine of $10,000, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III presided over both hearings. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Lockett and Raines were conspirators in a criminal enterprise that profited from the suffering of both animal and human victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Dog-fighting is closely associated with other serious crimes, and today’s sentences show that those who engage in this cruel and inhumane practice face significant prison time.”
“This multi-state investigation began with Jarvis Lockett, who was an active and aggressive participant in the dog-fighting world,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary of the Middle District of Georgia. “Federal, state and local law enforcement meticulously followed every lead, and their unwavering commitment to justice has put an end to a complex and deadly dog-fighting and drug distribution network. Violent dog-fighting circles are proven breeding grounds for a wide-range of criminal activities that harm the well-being of our communities and will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”
“We have investigated animal cruelty cases in the past, so initially when this information came in, we thought that it would involve a handful of local people fighting dogs for sport,” said Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese. “What started out as a local investigation soon turned into a complex investigation that included people from multiple states and all walks of life. It is impossible to comprehend just how cruel these dogs were being treated for the purpose of training them to kill. Our team rescued 168 pit bulls during the execution of the search warrants and not the first dog acted aggressively toward the officers. The dogs just wanted attention and love. Organized dog-fighting is a dark, sick and disgusting culture that has no place in our society.”
According to court documents, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in both cocaine distribution and organized dog-fighting based out of Roberta, Georgia, which extended into North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until February 2020. In February 2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dog-fighting.
During this time period, Lockett attended and had his dogs participate in dog fights in Melrose, Florida, and Macon, Georgia, where he also acted as a referee. In addition, he attended, participated and/or attempted to participate in dog fights in Taylor County, Georgia, Eastman, Georgia, and Shiloh, Georgia, where Lockett received $16,000 for his winning dog. Text messages obtained from a search warrant executed on Lockett’s cell phone detailed his dog-fighting ventures, including communications between Lockett and multiple defendants on subjects such as killing an unaggressive dog, planning a dog fight and soliciting a female dog for fighting for $10,000. Additional text messages discussed the purchases of large quantities of cocaine and spending $250,000 on narcotics from co-defendant Derrick Owens. A confidential informant (CI) purchased cocaine from Lockett at a Roberta, Georgia, family home on July 10, 2019 and Sept. 12, 2019.
On Feb. 26, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Roberta residence recovering cash, cocaine and evidence of dog-fighting activities to include veterinary penicillin, break sticks, photos of fighting dogs, a dog weight training vest, a dog-fighting pit, a dog treadmill, and blood-stained carpet and walls. 14 dogs were recovered. The dogs had scarring consistent with dogs being used for dog-fighting activities. On the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at a Warner Robins property Lockett owned, where they found a pit bull terrier dog that was extremely injured and lethargic. The injuries had been stapled shut. The dog died two days later of his injuries. Agents found other evidence of dog-fighting activity including medicine and supplies to treat animals for injuries sustained from dog-fighting activities, a notepad containing dog names and dollar amounts, a 50-pound digital scale, paperwork from a veterinary clinic, a blender with dog food and medicine, dog breeding registration certificates and several bags of cash.
Co-defendant Raines’ drug distribution and dog-fighting activities were uncovered during the course of the investigation. Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Raines’ Talbotton property on Feb. 26, recovering 41 dogs used in dog-fighting. The dogs were malnourished with scars, hair loss and spliced ears. Agents seized many items used in dog-fighting including a skin stapler, IV kits, veterinary medical supplies and dog breeding certificates. In his plea agreement, Raines admitted that he was a manager or supervisor in the criminal organization and was responsible for drug transactions ranging from a quarter to 1.5 kilograms of cocaine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG); U.S. Marshals Service; the Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI); Bibb County Sheriff’s Office; Crawford County Sheriff’s Office; Houston County Sheriff’s Office; Merriweather County Sheriff’s Office; Peach County Sheriff’s Office; Taylor County Sheriff’s Office; Webster County Sheriff’s Office; Byron Police Department and the Fort Valley Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Banu Rangarajan with the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
Note: View photos below:
Exhibit 1 – Picture of the dog that Lockett kept at his residence at 107 Stanton in Warner Robins. This is the dog that could not be saved by the veterinarian. It died two days after being seized. Its wounds had been stapled shut and it was extremely injured and lethargic.
Exhibit 2 – Picture of the blood-stained wall’s from behind Lockett’s property in Roberta, Georgia. The walls circling the room were all stained with dogs’ blood.
Georgia Men Sentenced to Prison for Dog-Fighting and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Georgia residents convicted on dog-fighting and drug distribution charges resulting from an investigation into a significant multi-state dog fighting and cocaine trafficking ring were sentenced to prison today.
Jarvis Lockett, 41, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and cocaine distribution. Co-defendant Christopher Raines, 51, of Talbotton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 135 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release, and pay a fine of $10,000, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III presided over both hearings. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Lockett and Raines were conspirators in a criminal enterprise that profited from the suffering of both animal and human victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Dog-fighting is closely associated with other serious crimes, and today’s sentences show that those who engage in this cruel and inhumane practice face significant prison time.”
“This multi-state investigation began with Jarvis Lockett, who was an active and aggressive participant in the dog-fighting world,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary of the Middle District of Georgia. “Federal, state and local law enforcement meticulously followed every lead, and their unwavering commitment to justice has put an end to a complex and deadly dog-fighting and drug distribution network. Violent dog-fighting circles are proven breeding grounds for a wide-range of criminal activities that harm the well-being of our communities and will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”
“We have investigated animal cruelty cases in the past, so initially when this information came in we thought that it would involve a handful of local people fighting dogs for sport” said Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese. “What started out as a local investigation soon turned into a complex investigation that included people from multiple states and all walks of life. It is impossible to comprehend just how cruel these dogs were being treated for the purpose of training them to kill. Our team rescued 168 pit bulls during the execution of the search warrants and not the first dog acted aggressively toward the officers. The dogs just wanted attention and love. Organized dog-fighting is a dark, sick and disgusting culture that has no place in our society.”
According to court documents, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in both cocaine distribution and organized dog fighting based out of Roberta, Georgia, which extended into North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until February 2020. In February 2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dog-fighting.
During this time period, Lockett attended and had his dogs participate in dog fights in Melrose, Florida and Macon, Georgia, where he also acted as a referee. In addition, he attended, participated and/or attempted to participate in dog fights in Taylor County, Georgia, Eastman, Georgia, and Shiloh, Georgia, where Lockett received $16,000 for his winning dog. Text messages obtained from a search warrant executed on Lockett’s cell phone detailed his dog-fighting ventures, including communications between Lockett and multiple defendants on subjects such as killing an unaggressive dog, planning a dog fight and soliciting a female dog for fighting for $10,000. Additional text messages discussed the purchases of large quantities of cocaine and spending $250,000 on narcotics from co-defendant Derrick Owens. A confidential informant (CI) purchased cocaine from Lockett at a Roberta, Georgia, family home on July 10, 2019 and Sept. 12, 2019.
On Feb. 26, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Roberta residence recovering cash, cocaine and evidence of dog fighting activities to include veterinary penicillin, break sticks, photos of fighting dogs, a dog weight training vest, a dog fighting pit, a dog treadmill, and blood-stained carpet and walls. 14 dogs were recovered. The dogs had scarring consistent with dogs being used for dog fighting activities. On the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at a Warner Robins property Lockett owned, where they found a pit bull terrier dog that was extremely injured and lethargic. The injuries had been stapled shut. The dog died two days later of his injuries. Agents found other evidence of dog fighting activity including medicine and supplies to treat animals for injuries sustained from dog fighting activities, a notepad containing dog names and dollar amounts, a 50-pound digital scale, paperwork from a veterinary clinic, a blender with dog food and medicine, dog breeding registration certificates and several bags of cash.
Co-defendant Raines’ drug distribution and dog-fighting activities were uncovered during the course of the investigation. Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Raines’ Talbotton property on Feb. 26, recovering 41 dogs used in dog-fighting. The dogs were malnourished with scars, hair loss and spliced ears. Agents seized many items used in dog-fighting including a skin stapler, IV kits, veterinary medical supplies and dog breeding certificates. In his plea agreement, Raines admitted that he was a manager or supervisor in the criminal organization and was responsible for drug transactions ranging from a quarter to 1.5 kilograms of cocaine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Merriweather County Sheriff’s Office, Peach County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Byron Police Department and the Fort Valley Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Banu Rangarajan with the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
Fort Wayne, Indiana, Man Sentenced to 72 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Derek B. Veazy, Jr., 24 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Veazy was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in July of 2020, Fort Wayne Police Department Officers responded to a call involving Veazy shooting at a home. After Officers arrived, Veazy led them on a short vehicle pursuit and a foot chase before he was apprehended. Officers recovered a revolver that Veazy had thrown from his car, and located a semi-automatic pistol loaded with a high capacity magazine from Veazy’s vehicle. Officers also recovered a bullet inside the victim’s home which the Indiana State Police laboratory determined had been fired from the pistol in Veazy’s car. Veazy’s prior felony conviction was for robbery.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Indiana State Police laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
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.
Former Waterbury Resident Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JESSICA PICKERING, 28, formerly of Waterbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervise release, for distributing child pornography through the Kik social media application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2020, Pickering joined a Kik group geared toward those with a sexual interest in children and then corresponded with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was monitoring the group. Pickering stated that she had access to three minors, aged 7 and younger. On October 20, 2020, Pickering posted two live videos to the Kik group that depicted child pornography of a male toddler. Pickering later sent the OCE two additional videos that depicted child pornography of the same child. The next day, Pickering withdrew from the Kik group, stating that she “felt an immense amount of disgust for [her]self after what [she] did the other night.”
Pickering was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 27, 2020. She pleaded guilty to the offense on May 5, 2021.
Pickering, who is released on bond while residing with family in Queens, New York, is required to report to prison on March 16.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Wolcott Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Former Store Owner Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FLINT - Sohyl Halloun, former owner of Shorthorn Meats in Flint, Michigan, was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $4,400,000 in restitution for conspiring to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Salvador Gonzalez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of USDA-Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge Sara Kull, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker sentenced Halloun to 42 months in federal prison. Halloun was also ordered to pay $4,424,692 in restitution to the USDA-Food and Nutrition Service.
According to court records, Halloun and other co-conspirators agreed to and provided Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) users approximately 50 cents on the dollar in exchange for their food stamp benefits. Halloun or his employees either directly provided money to food stamp recipients in exchange for their benefits, or engaged in another scheme that involved other co-conspirators and a local car wash. The total loss resulting from the conspiracy was $4,424,692. The investigation also revealed other troubling aspects of the business. Agents discovered large amounts of expired food at the business when executing a search warrant at Shorthorn Meats. One of Halloun’s co-defendants admitted in a court filing that Halloun directed him to pour bleach water on a rotting chicken so that it could be sold. Halloun fled to Israel during the investigation and required extradition to force his return.
“SNAP uses federal tax dollars to help low-income individuals put food on their tables,” said US Attorney Ison. “This defendant’s actions not only stole from taxpayers but also diverted necessary assistance from those who truly need and benefit from this food assistance program. We hope this sentence will deter other store owners from engaging in this illegal conduct.”
“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals engaged in the practice of defrauding taxpayer funded WIC and SNAP programs,” said Salvador Gonzalez, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-Office of Inspector General. “It should also serve as a warning to all stores, that participate in the WIC and SNAP programs as vendors, that fraud and trafficking (purchasing those benefits for cash) will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and all its federal, state, and local partners that have a stake in ensuring that fraud is eliminated from taxpayer funded programs.”
The case was investigated by special agents from the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan Department of Human Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
Former Muscogee County Deputy Clerk Convicted in Multimillion-Dollar Fraud, Co-Defendants Plead Guilty to Related ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – The former Deputy Clerk of Muscogee County Court pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion charges in a scheme that cost the county millions of dollars.
Willie Demps, 64, of Phenix City, Alabama, pleaded guilty to one count conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Clay Land today. Demps faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment for the conspiracy charge to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. Demps faces a maximum five years imprisonment for each tax evasion charge to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. Demps will also pay restitution in an amount ordered by the Court at sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022.
“Rather than serve the people of Muscogee County, Willie Demps served only himself. Over the course of many years, Demps used his position of trust to steal millions of dollars from Muscogee County taxpayers to fund his gambling habit and pay for a variety of personal expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to commend the investigators with the FBI, IRS and Columbus Police Department for their meticulous and relentless effort to seek justice in this case.”
“Demps’s plea is the result of the hard work and determination of investigators and prosecutors who aggressively pursue allegations of bank fraud,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is determined to pursue anyone who would choose to take advantage of their trusted position of employment for their own personal greed, especially at the expense of honest tax paying citizens.”
“Willie Demps’ actions were egregious in nature,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “In addition to abusing his position of trust, Mr. Demps perpetrated multiple schemes over a long period of time to steal from the public and evade payment of taxes. IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners use our enforcement of the tax law and financial expertise to hold such individuals accountable for their actions.”
“I am pleased with the outcome of this case,” said Columbus Police Department Chief Freddie Blackmon. “Also, I am appreciative of hard work that our investigators and our federal partners put into this case. If anyone commits illegal acts, we are certainly going after them for an arrest and conviction.”
The following co-defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and will be subject to a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine; in addition, each defendant will pay restitution in the amount of the checks cashed:
Curtis Porch, 48, of Columbus, pleaded guilty on Nov. 30, 2021, and sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022;
Dereen Porch, 43, of Columbus, pleaded guilty on Nov. 30, 2021, and sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022;
Terry McBride, 43, of Smiths Station, Alabama, pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2021, and sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022;
Samuel Cole, 72, of Columbus, pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2021, and sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022; and,
George Cook, 33, of Columbus, pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2021, and sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022.
The following co-defendant pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and faces a maximum three years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine:
Lamarcus Palmer, 34, of Smiths Station, Alabama, pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2021, and sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2022.
The following co-defendant has not pled guilty. Her trial is currently scheduled for February 28, 2022:
Rosalee Bassi is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. A criminal indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
According to court documents, Demps worked for the Muscogee County Clerk for approximately 30 years and supervised money deposits received by the Clerk’s Office. The Clerk’s Office received money from fines and condemnations, and payments were frequently made in cash. From at least 2010 to 2019, Demps maintained a safe in his office to store sums of cash that were collected by the Clerk’s Office. During the business day, this safe was rarely locked, even when Demps was away from his office. Demps (or his designee) was responsible for depositing cash received by the Clerk’s Office into an appropriate Clerk of Superior Court bank account. Records indicate that the Clerk’s Office received over $5.5 million in cash during the period of 2010-2019, yet only a single cash deposit of approximately $210 was made into official Columbus accounts in 2019. No cash deposits were made in other years.
From Oct. 19, 2010, to approximately Nov. 27, 2019, Demps issued at least 330 Clerk of Superior Court checks payable to the named co-defendants, and to some individuals not named, with a face value of at least $1.3 million. Bank records prior to Oct. 19, 2010, are not available, and the Muscogee County Clerk’s Office records prior to that date cannot be obtained. Demps would meet various co-defendants in locations away from his place of business at the Clerk’s Office to give the illicit checks to them to be cashed at banks in Columbus and in nearby Alabama. The co-defendants cashed the checks and returned the money to Demps, who would give the participating co-defendant a portion of the money. Demps admits he used the money for personal expenses, to send money to foreign countries and to spend at casinos.
Demps received cash deposits to his bank during the tax years 2018-2019, which he now admits were not the result of direct deposits from his lawful salary but rather proceeds from the money he stole from the Muscogee County Clerk’s Office. This money was not reported to the IRS and resulted in tax liability. Demps deposited $147,455 in cash in 2018 and $327,787 in cash in 2019 and fraudulently failed to account for these amounts as income on his tax returns. The IRS calculated Demps’s total amount of tax due from years 2015 to 2019 as $359,604.
FBI, IRS and the Columbus Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Helmick is prosecuting the case. Retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Mel Hyde initiated the prosecution of this case.
Former Louisville, Kentucky Police Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
A former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky for using excessive force on an arrestee. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Cory P. Evans, 34, to two years’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release.
Evans previously pleaded guilty to violating the Constitution by using objectively unreasonable force against an arrestee. When he entered his guilty plea, Evans admitted that on May 31, 2020, while he was working as a part of the LMPD Special Response Team, he followed a group of individuals around downtown Louisville to execute arrests for unlawful assembly and violations of curfew. At an intersection, a person in the group surrendered for arrest by getting on his knees and placing his hands in the air. While that person was kneeling in this position, Evans struck him in the back of the head with a riot stick, which created a wound on the back of the kneeling victim’s head. The victim fell forward and was taken into custody by other LMPD officers.
“Former officer Evans abused his authority by violently retaliating against a surrendering arrestee who had been exercising his First Amendment rights during a demonstration in Louisville, during the racial justice demonstrations in the spring of 2020,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable officers who violate their oath and the Constitution.”
“The FBI and LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit did outstanding work in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The effort of the assigned agents and detectives resulted in a successful prosecution and is a positive step toward strengthening trust and confidence between our citizens and the officers who protect them.”
“In order for the public to have full trust and confidence in the law enforcement officers who have sworn to protect them, those officers who choose to abuse their authority must be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentencing reflects the FBI’s and the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to identify, investigate and prosecute law enforcement officials who break the law by violating a person’s Constitutional rights.”
The FBI and LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tim Visser prosecuted the case.
Former Louisville, Kentucky Police Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky for using excessive force on an arrestee. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Cory P. Evans, 34, to two years’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release.
Evans previously pleaded guilty to violating the Constitution by using objectively unreasonable force against an arrestee. When he entered his guilty plea, Evans admitted that on May 31, 2020, while he was working as a part of the LMPD Special Response Team, he followed a group of individuals around downtown Louisville to execute arrests for unlawful assembly and violations of curfew. At an intersection, a person in the group surrendered for arrest by getting on his knees and placing his hands in the air. While that person was kneeling in this position, Evans struck him in the back of the head with a riot stick, which created a wound on the back of the kneeling victim’s head. The victim fell forward and was taken into custody by other LMPD officers.
“Former officer Evans abused his authority by violently retaliating against a surrendering arrestee who had been exercising his First Amendment rights during a demonstration in Louisville, during the racial justice demonstrations in the Spring of 2020,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable officers who violate their oath and the Constitution.”
“The FBI and LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit did outstanding work in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The effort of the assigned agents and detectives resulted in a successful prosecution and is a positive step toward strengthening trust and confidence between our citizens and the officers who protect them.”
“In order for the public to have full trust and confidence in the law enforcement officers who have sworn to protect them, those officers who choose to abuse their authority must be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentencing reflects the FBI’s and the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to identify, investigate, and prosecute law enforcement officials who break the law by violating a person’s Constitutional rights.”
The FBI and LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tim Visser prosecuted the case.
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Former Engineering Executive Convicted of Rigging Bids and Defrauding North Carolina Department of TransportationRead the Press Release
A former executive of Contech Engineered Solutions LLC was convicted today in New Bern, North Carolina, for his participation in bid-rigging and fraud schemes targeting the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
Following a week-long trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a jury convicted Brent Brewbaker, a former Contech executive, for participating in conspiracies to rig bids and submit false certifications of non-collusion for more than 300 aluminum structure projects funded by the state of North Carolina between 2009 and 2018. Evidence showed that Brewbaker instructed a co-conspirator to submit non-competitive bids to NCDOT and to hide his bid rigging and fraud by varying the amount of inflated bids submitted. He also made clear to a co-conspirator that he would hide illegal conduct by deleting text messages he received about the conspiracy.
“Today’s verdict reinforces the division’s commitment to hold accountable executives who target state and local governments with their bid-rigging and fraud schemes,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “With massive investments in infrastructure projects beginning soon, companies that manage those projects must know that the Justice Department and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners will have their eyes out for cheaters and schemers.”
“Activities related to collusion, bid rigging and fraud do not promote an environment conducive to open competition, which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Ken Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General. “Along with the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners, the USPS Office of Inspector General will aggressively investigate those who would engage in this type of harmful conduct.”
“For nearly a decade Brent Brewbaker engaged in a scheme that compromised taxpayers’ investments in transportation projects in the State of North Carolina for commercial gain,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Craig Miles of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region. “Today’s verdict underscores our resolve to continue working with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners toward protecting the Federally-funded infrastructure projects from fraud, waste and abuse.”
Brewbaker was convicted of conspiring to rig bids, conspiring to commit fraud, three counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiring to rig bids and 20 years in prison for each of the other counts.
Contech previously pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging under Section One of the Sherman Antitrust Act and one count of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. Contech agreed to pay a criminal fine of $7 million and restitution to NCDOT in the amount of $1,533,988.
The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section prosecuted this case, which was investigated with the assistance of the USPS Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina also provided support throughout the investigation and trial.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement and grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state, and local. To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force or to report information concerning market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging or other anticompetitive conduct related to federal, state or local transportation projects, visit https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Former AgGeorgia Loan Officer, Co-Conspirators, Plead Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Co-defendants engaged in a scheme to defraud two agriculture-based financial institutions orchestrated by a former loan officer have pleaded guilty to their crimes.
Johnnie Farrow, 66, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud a financial institution today. Previously, co-defendants William Spigener, III, 33, of Columbus, Eary Fuller, 57, of Macon and Demetria Bell, 50, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud a financial institution. The defendants each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III is presiding over the case. Spigener’s sentencing is scheduled for March 9, 2022. Fuller’s sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2022. Bell’s sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2022. Farrow’s sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2022.
“William Spigener recruited willing participants in a scheme to defraud two banks focused on supporting farmers and the agricultural industry, causing significant financial losses and harm,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office will not hesitate to seek federal prosecution against fraudsters who take part in scams that hurt our local businesses, workers and consumers.”
“Spigener violated the trust placed in him by the bank he worked for and now will pay a significant price for his actions, with the potential of many years behind bars,” said Phillip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will do everything in our power to get justice for companies that have been defrauded by corrupt individuals.”
According to court documents, Spigener orchestrated a scheme to defraud AgSouth Farm Credit and AgGeorgia Farm Credit in Perry, Georgia, where he was employed as a loan officer from Feb. 2012 until his resignation in Feb. 2019. During this time, Spigener recruited co-defendants Farrow, Fuller and Bell to pretend to be borrowers with both institutions. In exchange for using their personal information and appearing at the loan closings, Spigener provided Farrow, Fuller and Bell approximately 10% of the loan proceeds. Spigener would create documentation to ensure the loan applications were approved, even though Farrow, Fuller and Bell were not engaged in farming activity, nor did they have the collateral to back up the loans. Spigener made some repayments on the loans but was unable to repay the vast majority of the loans, and both financial institutions suffered losses. Spigener admits the intended loss amount was more than $550,000 but less than $1.5 million.
The case was investigated by FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case.
Evansville Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for a Firearms Offense Related to His Shooting of Two VictimsRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – An Evansville man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison today for a firearms offense related to his shooting of two individuals.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2020, the Evansville Police Department responded to the intersection of U.S. 41 and Covert Avenue on a report of a car crash and multiple gunshots being fired. When officers arrived, they located an overturned vehicle, as well as two victims – an unconscious adult male and a conscious juvenile female – who had sustained gunshot wounds. The juvenile female victim told law enforcement that Paje Capone Diaz, 24, of Evansville, had opened fire on them from the front passenger seat of another vehicle.
During their investigation, officers located spent rounds of Nosler 10mm ammunition at the scene of the shooting. Officers also found a half-empty box of Nosler 10mm ammunition inside a residence that the defendant visited the night of and morning after the shooting. Officers located the receipt for the purchase of that ammunition inside a vehicle associated with the defendant, and law enforcement subsequently obtained surveillance video footage of the defendant buying that ammunition two days before the shooting. At the defendant’s sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge Richard L. Young found by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant used or possessed that ammunition in connection with the shootings of the victims.
The defendant was previously convicted of a firearms-related felony in Vanderburgh County, and as a result, was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin made the announcement.
The Evansville Police Department investigated the case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also provided valuable assistance. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski who prosecuted this case.
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.
Easton Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Recording His Repeated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT McGUIRE, 42, of Easton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 30 years of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for producing photographs and videos of his sexual abuse of a young child.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 2019 and June 2020, McGuire repeatedly sexually abused a prepubescent child and took photographs and videos of the sexual assaults. The investigation also revealed that McGuire sexually assaulted a second prepubescent child on at least one occasion.
McGuire has been detained since his arrest by the Easton Police Department on related state charges on July 10, 2020. On June 8, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography.
The state charges against McGuire are pending.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Easton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Fairfield for its close cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Shooting Innocent Bystander in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jaz Pratt, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for a summertime shooting on a busy street in Southeast Washington that struck a 56-year-old woman, leaving her permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pratt pleaded guilty in June 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to aggravated assault while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert D. Okun. The judge sentenced Pratt to a total of 10 years in prison but suspended three years of that time on the condition that he successfully complete three years of probation after his release from prison.
The shooting took place on Aug. 21, 2020, in front of a gas station in the 3000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. According to the government’s evidence, Pratt and co-defendant Davon Robinson approached a man at approximately 8 p.m. They began a conversation and, soon afterwards, Robinson stepped back, pulled out a pistol, and shot the man once in the hip at close range. The man then fled up the street.
Immediately after the shot, Pratt took a few steps back, still facing in the direction of the wounded man. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the man. He fired once, missing the man but hitting the victim, an innocent bystander, in the back as she was walking down the street. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video. At the time of the shooting Pratt was on pre-trial release in a separate gun possession case.
The victim has been hospitalized and/or living in a rehabilitation center on a near-continuous basis since the shooting.
Pratt was arrested on Sept. 2, 2020. He has been in custody since that time.
Robinson, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to charges in this case and in an unrelated armed robbery. He was sentenced in October 2020 to a 10 ½-year prison term.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Latrice Washington-Williams, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Miles E. Janssen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Judge Enters Order Approving Historic Change to the Uaw Constitution and System of Electing OfficersRead the Press Release
DETROIT – United States District Judge David M. Lawson approved the results of the referendum of the membership of the International United Auto Workers union and ordered the union to make a historic change to its constitution to provide for the direct election of the UAW’s officers, sometimes referred to as “one member, one vote,” pursuant to the process required under the Consent Decree between the United States and the UAW, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Josh P. Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards (“OLMS”).
Judge Lawson ordered the UAW to implement the change to its constitution and election system by June 30, 2022, which will be in time for the next election cycle for the UAW’s President and other members of the UAW’s International Executive Board. The UAW’s independent and Court-Appointed Monitor, Neil Barofsky, will design the new election system after consulting with the UAW.
The Consent Decree between the UAW and the United States had required that the union conduct the referendum, under the oversight of the independent Monitor and OLMS. Through the referendum, the UAW’s active and retired members were able to vote whether the union would adopt a direct election system for choosing International officers and Executive Board members. The Consent Decree required that the referendum take place by November 29, 2021. Once voting was closed, the vendor selected by the UAW Monitor began tabulating the votes. On December 2, 2021, the Monitor announced the final vote count: 89,615 members (or 63.7% of voters) in favor of the direct election system and 50,971 members (or 36.3% of voters) in favor of the current delegate system. With the Court’s order, the direct election system will now replace the UAW’s prior delegate-based system, which had been in place for decades. There was a total of 140,586 votes. The vote was conducted by secret, mail-in ballots. On January 19, 2022, OLMS endorsed the vote by the UAW membership finding that the referendum had complied with the Consent Decree and with federal labor law governing the conduct of union elections.
As outlined in the Consent Decree, the UAW must now amend its constitution to require the direct election system. At the same time, the UAW Monitor, in consultation with the UAW, will design the new election rules and procedures for the UAW under the direct election system. The new election system will be in place for the UAW’s next election cycle which will take place in 2022, starting at the UAW’s convention in July 2022.
The Consent Decree came about after the United States filed a civil lawsuit in December 2020 against the International UAW under the Anti-Fraud Injunction Act based on the criminal investigation of the UAW, FCA US LLC, and FCA’s executives. Subsequently, the United States and the International UAW entered into a Consent Decree to settle the lawsuit that was approved by the U.S. District Court. The Court appointed attorney Neil Barofsky to serve as the Independent Monitor of the UAW for the next six years. The Monitor is tasked with providing federal oversight of the UAW concerning fraud, corruption, and misconduct within the UAW.
U.S. Attorney Ison commended the hard work on the referendum of Monitor Barofsky, his staff, and the Office of Labor-Management Standards.
“We designed the Consent Decree so that the members of the UAW would be able to decide for themselves how they would choose their leaders going forward, rather than having the government impose one system or another,” said United States Attorney Dawn Ison. “Now that the members have spoken and chosen a system of direct elections, we will continue to work with the Monitor to ensure that the UAW is fully reformed, free of corruption and fraud, and that the union’s elections will be fair and in compliance with the will of the membership.”
“Today’s decision is an affirmation of our efforts with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards to pursue union-affiliated corruption investigations,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
"The UAW membership has voted for a significant change in how its leadership is selected, consisting of a system of direct elections. The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners, the Monitor, and the UAW to ensure future elections, and the UAW as a whole, remain free from corrupt influence,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Hauxhurst.
“This Consent Decree gives power to the hard-working UAW members and is a step towards building trust in future UWA leadership, said Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.”
“With the completion of the UAW Referendum Election, the membership has overwhelmingly spoken, saying that they want a direct voice in deciding who will be the officers of the UAW International Union going forward,” stated Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “I commend the Monitor and his staff for working closely with OLMS to efficiently conduct the Referendum Election in accordance with the law. We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our fellow law enforcement partners, and the Monitor to ensure that the UAW continues to represent its members in accordance with the law.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey and Steven Cares.
De Pere Man Indicted for Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on February 1, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Chad M. Schampers (age: 38) of De Pere, Wisconsin, with one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957. The wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, and the money laundering count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment.
The indictment alleges that Schampers filed a fraudulent loan application seeking approximately $300,000 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, which is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.
The indictment alleges that Schampers unlawfully used approximately $300,000 in PPP loan funds for personal expenses, including the purchase of a private residence and diverting funds into his personal account.
“Individuals engaging in PPP fraud not only cause loss to every taxpayer but also prevent the funds from helping small businesses and employees in need,” said U.S. Attorney Frohling. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office remains focused on holding anyone who engaged in this type of fraud accountable for their actions.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Milwaukee Division Michael E. Hensle said, “Today’s announcement demonstrates the ongoing commitment and dedication of the FBI to work with our partners to aggressively hold individuals accountable who perpetrate fraud against the American people and assist the victims of fraud. This large scale home improvement fraud scheme took advantage and broke the trust of multiple homeowners and financial institutions. The FBI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those individuals who take advantage of others for profit and believe they are above the law.”
This case was investigated by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 12 Years for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Mona Pryor, 38, has been sentenced to 148 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on September 14, 2019, officers with the Memphis Police Department were called to Eglesfield Drive (New Horizon Apartments) regarding individuals loitering. Once on the scene, officers found Mona Pryor in possession of a Charco .38 Special revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition and a Lexus that had been reported stolen in a carjacking approximately three hours prior.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Pryor admitted to possessing the firearm and obtaining the Lexus in a drug trade, not a carjacking. Two months later, on November 15, 2019, Pryor was apprehended by law enforcement in Missouri and found in possession of a stolen Taurus 9mm handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition. On January 29, 2021, Pryor was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
On January 27, 2022, United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Pryor to 70 months to be served consecutive to the 78-month sentence received in the Eastern District of Missouri, for a total sentence of 148 months of imprisonment. He will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on
targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Regina Thompson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig was assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for the Sale of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas T. Barber has sentenced Jarrett Parker Truman (25, Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing an unregistered firearm. The Court also ordered Truman to forfeit the firearms and ammunition associated with the offenses. Truman had pleaded guilty on October 22, 2021.
According to court documents, during January and February 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) used a confidential informant (“CI”) to make controlled purchases of firearms from Truman. Truman sold the CI a total of eight firearms including four handguns, an AK-47 style pistol, and a rifle. In addition, Truman also sold a non-serialized rifle equipped with a silencer, which he had failed to register with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
As a previously convicted felon, Truman is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Apple Inc.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Haiteng Wu, 32, of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced today to serve 26 months in prison for participating in a three-year conspiracy to defraud Apple Inc. out of more than $1 million.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and Greg Torbenson, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge for the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Wu pleaded guilty in May 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Today, the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan sentenced Wu to the time he already has served in custody, which amounts to approximately 26 months. He also ordered Wu to pay $987,000 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. Judge Sullivan previously ordered Wu to forfeit his interests in two condominium units, one in McLean, Virginia, the other in Arlington, Virginia. Wu purchased the Arlington condominium for cash during the conspiracy.
According to publicly filed court documents, Wu immigrated to the United States in 2013 to study engineering. After earning his Master’s Degree in 2015, he secured lawful employment in the United States, but then embarked on a roughly 3 ½-year-long scheme to defraud Apple. As part of the scheme, Wu and other conspirators received shipments of inauthentic iPhones from Hong Kong. Those phones contained spoofed IMEI numbers and serial numbers that corresponded with authentic in-warranty iPhones. The conspirators then returned the inauthentic phones to Apple, claiming that the phones were legitimate, in-warranty phones, all in an effort to receive authentic replacement iPhones from Apple. The fraudulently obtained authentic iPhones were then shipped back to conspirators overseas, including in Hong Kong.
Wu, who most recently was residing in McLean, Virginia, recruited others, including his wife, Jiahong Cai, and Teang Liu to participate in the conspiracy. Wu also procured fake identification documents, used aliases, opened multiple commercial mail receiving agency mailboxes, and arranged for members of the conspiracy to travel throughout the United States.
In total, Wu acknowledged defrauding Apple out of nearly $1 million and intending to defraud the company out of even more money.
Wu, Cai, and Liu were arrested in December 2019, and Wu has been in custody since that time. Like her husband, Cai pleaded guilty in May 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Judge Sullivan sentenced Cai, a Chinese national, to time served following her guilty plea. She spent just over five months in custody. Liu, 37, of Alexandria, Virginia, pleaded guilty to that same offense in February 2021, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2022.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud Section, and Senior Counsel Ryan K.J. Dickey of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. They were assisted by Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Mariela Andrade, Amanda Rohde, and Brian Rickers, former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Brittany Phillips, and Angeline Thekkumthala, and Records Examiner Angela De Falco.
Chicago-Area Gun and Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Sixty-Five Years in Prison for Firearms and Drug Offenses in East Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Markham, Illinois, man, Deon Evans, 37, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, to sixty-five years and eight months’ imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine, carrying and possessing a firearm during his drug trafficking crimes, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Evans faced mandatory consecutive twenty-five-year sentences for his separate offenses of carrying a firearm while distributing heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his possession of methamphetamine (in the form of the street drug “ecstasy”) with the intent to distribute it. Judge Bruce further determined that Evans was involved in the trafficking of at least eight to twenty-four firearms. And Judge Bruce found that Evans had obstructed justice by providing false testimony during his case. Evans’s sentence was enhanced because he was on federal supervised release at the time of his offenses from a 2007 conviction for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in the Southern District of Iowa.
Evans was convicted following a jury trial in January 2020. During the three-day trial, the government presented evidence to establish that Evans traveled from his residence in Markham to a gas station in Gilman, Illinois, in July 2016, where he sold 48.4 grams of heroin in exchange for $4,500. The next month, Evans again travelled to the gas station to meet the same buyer, this time bringing an associate and two loaded firearms. During this meeting, Evans sold 124.3 grams of heroin for $11,250.
After the August 2016 heroin sale, Evans’s BMW was stopped by troopers with the Illinois State Police as it was heading north on Interstate 57. During the search of Evans’s car, troopers found the cash used to purchase the heroin hidden under the back seat, along with the two fully loaded firearms, an extra magazine, and 173 ecstasy pills that contained methamphetamine. Trial evidence established that Evans obtained one of those firearms – a Glock, Model 30, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol – by trading a heroin user two grams of heroin and $100 in exchange for the gun, which had been stolen from Indiana. Additional trial evidence showed that Evans used two women – known as “straw purchasers” – to purchase guns for him in Birmingham, Alabama, which he then sold illegally in Chicago.
“Unfortunately, gun violence and deadly opioids, such as the heroin distributed in this case, continue to represent a danger to our communities here in the Central District of Illinois,” said Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller, who represented the government at sentencing. “We will continue to support our federal and local law enforcement partners in pursuing these prosecutions in order to deter this dangerous behavior.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Chicago Division, Springfield Resident Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Springfield, Illinois, and Birmingham Field Offices; and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miller and Rachel E. Ritzer represented the government at trial.
Centralia Man Sentenced for Maintaining Drug HouseRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – John Fodero, 53, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced on Monday, January
31, 2022, to five years in prison for maintaining a drug house within 1000 feet of a school.
Fodero will serve six years of supervised release upon his release from prison. Fodero was also ordered pay a $5000 fine and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, Fodero allowed numerous persons to utilize his residence to buy, sell, and use illegal, controlled substances including fentanyl. Area emergency personnel responded to overdose calls originating from his residence ten times within a ten-month period during 2020 to 2021.This case was investigated by the Centralia Police Department and the FBI-Springfield Division
Safe Streets Task Force.Career Criminal Sentenced to over 15 Years for Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Alfonzo Manning, 42, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, agents with the West Tennessee Drug Task Force received an anonymous tip about a man with a Ford F-150 truck obstructing traffic and selling drugs on Hillcrest Street.
After a brief period of surveillance, agents approached the truck and noticed the defendant, Alfonzo Manning, was the only occupant. Officers could also see in plain view on the console, two bags of suspected narcotics. Manning was immediately placed into custody.
The drugs weighed approximately 67 grams and tested positive for fentanyl which was later confirmed at the TBI laboratory. Also found in the vehicle were digital scales. Manning had a significant amount of cash on his person.
Manning has an extensive criminal history, with prior felony convictions for domestic assault, felony theft, sale of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of heroin with intent to sell, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, criminal attempt, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell. As a result of these prior felony convictions, Manning is classified as a career offender under federal law sentencing guidelines.
On October 22, 2021, Manning pled guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
On January 26, 2022, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Manning to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by four years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Cox prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Camden County Man Charged with Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Camden County man made his initial appearance today on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Manuel A. Quinones, 47, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 31, 2022, in East Brunswick, New Jersey, law enforcement officers searched Quinones’ vehicle based on probable cause after learning that Quinones possessed narcotics in the vehicle. They recovered approximately 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills and approximately seven pounds of suspected crystal methamphetamine. Law enforcement then obtained written consent to search Quinones’ residence and recovered additional illegal drugs, two firearms, ammunition, a high-capacity drum magazine, and a bulletproof vest. Quinones has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, including a controlled substance offense.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The felon in possession of ammunition charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) and the N.J. State Police Crime Suppression Central Unit, Opioid Enforcement Task Force, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, for their assistance. The NYDETF comprises special agents and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division; New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Pesce of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
British Citizen Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Helping Design and Operate Fraudulent Investment Scheme Related to Co-Working BusinessRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JAMES MOORE was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for helping design and operate a scheme to defraud more than 800 investors of more than $57 million by making false and fraudulent representations about, among other things, the management, profitability, and operations of a co-working space company called Bar Works Inc. and related entities (“Bar Works”). On June 7, 2019, MOORE was found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud following a week-long jury trial before United States District Judge Richard M. Berman, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “James Moore partnered with notorious fraudster Renwick Haddow to design a massive Ponzi scheme that lured hundreds of unsuspecting investors from around the world, and from which Moore and affiliated companies siphoned 65 percent of each of their recruited victims’ investments. Moore then obstructed justice and lied about the scheme to federal agents. Today’s lengthy sentence sends a clear message that perpetrators of investment fraud will be prosecuted and held accountable.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment filed against James Moore and statements made in related court filings and proceedings, including his trial:
In late 2009, MOORE partnered with Renwick Haddow, who is also a British citizen, to sell investments in a hotel scheme in which investors lost money. Haddow had been disqualified as a director of any U.K. company for eight years, and later sued by the Financial Conduct Authority, a British regulator, for operating investment schemes through misrepresentations that lost investors substantially all of their money. These sanctions and lawsuit were publicized extensively online.
Beginning in 2015, MOORE chose to partner with Haddow again, this time to solicit investments into Bar Works through material misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the identity of Bar Works’ management and the financial condition of that company.
In order to conceal his role at Bar Works because of the negative publicity on the internet related to past investment schemes and government sanctions in the United Kingdom, Haddow adopted the alias “Jonathan Black.” Notwithstanding Haddow’s control over Bar Works, Moore and others knowingly distributed the Bar Works offering materials listing Black as the chief executive officer of Bar Works and claiming that Black had an extensive background in finance and past success with start-up companies. As MOORE well knew, “Jonathan Black,” was an entirely fictitious person, created to mask Haddow’s control of Bar Works.
Among other things, MOORE helped devise and distribute pitch materials that contained the misrepresentations. MOORE and an affiliated Spanish-based company, United Property Group, coordinated a substantial sales force to recruit investors knowing that the materials contained the falsehood. MOORE advised Haddow as to how to continue to conceal the truth concerning the identity of “Jonathan Black,” and affirmatively represented to potential sales partners that he was communicating with CEO “Jonathan Black.” MOORE also advised Haddow how to evade foreign law enforcement authorities. MOORE personally received approximately $1.6 million from Bar Works before helping to launch a competing co-working space investment project.
MOORE repeatedly lied to the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and federal law enforcement agents to cover up his role in the Bar Works scheme. On August 11, 2016 – while the Bar Works scheme was still operating – MOORE participated in a recorded phone interview with the SEC and reiterated that Jonathan Black was a real person who he understood to be the CEO of Bar Works, notwithstanding knowing that Black was fake. MOORE claimed that he never asked to speak to Jonathan Black, even though in the prior months, MOORE had been misrepresented to multiple agents that he was working closely with Black.
On February 15, 2017, MOORE was interviewed by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents following his arrest for a separate investment scheme in connection with a development project he was promoting in Florida. In a videotaped interview, MOORE lied and told agents he had not done anything for money since 2010, even though he had gotten approximately $1.6 million from Bar Works alone.
Moore’s conviction is his second federal felony conviction related to property investments. He was previously convicted in 2018 of misprision of a felony for his role in a property investment fraud in Florida, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
In addition to the prison term, MOORE, 60, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release. MOORE was also ordered to pay restitution of $57,579,790.00, forfeiture of $1,599,257.46, and a fine of $50,000.
Renwick Haddow, 53, pled guilty on May 23, 2019, to one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to the Bar Works scheme, and one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to a separate investment scheme involving Bitcoins. Haddow’s sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2022.
Savraj Gata-Aura, 35, pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his participation in the scheme, and was sentenced to 48 months in prison on July 27, 2020, by Judge Jed. S. Rakoff.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately brought civil actions against MOORE, Haddow, and Gata-Aura, for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Beatrice Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Michael Hawkins, 58, of Beatrice, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Hawkins to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
During the conspiracy, Hawkins was purchasing methamphetamine in Lincoln and redistributing the methamphetamine to several individuals in Beatrice. On April 8, 2019, Beatrice Police Department executed a search warrant on Hawkins’s residence and seized four grams of methamphetamine. Cooperating witnesses were willing to testify that Hawkins was purchasing methamphetamine in Lincoln and taking it to Beatrice where he would sell it to several individuals.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and Beatrice Police Department.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland yesterday released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on December 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the Department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“The new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking provides our office with an opportunity to bolster our commitment to prosecuting human traffickers,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Over the years we have worked with federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases, and we have collaborated on task forces with energetic and compassionate non-profit partners across Arizona. We look forward to more opportunities to work together in the future to ensure traffickers are held accountable and victims are rescued and supported.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The Department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
In December 2021, as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat trafficking, the Office for Victims of Crimes awarded grants to two Arizona non-profits to assist victims of human trafficking. Our Family Services, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona was awarded $600,000 to provide safe, stable housing and individualized services to victims of human trafficking in Pima County, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24. The International Rescue Committee in Tucson (IRC) received $349,585 to develop, expand, and strengthen services for domestic and foreign victims of human trafficking, including programs that provide trauma-informed, victim-centered services in Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz Counties.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-006_Combat Human Trafficking
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“Consistent with the Justice Department’s strategy, the investigation and prosecution of all forms of human trafficking remain top priorities for our office,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “We are proud of our outstanding, decades-long record of prosecuting human trafficking offenses. We pursue numerous sex trafficking investigations every year, securing convictions and lengthy sentences that further public safety and protect vulnerable children and adults. We also vigorously pursue forced labor investigations and recently secured lengthy prison sentences for traffickers who exploited domestic servants from overseas, as well as convictions of owners of a restaurant and cleaning service that exploited their own adult and minor relatives they brought to this country.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
U.S. Attorney Talbert continued, “We are committed to continuing and enhancing our critical work in the identification and prosecution of offenses related to forced labor, international sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of both children and adults. As part of that commitment, we work continually to strengthen partnerships with our federal, state, and local partners. This includes our close working relationships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor, which grew out of our office’s prior participation in the Justice Department’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team program.”
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or fext 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
The District of Maine was one of six districts designated in 2016 through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
“Anyone can become a victim of sex and labor trafficking, but some of Maine’s most vulnerable people are especially susceptible. This includes children and marginalized youth; people with unstable housing; survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse; those with a history of substance use disorder; people facing poverty; and refugee and migrant workers,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Even during a pandemic, the internet and social media have given traffickers a platform to recruit victims.”
“Preventing and combatting human trafficking is a top priority for our office, and we are committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners in order to protect victims and prosecute those who exploit our most vulnerable neighbors,” McElwee said.
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally funded, locally led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“Unfortunately, human trafficking isn’t a problem that only happens somewhere else – it exists right here, in North Carolina,” commented United States Attorney Michael Easley. “This office has long been committed to fighting this horrible crime and I look forward to continuing to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to advance our shared goal to identify, locate, and recover victims of trafficking. My office will ensure that anyone who exploits vulnerable victims is held accountable. We will not tolerate traffickers who engage in this form of modern-day slavery, effectively imprisoning victims and treating them as less than human, and we will work tirelessly to rid our communities of this horrendous offense.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
DATELINE -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is committed to the prosecution of human trafficking and to serving the exploited victims of this evil crime,” said United States Attorney Andrea Martinez. “Together with our local, state, tribal, and federal partners, we will continue to focus our efforts on the strategic dismantlement of human trafficking networks that operate in our state.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
Department Strategy Supports National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joins Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in releasing the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
“The Eastern District of Wisconsin long has been a leader in seeking to hold human traffickers accountable for their conduct, which often involves incredible cruelty and the infliction of physical and emotional harm day after day,” said U.S. Attorney Frohling. “We have regularly pursued cases involving forced labor, child sex trafficking, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. As part of the national strategy being announced today, we look forward to continuing to work with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement colleagues and community partners to bring offenders to justice and provide crucial support for trafficking victims.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
Local efforts to strengthen engagement and coordination mirror the national strategy
February 1, 2022 -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The Department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised that human trafficking is everywhere, including in the Western District of Michigan. “My office is committed not only to prosecuting this horrendous crime, but also collaborating with and supporting the efforts of various community organizations who provide support to victims and bring awareness to this issue,” said Birge.
Collaborative projects and local partners that correspond with the national strategy of strengthening engagement and coordination include:
- In December 2021, the Department of Justice provided the Kent County Sheriff and Solutions to End Exploitation (SEE) Human Trafficking Task Force $750,000 in grant funds to identify and respond to human trafficking in Kent County. The task force will consist of members from local, state, and federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, and service providers who will address victim needs.
- Last week, the Michigan Abolitionist Project, SEE and The Joseph Project hosted a Statewide Human Trafficking Summit attended by members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The summit brought together cross-functional teams with different skill sets and resource offerings. This virtual summit allowed law enforcement, civilians, and human trafficking victims to collaborate on how to address specific human trafficking issues impacting the State of Michigan.
- The Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force provides both training and outreach programing, recently co-sponsoring a viewing of and panel discussion about the Michigan film “Ring of Silence,” a true account of a young girl being sex trafficked. The U.P. task force is a collaborative effort among members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, state prosecutors, state and local law enforcement agencies, tribal communities, and social service providers all in the U.P.
- The Wyoming Police Department now houses a Crisis Aid International office which is staffed with a full-time advocate available 24/7 to assist trafficking victims and their families in obtaining necessary resources such as therapy and housing. In December 2021, representatives from the U.S Attorney’s Office, federal agencies, and local law enforcement gathered to learn about Crisis Aid International’s Children’s Anti-Exploitation Partnership Program, a new resource in the Western District of Michigan.
U.S. Attorney Birge encourages the community to be aware of indicators of trafficking and report suspicious activity.
Indicators of human trafficking can include the following:
- An individual with an inability to produce identification or other documents because they are in a third party’s possession and control;
- An individual who is unable to freely contact friends or family;
- An individual who is coached on what to say to law enforcement or other authority figures;
- An individual who lacks knowledge or awareness as to what happens to the money they earn/are supposed to earn;
- An individual who lacks knowledge or awareness as to how much money they earn;
- An individual who is unable move or travel freely;
- Garnishment of a salary to pay off a fee imposed by their employer;
- Juveniles engaged in commercial sex; and
- Frequent visits to the emergency department.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice DepartmentRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
"Human trafficking is an insidious crime," said Attorney General Garland. "Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight."
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
• Strengthen engagement, coordination, and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
• Establish federally funded, locally led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
• Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
• Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
• Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
• Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
• Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance, and expertise.
• Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Darraill Davis has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on December 15, 2019, officers with the Memphis Police Department responded to a 911 hang up call at a home in Memphis. When officers arrived at the scene, they encountered Davis behaving erratically and attempting to get into a silver sedan. As they attempted to contact him, Davis fled on foot. When he was detained a short distance away, officers recovered a silver Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol from Davis’ person. An investigation revealed Davis had been holding his girlfriend hostage and assaulting her all day. During one of the assaults, he pointed the .40 caliber pistol at her and hit her in the head. Davis is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a weapon.
On August 18, 2021, Davis pled guilty to being a felon in possession.
A search of his criminal history revealed, multiple Tennessee state convictions for domestic assault, aggravated burglary, illegal possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of dihydrocodeinone with intent to sell, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell. At the time of this offense, Davis was on probation with the state of Tennessee.
As a result of his felony convictions, Davis is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition and was determined to be an armed career criminal under federal sentencing guidelines and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 188 months imprisonment.
On January 24, 2022, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Davis to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office - Violent Crime Unit.
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22 people charged in connection with a multi-million dollar Paycheck Protection Program fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Twenty-two individuals, residing across the United States, have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and other related charges in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $3,899,377 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
“These defendants allegedly took advantage of the emergency lending provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program that were intended for business owners suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “The charges reinforce our resolve to hold accountable those who steal pandemic relief funds and use them for their own personal gain.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who misuse IRS information systems in their efforts to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice in this endeavor.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the indictments, and other information presented in court: From April 2020 through August 2020, the conspirators in the scheme allegedly submitted, or assisted in the submission of, PPP loan applications on behalf of twenty-two businesses. In connection with the scheme, defendant Richard Mahee allegedly directed defendant Mark Mason to fabricate documents on behalf of individuals that Mahee identified so they could apply for and receive PPP loans. Mason allegedly communicated with the purported business owners about the loan amount they wanted to receive, and then fabricated tax documents and other supporting documents to submit with the PPP loan application to support that amount.
For their work on the PPP loan applications, Mason and Mahee allegedly received a percentage of the funded loan amount as a “success fee” from each purported business owner. Mason then allegedly began fabricating documents to support fraudulent PPP loan applications for other individuals. These individuals allegedly communicated with Mason about the loan amount they wanted to receive, submitted loan applications with the supporting documents Mason created, and then paid Mason a percentage of the funded loan amount.
Mark Mason, 49, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2022 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loans obtained by M&N Enterprise LLC, d/b/a Atlanta Business Capital and Advocate Business Capital LLC. As part of his guilty plea, Mason admitted his participation in fraudulent conduct totaling between $3.5 million and $9.5 million.
In addition to the charges against Mason, twenty-one other defendants have been charged in eight separate indictments, the last of which was unsealed on January 27, 2022:
- Richard Mahee, 49, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, ARG Media LLC, and several other businesses’ loans.
- Kristen Alexander, 49, of Denver, Colorado, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in several businesses’ loans.
- David Burge, 67, of Flat Rock, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Elemental Comfort, LLC.
- Gina Destito, 59, of Elgin, South Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in the loan obtained by her business, HomePoppins.com LLC.
- Jim White, 49, of Hammonton, New Jersey, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, AJW Home Services and Design LLC.
- Morgan Brown, 29, of Nashville, Tennessee, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, BHG LLC.
- Carlos Stephens, 50, of Gretna, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, 31 Minds LLC.
- Marvin Lewton, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Powers Transport Group LLC, and the loan application filed for his business, DirtySouthHipHop Online Media Group LLC.
- Ion Overman, 52, of Valley Village, California, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with her involvement in the loan obtained by her business, Bryanston Square, Inc.
- Dale Godboldo, 46, of Valley Village, California, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loans obtained by his business, Mahout Star LLC, and the loan obtained by Bryanston Square, Inc.
- Freddy Mitchell, 53, of Asheville, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Freddy Mitchell & Associate LLC.
- Timothy Patrick, 54, of Asheville, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Integrity Management Group/IMG, and the loan obtained by Freddy Mitchell & Associate LLC.
- Melissa Myrick, 44, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in several businesses’ loans.
- Kirk Codrington, 47, of East Flat Rock, North Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, KC Global Enterprises Inc.
- Dereck Clark, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Geppetto, d/b/a Dee’s Landscaping LLC.
- Michael Myrick, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, MYCO Enterprises LLC.
- Darius McCants, 47, of Birmingham, Alabama, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, BBF Inc.
- Dondre Berry, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Houzzit Inc.
- Marcos Soza, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Yes Auto Sales Inc.
- Brittany Shearod, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her involvement in the loan obtained by her business, Bez Knows Talent LLC.
- Michael McGee, Jr., 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the loan obtained by his business, Arc Michael Logistics LLC.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants' guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Hartigan and Lauren Macon are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
31 January 2022
Woodbury County Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Fabian Alcaraz-Santillan, 25, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on January 31, 2022, to 123 months in federal prison.
Alcaraz-Santillan pled guilty on September 8, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the hearings, evidence showed that from August 2020 through September 11, 2020, Alcaraz-Santillan and others conspired to distribute more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Alcaraz-Santillan received multiple packages of methamphetamine concealed in women’s corsets from Mexico with the intent for further distribution.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Alcaraz-Santillan was sentenced to 123 months imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Alcaraz-Santillan remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4090.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Virginia Inmate Sentenced for Role in Pandemic Unemployment Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia inmate was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits by using the personal identifying information of over 30 other Virginia prison inmates.
According to court documents, in 2020, Michael Anthony White, 39, originally of Norfolk, was incarcerated at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center. Beginning in May 2020, he worked with Mary Landon Benton, 38, of Portsmouth, to collect the personally identifiable information of other inmates to fraudulently apply for Virginia unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. White provided Benton information for inmates at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center, resulting in approximately ten successful unemployment claims for inmates there. Michael Lee Lewis, Jr., an inmate at the Augusta Correctional Center, provided Benton and another co-defendant, Angelica Cartwright-Powers, with information for inmates at his facility.
Benton, with the help of White and inmates at two other prisons, submitted successful applications for Virginia unemployment benefits for 31 inmates. Cartwright-Powers additionally submitted successful applications for four inmates.
White and his co-conspirators, along with the prisoners whose information was used for the unemployment applications, shared the proceeds of the crimes, which amounted to over $330,000. Although the conspirators initially obtained $436,834, the Virginia Employment Commission was able to reclaim some of the disbursed funds after discovering the fraud.
Benton and Lewis have both been sentenced for their roles in the scheme to 78 and 115 months of imprisonment, respectively. Cartwright-Powers, has pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington, DC Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of “Operation Checkmate,” the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force. The task force is led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, DOL-OIG, DHS-OIG, and the Virginia Department of Corrections. This investigation included assistance from the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-33.
United States Attorney Commemorates National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg highlights efforts by federal, state, and local partners to prevent and combat human trafficking in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month. The United States Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force leads law enforcement’s combined efforts to inform and protect communities across the district throughout the year.
“Human trafficking is a crime that crosses all borders and affects communities worldwide,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, local, and international partners to vigorously prosecute those responsible for committing these heinous crimes.”
During the 31 days of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month (January), the Human Trafficking Task Force, headed by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell and with the support of the USAO-MDFL community outreach coordinators, assisted in the coordination and safe delivery of various virtual events to enable broader participation in joint human trafficking efforts, while preventing the spread of COVID-19. These presentations included the following:
- “Combatting Human Trafficking on the Front Line: How Nurses Play a Critical Role,” presented during Advent Health’s 4th Annual Human Trafficking symposium. At least 240 healthcare professionals attended this virtual event, which highlighted that healthcare professionals are the 3rd top point of contact (after friends/family and law enforcement) for Human Trafficking victims seeking assistance. The presentation also explored the importance of documenting and preserving evidence by healthcare professionals, as well as the ability to identify signs and respond effectively to potential trafficking situations.
- The Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force virtual roundtable convened to discuss the Task Force’s collaborative approach to combatting human trafficking. The group spoke about the challenges and successes during the pandemic and large-scale events, as well as the role that technology has played in targeting, recruiting, and trafficking victims. Participating agencies included the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tampa Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Selah Freedom. The event was hosted by the FBI Tampa Citizens Academy Alumni Association.
- “The Good Fight: A Strategic Approach to Supporting Juvenile Survivors of Human Trafficking,” a panel discussion, was hosted by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Black Prosecutor’s Association. The virtual event highlighted the ways criminal justice stakeholders work collaboratively with child advocates and victim service providers to develop cross-system solutions to support survivors of human trafficking. The event was livestreamed to Facebook.
In addition to providing education, prevention, and technical and training assistance, the USAO-MDFL also vigorously prosecutes human trafficking crimes. Some of the most recent cases include:
United States v. Samuel Christopher Templeman and Deborah Lynn Templeman – In June 2021, Samuel Christopher Templeman pleaded guilty to conspiring to sex traffic a child, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His wife, Deborah Lynn Templeman, pleaded guilty to possession of child sex abuse material and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. According to the plea agreements, in 2018, Samuel Templeman and the child victim began regularly using heroin and crack cocaine together. Also at that time, a pimp began directing the child victim to engage in sex acts in exchange for drugs. In July 2019, a court terminated the Templemans’ custodial rights over the child victim and ordered them not to have any contact with the child. The child was then placed in foster care, from which the child ran away. In late August 2019, Samuel Templeman received over $25,000 in inheritance, which the Templemans used to entice the child to return to them. By mid-October 2019, the Templemans had spent the entire inheritance, primarily on drugs for Samuel Templeman and the victim. Thereafter, the only legitimate income for the Templemans and the victim was Deborah Templeman’s bi-weekly salary, which they spent 1-2 days after receipt. During the remaining portions of each month, the Templemans’ only income was derived from their sex trafficking of the child victim for money and the victim’s occasional panhandling. The Templemans spent most of that money on drugs and the rest on living expenses. On December 11, 2019, a detective from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office went to Deborah Templeman’s place of employment in an attempt to locate the victim. While there, the detective overheard phone conversations in which Samuel Templeman told Deborah Templeman that he was taking the victim to a “date,” a common slang term for an appointment for the child to have sex for money, and that he would then come pick up Deborah Templeman. When Samuel Templeman later arrived at Deborah Templeman’s workplace, authorities arrested him and recovered the child victim. Pursuant to a search warrant, investigators reviewed Deborah Templeman’s cellphone and found it contained sexually explicit images of the child victim. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Wolfson.
United States v. Henry Lee White, III – White was indicted in March 2021 and charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, transportation of an individual in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution, coercion and enticement, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. White pleaded guilty on December 29, 2021, and is pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life, imprisonment. According to court documents, between June 2, 2020, and January 7, 2021, White used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex. During that time, White trafficked Victim 1 within the Middle District of Florida, and transported Victim 1 from Florida to Georgia so that Victim 1 could engage in prostitution. Victim 1 was recovered during a Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force operation in January 2021. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
United States v. Jamel Muldrew – Muldrew was arrested on a criminal complaint in April 2021 and charged with sex trafficking of a minor, interstate transportation of a person to engage in prostitution, and enticement of a person to travel interstate for prostitution. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, imprisonment. The victim was recovered during a Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force operation in April 2021. According to court records, as part of this operation, an undercover officer arranged to engage in prostitution with a minor victim at a local hotel in exchange for $800. A male, later identified as Muldrew, then drove the minor victim to the hotel, dropped her off, and drove to a nearby mall parking lot to wait. After being dropped off, the minor victim entered the hotel room where she was met by detectives. Law enforcement officers arrested Muldrew in the mall parking lot and searched him, recovering multiple fictious identity documents for both himself and the minor victim. Subsequent investigation revealed that, from February until April 2021, Muldrew had trafficked the minor victim across the country to engage in prostitution, including in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and ultimately Florida, where he was arrested. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston (Texas) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Carlton C. Gammons.
United States v. Bladimir Moreno et al. – Three defendants were indicted in September 2021 and charged with labor trafficking, conspiracy, and racketeering. According to court documents, from 2015 through 2017, the defendants participated in running a labor contracting company for H-2A agricultural workers called Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), which functioned as a criminal enterprise. LVH subjected multiple Mexican H-2A agricultural workers employed in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, and North Carolina to forced labor. LVH also harbored H-2A workers in the United States after their visas had expired for financial gain and committed visa fraud and fraud in foreign labor contracting. This case was investigated by the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force (to include the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office), with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray and Trial Attorneys Avner Shapiro and Maryam Zhuravitsky of the Civil Rights Division.
United States v. Michael Davis – Davis was convicted at trial in April 2021 of conspiring and attempting to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. He was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison in July 2021. This case is a result of an undercover operation by FBI Denver. According to court records, in December 2017, Davis attempted to recruit and entice a fictious minor to travel to Tampa to engage in commercial sex. Davis orchestrated the purchase of a one-way bus ticket for the child and arranged to pick her up from the bus station. At trial, Davis’ co-defendant testified to Davis’ role in the conspiracy and that she had also been trafficked by Davis. Davis was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
United States v. Sean Patrick Farrelly – Farrelly pleaded guilty in June 2019 and was sentenced in April 2021 to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor. According to court records, between March 2018 and February 2019, Farrelly recruited, enticed, and solicited a 16-year-old child to engage in commercial sex acts, by texting the victim, sending her pictures of money, and providing her with alcohol or marijuana. Farrelly paid the child victim $30 to $40 each time that they engaged in sexual intercourse. This case was investigated by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
United States v. Gregory Thomas Garcia – Garcia was indicted and charged with one count of commercial sex trafficking of a minor in October 2020 and was sentenced in July 2021 to 16 years in prison and ordered to pay $6,250 in restitution. According to court documents, Garcia began communicating via text message with a 16-year-old child. A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations discovered the text messages between Garcia and the victim while investigating a separate crime. The victim confirmed to the special agent and a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that she had met with Garcia more than 20 times and on each occasion, Garcia had paid her to allow Garcia to sexually abuse her. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Uncasville Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KATHRYN POCOCK, 59, of Uncasville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 1991, Pocock has operated Sunshine Cleaners, LLC, a home cleaning business. Between 2015 and 2019, Pocock withdrew approximately $855,000 from the business and failed to report those proceeds on the relevant tax forms for the business and on her federal income tax returns. The investigation revealed that Pocock regularly cashed numerous client checks that had been paid to her business, deposited some checks into her personal bank account, and paid her employees “under the table.” Pocock wrote checks payable to cash from her personal and business bank accounts, and paid employees in cash without properly collecting and paying over employment tax to the IRS or sales and use taxes owed to the State of Connecticut.
The investigation also revealed that Pocock provided her tax preparer with false spreadsheets and supporting documentation that significantly understated her income and employee-related expenses.
Pocock’s criminal conduct resulted in a total tax loss of $213,965, comprising unreported taxes of $180,451 owed to the IRS and $33,514 owed to the State of Connecticut. Judge Meyer ordered Pocock to pay full restitution.
Pocock pleaded guilty to the offense on September 15, 2021.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Katherine E. Boyles.
U.S. Attorney Ross Marks the End of Human Trafficking Awareness Month with an Appeal to the PublicRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross is marking the end of Human Trafficking Awareness Month with a call to action for the community. “It’s extremely important to encourage awareness and shine a light on the victimization and tragic consequences of human trafficking, however, it’s not an effort that should be limited to just one month a year,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross, who served as the lead prosecutor of the Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force for approximately eight years.
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. According to the U.S. State Department, there are an estimated 24.9 million people - adults and children - subjected to human trafficking around the world, including here in the United States.
Signs that someone may be the victim of sex or labor trafficking include:
• Living with employer
• Poor living conditions
• Multiple people in cramped space
• Inability to speak with others alone
• Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
• Employer is holding identity documents
• Signs of physical abuse
• Submissive or fearful
• Unpaid or paid very littleU.S. Attorney Ross further stated, “For eight years as the lead prosecutor of the Human Trafficking Task Force, I worked with victims of both sex and labor trafficking, building cases against the traffickers, and I saw firsthand the devastating impacts that human trafficking has on the lives of victims and communities. I encourage everyone to know the signs of trafficking and ask questions. If you suspect someone is being coerced into sex or labor acts, please act by calling the local authorities or the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Together, we can make a positive difference.”
If you are a victim of human trafficking or know someone who may be, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Additional resources can be found at https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
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Two Navajo Nation men sentenced for robbery in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Julian Silversmith, 44, of Jones Ranch, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court on Jan. 28 to nine years in prison for one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in Indian Country. Co-defendant Aurelius Eddie, 20, of Vanderwagen, New Mexico, was sentenced also Jan. 28 to twelve years in prison for one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country. Both defendants are members of the Navajo Nation.
Silversmith pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2019, while Eddie pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, 2019.
According to their plea agreements and other court records, on April 18, 2019, Silversmith drove co-defendants Eddie and Kevin Marquez, 22, of Gallup, New Mexico, to a convenience store in Vanderwagon, knowing that they intended to rob the store. As Eddie and Marquez entered the convenience store, they began waving firearms, and Eddie fired a round into the ceiling. They then proceeded to steal alcohol from the refrigerators and behind the counter while Marquez pointed his firearm at the clerk. Eddie admitted that following the robbery he fired a round at two Navajo Police officers.
The crimes were committed on the Navajo Nation.
Upon release from prison, Silversmith and Eddie will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Marquez pleaded guilty on Sept. 26, 2019, to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On Jan. 27, 2021, Marquez was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release.
The office of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department and Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Spindle and Frederick Mendenhall prosecuted the case.
Two Huntington Men Appear in Federal Court in Connection to Roles in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a drug ring and distributed various drugs in Huntington appeared today in federal court. William Raeshaun Byrd, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Christopher Leon Vest, 33, also of Huntington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Vest faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.
According to the plea agreements and statements made in court, Byrd and Vest both admitted that they participated in the conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Byrd frequently received shipments of fentanyl and cocaine which were transported from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington by vehicle. For each shipment, Byrd received a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine. The drugs were provided to Byrd on consignment and Byrd would pay for the drugs after he distributed them in Huntington. Byrd further admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to accept the shipments and distribute the drugs. Vest frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Vest provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Vest also admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to receive deliveries and to distribute the drugs.
On July 29, 2021, Byrd and Vest were arrested after an indictment was returned charging multiple individuals in the investigation and search warrants were executed at both men’s residences on that date. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including two firearms and over $113,000 in United States currency at Byrd’s residence. Byrd admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including four firearms and over $86,000 in United States currency from Vest’s residence. Vest admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. Search warrants were also executed at the two residences operated by Vest. During those searches, law enforcement officers seized over a kilogram of cocaine, 800 grams of fentanyl, and 450 grams of methamphetamine that Vest intended to distribute and two additional firearms.
To date, seven defendants have been convicted as result of the investigation.
“Thanks to the excellent work of the FBI and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force, this drug ring was shut down,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Byrd and Vest, who were distributing significant amounts of deadly drugs, will no longer be endangering the public.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force conducted the investigation. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans are handling the prosecutions.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00109.
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Thirty-Four-Year-Old Houston Man Charged with Trafficking 13-Year-Old Female into the New Orleans Area to Perform Commercial Sex ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RANDI LEWIS, age 34, from Houston, Texas, was charged on January 28, 2022 by a federal grand jury in a five-count indictment with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1594(c) and 1591(a) (Count 1), sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a) and 1591(b)(1) (Count 2), interstate transportation of a minor for purposes of unlawful sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count 3), coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) (Count 4), and production of child sexual abuse material, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) (Count 5), for his role in bringing a thirteen-year-old female from Houston to New Orleans for the purpose of her engaging in commercial sex acts in June 2021.
According to the indictment, LEWIS met his co-conspirator, a female born in 2003, in about 2019. LEWIS recruited the female to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction, and she complied. Together, LEWIS and his co-conspirator met the victim, who was thirteen years old, in the Houston, Texas area not later than June 21, 2021. At LEWIS’s direction, the co-conspirator recruited the victim to perform commercial sex acts under LEWIS’s direction. Soon thereafter, she introduced the victim to LEWIS. After the victim agreed, LEWIS arranged for he, his co-conspirator, and the victim to travel to New Orleans on a Greyhound bus for the purpose of his co-conspirator and the victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Between June 22, 2021, and June 24, 2021, his co-conspirator and the victim performed multiple commercial sex acts in the New Orleans area. LEWIS created and caused to be created advertisements on an online classified ad service commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money, through which LEWIS received telephone calls, text messages, and messages via social media applications inquiring about, scheduling, and arranging prostitution calls with his co-conspirator and the victim. LEWIS arranged for sexually explicit pictures of the victim to be used in the advertisements. LEWIS and his co-conspirator also gave the victim illicit and mood-altering drugs, including marijuana, to numb her senses, control her behavior, and/or to encourage her to engage in commercial sex acts. Law enforcement authorities recovered the victim at a hotel in Terrytown, Louisiana, on June 24, 2021.
If convicted on all counts, LEWIS faces the following maximum sentence for each count: a a maximum term of life in prison as to Count 1, mandatory minimum term of fifteen (15) years and up to a maximum term of life as to Count 2, mandatory minimum term of ten (10) years and up to a maximum term of life as to each of Counts 3 and 4, and a mandatory minimum term of fifteen (15) years and up to a maximum term of thirty (30) years as to Count 5, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count. LEWIS may also be required to register as a sex offender.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Statement from Assistant Attorney General Kristen ClarkeRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division issued the following statement today regarding the hearing in United States v. McMichael et al.:
“We respect the court’s decision to not accept the sentencing terms of the proposed plea and to continue the hearing until Friday.
“The Justice Department takes seriously its obligation to confer with the Arbery family and their lawyers both pursuant to the Crime Victim Rights Act and out of respect for the victim. Before signing the proposed agreement reflecting the defendants’ confessions to federal hate crimes charges, the Civil Rights Division consulted with the victims’ attorneys. The Justice Department entered the plea agreement only after the victims’ attorneys informed me that the family was not opposed to it.”
St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to $841,000 COVID-Relief Scheme to Defraud the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft in connection to a more than $840,000 covid-relief fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, Kyle William Brenizer, 33, was the owner and manager of True-Cut Construction LLC (“True-Cut”), a contracting and construction company located in Brooklyn Park. In August 2018, True-Cut and Brenizer were ordered by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to cease and desist from doing business. In December 2019, True-Cut’s contractor license expired and was never renewed.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2020, Brenizer submitted a false and misleading Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application in the name of True-Cut seeking approximately $841,000, but the application was denied. On May 12, 2020, Brenizer again submitted a false and misleading PPP application in the name of True-Cut seeking approximately $841,000 in PPP funds. This time, in order to conceal his role in submitting a fraudulent application , Brenizer submitted the application under the name of another individual whom Brenizer falsely claimed was the 90 percent owner of True-Cut. Brenizer further falsely stated that True-Cut’s average monthly payroll was $336,400 for approximately 30 employees. In support of both loan applications, Brenizer caused to be submitted to the lender fraudulent supporting documentation, such as falsified bank statements and IRS documents. In addition, Brenizer falsely certified that he was not subject to any pending criminal charges even though he was named in multiple felony charges pending in the State of Minnesota for such charges as check forgery, identify theft, and theft by swindle. Due to these various misrepresentations and omissions, on May 13, 2020, Brenizer’s second application was approved, and he received $841,000 in PPP funds.
According to court documents, instead of using the PPP funds for authorized business expenses, such as payroll, Brenizer transferred approximately $650,000 to a bank account unrelated to True-Cut and made a $29,000 payment to purchase a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, among other impermissible expenditures and transactions.
Brenizer pleaded guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS – Criminal Investigations, the FBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Allison K. Ethen are prosecuting the case.
South Florida Political Consultant Who Defrauded Covid-19 Relief Program Headed to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, a federal district judge in Fort Lauderdale sentenced 29-year-old Damara Holness to 20 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small businesses financially survive the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Holness must pay $300,000 in restitution.
In 2020, Holness applied for a $300,000 forgivable, federally-guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Holness Consulting, Inc., a Florida company that she owned. Holness claimed in the on-line loan application, and through supporting fraudulent payroll tax forms, that her company employed 18 people and spent an average of $120,000 each month on payroll, neither of which was true. A bank in Georgia approved Holness Consulting’s PPP loan application based on the lies and wired $300,000 to the company’s bank account in Florida.
Once the money hit the bank account, Holness checks from the company bank account made out to others who agreed, for a fee, to help with the fraud. People receiving the checks would endorse and return them to Holness. Then, Holness would cash the checks at the company’s bank, give about $300 to the check endorser and keep the rest of the cash for herself – about $1,000 per check.
Damara Holness is a former president of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, II.
FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who suffered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60229.
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Somerset County Woman Charged with $1 Million Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, woman was charged for her role in fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Nivah Garcis, 51, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. She made her initial appearance by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Garcis submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications to a lender on behalf of two purported businesses and three fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of three purported businesses.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The applications Garcis submitted each allegedly contained fraudulent representations to the lender – a Federal Home Loan Bank member – and the SBA, including bogus federal tax documents purportedly from the IRS. Garcis also fabricated the existence of employees and wages paid through the purported businesses. According to IRS records, however, none of the purported tax documents that Garcis submitted in support of her loan applications were ever in fact filed with the IRS. Based on Garcis’s alleged misrepresentations, her loan applications for her purported businesses were approved for approximately $1.05 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses. Garcis then used the proceeds for various personal expenses, including a BMW SUV.
The count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The count of money laundering carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Donnelly; special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; and special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and David E. Dauenheimer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Somerset County Man Pleads to Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Somerset County pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession and distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Kristian E. Heller, 46, of Windber, PA pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about April 20, 2021, Heller knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed one or more visual depictions, namely, videos and images in individual computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and which depict prepubescent minors and minors who have not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, all of which had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, by means of a computer, and all of which had been produced using materials which had been mailed and shipped in interstate and foreign commerce.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Heller.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.