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31 January 2022
Signal Peak Energy fined $1 million, sentenced to three years of probation for violating environmental, worker safety regulations at Roundup coal mineRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — Signal Peak Energy LLC, which admitted to willful violation of health and safety standards at its underground coal mine near Roundup by failing to report injuries to workers and improperly disposing mine waste, was sentenced today to pay a $1 million criminal fine and to three years of probation, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Signal Peak Energy pleaded guilty in October to four counts of willful violation of health and safety standard, a misdemeanor.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Judge Cavan followed the terms of a plea agreement by imposing the statutory maximum $250,000 fine for each count of conviction and ordering probation. Judge Cavan also ordered $400 restitution to be paid to one of the injured workers.
“This case holds Signal Peak Mine accountable for its utter disregard for environmental and worker health and safety standards. Mine owners provided little in the way of meaningful oversight of mine operations as long as the mine’s managers could meet reported safety and production goals. That lax oversight fostered a climate of fraud, which today cost the mine $1 million in fines. In addition, mine managers lied about the mine’s expenses, its safety record, and other matters, which separately resulted in individual criminal convictions and charges for nine persons, including former mine vice presidents and their associates, on crimes ranging from embezzlement, tax evasion and bank fraud to money laundering, drugs and firearms violations. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin M. Rubich, Zeno B. Baucus and Timothy Tatarka along with the IRS, FBI, Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency for investigating and prosecuting this case and bringing wrongdoers to justice,” U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
"The IRS, along with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously pursue corporate officers who victimize their investors and violate the public trust," said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. "High-ranking corporate officials hold positions of trust not only in their companies but also in the eyes of the public. That trust is broken when such officials abuse their power and commit crimes.”
“Signal Peak, under the direction of its former corrupt top executives, perpetuated an unsafe work environment for several years,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Federal law entitles everyone to a safe workplace, and we encourage the public to report hazardous working conditions or any wrongdoing so a proper investigation can take place.”
“The provisions of the Mine Safety and Health Act are essential to keeping miners safe on the job, and operators have a responsibility under the law to ensure those protections are in place at all times,” said Department of Labor Regional Solicitor John Rainwater. “We are pleased that our Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency partners take mine safety and health seriously and will not hesitate to use all available tools to make mines safer through prosecutions like these.”
“Signal Peak Energy violated mandatory health and safety standards by pumping mine water waste down bore holes without the required permits,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Montana. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that EPA and its partners will hold corporations accountable when they ignore environmental regulations and put worker’s health at risk.”
In the Signal Peak Energy case, the government alleged in court documents that from 2013 through 2018, Signal Peak Energy habitually violated mandatory health and safety standards in the Mine Safety and Health Act during the mine’s operation. These violations included both environmental safety and worker safety standards. The violations occurred with the full knowledge, direction and participation of the mine’s most senior management during that period, including the president and CEO, the vice president of surface operations, the vice president of underground operations and the safety manager.
The government further alleged that senior managers directed mine employees to improperly dispose of mine waste by pumping the waste, known as slurry, into abandoned sections the mine and failed to report as required injuries to employees while pressuring injured workers not to report injuries as work related. One worker suffered a crushed finger that later required amputation and a second worker suffered a severe head laceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin M. Rubich, Zeno B. Baucus and Timothy Tatarka prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency.
PACER case reference. 21-79.
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San Antonio Man Gets Prison Time for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $345,136.68 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax evasion.
On September 14, 2018, Robert Steven Powell, 68, was found guilty of three counts of tax evasion. According to testimony at trial, Powell was a member of a tax scheme organization that promoted tax evasion. Although Powell earned wages as high as $236,098 per year, he failed to pay income taxes from 2000 to 2013. Powell evaded payment of his federal taxes by submitting false W-4 forms to his employer and claiming he was exempt from federal income tax withholding. Powell also placed a house and recreational vehicle in other names and attempted to conceal his physical address from the IRS by obtaining identification documents from multiple states using false personal residence addresses.
“Millions of Americans faithfully pay their income taxes every year,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Those who dodge paying taxes disproportionately burden their fellow citizens and will face the consequences.”
“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Charlotte Field Office. “Individuals who corruptly violate the law to further their business interests and intentionally evade paying their fair share of taxes undermine public confidence in our tax system.”
The IRS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris prosecuted the case.
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Salvadoran Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A native of El Salvador living illegally in Springfield, Arkansas, was sentenced today in federal court to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 12 kilograms of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Luis Alexander Guzman Calderon, also known as Bryan Jose Pinto Sandoval, was arrested after a high-speed automobile chase in Mobile County during July of 2021 on I-65 in the Saraland area involving several local law enforcement agencies. The chase ended when Guzman Calderon’s vehicle, a Honda Civic, wrecked near Dauphin Street in Mobile. During the pursuit, Calderon, who was the passenger in the vehicle, threw out a black plastic trash bag containing 12 kilograms of methamphetamine. Police recovered the bag and the drugs. The driver of the Honda, Umberto Rosales Mendoza, has also entered a guilty plea to the federal conspiracy charge and will be sentenced on March 7, 2022.
Chief United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 135 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of five years. As a condition of supervision, Guzman Calderon will be delivered to a duly authorized immigration official for deportation consideration. As other conditions of his supervision, Guzman Calderon will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Guzman Calderon pay $100 in special assessments.The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Rapid City Individuals Charged with Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that two Rapid City, South Dakota, people have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Amber Ashlin, age 33, and Eugene Perez, age 42, were indicted on January 20, 2022. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on January 26, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of ten years up to life in federal prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from Ashlin and Perez conspiring with each other and others to distribute methamphetamine in Deadwood and Rapid City between January 2018 and December 2021. Both are previously convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms and were illegally in possession of semi-automatic pistols in September 2021. The charges are merely an accusation and Ashlin and Perez are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), which is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Ashlin and Perez were detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Previously Deported Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 28, 2022, Imer Jose Mejia-Morales, age 33, was sentenced to time served (26 days) of imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release, by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Mejia-Morales pleaded guilty to having illegally reentered the United States sometime after his last removal to Mexico in June 2016. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States again sometime after that time. He was located in the United States on March 30, 2021, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, after a vehicle stop performed by Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is expected he will be removed to Mexico at the completion of his sentence.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joanne M. Sanderson.
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Olean Man Arrested, Charged with Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Luke Marshall Wenke, 29, of Olean, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making threats to injure another person in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, on September 3, 2020, an acquaintance of Wenke’s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was arrested and charged federally with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to Hamas. On September 22, 2020, Wenke began sending a series of threatening communications via email and telephone to Victim 1, an attorney representing the individual arrested. The complaint states that Wenke believes that Victim 1 is not appropriately representing the individual. In an email, on January 23, 2022, Wenke stated in part: “I will gladly take a steel chair to your face until I get what I want here. You don't respect me...but you will.” Wenke sent another email on January 24, 2022, which contained a photograph of Victim 1’s residence.
Wenke is being held pending a detention hearing today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia and the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Ohio man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Nathan D. Smith, of Bridgeport, Ohio, has admitted to a methamphetamine charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Smith, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Smith admitted to selling methamphetamine near Golden Towers in Marshall County in March 2021.
Smith faces at least one and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to federal gun and drug crimes he committed while he was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville.
According to court documents, on June 14, 2021, Jacob Benjamin Loper, 20, an inmate at the Western Regional Jail, used recorded jail phone lines to speak with an individual outside of the jail. Loper instructed the individual to go to a residence at Marcum Terrace in Huntington to recover $1500 worth of suboxone that belonged to Loper and was believed to be in the possession of another person. Loper consented to the individual carrying a firearm to retrieve the suboxone. Loper’s associate was unable to retrieve the suboxone from the residence. As Loper’s associate and another individual at the scene were driving away from the residence, a shootout occurred between them and an occupant of the residence. Subsequent to the shooting, Loper communicated via phone with the person believed to be in possession of the suboxone and threatened that if he did not receive his drugs or get paid for them, that shootings would keep happening.
Loper pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute suboxone and conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department and the West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigation Division.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00215.
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North Charles Crips Member Sentenced to 12½ Years for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12½ years (150 months) of imprisonment and six years of supervised release on his conviction of violating the conditions of his supervised release and violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Davee Ward, age 31, formerly of Pittsburgh’s North Side. Ward is a member of a violent gang who call themselves the North Charles Crips.
According to information presented to the court, in 2013, Ward was convicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania of distribution of heroin. In that case, the Court imposed a sentence of 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. The conditions of release included, among other conditions, that the defendant not violate any federal, state or local law.
On July 25, 2016, a search of a vehicle Ward occupied revealed distribution quantities of heroin, $4,100 in cash, and multiple cellular telephones. He was arrested by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. As that conduct constituted a violation of the conditions of his supervised release, the Court issued a warrant for arrest, but, before that arrest warrant was received by the Allegheny County Jail, the defendant had already been released on bond and absconded. It was almost two years before the defendant was arrested again.
Regarding his supervised release violation, which was not contested, the Court imposed a sentence of six months’ imprisonment. For the events of July 25, 2016, the Court imposed a sentence of 144 months to run consecutive with the six-month sentence imposed for the supervised release violation for a total of 150 months’ imprisonment. The Court also imposed six years of supervised release to follow the 144-month sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ward.
North Carolina Man Arrested for Instructing Others on Making and Using ExplosivesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Duplin County man has been charged in an indictment for teaching another individual how to make and use an explosive, knowing that the individual intended to use that instruction in the attempted murder of federal law enforcement, in violation of 18 USC 1114, all in violation of Title 18, USC Sections 842(p)(2)(B) and 844. Christopher Arthur, 38, residing in Mount Olive, North Carolina, was arrested on January 22, 2022, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr., today.
According to court documents, in 2018 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received information that another individual was attempting to organize and recruit for a militia group and was preparing to engage against the United States Government. On May 27, 2020, that individual was stopped by law enforcement in New York and was shot and killed following a two-hour police pursuit and an exchange of gunfire. During the execution of a search warrant on his vehicle, law enforcement located three improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Numerous additional IEDs and firearms were found in the search of his residence along with multiple Tackleberry Solutions tactical instructional manuals which named as the author Christopher Arthur. A review of the individual’s cell phone indicated that he had attended training with Arthur at Tackleberry Solutions in Mount Olive for multiple days in March of 2020.
According to the search warrant affidavit for Arthur’s residence, on March 19, 2021, the FBI covertly requested a free PDF document from Tackleberry Solutions. After a short period of time, an email was received from Arthur indicating that he had to keep parts of the information in the PDF off of the internet since explosives were such a touchy topic. Arthur also gave his phone number and mailing address. Arthur then began communicating via phone regarding the manuals.
On May 5, 2021, Arthur, at Arthur’s residence in Mount Olive, explained how to properly place IEDs through one’s property, the importance of creating a fatal funnel, the setup and use of remote-activated firearms, and how to evade arrest after killing members of law enforcement – all after learning the recipient of the explanation intended to kill federal law enforcement who might come to his home. At the conclusion, Arthur demonstrated how to make components of IEDs, to include tripwire switches and improvised initiators. Once he was finished demonstrating how to make the components, Arthur provided them to the recipient of his training.
Subsequent to Arthur’s arrest, a search warrant was executed at his home. During the search, multiple IEDs, an IED striker plate, an electronic IED trigger and other IED components, a pistol suppressor, bulk gunpowder, and mixed Tannerite explosive were recovered.
“According to these charges, the defendant provided someone with training on explosive devices knowing that person intended to use that information to murder or attempt the murder of law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Michael Easley. “This type of behavior is criminal, it is unacceptable, and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Here in Eastern North Carolina, we will protect the brave men and women of law enforcement who are sworn to protect us. The Justice Department will aggressively investigate and prosecute those whose actions would further violence against those in uniform. Our public servants in law enforcement deserve nothing less.”
"Law enforcement officers are being feloniously killed in the line of duty at an alarming rate. 2021 saw the most officers murdered since the 9/11 attacks. The behavior alleged in this indictment, training someone in methods of how to kill or injure law enforcement, is both serious and frightening," said Robert R. Wells, FBI Special Agent in Charge.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Raleigh Police Department and Cary Police Department are investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
North Carolina Man Arrested After Using Snapchat, Grindr to Solicit Teenagers in Southwest VirginiaRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A North Carolina man was arrested January 24, 2022 on criminal charges related to his alleged solicitation of teenage boys in Southwest Virginia using the social media applications Grindr and Snapchat.
According to court documents, Jonathan Avery Shumate, 53, of Warrensville, North Carolina, used both Snapchat and Grindr to contact two teenage males residing in Grayson County, Virginia, and offered to provide vapes and vaping materials in exchange for the boys sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. After communicating online for several weeks, Shumate offered to bring the teens vaping supplies, which they paid him for with cash. Later, Shumate told the victims they could provide him with nude pictures of themselves instead of cash for the vaping supplies. Shumate also offered to provide oral sex for the juveniles.
“We live in an online world where our children and teens are connected, virtually, to people all over the globe,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “While online safety starts at home, when individuals seek to exploit our youth using the internet and its social media sites, it is the job of the Department of Justice to step in.”
“Without caution and awareness, social media platforms can easily become a catalyst for predatory behavior as demonstrated by Mr. Shumate,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said. “Protecting unsuspecting youth from what could become life-long consequences at the hands of online predators is a responsibility the FBI and our partners take very seriously. If you’ve been victimized, or know of a similar situation occurring, please report it to us at 1-804-261-1044, or online at tips.fbi.gov.”
Shumate is charged with one count of attempting to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a minor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Multiple Individuals Sentenced to Prison as a Result of Joint Federal and State Investigations of Drug Trafficking Organizations in BurlingtonRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – Tristan Davis, of Burlington, was sentenced on January 28, 2022, to over 23 years in prison for his involvement in a drug conspiracy dating back to 2001. He is the last of eight defendants to be sentenced after they were charged in November 2019. Davis, age 36, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Davis was previously found guilty, along with Kendrick Page and Breon Armstrong, of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, which included ice methamphetamine and cocaine base (crack cocaine), after a jury trial in July 2021. At sentencing, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey found Davis possessed a firearm related to his drug trafficking activities and maintained a house in Burlington to store, manufacture and distribute controlled substances. At sentencing, Chief Judge Jarvey described the conspiracy as “a scourge upon Burlington and eastern Iowa.” He went on to say the conspiracy was responsible for “huge quantities of methamphetamine and other controlled substances over a very long period of time.”
Davis was one of eight individuals from Burlington who were charged federally in November 2019, after the execution of numerous federal search warrants in Burlington, and elsewhere.
Others charged, and sentenced, as a part of this drug conspiracy include:
• Kendrick Ramon Page, sentenced to 28 years and 4 months of imprisonment
• Breon Raquon Armstrong, sentenced to 17 ½ years of imprisonment
• Alphonso Edmond, sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment
• Lavelle Harris, sentenced to 21 years and 8 months of imprisonment
• Lamar Harris, sentenced to 17 ½ years of imprisonment
• Frederrick Dewayne Reed, sentenced to 13 years and 4 months imprisonment
• Michael Rees, sentenced to 12 years and 7 months of imprisonmentThese charges stem from an investigation conducted by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including: the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce; Burlington Police Department; Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; West Central Illinois Taskforce; Quincy, Illinois, Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Henry County Sheriff’s Office; Mt. Pleasant Police Department; West Burlington Police Department; Keokuk Police Department; Ft. Madison Police Department; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa City Police Department; Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; North Liberty Police Department; Coralville Police Department; Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office; Louisa County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Bettendorf Police Department; Illinois State Police; Monmouth, Illinois, Police Department; Macomb, Illinois, Police Department; Galesburg, Illinois, Police Department; Adams County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office; and Fulton County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office.
The United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa has prioritized the prosecution of those responsible for drug and violent offenses in Southeast Iowa, to include the Burlington area. “The Department of Justice is committed to continue to collaborate with our state and local partners to address violent crime that threatens safety in communities like Burlington. This investigation, and others like it, demonstrates the continued resolve of our federal, state and local law enforcement officers to hold accountable those who engage in drug trafficking and the act of violence that go with it,” stated United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal.
Most recently, in November 2021, eight men were federally charged with participating in a methamphetamine conspiracy after several federal search warrants were executed at Burlington residences. Those charged in November 2021 include: Clyde Stewart, Jr.; Rudolph Allen; Kendric Childs; Brian Davis, Jr.; Demetrius Goudy; Gregory Johnson; Marcus Johnson; and one other individual who remains at large. The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Since 2019, twenty-two individuals from Burlington have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine in Southeast Iowa.
Others from Burlington who have been recently federally prosecuted include:
John Patrick Auwaerter, sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:18-cr-101
Michael Lee Davis, sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:18-cr-102
Rachel Marie Horn, sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-6
Gerald Victor Terry, sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-19
Pamela Sue Hester, sentenced to 10 years and 10 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-41
Michael Antonio Davison, sentenced to 26 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Norris Davison, sentenced to 15 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Wilbert James Bowers, sentenced to 12 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Justin Harold Love, sentenced to 10 years and 10 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-43
Anthony Collins, sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-46
Charles Lester Warner, sentenced to 12 years and 7 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-87
Lloyd Davenport, sentenced to 21 years and 10 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-91
Allen Julian Fields, Jr., sentenced to 10 years and 1 month of imprisonment
Case Number 3:19-cr-117
Terry Lee Douglas III, sentenced to 16 years and 8 months of imprisonment
Case Number 3:20-cr-42Mobile Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 Years for Transporting a Minor from Kentucky for Purposes of Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock sentenced defendant Nathaniel Blancher, 38, to forty years in prison for Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, and Penalties for Registered Sex Offenders. Blancher entered a guilty plea to those offenses on October 28, 2021.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, on May 29, 2021, Nathaniel Blancher, a convicted sex offender, left his home in Mobile and drove to Louisville, Kentucky, and picked up a 14-year-old girl and returned to Mobile with her. When the girl’s parents discovered that she was missing, they immediately contacted law enforcement in Kentucky. Kentucky law enforcement was able to find Blancher’s cell phone number on the Caller ID, and they used that information to track Blancher back to Mobile. Mobile Police Department officers responded to Blancher’s home. Blancher initially denied that the girl was with him, but eventually relented and let officers into his home where they found the girl hiding in the bathroom. The girl was forensically interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Mobile. She admitted that she had sexual intercourse with Blancher, who is 38 years old, in his apartment when they arrived in Mobile. She also admitted to being in an online relationship with Blancher for approximately three years. She reported that Blancher knew she was 14 years old and younger during the course of their relationship. She said that Blancher had previously traveled to Louisville approximately one month earlier, and they had engaged in sex acts at a hotel in Louisville.
Blancher previously had been convicted of Possession of Child Pornography on October 21, 2020. As a result of this conviction, Blancher was required to register as a sex offender. Blancher was on probation for that offense when he traveled to Kentucky to pick up the 14-year-old girl.
The victim and her parents were present at the sentencing hearing and addressed the Court by submitting written letters.
Chief Judge Beaverstock imposed a forty year sentence of incarceration. The judge also ordered Blancher to serve a twenty-five year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge Beaverstock ordered that Blancher pay $10,400 in special assessments. Blancher will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mobile Police Department, and the Louisville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment for Possessing Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Henry Segura, 32, of Memphis has been sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on November 13, 2019, members of the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit conducted a search warrant at a residence where Segura was known to store and distribute narcotics. They found 628 grams of marijuana, 916 grams of methamphetamine, 86.93 grams of cocaine, 107 hydrocodone pills, 37 oxycodone pills, 156 alprazolam pills, 93 fentanyl pills, and two firearms.
On March 4, 2020, while executing an arrest warrant on Segura, members of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office along with the United States Marshals Service recovered an additional 2.63 grams of marijuana and 17.56 grams of cocaine.
In April 2021, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment against Segura charging violations of both the narcotics and gun laws. On October 21, 2021, the defendant pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
On January 27, 2021, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Segura to 144 months in federal prison to be followed by five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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McKees Rocks Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months’ incarceration followed by 10 years’ supervised release on his conviction of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Galen Gray, age 35.
According to information presented to the Court, in and around March 2014, Gray possessed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The government further informed the Court that Gray’s personal cell phone contained evidence of Skype and Kik conversations showing that Gray had engaged in online chats in order to seek and receive child sexual abuse material (child pornography). The government also presented the Court with evidence that Gray had accessed the Internet and child sexual abuse material in August and November 2020 while he was on pretrial release and prohibited from doing so. In imposing sentence, Judge Fischer recognized that Gray’s criminal conduct was egregious and stated that consumers, like Gray, create a market for producers of such material. Judge Fischer read and listened to Impact Statements provided by the victims of Gray’s crime and recognized the never-ending cycle of abuse that victims of child pornography crimes are subjected to as their images are used over and over again on the Internet.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the North Fayette Township Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gray.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
McDowell County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A McDowell County man pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Timothy Edwards, 25, of Yaeger, admitted that from April 2020 through February 2021 he engaged in sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl. During that time frame, he produced multiple videos of himself engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor. He also directed the minor to produce and send sexually explicit videos of herself to him. Edwards additionally caused the minor to engage in live video chats during which she would send video of herself masturbating.
Edwards faces at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-00186.
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Massachusetts Town Official Indicted for Fraud in Role as Property Manager for a Woonsocket Condominium AssociationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The property manager of a Woonsocket, RI, condominium community was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Providence on five counts of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Cheryl S. Sullivan, 67, a real estate broker, tax preparer, property manager, and the chairperson of the Board of Tax Assessors for the Town of Dedham, MA., was arrested earlier today by FBI agents.
An indictment returned on January 26 and unsealed today alleges that Sullivan, acting in the capacity as a property manager for the River Island Condominium Association, devised a scheme to access Association funds for her own personal use. It is alleged that beginning as early as February 2019, Sullivan used a debit card attached to the association’s checking account to withdraw cash for her own use from ATMs located at the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, MA.
According to information presented to the court, a joint FBI and Plainville Police Department investigation determined that Sullivan allegedly defrauded the Association of approximately $46,500.
Ms. Sullivan pled not guilty and was released on unsecured bond following today’s arraignment.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Tara Hoisington, 34, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to two charges of possessing drugs with intent to distribute, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 20, 2020, a Manchester police officer was surveilling a house that was known to be used for drug activity and observed a vehicle operated by Hoisington leave the location. After stopping the vehicle for a traffic violation, the officer observed a crack pipe on the driver’s seat. Hoisington refused consent to search the vehicle. When the officer told her he would seek a search warrant, she asked for the $10,000 in the trunk that she claimed to be holding for a friend. After the officer denied her request, Hoisington and her passenger walked away from the scene.
Officers later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found $14,293.92, scales, cellphones, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. A data extraction of Hoisington’s cellphone included communications related to drug distribution.
On August 24, 2020, Manchester police officers again stopped Hoisington for a traffic violation. After the stop, Hoisington was arrested on outstanding warrants. After her arrest, Hoisington admitted that drugs were in the car. A search pursuant to a warrant yielded $3,120, packaging materials, cellphones, methamphetamine, and approximately 140 grams of fentanyl. She further admitted to drug distribution activities and confirmed the $14,293.29 that had been previously recovered from her vehicle was the proceeds of drug trafficking.
Hoisington is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2022.
“Drug traffickers continue to threaten public safety in Manchester by seeking to profit from the sale of deadly substances,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Through Operation SOS, we are working closely with the Manchester Police Department to identify and prosecute the criminals who are selling fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in the Queen City. These important enforcement efforts are taking drug dealers off the street and sending the message that those who choose to sell drugs in Manchester will face substantial consequences in federal court.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Man Formerly from Cedar Rapids Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Firearm After Multiple Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
A man formerly from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who possessed a gun after three prior felony convictions was sentenced January 27, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.
Patrick Derone James, age 28, now from Conyers, Georgia, received the prison term after a June 16, 2021 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea hearing, James admitted possessing a firearm after being convicted of three felonies, specifically forgery, burglary, and possession of crack cocaine with enhanced penalties. Evidence at previous hearings showed that, on March 21, 2020, James was in a vehicle that had been reported stolen along with an adult female and two minor children in Cedar Rapids. In the vehicle, police officers recovered marijuana and a teal firearm with an obliterated serial number. James admitting possessing the firearm for protection and that he had smoked marijuana in the vehicle earlier in the day.
James was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. James was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
James is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-cr-00049.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Lynn Woman Indicted for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn woman was arrested today for allegedly stealing over $50,000 in Social Security benefits.
Teresa M. Carrington, 64, was charged with one count of theft of public funds. Carrington was released on conditions following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the indictment, from June 2016 through January 2020, Carrington stole at least $50,210 in Social Security benefits.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and John Cremonini, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kansas Man Facing Federal Charges in Maryland for Making Threats to Harm the President of the United States and United States Secret Service AgentsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint was filed on January 28, 2022, charging Scott Ryan Merryman, age 37, of Independence, Kansas, for federal charges of making threats against the President of the United States and interstate communication containing a threat to harm. Merryman is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 3:45 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Brandon Bridgeforth of the United States Secret Service – Kansas City Field Office.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Merryman has made threats against the President of the United States and several United States Secret Service Agents and traveled from his home in Kansas to Maryland. The affidavit alleges that in a series of telephone calls on January 25 and January 26, 2022, Merryman advised law enforcement officers that he was en route to Washington, D.C. to see the President and that he was going to “cut the head off the snake in the heart of the nation.”
As detailed in the affidavit, during an in-person interview with a Secret Service agent on January 26, 2022, in Hagerstown, Maryland, Merryman allegedly reiterated his plans to travel to Washington, D.C. to “cut the head off the snake in the heart of the nation.” During a consent search of Merryman, the agent found no weapons, but Merryman did have a loaded magazine containing three bullets that he was carrying on his person, and a spotting scope in his backpack.
Later that day, Merryman called the Secret Service agent with whom he had spoken in Kansas and told the agent that he had finished speaking with the agents that the Kansas agent “had sent for him and that they had given him the answer.” He told the Kansas agent that the agents in Hagerstown had told him “not to take the bullets to the White House,” then stated, multiple times, “I’m coming for you b***h.” The affidavit alleges that during the course of the conversation, Merryman also stated, “Well, I have a bullet with your name on it,” among other threats.
The affidavit includes a series of increasingly threatening messages Merryman allegedly posted on social media from January 25, 2022, through January 27, 2022. In addition, the affidavit alleges that Merryman contacted the White House switchboard on January 27, 2022, and made threats against the President, using the same telephone number he used to contact the Kansas Secret Service agent. Merryman allegedly stated the threats to a White House operator and to a Secret Service Special Agent to whom his call was referred.
If convicted, Merryman faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for making threats against the President of the United States and a maximum of five years in federal prison for interstate communication containing threats to harm. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the United States Secret Service Baltimore and Kansas City Field Offices for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Justice Department’s National Security Division for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.
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Jury Convicts Big Cabin Man of Sexual Abuse and StrangulationRead the Press Release
A Big Cabin man was found guilty late Friday for sexually assaulting and strangling a former dating partner, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
The jury convicted Christopher Michael Guinn, 23, of aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country and of assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and attempting to strangle in Indian Country.
“Violent acts of sexual and physical abuse such as those committed in this case will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Christopher Guinn preyed on this victim and has now been held accountable by a jury of his peers.”
"The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable for threatening the safety of the communities we serve throughout the state of Oklahoma," said Edward J. Gray, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office.
At trial, the United States alleged that in the early morning hours of March 17, 2019, Guinn sexually assaulted and strangled a former dating partner. During the assault, Guinn held the victim down and grabbed her around the neck. Guinn applied varying degrees of pressure to the victim’s neck and at several points, left the victim gasping for air. The victim testified that Guinn threatened her by saying that if she and her children did not move back in with him, he would find them. He also told her that if she reported the sexual assault, he would come to her mother’s house while the victim was sleeping and rape the victim again. She also believed that Guinn had a gun under the mattress.
After Guinn fell asleep, the victim fled and contacted law enforcement. Deputies with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office responded and met the victim at the hospital. They documented the victim’s injuries and interviewed her. The Tulsa Police Department conducted a SANE exam.
When interviewed by law enforcement, the defendant stated the incident was not rape but consensual sex and theorized the victim was lying because she was jealous of him being with another woman at a party.
The United States showed Guinn had a history of exerting control over women and sexually assaulting them. Two additional women who previously dated Guinn testified about similar assaults they endured by the defendant. They also testified that Guinn physically abused them and isolated them from friends and family. Both had protective orders against the defendant.
In closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Gilmore said both the victim and defendant revealed who they were by their actions. She reminded the jury the victim reported the crime, filed for a protective order, and consistently and repeatedly shared details to both state and federal authorities. Gilmore said the defendant also revealed who he was by his history with women. She said the evidence showed Guinn was controlling, isolating, and took what he wanted despite being told “no.”
The jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts.
The FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Wright and Gina S. Gilmore are prosecuting the case.
Illinois woman sentenced for to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joanna Masias, of Cicero, Illinois, was sentenced today to 30 months of incarceration for attempting to smuggle suboxone into FCI Gilmer in Glenville, West Virginia, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Masias, 37, pled guilty in January 2021 to one count of “Attempt to Introduce a Prohibited Object (Narcotic).” Masias admitted to working with two inmates at the facility to attempt to smuggle suboxone into FCI Gilmer in April 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
High Court of Scotland Denies Appeal of Child Kidnapping FugitivesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The High Court of Justiciary in Scotland has denied the appeal of three individuals and determined there is no bar to their extradition back to the United States to stand trial for an alleged attempted violent kidnapping they planned and attempted in July 2018 in the Western District of Virginia. Further appeals of extradition are possible.
In early August 2018, Valerie Perfect Hayes, 41, Gary Blake Reburn, 58, and Jennifer Lynn Amnott, 36, fled to the United Kingdom after the attempted kidnapping of five children in a Mennonite Community within Dayton, Virginia, and have repeatedly sought to block their extradition back to the United States based on the severity of the mandatory life sentence each would receive if convicted.
“I am grateful to see the extradition process proceeding,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This community was shocked when these events occurred and the underlying plot was uncovered. Although we expect further appeals, the Department of Justice will never stop working to bring those charged back to the United States to face justice.”
Hayes, Reburn, and Jennifer Amnott are charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping involving children, conspiracy to kill witnesses with the intent to prevent communication with law enforcement, kidnapping, attempting kidnapping, attempted killing of a witness, and various firearms offenses.
Jennifer Amnott’s husband, Frank Jesse Amnott, pleaded guilty in December 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit the offense of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to kill witnesses, and one count of brandishing, carrying, and using a firearm in commission of a federal crime of violence.
According to court documents, in 2014, Frank and Jennifer Amnott befriended Hayes, who consistently claimed to the Amnotts, and others, that she worked for the U.S. government and that her work included services for the intelligence community or other clandestine organizations.
In July 2018, the Amnotts were living in Florida when they were contacted by Hayes, who was living with her boyfriend, Gary Reburn, in Maryland. Hayes told the Amnotts that three of her children had been kidnapped and were in the custody of two separate Mennonite families in Dayton, Virginia. Hayes asked the Amnotts for assistance in recovering these children, as well as two additional children. Hayes knew the Amnotts could not conceive their own children and promised that if they helped Hayes kidnap the children, the Amnotts could keep one of the other children as their own.
Hayes, Reburn, and the Amnotts devised a plan to travel from Maryland to Dayton, Virginia to kidnap the children from two separate homes. To effectuate the kidnapping, the conspirators planned to kill the parents of the children. According to the plan, Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott would enter the first house and hold the parents at gunpoint. After the two children were secured by Hayes, Reburn and Frank Amnott would then murder the parents. Next, they planned to drive to the second house, force entry, and perform a similar execution. In planning to kill the parents at both houses, the conspirators sought to eliminate witnesses to the abductions. Afterwards, all of the children would be taken from Virginia to Maryland, and the Amnotts would return to Florida with the child promised to them by Hayes.
All five children to be kidnapped were younger than eight years old.
On the evening of July 29, 2018, the conspirators put their plan into action. Jennifer Amnott remained in Maryland watching Hayes’ other children, but remained in contact, receiving updates from Virginia. Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott waited until nightfall, at which time they drove to the first house. There, a husband and wife were preparing to retire for the evening while their two young children were already asleep.
Hayes approached the door, disguised in clothing to appear as a Mennonite. After the father opened the door, the group forced their way inside and held him at gunpoint. With the father subdued, Hayes began to look for his wife and the two children. Unbeknownst to Hayes, Reburn, and Amnott, when they forced their way into the home, the mother had grabbed a cordless phone and ran outside of the house, hiding in a cornfield near the home. She dialed 9-1-1 to report the incident and a deputy with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office was immediately dispatched.
Inside the home, Amnott and Reburn took the father – at gunpoint – to the basement, where they bound his wrists together behind his back. Reburn went upstairs as Amnott stayed and held him at gunpoint.
Shortly after the 9-1-1 call, a deputy with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene. The deputy entered the house and located the children, who were unharmed and still in their bedroom. The deputy proceeded to the basement where he encountered Frank Amnott, holding the father at gunpoint. Amnott was taken into custody without incident.
Because their planned abduction and murders at the first house had been thwarted, the conspirators did not make their way to the second house as planned. Instead, Hayes and Reburn returned to Maryland where they reunited with Jennifer Amnott, and thereafter escaped to Scotland.
The investigation of the case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs is providing significant support. United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh and Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Jones are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brandon Harris, age 29, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 28, 2022, to 192 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for robbery and weapons offenses.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Brandon Harris pled guilty to conspiring with four other individuals to commit a total of six armed robberies. During a three-hour period on Saturday night, April 6, 2019, Harris and/or his co-conspirators wore masks and brandished guns, including an assault rifle, to rob five establishments in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Harris also pled guilty to conspiring to rob, at gun point, a Rite Aid pharmacy in Harrisburg, on Monday, April 8, 2019.
His codefendant, David Rinehardt, age 21, of Statesville, North Carolina, also pled guilty to conspiring to commit the robberies and was sentenced to 111 months in prison.
Childes Neely, age 30, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to the April 6th robberies, as well Rite Aid pharmacy robbery. Kendrick Groover-Floyd, age 32, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to robbing the Rite Aid. They are awaiting sentencing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation brought this case in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
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Gold Beach Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Gold Beach, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Timothy Shaw Lair, 38, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in July 2019, investigators from McMinnville Police Department notified the FBI after discovering an internet protocol (IP) address in Gold Beach that had accessed and downloaded child pornography. In November 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant on the residence associated with the IP address and discovered child pornography on a computer in Lair’s rented bedroom. A forensic examination of Lair’s digital devices revealed dozens of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
On December 4, 2019, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Lair with receipt and possession of child pornography and, on August 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to both charges.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the McMinnville Police Department and Curry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith R. Harper prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty in Connection with Acadia National Park Triple Vehicular FatalityRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Indian national man pleaded guilty in federal court today to three counts of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence (OUI), and one count of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee.
According to court records, in the early morning hours of August 31, 2019, Praneeth Manubolu, 30, then living in New Jersey on a student visa, was the driver in a motor vehicle crash on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park that injured him and killed his three passengers. Subsequent investigation revealed that Manubolu had been drinking earlier in the evening. His blood alcohol content was determined to be .095% approximately 90 minutes after the crash with the legal limit being .08%. The investigation also revealed that Manubolu’s car was traveling 76 mph approximately three seconds before impact. The speed limit on the section of Park Loop Road where the crash occurred was 25 mph.
On each manslaughter count, Manubolu faces not more than eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. On each of the two OUI counts and the unsafe operation count, Manubolu faces up to six months in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The National Park Service and the Bar Harbor Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of Maine State Police and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
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Felon in Possession of Ammunition Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Bay Minette, Alabama, man was sentenced on January 24, 2022, to 25 months in prison for his illegal possession of ammunition after a prior federal conviction for being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Cornelius Jeremiah Pruitt, 26, was convicted in federal court in 2019 for being a drug user in possession of firearms. Pruitt had been released from custody and was serving a three-year term of supervised release when the United States probation officer assigned to supervise Pruitt discovered that he was illegally in possession of ammunition. Pruitt was indicted on the new federal charge of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and he pled guilty to that charge in October of 2021.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 25-month sentence, which consisted of 15 months on the new charge to run consecutively to 10 months imprisonment for the violation of his supervised release conditions. As conditions of his supervision, Pruitt will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Pruitt pay $100 in special assessments. The ammunition Pruitt illegally possessed was ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Felon Indicted on Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ORONDE GABRIEL, age 37 of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on January 28, 2022 in a single count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, GABRIEL was previously convicted in federal court for conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm. Being a felon, GABRIEL is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He is charged with having a Taurus model G2C, nine-millimeter handgun on September 27, 2021. If convicted of this offense, GABRIEL faces a maximum term of up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
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Felon Indicted for Shooting During Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DANTE FRAZIER, age 42, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on January 28, 2022 in a three-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and Federal Controlled Substances Act. Specifically, he is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2); discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii); and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, FRAZIER was previously convicted of drug trafficking in St. Bernard Parish and armed robbery in Orleans Parish. Due to his criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. He is now charged with possessing a Mossberg International model 715P, .22 caliber handgun and discharging it in furtherance of narcotics violations on November 6, 2021. He is further alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, as well as fentanyl and cocaine base or “crack.”
If convicted of possession with intent to distribute the methamphetamine, FRAZIER faces a minimum of five (5) years and a maximum of up to forty (40) years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000.00 fine, at least four (4) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base or fentanyl, he faces a maximum of up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, he faces a minimum of ten (10) years and up to a maximum of up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. If convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, he faces a maximum of up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
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Erie Woman Admits Taking Her Deceased Father's Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of theft of government property, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Loraleigh Helen Barber, 51, Erie, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from January 1, 2007 through August 2, 2019, Barber received $127,636 in Old Age, Survivor’s Disability Insurance benefits from the United States Social Security Administration, to which she knew she was not entitled. Ms. Barber had served as a representative payee for her father and after he died in December of 2006, yet she never advised the Social Security Administration and kept on receiving and spending the benefits intended for her father.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Barber on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barber.
Downtown Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Credit Cards He Used at Luxury Retail ShopsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained American Express credit cards and then used the cards to purchase more than a half million dollars in goods at luxury stores.
Trace Jevon Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Million Dollar,” a transient living in downtown Los Angeles when he was arrested in 2019, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $521,128 in restitution to American Express.
Jones pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
From at least November 2016 to July 2018, Jones masterminded a scheme to fraudulently obtain and use American Express credit cards for unauthorized purchases at high-end retail stores. To carry out his scheme, Jones enlisted co-conspirators, and obtained the credit card information and other personal identifying information of true American Express account holders.
Jones and his co-conspirators then used this information to convince American Express to send out replacement credit cards in the victims’ names. Jones and his co-conspirators then used the fraudulently obtained credit cards to make purchases at luxury stores such as Barneys, Goyard and Gucci in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Costa Mesa. There, Jones and other conspirators used victims’ stolen information to obtain luxury bags, shoes, jewelry, and other goods.
“This was not a one-time event or an isolated lapse of judgment,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Jones] participated in this scheme at least as early as November 2016, and then coordinated numerous purchases with five coconspirators between May and July 2018, many of whom he recruited. Further, while the ultimate victim here was American Express (because it reimbursed the individual victims), stealing and misusing victims’ PII and account information is a serious nationwide problem that can have lasting impact on individual victims.”
Four other defendants have been sentenced in this case. Terry Ellis Jr., 40, of Chino, and Davion Raymone Ellis, 32, of Eastvale, are serving federal prison sentences of two years and three years, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges in this case. Cherelle Daire Beal, 31, of Eastvale, and Miranda Clare Hensley, 31, of Las Vegas, were given credit for time served and were ordered to serve three years of supervised release. An additional defendant, Jonathan Randall Ross, 33, of Canoga Park, is scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Matthew J. Rosenbaum of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section, Assistant United States Attorney Jeremiah Levine of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Detroit man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Patrick Collins, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Collins, 31, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Collins admitted to working with others to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and heroin from the summer of 2020 to October 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Department of Justice Issues Statement Concerning Ronald Greene InvestigationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr., release the following statement in connection with the Ronald Greene investigation:
“The Department of Justice has an open and ongoing criminal investigation into the incident that resulted in the death of Ronald Greene. The investigation is being handled by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with career prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The investigation has been comprehensive and those conducting the investigation have followed all credible leads. If the investigation reveals prosecutable violations of any federal criminal statutes, the Department will take appropriate action. While the investigation continues, recent reporting citing sources suggesting that the FBI has questioned people about the awareness of certain facts by Governor John Bel Edwards is inaccurate.”
Culloden Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Travis Lee Hanshaw, 49, of Culloden, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on June 15, 2018, Hanshaw sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. The transaction took place at Hanshaw’s residence in Culloden.
Hanshaw faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00198.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and CoercionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Henry Lee White, III (27, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and to possessing ammunition as a convicted a felon. White faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 to January 2021, White forced and coerced Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex throughout the Middle District of Florida and Georgia. He used threats of violence and physical violence to control Victim 1, who was 20 years old. For example, in or around September 2020, White took Victim 1 to an “outcall” at an unknown apartment complex. White became upset because he thought Victim 1 was being deceptive about where she was going and used his revolver to beat Victim 1. He then removed four of the five bullets from the revolver and played Russian Roulette with Victim 1 while holding the gun to her head and pulling the trigger. Victim 1 stated White did this about six or seven times. He then threw Victim 1’s phone at her face, causing a laceration on the center of her forehead.
Ultimately, Victim 1 reached out to law enforcement and a local non-governmental organization for assistance. Law enforcement officers recovered Victim 1 during a joint undercover operation on January 7, 2021. At the time Victim 1 was recovered by law enforcement officers, she had an injury on her left knee that she sustained after White had thrown her to the ground in a hotel.
At the time of his arrest, White was in possession of a chrome and burgundy semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. The firearm had one round in the chamber and several live rounds in the magazine. White knew that he had previously been convicted of several felonies and was not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida, which is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Task Force is a collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents working together with organizations to detect, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. More information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Connecticut Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 31, 2022, Tirrell Adams, 36, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced in United States District Court to serve 37 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Adams to serve a three (3) year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, Adams agreed to meet with an undercover special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives so Adams could sell to the undercover special agent cocaine base and fentanyl for $5,500. On May 10, 2021, when Adams showed up at the meet location in Northfield, Vermont he was taken into custody. Law enforcement searched Adams incident to arrest and discovered what was later determined to be 90.9 grams of cocaine base and 16.6 grams of fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Rutland Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Vermont Drug Task Force in the collaborative investigation and prosecution of Adams.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Adams. Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth represented Adams.
Clarksburg woman sentenced for carjacking chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Courtney M. Oliverio, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 121 months of incarceration for a carjacking charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Oliverio, 40, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one count of “Carjacking.” On June 3, 2020, Oliverio assisted another in attempting to take a motorcycle from a property in Shinnston, West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Shinnston Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/clarksburg-residents-indicted-carjacking-and-firearms-charges
Cherokee, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to Four Years for Abusive Sexual Contact of A Minor in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Forrest Cole Stamper, 28, of Cherokee, N.C., and an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. also ordered Stamper to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Joining U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement is Chief Josh Taylor of the Cherokee Indian Police Department.
Stamper pleaded guilty to the charge on December 1, 2021. According to plea documents and information presented in court, Stamper admitted that on September 6, 2020, he knowingly engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a minor victim who was under the age of 12 at the time of the offense. Stamper admitted to touching the minor, who is also an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, on the minor’s groin and inner thigh. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Cogburn imposed on Stamper the statutory maximum penalty for the offense.
Stamper is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
Cardinal Health Agrees to Pay More than $13 Million to Resolve Allegations that it Paid Kickbacks to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Ohio-based pharmaceutical distributor, Cardinal Health, Inc., has agreed to pay $13,125,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying “upfront discounts” to its physician practice customers, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical distributors from offering or paying any compensation to induce physicians to purchase drugs for use on Medicare patients. When a pharmaceutical distributor sells drugs to a physician practice for administration in an outpatient setting, the distributor may legally offer commercially available discounts to its customers under certain circumstances permitted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). HHS-OIG has advised that upfront discount arrangements present significant kickback concerns unless they are tied to specific purchases and that distributors maintain appropriate controls to ensure that discounts are clawed back if the purchaser ultimately does not purchase enough product to earn the discount. According to facts that the company has acknowledged in the settlement agreement, Cardinal Health, Inc. failed to meet these requirements because the upfront discounts it provided to its customers were not attributable to identifiable sales or were purported rebates which Cardinal Health’s customers had not actually earned.
“Cardinal Health recruited new customers by offering and paying cash bonuses in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act. Kickback schemes, such as this one, have the potential to pervert clinical decision-making and are detrimental to our federal health care system and taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We commend Cardinal Health for resolving this matter cooperatively.”
“Pharmaceutical distributors are expected to play by the rules and not engage in illegal arrangements,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate kickback schemes that threaten the integrity of our federal health care system, no matter how those schemes are disguised.”
“Cardinal Health thought it hit upon a surefire moneymaker by paying kickbacks to doctors, which cost health benefit programs millions of dollars in potentially fraudulent claims,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Anyone involved in, or entertaining, similar activity should know that health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will pursue anyone trying to profit from this country’s vital health care system.”
The False Claims Act settlements resolve allegations originally brought in lawsuits filed by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relators will receive approximately $2.6 million of the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, HHS-OIG SAC Coyne and Boston FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Lindsey Ross of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
Candia Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Raymond Ted Estes, 56, of Candia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2019, a Federal Bureau of Investigation undercover agent logged into a website known to be involved in the sexual exploitation of minors. Through the investigation, agents identified the defendant as one administrator for the website and determined that the defendant distributed child sexual abuse images to the undercover agent and others. Following additional investigation, on June 5, 2019, agents executed a federal search warrant for Estes’ residence. After agreeing to speak to agents, Estes admitted to uploading and downloading images of child sexual abuse material and that the images were on his phone and his gaming computer. In total, approximately 22,000 images/videos of child sexual exploitation were located on the defendant’s devices, from which 1207 images and 75 videos of known victims of child sexual exploitation were identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“By possessing thousands of child exploitation images and distributing them online, this defendant perpetuated the abuse of the children who appeared in these horrific images,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “This substantial prison sentence demonstrates that these crimes are unacceptable. We will continue to work closely with the FBI and all our law enforcement partners to protect children from exploitation and pursue federal prosecutions of those who possess or distribute child sexual abuse material.”
"Sadly, online predators like Raymond Estes who exploit children are becoming too common. Today’s sentence should make it crystal clear that there is nowhere in cyberspace they can escape justice,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is grateful for our collaborative partnerships across the state, and in this case the Candia Police Department, as we continue to combat crimes against New Hampshire’s youth.”
Estes previously pleaded guilty on October 25, 2021. He was also ordered to pay $26,000 in restitution and to forfeit computer media. Once his sentence is completed, Estes will be under supervised release for five years.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Candia Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Le. The forfeiture portion of the matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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California Methamphetamine Trafficker Receives More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Rotiha Chan, 38, of Stockton California, was sentenced on Friday, January 28, to 136 months in prison for Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of a substance containing Methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams or more of a substance containing Methamphetamine.
According to court documents and other evidence presented in court, the United States Postal Service seized one pound of methamphetamine that Chan had sent to Rocky Run Road in New Bern from Stockton, California on December 2, 2019. A second package was seized by law enforcement nine days later. This package contained another pound of methamphetamine and this time it was addressed to Harbourside Drive in New Bern.
On March 3, 2020, an undercover ATF agent ordered methamphetamine from Chan. Several days later, ATF recieved two packages from Chan which contained approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine. However, the undercover agent contacted Chan and claimed that the packages had been seized by law enforcement and ordered another pound of methamphetamine. As a result, Chan sent two more packages which contained more than 400 grams of methamphetamine.
On April 3, 2020, DEA agents encountered Chan and two others at the Columbus, Ohio airport and seized more than $70,000.00.
On April 15, 2020, ATF purchased another 800 grams of methamphetamine from Chan. Chan sent the methamphetamine in two packages to Eastern North Carolina. Chan was arrested on January 26, 2021, by ATF agents in Stockton, California,
The investigation uncovered that Chan was distributing kilograms amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana to New Jersey, Ohio, and North Carolina.
This is part of operation “Fighting Jelly Fish” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Kinston Police Department and the Homeland Security Investigations-Stockton, California investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-00002-M.
Bucksport Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bucksport man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced William Meier, 57, to 11 years and three months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $86,500 in restitution. Meier pleaded guilty on March 1, 2021.
According to court records, Meier possessed electronic devices containing child exploitation material. The electronics, including a cell phone and a computer with associated drives, were seized from his home on June 13, 2020. Some of the material Meier possessed depicted children under the age of 12.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock told the defendant, “This is not only a crime against individual children. This is a crime against childhood itself and the innocence of childhood.”
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bucksport Police Department, and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, file a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
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Bristol Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Role in Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia man, was sentenced on January 21, 2022 to nineteen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and for using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, Robert Wayne Haislip, a.k.a. Roberto Fabian DeJesus, 49, and others trafficked methamphetamine from sources in Atlanta to various locations in Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, including Smyth County.
Previously, co-defendants Jayson William Firestone, 33, and Matthew Cody Mullins, 26, both of Saltville, Virginia, were sentenced to ten years (for Firestone) and nine years (for Mullins) in prison for distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Brittany Cornelia Hale, 32, of Bassett, Virginia, was also sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, the defendants were traveling in a vehicle in Eastern Tennessee enroute to Southwest Virginia when law enforcement executed a traffic stop. Inside the vehicle, officers found approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns, scales, and eight cellphones. The defendants admitted to investigators that they made twice-weekly trips to Atlanta and brought back three kilograms of methamphetamine per trip for redistribution in Virginia.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh announced the sentence today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Division, the Virginia State Police, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Tennessee 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force, the Smyth County and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Bristol, Virginia Police Department investigated the case.
Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Roy Evans prosecuted the case.
Bluefield Man Admits Distributing Pound of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Eric Lee Flack, 43, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, Flack admitted that on July 28, 2020 he sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine for $5,600 to an undercover informant working with law enforcement. Flack also admitted to selling quantities of hydromorphone to the same undercover informant on two separate occasions in September and November 2020 receiving approximately $3,500 for each transaction. Each drug transaction occurred in Bluefield, West Virginia.
Flack pleaded guilty to distribution of more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the Bluefield Police Department and the Princeton Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-00255.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, 34 U.S.C. § 20711(a).
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, 34 U.S.C. § 20711(d).
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
Alabama Man Admits Trafficking Woman for SexRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Alabama pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to charges of sex trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Anthony Juskowich, age 23, who was residing in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty on January 28, 2022, to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
“The defendant’s plea comes following 19 months of diligent work by our Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now) team and marks the first conviction in western Pennsylvania of an individual for the sex trafficking of an adult,” said U.S. Attorney Chung. “I note that this is also National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time set aside to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this horrific crime.”
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that from January 2020 through May 2020, Juskowich knowingly conspired to commit sex trafficking, using force, threats of force, fraud or coercion, on an adult female, A.H., to cause her to engage in commercial sex acts. Additionally, Juskowich pled guilty to knowingly attempting to commit sex trafficking, of the same female, between May 13, 2020, and May 14, 2020.
The Court was further informed that on May 13, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted an undercover operation, posing as a commercial sex buyer, during which time Juskowich arranged the “date”, or commercial sexual activity, to occur at a hotel in Moon Township with A.H. The next day, May 14, law enforcement entered the hotel room and identified themselves as law enforcement, rescuing A.H. from her trafficker, Juskowich.
Juskowich was arrested on the same day, by the Pittsburgh Police, for an outstanding warrant. He told the FBI and Pittsburgh Police that A.H. engages in sex work for money. Juskowich further described his role as driving A.H. from hotel to hotel and keeps the money A.H. made in a safe at their apartment. Juskowich further touted that A.H. makes $10,000 a month working for him and pointed out that he was wearing a $700 Louis Vuitton belt that he purchased with money A.H. made.
Text messages between A.H. and Juskowich raised numerous red flags to investigators working the case, revealing ongoing sex trafficking. For instance, Juskowich required A.H. to make $500 a day and set weekly quotas, telling A.H. that she could not come home without meeting the quota. Hotel records confirmed that from March 5, 2020, through May 15, 2020, Juskowich rented rooms, in A.H.’s name, on approximately 25 separate occasions, in the Moon Township area.
Investigators determined that Juskowich had been grooming A.H. since December of 2019, when the two met in Alabama. After a few failed attempts at expanding his sex trafficking business in Alabama and Georgia, Juskowich convinced A.H, who had never traveled outside of the south, to travel with him to Pittsburgh, where he claimed to know the commercial sex scene. Juskowich coerced and forced A.H. to engage in commercial sex acts based upon the false promise of working towards a legitimate future income source, purportedly by using A.H.’s earnings to purchase and run a fast-food franchise. Juskowich further acknowledged, at the change of plea hearing, that he used physical force and threats of force against A.H. and controlled everything that she did, compelling her to engage in commercial sex acts.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered the defendant remained detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics Division, and the Moon Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Juskowich.
This prosecution is part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now), the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania’s coalition to end human trafficking. Operation
T.E.N. serves as an umbrella coalition for law enforcement, community and non-profit partners in the 25 counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This coordinated effort aims to end human trafficking through education and improved cooperation, thereby enhancing the office’s ability to empower victims of human trafficking to become thriving survivors.After More Than 30 Years with the Department of Justice, United States Attorney Sean R. Berry Announces RetirementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean R. Berry of the Northern District of Iowa has announced his retirement effective January 31, 2022. After Mr. Berry’s departure, Tim Duax, currently First Assistant United States Attorney and Branch Chief of the District’s Sioux City office, will serve as Acting United States Attorney.
Mr. Berry, a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker Law School and the University of Notre Dame, began his career as a federal prosecutor in 1989 when he joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. During his time in Los Angeles, Mr. Berry prosecuted numerous complex white-collar cases and served as the Chief of the Major Frauds Section. After a decade in Los Angeles, Mr. Berry moved to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa. Over the next twenty years, Mr. Berry continued to prosecute the most complex fraud cases and child exploitation cases. Mr. Berry served in numerous leadership roles in the office, including serving as Criminal Chief and First Assistant United States Attorney. Mr. Berry also served as Acting United States Attorney and United States Attorney on multiple occasions when there was no presidentially appointed United States Attorney in the District.
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve in the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Iowa and the Central District of California. Representing the United States for more than 30 years has been a great honor,” Berry said. “It has been a particular privilege to work with the extraordinary attorneys and staff in the Northern District of Iowa. Their deep commitment to the Department of Justice’s mission is demonstrated in everything they do. Of course, all of our work is made possible by our fantastic federal, state, and local law enforcement and agency partners who dedicate their lives and often risk their personal safety to make our communities better and safer.”
Accounts Payable Clerk Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An accounts payable clerk previously employed at a Providence small business today admitted in federal court that he engaged in a scheme to defraud the business by misappropriating more than $300,000 for his personal use, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Grant Devillez, 38, of Dayville, Conn., charged by indictment with ten counts of wire fraud, pled guilty to all charges. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
In pleading guilty, Mr. Devillez admitted that from at least February 2016 through July 2018, he engaged in a scheme to defraud Décor Craft, Inc., of approximately $302,000, by misappropriating funds from the business’ bank accounts and transferring those funds to his own personal bank accounts, to his creditors to pay personal bills, and to the bank account of another person in Massachusetts.
Mr. Devillez admitted that he was given access to the Décor Craft, Inc. bank account to make authorized payments to vendors. He admitted that, instead of making those payments, he would either make a partial payment to the vendors, or no payment at all, and would transfer the remaining funds for his own use. Afterwards, he altered company records to reflect that full payment had been made to vendors.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on April 29, 2022.
Wire fraud is punishable by statutory maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of twice the gross/gain loss, and 3 years’ supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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29 January 2022
Former Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer Convicted of Federal Civil Rights OffensesRead the Press Release
Former law enforcement officer Anthony “Tony” Bean was found guilty by a federal court today of violating two arrestees’ civil rights by using excessive force against them. Tony Bean, 61, was convicted following a trial in Chattanooga for using excessive force against two arrestees while he was a law enforcement officer.
Bean was convicted of using excessive force against arrestee C.G. on two occasions during C.G.’s arrest in 2014, while Bean was the Chief of the Tracy City Police Department in Tracy City, Tennessee, and of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during F.M.’s arrest in 2017, while Bean was the Chief Deputy of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office in Grundy County, Tennessee. Bean’s co-defendant, T.J. Bean, faced a single charge at trial and was acquitted of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during the same arrest in 2017.
In June 2021, the court heard evidence over the course of three days that showed that, during C.G.’s arrest in the Tracy Lakes area of Grundy County in 2014, Tony Bean repeatedly punched C.G. in the face while C.G. was handcuffed and compliant, causing C.G. pain and other injuries. The court also heard evidence that, during F.M.’s arrest in Grundy County in 2017, Tony Bean punched F.M. in the face while F.M. was compliant, causing pain and other injuries. In addition, the court heard evidence that Tony Bean bragged about using excessive force against his victims and failed to report his uses of force.
“Every person in our nation has the right to be free from unlawful abuse by police officers, including the use of excessive force during an arrest,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict makes clear that law enforcement officials who use unlawful force are not above the law. We will not stand idly by in the face of criminal misconduct by law enforcement officials in any part of the country.”
“Tony Bean held a position of public trust, and he willfully violated that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “This violation diminishes the tremendous work performed by law enforcement every day. Our office is committed to ensuring the protection of every person’s civil rights.”
“Civil Rights violations are always of great concern, particularly when an officer betrays the oath to protect and serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Knoxville Division. “The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve. When that trust is violated, the law enforcement community is tarnished, and the community’s confidence is broken.”
Tony Bean’s sentencing has been set for June. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment on each of the three counts of conviction.
This case was investigated by the Knoxville Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kathryn E. Gilbert and Andrew Manns of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Brooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.