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28 December 2021
Federal Jury Convicts Baltimore Defense Attorney for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury has convicted attorney Kenneth Wendell Ravenell, age 61, of Monkton, Maryland, of conspiracy to commit money laundering conspiracy charge.
The conviction was announced by First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Phil Selden; Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office. The United States Attorney has recused himself from this case.
The trial evidence proved that Ravenell received drug proceeds from clients and associates who engaged in drug trafficking. Evidence was presented that Ravenell also used bank accounts of the law firm where he practiced to launder more than a million dollars and used the law firm’s bank accounts to receive drug payments and make payments to attorneys retained to represent other members of the conspiracy and make various investments on behalf of a drug trafficker client concealing and misrepresenting the source of the funds and promoting the client’s unlawful activity. According to trial evidence, Ravenell also received substantial cash payments derived from drug sales as compensation for laundering money.
The jury acquitted Ravenell of racketeering conspiracy and narcotics conspiracy charges. The jury also acquitted Ravenell and attorney Joshua Reinhardt Treem, age 73, of Columbia, Maryland, on federal charges of a conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, falsification of documents, and obstructing an official proceeding. The jury acquitted Sean Francis Gordon, age 45, of Crownsville, Maryland, a private investigator who worked for both Ravenell and Treem of those same charges.
Ravenell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, who presided over this case in the District of Maryland, scheduled sentencing for Ravenell on May 14, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.
First Assistant United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the IRS-CI, the DEA, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department, the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department, and the Arizona Financial Crimes Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Zachary Ray, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Hines, who are prosecuting the case.
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District Court Orders New Jersey Defendants to Stop Distributing Unapproved ‘Nano Silver’ Products Touted as COVID TreatmentRead the Press Release
A federal court permanently enjoined a New Jersey entity and its principals from distributing unapproved and misbranded drugs touted as a treatment for COVID-19.
In a complaint filed on Nov. 13, 2020, the United States alleged that Natural Solutions Foundation, along with trustees Ralph Fucetola and Dr. Rima Laibow, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by distributing a “nano silver” product that they claimed would prevent, treat or cure COVID-19. According to the complaint, which was filed at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Natural Solutions operated various websites to market “Dr. Rima Recommends Nano Silver,” a product that purportedly contained silver particles in a solution. The complaint further alleged that nano silver is not generally recognized by qualified experts as safe and effective to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19, and that the defendants’ claims were not supported by credible scientific evidence or studies. Additionally, the complaint alleged that the defendants’ nano silver products were misbranded drugs, because their labeling failed to bear adequate directions for use, as required by the FDCA.
“Marketing unproven products as treatments for COVID-19 endangers public health and violates the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work closely with the FDA to stop anyone attempting to take advantage of the pandemic by selling unapproved, misbranded drugs.”
“The FDA will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who jeopardize public health,” said Acting Deputy Director Greg Noonan for the FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs. “Today’s consent decree demonstrates that we will use all of our authority to stop companies that prey on the public during a global pandemic by selling unapproved new drugs.”
The defendants agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. The order entered by the federal court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the FDCA and requires that they institute a recall for the nano silver products they sold and destroy any such products in their possession. Before distributing any drug in the future, the defendants must notify FDA in advance, comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction and permit FDA to inspect their facilities and procedures.
The enforcement action was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Brianna M. Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Jaclyn Martínez Resly of the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic and efforts to stop COVID-19 fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Disruptive Passenger on Airline Facing Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A criminal complaint unsealed today, charges a Lebanon, Tennessee woman with interfering with a flight crew following an incident on board a Spirit Airlines flight flying to Nashville on November 27, 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Amanda Renee Henry, 43, surrendered to FBI agents in Nashville this morning and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later today.
“In accordance with the Attorney General’s directive, the prosecution of those who endanger the safety of airline passengers, flight crews, and flight attendants is a priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Wildasin. Those whose behavior disrupts or otherwise endangers the safety of persons on aircrafts should expect to face federal charges.”
According to the criminal complaint, Henry was a passenger on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and became disruptive and appeared to be intoxicated. Passengers seated next to Henry requested to be moved to other seats due to Henry’s disruptive behavior. Since Henry was seated next to an emergency exit, flight attendants decided for the safety of everyone on board to move Henry to another seat. When they requested that Henry move, she refused and grabbed her carry-on bag and ran toward the front of the aircraft screaming, “I’m getting off this plane.” Another flight attendant blocked Henry from getting to the main cabin door and began to restrain her, at which time Henry began to kick and hit the flight attendant. Henry also assaulted the other flight attendant who assisted in trying to restrain her.
Once the flight attendants were able to restrain Henry, a passenger who was an off-duty firefighter assisted the crew by sitting with Henry and keeping her calm for the duration of the flight. When the plane landed at Nashville International Airport, Henry was arrested by the Nashville Airport Department of Public Safety and charged with public intoxication.
If convicted of the federal offense, Henry faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Kurtzman.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Department of Justice Awards More Than $300 Million to Fight Opioid and Stimulant Crisis and to Address Substance Use DisordersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON ― The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling more than $300 million to help combat America’s substance use crisis, which has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. In the Northern District of West Virginia, more than $1.8 million was awarded, announced United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.
“Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation is experiencing a precipitous rise in opioid and stimulant misuse and overdoses,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is committed to supporting programs aimed at addressing the substance use crisis that is devastating communities across the nation.”
The most recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that, “there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before.”
“The substance use crisis in American society has been a persistent and deadly problem for decades, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl and synthetic opioids have tightened the grip drugs have on our society,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is working diligently to address these problems by committing unprecedented levels of funding toward research, substance use treatment and mental health services, along with investments in enforcement, response and evidence-based treatment.”
OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) are distributing millions of dollars in grant awards aimed at addressing the substance use crisis throughout the nation. In addition to these grants, OJP is awarding $34 million to help communities respond to public safety and public health emergencies, including crises that result from substance use disorders.
Below is a list of awards being made in Fiscal Year 2021 to address the opioid and stimulant crisis and the needs of individuals with substance use disorders:
BJA is awarding more than $137 million under its Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Site-Based Program, which will help communities address the prevention, diversion, treatment and recovery needs of those affected by substance use disorders. Another $9.7 million is funding related training and technical assistance.
- Berkeley County was awarded $900,000 to support the Berkeley County Day Report Center. The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-Based Program (COSSAP) will provide an opportunity for Berkeley County to support those most vulnerable in the community to the opioid crisis - the children. Working in partnership with Berkeley County Schools, and the Martinsburg Initiative the program, hosted by the Berkeley Recovery Resource Center, will provide Peer Recovery services to address treatment and intervention needs primarily for students and secondarily, their family members, strengthen social services where children have been impacted by drug addition to connect them to community services, and provide sustaining funds to Project AWARE, an ongoing initiative of the Berkeley County School system whose overarching goal is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all school-aged children. The long-term goal of the community is to curtail opioid use, supporting all citizens to lead productive, healthy lives.
More than $61.6 million under BJA’s Adult Drug and Veteran Treatment Court Program will help states, state courts, local courts and federally recognized tribal governments implement and enhance the operations of adult drug courts and veteran treatment courts. Another $15.7 million is funding related training and technical assistance.
BJA is awarding $29.6 million to support the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program, which helps states develop and implement residential substance use treatment programs, including medication assisted treatment within correctional and detention facilities.
- The West Virginia Department of Military Affair and Public Safety was awarded $245,539 for the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program. The program assists states and local governments to develop and implement substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities and to create and maintain community-based aftercare services for offenders.
BJA is awarding nearly $29.6 million to fund the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which enhances the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health officials to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription data and other scheduled chemical products through a centralized database administered by an authorized agency.
OJJDP is awarding $16 million to support Mentoring for Youth Affected by the Opioid Crisis and Drug Addiction, which supports services for youth who are currently using or at-risk for using drugs or to youth with family members who have a substance use disorder.
OJJDP is awarding more than $8.9 million to support the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative, which will support states, communities, tribes and nonprofits implementing programs and strategies that treat children, youth and families impacted by the opioid epidemic.
- Morgan County was awarded $702,864 for the Morgan County Partnership. The MCP will use funding to create an initiative to improve outcomes for opioid and substance use affected youth and families in a rural West Virginia. MCP will coordinate a multi-sector collaboration among child welfare agencies, school-based mental health providers, criminal justice systems, behavioral health providers, and other community-based organizations to provide parent education, and school-based substance use prevention programming and therapeutic supports. MCP will partner with Court Appointed Special Advocates of the Eastern Panhandle and Shenandoah Valley Health Care System’s Family Resource Center to provide youth mentorship supports to justice-involved abused and neglected opioid affected youth in the foster care system, with the overarching goal to promote public safety and provide evidence-based interventions.
OJJDP’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program is awarding nearly $7.9 million to jurisdictions to establish or enhance juvenile drug treatment courts and to improve court system operations and treatment services.
OJJDP is awarding $13.8 million across 14 jurisdictions under its Family Drug Court Program to build the capacity of state and local courts, units of local government and federally recognized tribal governments to implement family drug court practices. The program aims to increase collaboration with substance use treatment and child welfare systems to ensure the provision of treatment and other services that improve child, parent and family outcomes.
Once the awards are made, information about the grantees selected under each solicitation can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man, Lucas Michael McNulty-Snodgrass, was sentenced on December 22, 2021 by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 210 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and a Mixture and Substance Containing Fentanyl and Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. McNulty-Snodgrass was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
McNulty-Snodgrass, age 29, was identified by law enforcement as a distributor of methamphetamine and prescription pills in the Davenport area. After buying methamphetamine and fentanyl directly from McNulty-Snodgrass on multiple occasions, law enforcement obtained a search warrant of McNulty-Snodgrass’s residence in Davenport on December 2, 2020. Officers found over 200 grams of ice methamphetamine, over 110 grams of fentanyl in the form of pills, scales, and drug packaging material. Furthermore, a shotgun, two pistols, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition were discovered during the search. As a convicted felon out of Clinton County, Iowa, McNulty-Snodgrass was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man, originally from Chicago, Chovontae Martise Farmer, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey on December 22, 2021 to 228 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Farmer was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Farmer, age 30, was identified by law enforcement as a participant in an active drug conspiracy that was responsible for the large scale distribution of heroin, fentanyl purported to be heroin, and methamphetamine in the Quad Cities. Farmer is the seventh member of the conspiracy who has been prosecuted to-date. Between October 2020 and December 2020, Farmer worked with other members of the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl purported to be heroin. On December 10, 2020, law enforcement arrested Farmer and executed a search warrant on his hotel room. During the search, officers located distribution quantities of a heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl-fentanyl mixture; ice methamphetamine; drug packaging materials; a digital scale; $5,370 in drug proceeds; and both a loaded and stolen Sig Sauer Model P230 firearm. Farmer later admitted in a post-Miranda interview to working with other conspirators to distribute significant quantities of drugs in the Quad Cities. Farmer further admitted to obtaining the firearm found in his hotel room for protection.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bettendorf Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
California Man Sentenced to Life Followed by 30 Years in Prison for Federal Hate Crimes Related to 2019 Poway Synagogue Shooting and Attempted Mosque ArsonRead the Press Release
John T. Earnest, a California man who entered the Chabad of Poway on April 27, 2019, opened fire and killed one woman, injured three others, and attempted to kill 50 others, was sentenced today in the Southern District of California to life followed by 30 years in prison for his crimes.
Earnest previously pleaded guilty to a 113-count indictment that included 54 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, 55 counts of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, and four firearms offenses.
“All people in this country should be able to freely exercise their religion without fear of being attacked,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant’s horrific crime was an assault on fundamental principles of our nation. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to confronting unlawful acts of hate and to holding perpetrators of hate-fueled violence accountable.”
“Hate has no place in our society and bias-motivated violence will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “By committing these heinous and senseless acts of violence against Jewish and Muslim community members, this defendant violated our most basic American ideal: all persons are created equal. The Department of Justice is committed to aggressively prosecuting bias-motivated violence and will continue partnering with state and local law enforcement to ensure that those who seek to engage in violence based on bias are held accountable for their crimes.”
“Today we stand with the family of Lori Gilbert Kaye, the injured, and all who suffered as a result of the defendant’s heinous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman of the Southern District of California. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners reject all forms of hatred and prejudice, and we will relentlessly pursue justice for the victims of bias-motivated violence.”
According to court documents, after several weeks of planning, on the morning of April 27, 2019, Earnest drove to the Chabad of Poway synagogue, where members of the congregation were gathered for religious worship. Earnest entered the building armed with a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 assault rifle that was fully loaded with a 10-round magazine. He wore a chest rig which contained five additional magazines, each loaded with ten rounds of ammunition. Earnest opened fire, killing one person and injuring three other members of the congregation, including a then eight-year-old child. After Earnest emptied his initial magazine, several congregants rushed at Earnest. Earnest fled in his car and, shortly after, called 911 and confessed that he had “just shot up a synagogue.” Earnest was apprehended by local law enforcement who found the rifle and additional ammunition in his car.
Investigators found a manifesto written by Earnest and posted on the Internet shortly before the attack. In the manifesto, Earnest made many anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim statements, including expressing a desire to kill people because of their Jewish faith, and regret that he could not kill more.
Earnest also admitted that on March 24, 2019, he attempted to set fire to the Dar-ul-Arqam mosque in Escondido, California, because of his hatred of Muslims and the religious character of the building. Seven missionaries were asleep in the mosque, but no one was injured.
The court ordered that the federal sentence will run consecutive to the state sentence. The court further recommended that Earnest serve his term of incarceration in a federal facility.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Harrigan and Peter Ko, along with Deputy Chief Rose Gibson of the Civil Rights Division. The FBI, ATF and San Diego Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
Butler Felon Named in Superseding Indictment Alleging Drug and Firearms Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been charged by superseding indictment before a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The three-count Superseding Indictment named Darnell Wynn, age 41, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment, on or about February 15, 2021, Wynn possessed with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, 10 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and tramadol, as well as a quantity of a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of heroin and fentanyl. The Superseding Indictment further charged Wynn with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Finally, the Superseding Indictment charged Wynn with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
The law provides for a term of imprisonment of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $8,000,0000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Butler City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
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.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bettendorf Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Bettendorf man, Joshua Andrew Dewilfond, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey on December 23, 2021 to 200 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Dewilfond was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Dewilfond, age 32, was identified by law enforcement when an anonymous tip was submitted to Crime Stoppers that alleged Dewilfond was selling drugs out of his vehicle. On September 27, 2020, law enforcement located Dewilfond driving and stopped him; he attempted to flee and was not cooperative with law enforcement. Officers noted the smell of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle. A probable cause search of the vehicle was completed and 988 grams of methamphetamine, ammunition, and other various prescription medication were located. The following day, agents located a vehicle registered to Dewilfond. A canine alerted on the vehicle and it was searched. More ammunition and loaded magazines were found in the vehicle. Additional ammunition, drugs, and drug paraphernalia were also located during a search of Dewilfond’s residence. As a convicted felon, Dewilfond was prohibited from owning or possessing ammunition. Dewilfond pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him on August 24, 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Drug Taskforce, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bettendorf, Iowa, Police Department.
Albuquerque man appears in federal court for bank robbery chargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Paul Ramirez, 33, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court on Dec. 27 on a charge of bank robbery. Ramirez will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 29.
A federal grand jury indicted Ramirez on Dec. 8. According to the indictment and other court records, on Nov. 1, Ramirez allegedly entered a Bank of the West location in Albuquerque and presented a demand note to a teller. The teller complied and Ramirez allegedly placed the money in a bag and fled the bank on a motorcycle.
Albuquerque police responding to the robbery spotted Ramirez and followed him. Ramirez allegedly proceeded to an off-road area where he discarded his helmet and backpack as well as some articles of clothing. Officers continued following Ramirez to an apartment and later arrested Ramirez after he left the apartment. At the time of the arrest, Ramirez allegedly had the money from the robbery in his possession.
An indictment is only an accusation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Ramirez faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI Violent Crimes and Gangs Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.
Advertising Platform OpenX Agrees to Injunctive Relief and $2 Million Payment in Case Alleging Violations of Children’s Privacy LawRead the Press Release
Online advertising platform OpenX Technologies Inc. (OpenX) has agreed to a court order requiring it to pay $2 million and to be bound by injunctive relief provisions mandating its compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule. This stipulated order resolves a lawsuit the government filed against OpenX in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The government alleged that OpenX’s Ad Exchange platform, which connects publishers of websites and mobile applications (apps) with advertisers who wish to display targeted advertisements, collected and maintained location data and other personal information from children under 13 without parental notice and consent and facilitated the use of that data for targeted advertising on hundreds of child-directed apps. According to the complaint, OpenX violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting its data collection policies as having been implemented with consumer consent, when such consent was frequently lacking, and also by misrepresenting its compliance with the COPPA Rule. The complaint alleges that OpenX violated the COPPA Rule by failing to provide notice to parents and by failing to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children or allowing third-party advertising networks to do so.
“Americans should be able to visit websites and use mobile apps with confidence that their privacy — and their children’s privacy — is being protected,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are committed to ensuring that the digital advertising industry complies with federal privacy law.”
“OpenX secretly collected location data and opened the door to privacy violations on a massive scale, including against children,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Digital advertising gatekeepers may operate behind the scenes, but they are not above the law.”
The stipulated order requires OpenX to pay a civil penalty of $2 million and bars OpenX from committing future violations of the COPPA Rule or making related misrepresentations. It also prohibits OpenX from collecting location information without first obtaining express affirmative consent, mandates the deletion of data that OpenX collected in the past and requires OpenX to maintain a comprehensive program to protect the privacy of data collected from consumers and their devices.
The FTC referred this case and proposed stipulated order to the Department of Justice. The case was handled by attorneys in the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, including Trial Attorneys Zachary Dietert and David Crockett and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao, in conjunction with attorneys at the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.
27 December 2021
U.S. Attorney Announces the Appointment of Chief Public Information OfficerRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, today announced the appointment of Nicholas V. Biase as the Office’s Chief Public Information Officer, effective January 1, 2022.
Mr. Biase has been with the Office as a senior public affairs officer and director of social media in the Public Information Office. Prior to his tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Biase was an agent, investigator, and director with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
In making the appointment, U.S Attorney Damian Williams said: “Over his 15-plus years of dedicated service, Nick has been a vital liaison for an Office in the media capital of the world, and he has been a trusted counselor and confidante to every U.S. Attorney he has served. Nick has also developed close working relationships with our law enforcement partners, and he is respected by the press corps for his professionalism, integrity, and candor. He has been a leader in our press office for years, and it is my pleasure to formally announce his appointment as Chief Public Information Officer.”
Mr. Williams added: “I also want to thank Jim Margolin, the outgoing Chief Public Information Officer, who is retiring after more than eight years of outstanding service to the Office, and nearly 34 years of dedicated public service. We will miss him dearly, and wish him the best as he embarks on his exciting new chapter.”
South Carolina Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Aiken, South Carolina man, Travis Lee McKie, age 41, was sentenced on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 325 months in prison for Production of Child Pornography. McKie was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
McKie was incarcerated at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina when he obtained a cellular phone and communicated with a minor victim located in the Southern District of Iowa. McKie persuaded and induced the victim to send sexually explicit images of themselves to McKie—oftentimes with derogatory remarks.
McKie came to law enforcement’s attention after receiving a Cybertip from Facebook regarding uploaded sexually explicit material depicting minors. Law enforcement obtained several search warrants that ultimately identified McKie as the suspect. Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for McKie’s Google account, which revealed stored images depicting child pornography produced by the victim. McKie pleaded guilty to the offense on August 11, 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The United States Secret Service investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Scott Erik Asphaug Appointed to Serve as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has appointed Scott Erik Asphaug to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon in an interim capacity, effective December 25, 2021.
Asphaug, who was previously appointed to serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon beginning February 28, 2021, will serve as U.S. Attorney for up to 120 days or until the confirmation of Oregon’s next presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorney by the U.S. Senate. If after 120 days, a new presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorney has not been confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Marco A. Hernández, Chief U.S. District Judge for the District of Oregon, will appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until such confirmation occurs.
“It is a privilege to serve Oregonians as U.S. Attorney and I look forward to continuing to do so for the next four months or until the confirmation of Oregon’s next presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Asphaug. “During this time of transition, our office continues to focus intently on our ongoing mission of protecting the safety and wellbeing of all Oregonians.”
Asphaug is a 16-year veteran of the Department of Justice, joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in October 2005. He has held several leadership positions in the district including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mortgage Fraud Coordinator, Discovery Coordinator, and Professional Responsibility Officer. Asphaug previously served as a line Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions.
Prior to his federal service, Asphaug was a Senior Assistant and Deputy County Attorney in the Multnomah County Attorney’s Office, where he handled tort and medical malpractice litigation. He also served as the advisory attorney to the Multnomah County Sheriff.
Before entering government service, Asphaug spent several years in private practice focused on criminal litigation. During this time, he was empaneled by the Portland Police Officer’s Union to represent officers during use of force administrative and grand jury investigations.
Asphaug received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and his law degree from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in 1983.
USA Scott Erik AsphaugMont Vernon Attorney Convicted of Engaging in Multimillion Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Joseph A. Foistner, 67, of Mont Vernon, was found guilty on Thursday of four counts of bank fraud, as well as charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making misrepresentations during bankruptcy proceedings. The verdict was returned by Senior U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro on Thursday, December 23, 2021, following a two-week bench trial.
According to exhibits and witness testimony during the trial, Foistner used fraudulent means to apply for over $8 million in loans from five different financial institutions, laundered money, and made material misrepresentations during bankruptcy proceedings between 2015 and 2018. Foistner, at the time of the scheme, was a licensed attorney in Massachusetts. He did not have any paying clients and earned no income through his law firm. In order to obtain millions of dollars in loans from multiple financial institutions, Foistner provided banks with misleading documents that suggested that he was operating a lucrative law firm. For example, he claimed that he was a “seasoned attorney” with international clients and that his firm earned over a million dollars in annual income. In fact, all the firm’s purported income was based upon bogus, unpaid invoices the firm submitted to entities that the defendant controlled, including bankrupt entities. The defendant also made other false statements to obtain bank loans, including lying about whether he was involved as a party to any lawsuits and denying that he had an interest in other companies. He also falsely represented that he had a salary by mischaracterizing loan proceeds as a salary. In one of the bank fraud schemes, the defendant submitted false information to obtain a loan by claiming falsely that his wife was earning over $200,000 per year as a paralegal. Each of the loans made to Foistner were backed by either the Department of the Veterans Affairs or the Small Business Administration.
The evidence further showed that Foistner committed several crimes during Chapter 7 bankruptcy court proceedings in 2017 and 2018. He made false representations by falsely denying that he held or controlled property owned by others when he actually controlled funds that were held in the name of a business. He also made false statements under oath by lying about what happened to the proceeds of one of the fraudulent loans and lying about not knowing the location of a piece of real estate that had been purchased in part with funds he borrowed and had subsequently funneled into bank accounts not in his name.
Foistner is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4, 2022.
“While no one is entitled to commit fraud, this defendant’s crimes were particularly egregious because they were committed by an attorney,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “The evidence in this case demonstrated that Foistner engaged in a shocking pattern of fraudulent and deceitful conduct to obtain millions of dollars from financial institutions and that he told a host of lies in his efforts to further his scheme and cover his tracks during bankruptcy proceedings. With this guilty verdict, Foistner finally is being held accountable for his lengthy pattern of lying and manipulation. I am grateful to all of the federal agents and prosecutors who worked hard to investigate and prosecute this significant fraud case.”
“Joseph Foistner took advantage of programs that were designed to help veterans achieve home ownership, and small businesses expand and develop. In fraudulently collecting millions of dollars, his lies and deceit have not only hurt himself, but every citizen whose tax dollars support these federally funded programs,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is determined to work with our partners to hold anyone who commits such fraud accountable.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Inspector General of the Small Business Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles L. Rombeau, Seth R. Aframe and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kinsella, Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Davis and Kasey Weiland previously worked on this matter.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 12 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 2,600 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2,600 kilograms of cocaine in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Jesus Salvador Campoy-Estrada, also known as “Chava” and “Chavita,” 27, of Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Campoy-Estrada to forfeit to the government $12,150,000, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
On Dec. 19, 2019, Campoy-Estrada pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of money laundering. He is the final defendant among 13 defendants to be sentenced in this case.
When Campoy-Estrada was arrested, law enforcement searched his residence and found $111,995 that he admitted was illicit drug proceeds, marijuana, a drug ledger, and a loaded XD 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Campoy-Estrada was a primary organizer in a drug-trafficking organization that distributed substantial amounts of cocaine from Mexico in the Kansas City metropolitan area from October 2013 to Nov. 15, 2018. Campoy-Estrada admitted that he was personally responsible for the distribution of well in excess of 450 kilograms of cocaine during his involvement with the larger conspiracy. At one point, he distributed approximately 10 to 20 kilograms of cocaine each week.
Campoy-Estrada obtained substantial sums of money from his involvement in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, which he converted to other forms of property, such as real estate, in an effort to conceal the illicit nature of the drug proceeds.
Campoy-Estrada received cocaine from the leader of the conspiracy, co-defendant Jose Luis Armendariz-Rascon, also known as “Uncle” or “Rambo,” 41, of Kansas City, Kan. Campoy-Estrada then sold cocaine to other cocaine dealers, including co-defendant Howard Christopher Walters, also known as “Chris,” 44, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Investigators intercepted several telephone calls in which Campoy-Estrada and Walters discussed the sale of multiple kilograms of cocaine to Walters. Law enforcement also intercepted many other wire and electronic communications between Campoy-Estrada and persons he sold cocaine to during the course of the conspiracy.
Armendariz-Rascon was sentenced on May 21, 2021, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Walters was sentenced on April 21, 2021, to 25 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. The court also ordered Armendariz-Rascon to forfeit to the government more than $56 million, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Armendariz-Rascon was in charge of coordinating the transportation of loads of cocaine from the El Paso, Texas, area to the Kansas City metropolitan area for distribution. Armendariz-Rascon would then coordinate the collection of bulk cash that was sent back to El Paso as payment for the cocaine.
Otilio Zaragoza-Navarrette, 65, of El Paso, delivered cocaine to Jose Armendariz-Rascon as well as to Campoy-Estrada and Miguel Armendariz-Rascon, 33, a citizen of Mexico residing in Olathe, Kan. Zaragoza-Navarrette and Miguel Armendariz-Rascon have pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
Zaragoza-Navarette also transported illicit drug proceeds from the drug-trafficking organization back to Texas and/or to Mexico. Zaragoza-Navarrette hid the cocaine and/or the cash proceeds inside of five-gallon gas cans and anti-freeze jugs on his commercial semi-tractor trailer. In one instance, law enforcement officers seized nearly $500,000 from Zaragoza-Navarrette, who was transferring the illicit drug proceeds in an operation orchestrated by Armendariz-Rascon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
John E. Kuhn, Jr. Appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed John Kuhn as U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska effective December 26, 2021, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546.
Kuhn most recently served with the Executive Office for United States Attorneys since 2018 in various roles, including National Heroin and Opioid Coordinator, National Controlled Substances Coordinator, and Acting Assistant Director in the Office of Legal Programs.
“I’m honored to serve as the United States Attorney in the great state of Alaska. The dedicated prosecutors and staff in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska are some of the best in the nation, and together we will continue to fulfill our mission, protecting the people of Alaska and the interests of the United States.”
Before joining the Executive Office, Kuhn served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky for nearly three years, from December 2014 to September 2017. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Kuhn was deeply engaged in combatting the opioid crisis, developing a number of effective initiatives and programs. Before he became U.S. Attorney, Kuhn served for more than four years as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, supervising the Criminal, Civil, Appellate, and Administrative Divisions of the Office.
Kuhn has more than 31 years of legal experience and 24 years with the Department of Justice. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Western District of Kentucky U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted narcotics, violent crime, and white-collar offenses. In addition to his extensive trial work, Kuhn argued appeals before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and served as a hearing officer in Washington, D.C. and New York City for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund, a federal program established for victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Mr. Kuhn graduated cum laude from the University of Louisville School of Law and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky.
Kuhn replaces former Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, who served in that role since March 1, 2021. Wilson is returning to his role as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney where he has served since November 2017.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak
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Japanese Language Version - United States Files Civil Action to Return $150 Million in Embezzled Funds to Sony; FBI Tracks Money to BitcoinRead the Press Release
下記の日本語文書は参考のための仮翻訳で、正文は英文 です。
司法省
カリフォルニア州南部地区連邦検事局
2021年12月20日（月）
即時のプレスリリース
米政府が横領金1億5000万ドルをソニーに返金するため民事訴訟を起こし、FBIが資金をビットコインに追跡
担当連絡先
オレクサンドラ・ジョンソン検事補 (619) 546-9769
アーロン・P・アルンゼン検事補 (619) 546-8384
プレスリリース要旨 ― 2021年12月20日
サンディエゴ ― 米政府は本日、東京に本社があるソニーグループ株式会社の子会社から詐取され、その後、米連邦捜査局(FBI)による窃盗事件捜査中に法執行機関によって差し押さえられ1億5400万ドルを超える資金を保全し、最終的に返還するため連邦裁判所に提訴した。
米国は、当該資産に対するソニーの利害保全を目的として、カリフォルニア州南部地区連邦裁判所に民事没収を申し立てた。この資産は、2021年5月に従業員が詐取した上で、現在の相場で1億8000万ドル以上に相当する3879ビットコイン超に換金したとされる。FBIの捜査に基づき、2021年12月1日に法執行機関によって差し押さえられた。
政府の申し立てによると、東京のソニー生命保険株式会社（ソニー生命）社員の石井伶は、会社が会社名義の金融口座間で資金移動をしようとした際に、1億5400万ドルを流用したとされる。申し立てはまた、石井が取引指示を改ざんすることで、当該資金をカリフォルニア州ラホヤ所在の銀行にある自身が管理する口座へ送金し、その後間を置かず暗号通貨であるビットコインに換金した、と述べている。
FBIの捜査で明らかとなった証拠に基づき、2021年6月、カリフォルニア州南部地区連邦裁判所の下級判事によって差し押さえ令状が許可された。裏付けとなる宣誓供述書で陳述されたように、法執行機関は転送されたビットコインを追跡し、ソニー生命の子会社から詐取された資金額に相当する3879.16ビットコインが特定のビットコインアドレスに送金され、後にオフラインの暗号通貨コールドウォレットに移動されていたことを特定した。
FBIは、ソニー及びシティバンクから多大な支援を受けつつ、警察庁、警視庁、東京地方検察庁、最高検察庁・先端犯罪検察ユニット (JPEC) と連携し、引き続き捜査を行った。このような連携した取り組みにより、捜査員らは、ビットコインアドレスのアクセスに必要なパスワードにほぼ相当する“秘密鍵”を入手した。この窃盗に起因する全てのビットコインは回収され、完全に保全された。石井は、日本で刑事告訴されている。
ランディ・S・グロスマン連邦検事代理は、以下のように述べた。「我々の目的は盗まれた資金を、この大胆な窃盗事件の被害者に返還することであり、本日とられた措置は、その目的達成に資するものである。本事件は、FBI捜査員と日本の法執行機関が、仮想通貨の追跡に連携して取り組んだ好例である。犯罪者が留意すべきことである。不正に手にした収益を法執行機関から隠匿するために暗号通貨を当てにすることはできない。米国は犯罪を未然に防ぎ、盗まれた資金を取り戻すため、国際的なパートナー機関と幅広く連携していく」。グロスマンは、検察チーム、FBI、日本の当局に対して、本事件への素晴らしい仕事に感謝した。
スーザン・ターナーＦＢＩ支局長は、「FBIは2つの極めて大きな理由により、詐取された資金の回収ができた。第一に、ソニーとシティバンクは窃盗を認知した直後に法執行機関に通知・協力し、FBIも両社と連携し資金の追跡を行った。第二に、今回の場合は日本にあたるが、FBIが海外に設置した法務官事務所および海外で構築した既存の関係性を通じて国際的に築いた資源により、法執行機関が連携し、容疑者を特定できた。FBIの持つ専門技術により、詐取された資金を被告の暗号通貨ウォレット内で発見し、差し押さえすることが可能になった」と述べた。
カリフォルニア州南部地区連邦検事局の大規模詐欺・公務汚職課と資産回復室は、司法省刑事部の資金洗浄・資産回復課およびコンピューター犯罪・知的財産課から多大な支援を受け、訴訟手続きを実施している。司法省国際室も捜査支援を提供した。FBIも本事件を引き続き捜査している。
Father Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring with Daughter to Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who conspired with his daughter to distribute crack cocaine was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Kendell Lamont Thomas, age 47, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 22, 2021 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Thomas admitted that he conspired with his daughter to distribute crack cocaine, both utilizing the same cell phone. Information disclosed at sentencing showed that Thomas and his daughter distributed over 500 grams of crack cocaine by conducting approximately 1,000 drug-related transactions during an eight-month period in Dubuque in 2020.
Thomas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Thomas was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thomas 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 Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-01043.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $125 Million in Grants Under the Stop School Violence ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Justice today announced nearly $126 million in funding to advance school safety under the STOP School Violence Act. The grants, awarded by the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), will help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts, provide training to school personnel and students, and implement evidence-based threat assessments.
“The Justice Department has no greater responsibility than protecting Americans from harm,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Schools must be safe places to learn, and today’s investment of more than $125 million under the STOP School Violence Act will help ensure that they are.”
“I’m pleased to announce that four districts in western Pennsylvania will receive more than $780,000 in grant funding to enhance student safety while at school,” said U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung.
Grant funds have been awarded to the following western Pennsylvania school districts: • Millcreek Township School District in Erie County will receive $500,000
• Northeast Bradford School District in Bradford County will receive $111,428
• West Greene School District in Greene County will receive $74,960
• Yough School District in Westmoreland County $99,380The Students, Teachers and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (the “STOP School Violence Act”) gives the Justice Department the authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs. It also provides grants to ensure a positive school climate by helping students and teachers recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence.
The 78 BJA annual awards, totaling almost $74 million, are intended to support training and education for school personnel and students on preventing violence against others and themselves, including anti-bullying training and specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises. Funds also help develop and implement multidisciplinary threat assessment or intervention teams and design technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems, hotlines and websites.
The COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) provides up to 75% of the funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools. The 153 SVPP awards, totaling almost $52 million, are statutorily obligated to be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security.
The full list of SVPP awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/svpp-award. A list of BJA awards, as they are made, can be found on the OJP Grant Awards page.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Christopher J. Wilson Appointed Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today Christopher J. Wilson has been appointed by United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and sworn in by Chief United States District Ronald A. White as Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The appointment became effective on December 26, 2021 and will continue for a period of 120 days.
Mr. Wilson has been the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District pursuant to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 since March 1, 2021. Prior to his designation as Acting U.S. Attorney, Mr. Wilson was the First Assistant United States Attorney and previously served as Chief of the Criminal Division.
“I am humbled and honored to continue serving as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma,” said Wilson. “I believe there is no higher calling than to protect and serve the people of the Eastern District, and I am blessed to work with an amazing team at the United States Attorney’s Office. In coordination with our local, state, tribal and federal partners, the men and women in the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to discharging our mission of prosecuting violations of federal law, pursuing justice for crime victims, and protecting the security and financial interests of the United States.”
Mr. Wilson has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma since 2006. As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Wilson handled a wide variety of criminal matters including terrorism, violent crime, firearms, white collar, public corruption, narcotics, and child exploitation. He served as the Eastern District’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council Coordinator (ATAC), National Security Cyber Specialist (NSCS), Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator (CHIP), Project Safe Childhood Coordinator (PSC), Elder Justice Coordinator (EJC), District Security Manager (DOSM), and Crisis Management Coordinator (CMC). In 2018, Mr. Wilson received the Executive Office of United States Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Indian Country.
Mr. Wilson, a life-long resident of Oklahoma, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma Christian College in 1986, graduating summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctor with Distinction degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1989. Mr. Wilson’s career as a criminal prosecutor began in 1991 as an Assistant District Attorney in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. He served as the First Assistant for Oklahoma’s 18th Prosecutorial District (Pittsburg and Haskell counties) for two District Attorneys and was the elected District Attorney for District 18 from January 2003 to April 2006.
Burlington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man, Terrell Nicholas Wilson, age 28, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey on December 22, 2021 to 70 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Wilson was on federal supervised release at the time of the offense. The 70-month sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to an 18-month sentence imposed for a supervised release violation. Wilson will be placed on three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and was ordered to immediately pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Wilson was identified by law enforcement on February 2, 2021 as the passenger of a vehicle stopped for an expired registration. Wilson ran from the scene as the vehicle stopped for law enforcement. The following day, Burlington Police responded to a call regarding a .22 caliber pistol found in the area where Wilson had fled the day before. Wilson admitted he possessed and dropped the firearm when he fled the traffic stop. Additionally, at Wilson’s sentencing hearing, the District Court found Wilson used the firearm the day before the traffic stop during an aggravated assault. As a convicted felon out of the Illinois Circuit Court for Henderson County, Illinois; the Iowa District Court for Lee County, Iowa; and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Wilson was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Burlington Police Department investigated the case. This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhood, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Attorney General Merrick Garland Appoints Randy Grossman as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Director of Media Relations Kelly Thornton 619-546-9726
SAN DIEGO -- On December 26, 2021, Randy S. Grossman began serving as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California for an interim period of 120 days or until a Presidential appointee is confirmed, whichever occurs first.
Attorney General Merrick Garland issued an order on December 13, 2021, authorizing Grossman’s appointment as U.S. Attorney, effective December 26, 2021. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dana Sabraw administered the oath of office to Grossman on December 17, 2021, in the presence of the leadership team and Grossman’s family.
Grossman, who previously served as second-in-command, was named Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act after the resignation on February 28, 2021, of then-U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer Jr. Grossman now becomes U.S. Attorney by Attorney General appointment, in the absence of a presidentially-nominated and U.S. Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney, for a term of 120 days or until a U.S. Attorney is confirmed. If a U.S. Attorney is not nominated and confirmed within that period, a U.S. Attorney would be appointed by the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
“It is an honor to continue to serve the Southern District of California,” Grossman said. “I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the dedicated law enforcement partners who keep our communities safe.”
The Southern District of California encompasses San Diego and Imperial Counties. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement official for the district.
Mr. Grossman began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney for Ventura County and then San Diego County. During his more than eight years as a state prosecutor, Mr. Grossman tried more than 70 cases, including homicides and other crimes of violence. Mr. Grossman also worked in private practice as a partner at two international law firms. His practice areas included complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, corporate internal investigations and pro bono representation of refugees seeking asylum.
In March 2020, Mr. Grossman returned to public service as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, where he served in the Border Enforcement Section and the Major Frauds &Public Corruption Section. He was selected to become First Assistant U.S. Attorney in September 2020, and he served as Acting U.S. Attorney from March 1, 2021 until December 26, 2021.
23 December 2021
Wilmington Man to Face Federal Charges for Armed Carjacking in FDR Park Yesterday AfternoonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Josiah Brown, 19, of Wilmington, DE, was arrested and charged by Criminal Complaint on charges of carjacking and carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred in Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in South Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal magistrate court in Philadelphia this afternoon and is currently detained.
According to the Complaint, while the victim and an associate were speaking near the victim’s parked vehicle, an SUV pulled up alongside them and blocked them in. One suspect got out of the SUV, pointed a gun at the victim and demanded the keys to the victim’s vehicle and at the same time, a second suspect also got out of the SUV. The victim complied, and then both suspects got into the victim’s car and drove away. A third suspect driving the SUV then fled following the victim’s car.
Investigators determined that the victim’s vehicle contained equipment to track and locate it, which they did later that day in Wilmington, and then in New Castle, Delaware. When multiple individuals approached the parked vehicle in the parking lot of the Christiana Fashion Center in New Castle, law enforcement detained five people, including the defendant who was in possession of the keys to the victim’s vehicle.
“The investigation into this incident is in its very initial stages, and we are continuing to investigate and evaluate charging decisions,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Armed carjacking is a serious federal crime. There have been a rash of violent crimes like this recently, and while there were national security implications to this particular incident, we are always working collaboratively with our local partners to evaluate if cases should be taken federally. Working together means more resources, more tools, more intelligence. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you pick up a gun and use it to commit a crime, together, we will come after you. And we are very good at what we do.”
“Anyone willing to victimize a total stranger at gunpoint at any time, much less in broad daylight, in the middle of the day, is a clear threat to our community,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “No one who lives, works, or visits here should have to fear violent criminals targeting them for their vehicle or any other possessions. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force will continue to work in lockstep with the Philadelphia Police Department and all of our partners to get guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them and dangerous individuals off the street. We will never cede this city to criminals who have total disregard for the lives and safety of others.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Delaware State Police, Wilmington Police Department and the New Castle County Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Oshana.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $6,637,580.30 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2021Read the Press Release
HAMMOND - U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced today that the Northern District of Indiana collected $6,637,580.30 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2021. Of this amount, $5,174,664.80 was collected in criminal actions and $1,462,915.50 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Northern District of Indiana worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $1,189,415.52 in civil cases pursued jointly by these offices.
“The Public needs to know that the United States Attorney’s office does far more than just prosecute violators of federal criminal law,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “We also strive to make crime victims whole by seeking to recover monies owed them as a result of restitution judgments entered by district judges. We also protect the federal treasury by collecting debts that are owed to the United States. These efforts are worthy of commendation.”
One example of these collection efforts includes the September 2021 consent decree requiring U. S. Steel Corporation to address alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and other federal and Indiana laws. U.S. Steel Corporation agreed to undertake substantial measures to improve wastewater treatment and monitoring systems at its steel manufacturing and finishing facility in Portage (known as its Midwest Plant) and to strengthen and broaden their public and stakeholder notification procedures in the event of a spill or release to ground, soil or water. The consent decree also required U.S. Steel Corporation to pay $931,854.56, which covered civil penalties and damages caused by the spill.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Northern District of Indiana working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,111,683 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2021. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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Two Men Plead Guilty to Unlawful Transportation of Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of an alien within the United States (aiding and abetting), announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Vernon Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans
According to court documents, Ricardo Ortega-Garcia, 43, and Rigoberto Montoya-Landaverde, 27, both of Mexico, were arrested on July 15, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County. Following a U.S. Border Patrol investigation, a Border Patrol Agent conducted a vehicle stop and identified the driver as Rigoberto Montoya-Landaverde. Montoya-Landaverde did not have a valid driver’s license, but he is a Legal Permanent Resident of the U.S. who had been living in Texas. Ortega-Garci, the registered owner of the vehicle, was the front-seat passenger and was determined to be illegally present in the U.S. In addition to Ortega-Garcia and Montoya-Landaverde, there were four other adult passengers in the vehicle, all of whom were illegally present in the United States.
During the on-site investigation, two of the passengers fled on foot. While one of the fleeing passengers was apprehended by the Border Patrol, the other escaped and is still at large. Two of the passengers (both of whom had felony criminal histories) were each separately prosecuted for unlawful return of an alien removed after conviction of a felony, and both were convicted.
Ortega-Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2022, and Montoya-Landaverde is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2022. Each man faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. After completing any sentence of incarceration, they are both subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove them from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca praised the investigative efforts and coordination of the Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Texas Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss.- A Dallas, Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 190 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Vernon “Jeb” Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through March of 2018, Jerome Miller, Jr., 42, conspired with others to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Texas into central Mississippi. This case is the result of an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Highlife,” which targeted illegal methamphetamine distribute in central Mississippi.
Miller pled guilty on June 4, 2021 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This Operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case is part of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Louisville Police Department, and Mississippi Highway Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Erin Chalk.
Statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell on Death of Gary Lee SampsonRead the Press Release
“We are aware of the news that Gary Lee Sampson has died. Our thoughts are with the Rizzo, McCloskey and Whitney families today. Their resilience is extraordinary.”
St. Thomas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Conspiring to Bring over 6 Kilograms of Marijuana Through the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. CroixRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Jahvar Looby, age 31, of St. Thomas, appeared before Judge Wilma A Lewis, in U.S. District Court, and was sentenced today on the charge of Conspiracy to Possess Marijuana with Intent to Distribute.
Judge Lewis sentenced Looby to 7 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,500, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on February 11, 2021, Looby and three other co-conspirators flew into the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix on American Airlines flight number 2003 from Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon their arrival, Customs and Border Protection officers selected several pieces of luggage for physical inspection. The CBP officers observed anomalies while the luggage was examined by an X-ray machine. A subsequent search revealed several clear, vacuum sealed bundles containing a green, leafy substance, which later field-tested positive for marijuana. In total, approximately 6.33 kilograms of suspected marijuana was seized from Looby and his co-conspirators.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Seattle barrel reconditioning company and owner convicted of 10-year water pollution schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A barrel cleaning and reconditioning operation, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, and its owner, Louie Sanft, 55, were convicted late yesterday of conspiracy, making false statements, and 33 Clean Water Act violations following a three-week jury trial, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Investigators with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documented a conspiracy to illegally dump caustic waste into the King County sewer system, which ultimately empties into Puget Sound. The company used a hidden drain, and over ten years, lied to regulators to carry out their illegal dumping. Sentencing for Sanft and the company is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on March 25, 2022.
“While publicly claiming to follow environmental best practices, in private the company was illegally sending thousands of gallons of caustic wastewater into the sewer system,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “The highly corrosive wastewater can damage equipment that cleans wastewater, and further pollutes our fragile Puget Sound. I commend the investigators with EPA and King County, who uncovered this conspiracy and our team who successfully held Mr. Sanft and the company accountable.”
Seattle Barrel’s business involves collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning and reselling them. Part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly-corrosive chemical solution. The caustic solution had a very high pH level. According to the indictment, since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel has operated under a discharge permit that prohibits it from dumping effluent with a pH exceeding 12 to the sewer system. Effluent above pH 12 will corrode the sewer system and treatment plant, and potentially cause pass-through pollution to Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
In 2013, King County conducted covert monitoring of Seattle Barrel, and discovered the company was illegally dumping effluent with a pH above 12 in violation of its permit. King County fined the company $55,250, but later agreed to reduce the fine when Seattle Barrel installed a pretreatment system for its wastewater. Beginning in 2016, Louie Sanft represented to King County in written monthly certifications that the company had become a “zero discharge” facility and was not discharging any industrial wastewater to the sewer.
In fact, in 2018 and 2019, additional covert monitoring by the EPA inspectors revealed that Seattle Barrel was continuing to routinely dump wastewater with a pH above 12 into the sewer system despite telling local regulators that no industrial wastewater was being discharged. Agents then installed real-time monitoring equipment that allowed them to determine when the dumping was taking place and obtained a search warrant.
Early on the morning of March 8, 2019, the covert monitors indicated Seattle Barrel was dumping high-pH material into the sewer. Agents immediately executed the warrant and entered the building. Inside, they discovered a portable pump on the floor near the tank of caustic solution. They then discovered that the pump was being used to pump solution to a nearby hidden drain that had never been disclosed to King County. The drain led directly to the sewer system. The company claims that since mid-2019, following the criminal conduct in this case, it no longer uses the caustic solution.
Louie Sanft, the owner and operator of Seattle Barrel, was convicted of conspiracy, 29 violations of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants to the sewer, four counts of submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications, and making a false statement to special agents of the EPA. Louie Sanft faces up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy and false statement counts, and up to three years in prison for each violation of the Clean Water Act. His cousin, John Sanft, 53, of Issaquah, WA, the plant manager, is scheduled for a separate trial on the charges in March 2022.
U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) with significant assistance from King County Industrial Waste.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Jim Oesterle, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Karla Perrin and Gwendolyn Russell, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Sheridan Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearms and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that ADAM LEE GODWIN, age 35, of Sheridan, Wyoming pleaded guilty to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it at a change of plea hearing held before Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 15, 2021. Sentencing is set for March 7, 2022.
The charges carry a possible imprisonment term of five to 50 years, up to five years of supervised release, over $5 million in possible fines, and $200 in special assessments.
This crime is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathon C. Coppom.
Case Number: 0:21-cr-00112-NDF
Rosebud Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Edward Zane Roubideaux, Jr., age 31, was indicted on December 14, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 22, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
It is alleged that between July 3, 2021, and August 6, 2021, Roubideaux, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Roubideaux is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Roubideaux was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Riverton Man Sentenced to 71 Years’ Imprisonment for Sexually Abusing Children on the Wind River Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DALCO GABRIEL WHITEMAN, 54, of Riverton, Wyoming was sentenced on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and four counts of abusive sexual contact by Chief District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 20, 2021. Whiteman was sentenced to 71 years of imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and a special assessment of $600.
Whiteman was found guilty following a trial by a jury that began on September 21, 2021. The jury found that Whiteman was responsible for sexually abusing multiple children on the Wind River Reservation over the course of 25 years. Six victims, several of them unknown to each other, testified that Whiteman had sexually assaulted them, some of them on numerous occasions.
“Every little girl and young women deserve a home and community where she feels safe and secure. Not a place of fear and abuse. Stopping sexual predators like Dalco Whiteman is why our team of prosecutors work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners. We are grateful for the conviction of someone who has been targeting our most vulnerable population,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “Whiteman essentially received a life sentence, and he can no longer harm another child on the reservation.”
“The lengthy sentence of Dalco Whiteman hopefully brings a sense of justice to his victims, who suffered from decades of abuse,” said FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “The FBI in coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which was the primary investigative agency in this case, will continue to prioritize protecting child victims of sexual assault by holding accountable all those who perpetrate such crimes.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced in Firearms and Narcotics CaseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 22, 2021, TERRENCE ROLLINS, age 41, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced in the United States District Court after pleading guilty to a two count Superseding Indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, members of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department executed a search warrant at ROLLINS’s Washington Avenue residence after receiving information from concerned citizens that ROLLINS sold illegal narcotics at the residence. During the search, law enforcement located prescribed medication, heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Additionally, seven firearms including hand-guns and high-powered rifles and various types of ammunitions were confiscated.
United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced ROLLINS to 12 months imprisonment for Count One. The judge sentenced ROLLINS to 60 months imprisonment for Count Two. The 60 month term of imprisonment will run consecutive to the sentence imposed in Count One. Following his term of imprisonment, ROLLINS will be placed on supervised release for a period of 3 years. ROLLINS must pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany L. Reed is in charge of the prosecution.
Moses Lake Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Shooting at ATF Agents in Connection with Widespread Drug Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On December 13, 2021, Senior United States District Judge W. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Patrick Elliott Pearson, 49, of Moses Lake, Washington, to 35 years in prison for shooting at four ATF agents with a shotgun in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. Earlier this year, a jury convicted Pearson of assaulting the agents, engaging in a drug conspiracy, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The United States Probation Office calculated Pearson’s advisory range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines at 30 years to life, with a mandatory 10-year sentence for discharging the shotgun, consecutive to all other counts. Judge Nielsen determined that Pearson’s criminal history was in Category VI, the highest category under the federal guidelines.
The evidence at trial showed that Pearson, along with co-defendant Luis Manuel Farias-Cardenas, controlled and facilitated a methamphetamine and heroin distribution ring in the greater Grant County and Yakima areas from 2015 to 2019. The jury considered extensive evidence at trial that demonstrated that Pearson was responsible for the distribution of hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of heroin and methamphetamine into the Grant County community. As part of his role in this endeavor, Pearson lived in a trailer on a compound in Mae Valley, Washington, outside Moses Lake. At that compound, the conspirators received, stored, and dealt methamphetamine and heroin to customers. Judge Nielsen concluded that the compound was a drug “stash house” and imposed an enhancement for Pearson’s maintenance of a premise for the purpose of drug trafficking.
On the morning of July 16, 2019, numerous ATF agents, Grant County deputies, and local officers went to Pearson’s Mae Valley compound to serve search and arrest warrants authorized by a federal magistrate judge. Specially trained agents from ATF’s Special Response Team (“SRT”) approached Pearson’s trailer to arrest him. As they approached, Pearson aimed his shotgun at the ATF agents and repeatedly pulled the trigger, blasting lead slugs and buckshot rounds at them through the trailer’s fiberglass walls. He then reloaded the shotgun and continued to shoot at the agents. Grant County Sheriff’s Office took the lead on the shooting investigation. The evidence at trial showed that Pearson knew where he needed to aim to hit the ATF agents, because he had installed numerous high-definition security cameras on the property that live-streamed what was happening outside his trailer onto a large, high-definition television screen inside the trailer.
The ATF agents did not shoot back at Pearson, because they were not able to see if anyone else was inside the trailer. With the aid of a trained law-enforcement canine, the ATF agents were eventually able to arrest Pearson. When he finally came out of the trailer, law enforcement officers learned that after shooting at the officers, he had tried to take his own life with the shotgun. He was unsuccessful, and the ATF agents immediately arranged for Pearson to be life-flighted to Spokane for medical treatment.
During his sentencing hearing, Pearson claimed that he was not trying to hurt anyone, and that he was just trying to buy time by scaring the ATF agents. Judge Nielsen rejected this contention and told Pearson that the only conclusion that could be reached about his conduct that morning was that he was trying to hurt or kill the agents. Judge Nielsen specifically noted that Pearson was not “shooting blind,” based on the video surveillance system that was live-streaming the locations of the ATF agents. Judge Nielsen also found that the evidence of Pearson reloading the shotgun supported the conclusion that Pearson’s intent was not merely to scare the officers. Judge Nielsen also commented on the serious impact Pearson’s drug trafficking had on the community, noting that because of Pearson’s choice to distribute drugs, he was feeding the addiction of current addicts and making drugs available to others who might become addicts.
United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref commended the joint efforts of law enforcement and emphasized the need to keep Eastern Washington safe and strong from both drugs and drug-related violence. “No one can be allowed to shoot at law enforcement. Numerous brave ATF agents went to Mr. Pearson’s trailer that morning to do their jobs by executing a lawful court order and serving a valid arrest warrant. Thanks to Mr. Pearson’s poor aim, this community has not had to endure the potential tragedy of fallen ATF officers. Today’s sentence sends a clear warning to anyone who thinks they can shoot their way out of an arrest and get away with it – they cannot. If they try, the United States Attorney’s Office will work with its federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute them to the fullest extent provided by law. When Mr. Pearson saw on his video screens that ATF was present with a warrant, he simply had to surrender to avoid the most serious charges in this case. Instead, with reckless disregard for human life, he tried to hurt or kill a number of agents.”
United States Attorney Waldref continued: “I am both grateful for, and inspired by, the professionalism shown by the ATF agents who risked their lives that morning. They relied on their training to keep themselves and Mr. Pearson safe, and no ATF officer even returned fire into the trailer despite being shot at multiple times. I thank and commend the ATF SRT team, their ATF, DEA, and Grant County colleagues, and the hundreds of law enforcement officers and professionals who executed dozens of other warrants that very same morning. No other execution of a warrant that morning involved anyone pulling a trigger—only Mr. Pearson shot at law enforcement that day, and it is appropriate that he will spend 35 years in federal prison for doing so.”
Jonathan T. McPherson, the ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge, echoed the U.S. Attorney, stating: “The actions of the ATF Special Agents and officers from our partner agencies that day are truly commendable. They acted with high regard not only for the safety of the surrounding community, but also for Mr. Pearson, despite the fact that he was shooting at our Special Response Team. We are thankful none of our Special Agents were injured and that Mr. Pearson will serve a significant sentence.”
Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Seattle Field Division joined that sentiment, noting: “This brazen attack on law enforcement illustrates the direct correlation between drug trafficking and violence. We have long known that drug trafficking organizations use violence and fear to further their criminal enterprises. With the help of our partners, we strive to drive down drug-related violence that endangers our communities. We will continue to do so through enforcement actions, community engagement, education, and awareness.”
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. The OCDETF program provides supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the investigation of drug-related crimes. This OCDETF investigation was conducted by DEA and ATF, with significant assistance from the Grant County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted and tried to a jury by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin A. Baunsgard and David M. Herzog.
Man Pleads Guilty to Murder on Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians pleaded guilty to the murder of a tribal member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Vandel Jim, 53, of the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, stabbed the victim with a knife which resulted in his death.
A federal grand jury in January of 2017, indicted Jim, on the charge of murder in the second degree. Jim pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2022. Jim faces a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne.
Justice Department announces global resolution of criminal and civil investigations with housing contractor for defrauding U.S. militaryRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH: Balfour Beatty Communities LLC (BBC), one of the nation’s largest providers of privatized military housing to the U.S. Armed Forces, pled guilty to defrauding the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy, in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain performance bonuses by submitting false information to the U.S. military.
BBC entered the plea, pursuant to plea agreement with the United States, before U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in the District of Columbia on Wednesday. Under the terms of the plea agreement, BBC agreed to pay more than $33.6 million in criminal fines and over $31.8 million in restitution to the U.S. military, serve three years of probation, and engage an independent compliance monitor for a period of three years.
“Instead of promptly repairing housing for U.S. servicemembers as required, BBC lied about the repairs to pocket millions of dollars in performance bonuses,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This pervasive fraud was a consequence of BBC’s broken corporate culture, which valued profit over the welfare of servicemembers. Today’s global resolution sends a clear message to companies that if they do not maintain adequate compliance programs, voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, and fully cooperate with the government, they will pay a price that outweighs the profits they once reaped.”
Separately, BBC entered into a False Claims Act (FCA) settlement under which it is obligated to pay approximately $35.2 million in civil restitution and penalties to the United States, which the Justice Department credited against BBC’s criminal restitution and fine. Law enforcement within the Southern District of Georgia assisted in reaching this settlement by investigating BBC’s misconduct at Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, and Fort Gordon in Augusta.
“The men and women who live in our nation’s military housing, including those at Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon, deserve prompt and professional maintenance service from their housing providers,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “That BBC would not only fail to deliver this service, but also falsify information to line their own pockets is despicable. Our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners, and other components of the Department of Justice, to make sure those who provide subpar service to the military and lie about it are held accountable.”
According to court documents, BBC was a diversified real estate services company, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, that operated privatized military housing communities at 21 U.S. Air Force, 16 U.S. Army, and 18 U.S. Navy bases across the United States, in which tens of thousands of service members and their families lived. BBC earned fees for the various phases of development and management of each housing community, from design and construction to ongoing community management and maintenance, and service members paid their living allowance, known as Basic Allowance for Housing, in the form of rest to BBC to live in the communities.
BBC’s fees for the ongoing property management and maintenance of its military housing communities generally consisted of (1) a base fee, paid to BBC monthly and (2) performance incentive fees, paid to BBC quarterly or semi-annually. Performance Incentive Fees were payable only upon the approval of the relevant service branch. To obtain the incentive fees, BBC was required to submit to the service branches proof that it had satisfied written performance objectives related to, among other things, maintenance of the housing communities and resident satisfaction. The service branches relied on BBC’s submissions in deciding whether to approve the payment of relevant performance incentive fees.
According to court documents, from around 2013 to around 2019, BBC employees falsified information so that BBC’s incentive fee requests falsely reflected that BBC had met performance objectives. In reality, BBC did not legitimately meet those objectives in many of the quarters during that time, primarily the objectives related to maintenance and resident satisfaction, at various military housing projects. Specifically, BBC employees altered or manipulated data in property management software and destroyed and falsified resident comment cards to falsely inflate these metrics and, ultimately, to fraudulently induce the service branches to pay performance incentive fees which BBC had not earned.
As a result, according to court documents, there were lengthy and unnecessary delays in the resolution of maintenance issues to the detriment of residents. In addition, the military service branches had an inaccurate view of the state of BBC’s military housing communities and were unable to assess, and potentially correct, BBC’s performance.
A number of relevant considerations contributed to the department’s criminal resolution with BBC, including the nature and seriousness of the offense, the pervasiveness of the misconduct among BBC’s employees and at multiple military installations, and the state of BBC’s compliance program and the progress of its remediation, including the fact that BBC’s compliance program and internal controls have not been fully implemented or tested to demonstrate that they would prevent and detect similar misconduct in the future.
As part of BBC’s plea agreement, BBC agreed to cooperate fully with the United States in all matters relating to the conduct covered by the plea agreement and other conduct under investigation by the United States, to self-report violations of U.S. federal criminal law, and to continue to implement a compliance and ethics program designed to effectively detect and deter violations of U.S. anti-fraud laws throughout its operations.
“In defrauding our country's military services, BBC took advantage of their unique position as a military housing provider and put greed and personal profit above our servicemembers,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate. “Today's guilty plea reaffirms the FBI, along with our partners, are committed to preventing such disgraceful crimes and will work tirelessly to bring those who engage in this type of crime to justice.”
“The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is committed to protecting the integrity of the Department of the Air Force’s procurement process,” said Special Agent Paul Wachsmuth, Director AFOSI Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations. “The extensive and dedicated collaborative efforts between AFOSI, the Air Force Audit Agency, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Justice in this investigation was paramount in ensuring the safety and well-being of our warfighters and their families.”
“The health and safety of service members and their families remains of critical importance to the DoD Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of DCIS. “DCIS and our law enforcement partners are committed to working with the Department of Justice to hold companies accountable when they emphasize profits over the well-being of those who honorably serve our nation.”
“This judgment demonstrates the commitment CID Special Agents have to protect soldiers’ families against deceitfulness and fraud, while also ensuring the integrity of the military privatization housing initiative, which is to provide safe, quality, well-maintained housing for our military families,” said Special Agent in Charge Frank Robey of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Throughout this investigation, Army CID special agents worked closely with federal authorities emphasizing the importance of successful partnerships with other law enforcement agencies.”
“Balfour Beatty’s scheme to delay service request entries into their electronic tracking system for housing aboard Naval Air Station Key West to increase their performance-based award violated their contract and wasted valuable taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to rooting out fraud and corruption that threatens the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement process.”
“The Western District of Texas is home to some of the largest military installations in the country and our district works tirelessly to protect and serve our military families,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff for the Western District of Texas. “The resolution entered with BBC concerns conduct that impacted military families in our district at Lackland Air Force Base and Fort Bliss Army Base. This resolution is an important step in holding private military housing providers accountable to our servicemembers and their families.”
“The defendants’ greed undermined a program designed to protect servicemembers’ homes while they courageously fight to protect our homeland,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Servicemembers and their families deserve better. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our military community from fraudulent conduct of all kinds, particularly the integrity of DoD housing programs.”
This resolution follows the prior entry of guilty pleas by two BBC managers. In April 2021, Stacy Cabrera, a former community manager of BBC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In June 2021, Rick Cunefare, a former regional manager of BBC, pleaded guilty to major fraud against the United States.
Air Force OSI, DCIS, Army-CID, NCIS, and the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case. The Air Force Audit Agency also provided assistance.
Trial Attorneys Michael P. McCarthy and Siji Moore of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trials Attorneys Laura E. Hill and Elspeth England of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Schwedler and Jonathan Porter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Gallegos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Kruger and Jacquelyn Christilles of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas represented the government in the civil case.
Justice Department Awards Nearly $87 Million to Combat Human Trafficking and Help VictimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced almost $87 million in funding to combat human trafficking, provide supportive services to trafficking victims throughout the United States and conduct research into the nature and causes of labor and sex trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a global problem that reaches into many of our nation’s communities, causing victims unimaginable harm, violating basic human rights and undermining fundamental principles of dignity and justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These awards reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to helping our state and local partners shut down trafficking operations and deliver the relief and support that survivors need and deserve.”
OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) continues to manage the largest amount of federal funding dedicated to providing services to victims of human trafficking. OVC strengthens the victim service response to human trafficking through grant funding, training and technical assistance and leadership in the field. For example, OVC-funded human trafficking task forces initiated more than 2,800 new investigations nationwide between June 2019 and July 2020, and its victim service grant programs reached nearly 10,000 clients over a 12-month period. OJP’s investments figure prominently in the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking released by the White House on Dec. 3. The plan lays out a broad-based, multi-disciplinary, whole-of-government approach to addressing human trafficking and its harmful impacts on crime victims, communities and national security.
“Victims of human trafficking suffer unspeakable trauma while being systematically and cruelly denied their most fundamental emotional and material needs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “These awards will provide housing, counseling, legal aid and other services that can help survivors reclaim their lives.”
Grants awarded by OVC aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. OJP’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) provides funding to support research and evaluation projects designed to inform anti-trafficking efforts. Specific programs include the following:
- Under the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $22 million to develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs for victims of human trafficking.
- Under the Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $22 million to develop, expand or strengthen a multidisciplinary approach to fight human trafficking.
- Under the Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $15 million to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
- Under the Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $8 million to develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs for those whose victimizations occurred when they were under the age of 18.
- Under the Training and Technical Assistance for Human Trafficking Service Providers program, OVC awarded approximately $3 million to provide funding for training and technical assistance to service providers developing, strengthening or expanding programs for victims of human trafficking.
- Under the Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $2 million to improve responses to child and youth victims of trafficking, with a focus on coordination at the statewide or Tribal jurisdiction level.
- Under the Enhancing Juvenile and Family Court Responses to Human Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $2 million to develop and enhance programs to provide direct services and diversion programs for youth in contact with the juvenile and family court systems who are victims of sex or labor trafficking or at risk for human trafficking due to past or current crime victimization, including child abuse and neglect.
- Under the Field-Generated Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance for Law Enforcement program, OVC awarded approximately $2 million to develop innovative strategies and models to support jurisdictions engaged in identifying victims of human trafficking and investigating and prosecuting human trafficking and related crimes.
- Under the Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking program, OVC awarded approximately $2 million to develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs for those whose victimizations occurred when they were under the age of 18.
- Under the Preventing Trafficking of Girls program, OVC awarded approximately $1 million to support prevention and early intervention programs for girls who are at-risk of, or are victims of, sex trafficking.
- Under the Law Enforcement Human Trafficking Fellowship Program, OVC awarded $400,000 to improve and expand the ability of law enforcement, prosecutors and OJP-funded human trafficking task forces nationwide to conduct and implement victim-centered and trauma-informed investigations and prosecutions.
- NIJ awarded more than $2.6 million under its Research and Evaluation of Trafficking in Persons portfolio to better understand, prevent and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States.
Information about the grantees selected under each solicitation can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards Nearly $444 Million to Support Violence Intervention EffortsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced nearly $444 million in grant awards to support a wide range of violence reduction efforts, including community-based violence intervention and prevention strategies, youth and school violence prevention programs and evidence-based police and prosecution practices. Funding will also support research on civil disturbances, school safety and violence against women.
“No two communities are the same, and the Justice Department is committed to supporting efforts that build on local expertise to confront violence,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These grants will help experts embedded in communities across the nation do the vital work of reducing violence and ensuring access to justice.”
In April, the Biden-Harris Administration identified a number of federal investments that would be leveraged to address the rise in gun violence and other violent crime in communities across America. President Biden’s Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety, announced in June, outlined steps the federal government would take to curb the rise in violent crime in cities across America, deploying a range of resources from prevention and intervention activities to reentry programs. The programs listed below will be a key part of the White House’s strategy.
“The safety of our communities depends not on enforcement alone, but on evidence-based interventions that address the root causes of crime and that bring together stakeholders from every sector to tackle our most pressing challenges,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “These investments reflect a commitment that extends across this administration to revitalize our neighborhoods, building bonds of civic trust and ending the cycle of trauma and violence that destroys too many lives and keep far too many Americans from realizing their potential.”
Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
- More than $84.9 million is being awarded under BJA’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program-Local Solicitation. The JAG Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to units of local government. This program supports efforts to prevent and reduce violent crime and strength the criminal justice system.
- More than $187 million is being awarded under BJA’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program-State Solicitation. Funds awarded to a state under this program may be used to hire additional personnel and/or purchase equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance and information systems for criminal justice purposes. These awards were announced previously.
- BJA is awarding $73.7 million under thePreventing School Violence: BJA’s STOP School Violence Program, which is designed to improve K-12 school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to and help prevent acts of violence and ensure a positive school climate. These awards were announced previously.
- Another $6.4 million is being awarded under BJA’s Smart Policing Initiative, which enables law enforcement agencies to effectively use evidence-based practices, data and technology.
- BJA is awarding over $2.8 million under its Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative for Law Enforcement Agencies. This program provides competitive grants and technical assistance to small law enforcement agencies in rural locations to address the unique challenges these departments face in combating violent crime.
- Another $3.6 is being awarded under BJA’s Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Provider. This initiative is intended to improve communication and collaboration between state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to address the unique criminal justice challenges in rural areas.
- More than $4 million will be awarded under BJA’s Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiativ This program assists state, local and Tribal law enforcement with enhancing their investigative and prosecutorial resources to improve their ability to hold violent gun offenders accountable and reduce violent crime.
- BJA is awarding more than $17.5 million under its Project Safe Neighborhoods This program, led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices, is designed to create and foster safer communities through a sustained collaboration and identifying and addressing the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. These awards were announced previously.
- Another $2 million is being awarded under BJA’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Training and Technical Assistance Program. This opportunity will establish a cooperative agreement with one training and technical assistance provider to further develop the Project Safe Neighborhoods National Training and Technical Assistance Program, which will support and deliver training and technical assistance to criminal justice professionals and research partners.
- BJA is awarding $18.8 million under its Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program, which will fund a strategic approach to crime reduction in local jurisdictions that leverages community knowledge and expertise to build public trust with law enforcement and make neighborhoods safer.
- Another $750,000 is being awarded under BJA’s Smart Suite Training and Technical Assistance Program, which supports building partnerships between researchers and practitioners to improve local outcomes and programs.
- BJA is also awarding $7.1 million under its Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions program, which provides state, local and Tribal prosecutors with funding to secure resources that will help reduce crime and increase public safety.
- OJJDP is awarding another $14.9 million under its Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention and Reduction Program. Funding for this program is to prevent and reduce youth violence, including gang violence.
- OJJDP is awarding $7 million under its Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence program to develop or enhance support services for children exposed to violence and to implement community violence intervention strategies. Funding also supports training and technical assistance to program sites.
- Supplemental funding of nearly $925,000 supports the continued operation of the National Gang Center. The center provides leadership, information and training and technical assistance on comprehensive, community-based anti-gang initiatives, including gang prevention, intervention, enforcement and reentry.
- NIJ is awarding nearly $2 million on Research and Evaluation on Policing Strategies for Civil Disturbances, which will fund research projects addressing police strategies and tactics to respond to violence and maintain order. Funded research will also address the role of extremists in fomenting violence at protests and demonstrations.
- NIJ is awarding another $2.4 million on Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women, which will fund rigorous research and evaluation projects to support the development of objective and independent knowledge and validated tools to reduce violence against women, promote justice for victims of crime and enhance criminal justice responses. This amount includes funding for research on issues around violence against Indian women.
- NIJ is awarding over $1.4 million on Research and Evaluation on School Safety, which will fund rigorous research and evaluation projects to study the root causes of school violence to include the impact and effectiveness of grants made under the STOP School Violence Act.
Once the awards are made, information about the grantees selected under each solicitation can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $57 Million in Alaska During 2021Read the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – The Department of Justice has awarded more than $57 million in grants to organizations throughout Alaska in support of Victim Services, Public Safety and the coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) initiative in fiscal year 2021.
“Ensuring the safety of our communities is a top priority for the Department of Justice. These investments in Alaska will enable criminal justice officials as well as communities and non-profit organizations to support victims of crime while simultaneously working to prevent crimes,” said Bryan Wilson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “We will continue to work together with our partners to identify and prosecute the drivers of violence while supporting the community’s efforts to prevent violence and support victims.”
The Office of Victim Services (OVC) awarded $34+ million to more than 45 organizations, including 36 tribal communities, to support and enhance local services for victims of crime. Services include advocacy centers, domestic violence and sexual assault shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, and transitional housing for victims. It also supports organizations providing training such as the Alaska Tribal Justice Resource Center and multi-disciplinary efforts to fight human trafficking.
In the area of Public Safety, more than $11.7 million was awarded to organizations within Alaska by several grant awarding groups within the Department of Justice. This includes more than $4 million to the Alaska Department of Public Safety in support of forensic science, and several Alaska re-entry focused programs received a combined $2 million. Additionally, Dillingham, Fairbanks and Juneau received a combined $1.4 million for school violence prevention programs.
More than $10.7 million was awarded to 16 tribal organizations through CTAS. In 2010FY the Department of Justice launched the CTAS initiative which combined most of the Department’s available tribal government specific grant programs under one solicitation. Tribal grants funded through the CTAS process help tribes to develop and strengthen tribal justice systems’ response to crime, while significantly increasing programs and services available to them.
For additional information on any of these programs, please visit www.justice.gov/grants
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Justice Department Awards More Than $40 Million to Improve Services for Crime VictimsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling over $40 million to enhance services for victims of crime across the United States. The grants build on more than $1.2 billion in funding announced in September to support victim assistance and victim compensation programs administered by states and territories.
“The Department of Justice is committed to doing all it can to reduce violent crime, and supporting victims of crime is not only critical to those efforts but also central to our most fundamental responsibility: protecting our fellow citizens,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The resources announced today will provide direct support to victims of crime as they recover and also bolster the important work of our state, local and Tribal partners who provide victims with comprehensive, high-quality victim services and care.”
Approximately $38 million are being awarded under 12 grant programs administered by OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). Almost $2.9 million will be awarded by OJP’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to support research, and $2.1 million will be awarded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to support the National Census of Victim Service Providers. Most of the funding comes from the Crime Victims Fund, which was established by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984. The fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not from tax dollars.
“The needs of crime victims are varied and unique, so when it comes to services, one size does not fit all,” said Director Kristina Rose of OJP's OVC. “Service providers can use VOCA funding to create and enhance programs that are culturally specific and reflect the communities they are serving.”
The funded programs and their amounts are listed below.
- Under the Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime program, OVC awarded almost $10 million to implement innovative strategies to create, expand or enhance the use of technology to interact directly with crime victims and/or to provide information, referrals, crisis assistance and longer-term help.
- Under the Expanding Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Services to Victims of Sexual Assault program, OVC awarded more than $7 million to establish or expand sexual assault examination programs that focus on improving the provision of sexual assault care using a community-based approach, such as through a campus community, nonprofit, community-based and/or Tribe-affiliated victim services provider. Funding will also be awarded to an organization to provide technical assistance to the grantees.
- Under the Transforming America's Response to Elder Abuse: Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams (E-MDTs) for Older Victims of Financial Exploitation and Abuse program, OVC awarded nearly $3.7 million to support the development and/or enhancement of multidisciplinary teams and to strengthen the capacity of E-MDTs to better identify and respond to cases of elder abuse and more comprehensively serve and support victims of financial exploitation.
- Under the National Center for Culturally Responsive Victim Services program, OVC awarded $3 million for the development, operation and management of OVC’s National Center. The center will facilitate the delivery of national-scale, high quality training and technical assistance to increase access to victim services and victim compensation for victims of crime in areas that have been historically underserved, marginalized and/or adversely affected by inequality.
- Under the Building State Technology Capacity program, OVC awarded more than $2.6 million to implement statewide technology programs to enhance victims’ access to services, foster innovation and efficiency in the provision of services, improve the quality of services and improve the accessibility and responsiveness of victim service organizations.
- Under the Fostering Resilience and Hope: Bridging the Gap Between Law Enforcement and the Community program, OVC awarded $2.5 million to support the development, implementation and dissemination of a train-the-trainer trauma-informed, hope-centered framework to help law enforcement officers address trauma and adversity and rebuild relationships within the community.
- Under the Advancing Hospital-Based Victim Services program, OVC awarded nearly $2.5 million to four organizations and one technical assistance provider to improve linkages between the victim services field and hospitals and other medical facilities that increase support for victims of crime, improve outcomes and reduce chances of future victimization.
- Under the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, OVC awarded over $2.4 million to provide funding for shelter and transitional housing and other assistance to victims of domestic violence and their pets.
- Under the Services to Support Victims of Hate Crime and Strengthen Communities programs, OVC awarded $2 million to support field-generated, innovative strategies, approaches and models to support individuals, groups and communities impacted by hate crime.
- Under the Addressing Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting program, OVC awarded nearly $1.5 million to deliver community-based programming to stop female genital mutilation and cutting by educating communities and forming community networks of agencies and organizations that are positioned to identify girls at risk and respond to victims.
- Under the National Joint Training Conference for VOCA Victim Assistance and Victim Compensation Administrators, OVC awarded $600,000 to plan and administer training activities to bring Victim Assistance and Victim Compensation Administrators and their staff together for training conferences in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
- Under the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Community Awareness Projects program, OVC awarded $300,000 to one organization to increase public awareness of crime victims’ rights and services nationwide and strengthen the capacity of victim assistance agencies to develop a broad, collaborative approach to community awareness that highlights services for all types of crime victims during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
- Under the Research and Evaluation of Services for Victims of Crime program, NIJ awarded over $2.9 million to five organizations to support research and evaluation of state crime victim compensation programs, research on the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of services to victims of crime, and evaluation of programs that provide services for victims of crime.
- Under the National Census of Victim Service Providers program, BJS awarded nearly $2.1 million to one recipient to develop a statistical infrastructure around victim services and address major gaps in our knowledge about the availability and use of services to support victims of crime or abuse.
In addition to the grants listed above, over $1.041 billion in victim assistance funding supports local direct service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim advocate positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments. State victim compensation programs will receive over $186.8 million to supplement the state funds that assist victims with financial burdens such as medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs resulting from crime.
Furthermore, OVC awarded nearly $87 million in funding to combat human trafficking, provide supportive services to trafficking victims throughout the United States and conduct research into the nature and causes of labor and sex trafficking. OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention also has awarded grants to support services for child victims, and OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking awarded more than $20 million to register and track sex offender registration and protect young athletes.
Additional information about these and other FY 2021 grant awards made by OJP can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $37 Million to Support Innovations in PolicingRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling over $37 million to support evidence-based law enforcement strategies designed to build trust with communities and improve public safety. The grants, made by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), will support partnerships between researchers and law enforcement professionals, fund body-worn camera programs and underwrite research and evaluation projects that examine promising police practices.
“Public safety requires public trust and the Justice Department is committed to supporting law enforcement programs that increase trust with communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s investment of $37 million builds on the department’s wide-ranging efforts to advance evidence-based innovations in policing throughout the country.”
The Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime articulates a commitment to an approach that is grounded in research and consistent with our values as a nation. The strategy emphasizes that confidence in police and policing is essential to the safety of our communities. The awards announced today will enable state and local law enforcement agencies to work closely with researchers to address chronic public safety problems in their jurisdictions. Grants will also help develop body-worn camera programs that maximize transparency and accountability in order to build trust with communities. Research grants will support randomized controlled trials and other analyses that explore de-escalation tactics, procedural justice strategies and other issues.
“A safe and just society is possible only when our law enforcement partners and our communities share a common trust and mutual respect,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “These investments will equip our police professionals with the latest knowledge, tools and information to do their jobs safely, fairly and effectively in the service of greater public safety and stronger bonds with the people they serve.”
Below is a summary of these programs:
- BJA is awarding more than $27.4 million under its Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement Agencies, which provides funding to law enforcement agencies seeking to purchase body-worn cameras and to establish or expand comprehensive programs focused on maximizing the benefits of this technology and minimizing its risks.
- BJA is awarding $6.4 million under its Smart Policing Initiative, which helps to establish police-researcher partnerships; test promising crime prevention, response and reduction practices; improve police accountability and build law enforcement agencies’ capacity to analyze and use crime intelligence and data; implement and test justice information-sharing technology; and evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches.
- NIJ is awarding almost $3.3 million under its Research and Evaluation on Policing portfolio, which supports proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects that address the re-allocation of resources and police operations and functions; police use of force and de-escalation tactics and strategies; and tactics and strategies that strengthen police-community relationships.
Once the awards are made, information about the grantees selected under each solicitation can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $210 Million to Support Forensic ScienceRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling more than $210 million to fund crime laboratories, support research, decrease DNA backlogs and help law enforcement identify missing persons. The funding is administered by the OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
“The department is committed to strengthening and expanding forensic capabilities from the crime scene to the courtroom,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Supporting forensic science nationwide helps bring justice, closure and peace to victims and their families.”
Since 2004, the department has funded more than $1 billion to support DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provide knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
“A sound and robust forensic science infrastructure is critical to public safety and to the integrity of our systems of justice,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “These awards provide critical resources that will allow investigators, crime lab professionals and forensic specialists to solve crimes, bring answers to victims and ensure that the principles of fairness and equity are fully reflected in our criminal justice practices.”
BJA and NIJ distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in awards to local, state and Tribal jurisdictions throughout the United States and territories. Here is a list of funded grants:
- More than $43 million will support BJA’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which improves state and local jurisdictions’ capacities to respond to violent crime and to bolster the criminal justice system through the investigation and prosecution of cases resulting from sexual assault kit evidence and the collection of DNA.
- Nearly $1 million supports BJA’s Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence – Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program, an evidence management program for untested and unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
- Another $7 million will support BJA’s Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA Program, which is designed to increase the capacity of state and local prosecution offices to address violent crime cold cases.
- BJA will award more than $89.6 million to support the DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Program, which funds states and local governments with existing crime laboratories that conduct DNA analysis to increase the capacity of their laboratories.
- Nearly $29.7 million will support the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program, which aims to improve forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services.
- More than $2 million will support the Strengthening the Medical Examiner and Coroner Program, which increases the supply of forensic pathologists and supports the enhancement of medicolegal death investigations nationwide.
- BJA will award more than $3.3 million under the Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Training and Technical Assistance Program, which supports state, local and Tribal law enforcement and prosecutors in their investigation and prosecution of cold case murders associated with civil rights violations.
- BJA will award nearly $5.5 million under the Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Site Based and Training and Technical Assistance Program, which provides efficient representation for defendants in post-conviction claims of innocence.
- Nearly $14.4 million will support NIJ’s Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes, which fosters research toward the development of highly-discriminating, accurate, reliable, cost-effective and rapid methods for the identification, analysis and interpretation of forensic evidence.
- Another $1.3 million will support NIJ’s Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories, which evaluates existing laboratory protocols with the goal of making an immediate impact on laboratory efficiency.
- An additional $8.5 million will support NIJ’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence and National Center on Forensics, which help transfer new technology and knowledge to the forensic science community.
- NIJ will provide nearly $6 million under the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a national centralized repository and resource center for missing persons and unidentified decedents.
Additional information about these and other FY 2021 grant awards made by the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $125 Million in Grants Under the STOP School Violence ActRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced nearly $126 million in funding to advance school safety under the STOP School Violence Act. The grants, awarded by the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), will help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts, provide training to school personnel and students, and implement evidence-based threat assessments.
“The Justice Department has no greater responsibility than protecting Americans from harm,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Schools must be safe places to learn, and today’s investment of more than $125 million under the STOP School Violence Act will help ensure that they are.”
“School should be a haven for growth and development, not a source of anxiety and fear — and by no means should it ever be the scene of a crime,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of OJP. “These investments will help communities address school violence, create better school climates and set up early detection teams to prevent tragedies in our places of learning.”
“The safety of our nation’s children is an essential part of our public safety mission,” said Acting Director Robert Chapman of the COPS Office. “The awards announced today will fund a variety of school safety equipment and programs that will help ensure student success in supportive and safe environments.”
The Students, Teachers and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (the STOP School Violence Act) gives the Justice Department the authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian Tribes and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs. It also provides grants to ensure a positive school climate by helping students and teachers recognize, respond quickly to and help prevent acts of violence.
The 78 BJA annual awards, totaling almost $74 million, are intended to support training and education for school personnel and students on preventing violence against others and themselves, including anti-bullying training and specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises. Funds also help develop and implement multidisciplinary threat assessment or intervention teams and design technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems, hotlines and websites.
The COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) provides up to 75% of the funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools. The 153 SVPP awards, totaling almost $52 million, are statutorily obligated to be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security.
The full list of SVPP awards can be found here.
A list of BJA awards, as they are made, can be found here.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $100 Million to Support YouthRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced that it will award grants totaling nearly $103 million to support youth and help achieve greater equity in the juvenile justice system.
“We must focus on the needs of our nation’s youth, particularly those who are at risk of victimization and justice system involvement,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “These awards support a more humane and effective approach to young people who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. This funding supports evidence-based programs and services that recognize young people’s capacity to respond positively and productively to support and intervention in their communities.”
In 2019, some 36,500 youth were in residential placement on a given day. Although that number is about half what it was a decade ago, most of these youth were confined for nonviolent offenses and would be better served by evidenced-based programs operating within their communities. In addition, young people of color continue to be overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. In 2019, their placement rate was more than two times higher than white youth nationally.
Grants from OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will distribute millions of dollars in awards to local, state and Tribal jurisdictions to improve outcomes for youth and to address racial and ethnic disparities within the juvenile justice system. Awards will support mentoring programs designed to steer young people away from delinquency and justice system involvement. A juvenile justice reform initiative will develop and test research-based approaches to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for youth. A juvenile indigent defense program will help ensure that youth in the juvenile justice system have access to high-quality legal representation and resources to address the collateral consequences of their contact with the system. Additionally, a Second Chance Act youth reentry program will make more resources available to help young people get the services they need to get back on their feet and become productive, thriving members of their communities.
These awards are in addition to more than $80 million in grants that will be targeted to specific populations, including youth affected by the opioid crisis and drug addiction, young people at risk of community or gang violence, parents of incarcerated children and Tribal youth. These additional awards will also support youth reentry initiatives, juvenile and family drug courts, family-based alternative sentencing programs and training for prosecutors in the juvenile justice system.
“Reforming our juvenile justice system, mentoring our youth and helping young people find a path forward to a safe and bright future are central to our mission at the Office of Justice Programs and remain top priorities of this administration,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “These grants are an expression of our deep commitment to helping communities ensure justice and enabling young people to live their best lives.”
Below is a list of funded grants:
- OJJDP’s National Mentoring Programs will provide grants in the amount of $43 million to four organizations to enhance and expand mentoring services for children and youth. An additional $2.85 million will support the National Mentoring Resource Center.
- OJJDP will award $27.6 million under the Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative to 22 organizations to support the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth who are at risk for juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice system involvement.
- OJJDP will award over $9.7 million under the Delinquency Prevention Grants Program to eligible states or federally recognized tribes to implement evidence-based strategies to address the needs of juveniles who have had or who are likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system.
- OJJDP will award nearly $8 million under the Juvenile Justice System Reform Initiative to help states implement sustainable, research-based and data-informed recidivism reduction policies, practices and programming and the strategic reinvestment of cost savings into effective prevention and intervention programs.
- OJJDP will award over $4.6 million under Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System to promote protective factors for girls who come in contact with the juvenile justice system, and place them on a path toward success, stability and long-term contribution to society.
- Under a collaborative program, NIJ and OJJDP will award $2 million to support the National Juvenile Court Data Archive. The archive collects, maintains and makes accessible the nation’s primary source of detailed information on juvenile court case processing of delinquency and status offense cases.
- NIJ and OJJDP, through a collaborative program, will award $2 million under the Longitudinal Research on Delinquency and Crime program, which conducts expansions or extensions of ongoing longitudinal studies that focus on delinquency and crime throughout the individuals’ life-course. The research findings are intended to inform efforts to prevent the onset of delinquency and to intervene in the lives of youth and young adults who offend.
- OJJDP will award over $2.2 million under the Enhancing Juvenile Indigent Defense program to improve juvenile indigent defense.
- Under the Research on Juvenile Reoffending program, NIJ will award $1.2 million for rigorous research projects that improve measurement of juvenile reoffending. NIJ, in collaboration with OJJDP, is funding studies that advance the understanding of juvenile reoffending and help jurisdictions use juvenile reoffending data effectively to identify priorities, develop responses, and monitor and assess policies and programs.
- OJJDP will award approximately $300,000 under the Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program to support the development, improvement and implementation of emergency planning activities for state, tribal, county and local juvenile justice residential facilities.
Additional information about these and other FY 2021 grant awards from the OJP can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards $34 Million to Support Community Crisis ResponseRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling $34 million to help communities address crises involving homelessness, mental health and substance use disorders, and other public health and public safety emergencies. The grants, made by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), will support partnerships between justice system officials, health and mental health professionals and community providers designed to reduce arrests, divert individuals from the justice system and deliver the appropriate treatment and other support services to those in need.
“We simply cannot arrest or incarcerate our way out of the challenges presented by untreated mental illness, co-occurring substance use, homelessness and poverty,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “These resources awarded today reaffirm our commitment to support diversion programs and expand community partnerships so that people are connected to the help they need and are kept out of the criminal justice system whenever possible.”
Law enforcement officers are typically first on the scene of a community emergency — whether the crisis is a drug overdose or an episode of psychiatric distress — but they often have neither the training nor the tools to respond adequately. Police departments report an increase in service calls involving people with mental health and substance use disorders, yet the presence of an armed officer often heightens stress and can exacerbate tensions, leading to poor outcomes. Many cities have begun to institute community responder models in which treatment providers and other health professionals are dispatched separately or alongside law enforcement. These approaches were featured during the Taking the Call conference organized by the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the University of Cincinnati in partnership with BJA and headlined by the Attorney General in October.
“A just society is one in which we are able to meet the basic needs of individuals without imposing unnecessary punishments and inflaming community tensions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “These resources will support and strengthen partnerships between public safety agencies and local organizations, giving communities the tools to deliver badly needed services, reduce reliance on arrests and incarceration for social and behavioral health issues and take steps toward a more fair and equitable system of justice.”
The grants announced today demonstrate the department’s focus on addressing the needs of individuals with behavioral health conditions and build on more than $300 million in new investments this year to fight the opioid and stimulant crisis and address substance use disorders, including drug court and mentoring initiatives, correctional substance use treatment programs and efforts to address the prevention, diversion, treatment and recovery needs of those affected by substance use disorders. Below is a summary of funding tailored to support community crisis response efforts:
- Nearly $18.3 million funds the Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program, which supports a law enforcement-behavioral health cross-system collaboration to improve public safety for individuals with mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who come in contact with the justice system
- BJA is awarding $11.9 million under its Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, which supports public safety efforts through partnerships with social service and other organizations to enhance responses to individuals with mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
- BJA is awarding $2.3 million under the Collaborative Crisis Response Training Program, which supports training to prepare law enforcement and correctional officers to appropriately interact with people who have behavioral health conditions or disabilities.
- NIJ is providing almost $1.5 million under its Research and Evaluation on the Police Response to Homelessness, which supports research and evaluation projects to conduct exploratory research and secondary/open data analysis to assess the range of practices, strategies and tactics used by police to respond to homelessness.
Once the awards are made, information about the grantees selected under each solicitation can be found online at the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces Global Resolution of Criminal and Civil Investigations with Privatized Military Housing Contractor for Defrauding U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, the Department of Justice announced a global resolution of its criminal and civil investigations into Balfour Beatty Communities LLC (BBC), one of the largest providers of privatized military housing to the U.S. Armed Forces, for defrauding the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy, in connection with a scheme to defraud the U.S. military.
BBC pleaded guilty to one count of major fraud against the United States in connection with a criminal information filed yesterday in the District of Columbia. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan accepted the plea and sentenced BBC to pay over $33.6 million in criminal fines and over $31.8 million in restitution to the U.S. military, serve three years of probation, and engage an independent compliance monitor for a period of three years.
Separately, BBC also entered into a False Claims Act settlement with the United States to resolve its civil liability for $35.2 million. The amounts paid under the civil settlement will be credited against the amounts owed under BBC’s criminal plea.
"Instead of promptly repairing housing for U.S. servicemembers as required, BBC lied about the repairs to pocket millions of dollars in performance bonuses," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. "This pervasive fraud was a consequence of BBC’s broken corporate culture, which valued profit over the welfare of servicemembers. Today’s global resolution sends a clear message to companies that if they do not maintain adequate compliance programs, voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, and fully cooperate with the government, they will pay a price that outweighs the profits they once reaped."
According to court documents, BBC was a diversified real estate services company, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, that operated privatized military housing communities at 21 U.S. Air Force, 18 U.S. Navy, and 16 U.S. Army bases across the United States, in which tens of thousands of service members and their families lived. BBC earned fees for the various phases of development and management of each housing community, from design and construction to ongoing community management and maintenance, and service members paid their living allowance, known as Basic Allowance for Housing, to BBC to live in these communities.
BBC’s fees for the ongoing property management and maintenance of its military housing communities generally consisted of a base fee, paid to BBC monthly, and performance incentive fees, paid to BBC quarterly or semi-annually. Performance incentive fees were only payable upon the approval of the relevant service branch. To obtain the incentive fees, BBC was required to submit to the service branches proof that it had satisfied performance objectives related to, among other things, maintenance of the housing communities and resident satisfaction. The service branches relied on BBC’s submissions in deciding whether to approve the payment of relevant performance incentive fees.
According to court documents, from around 2013 to around 2019, BBC employees, including former community manager Stacy Cabrera (who pleaded guilty to related charges on April 21) and former regional manager Rick Cunefare (who pleaded guilty to related charges on June 9), and others, falsified information so that BBC’s incentive fee requests falsely reflected that BBC had met performance objectives. In reality, BBC did not meet those objectives in many of the quarters during that time. These objectives primarily related to maintenance and resident satisfaction at various military housing projects. Specifically, BBC employees altered or manipulated data in property management software and destroyed and falsified resident comment cards to falsely inflate these metrics and, ultimately, to fraudulently induce the service branches to pay performance incentive fees which BBC had not earned.
As a result, according to court documents, there were lengthy and unnecessary delays in the resolution of maintenance issues to the detriment of servicemembers and their families. In addition, the military service branches were provided an inaccurate assessment of the state of BBC’s military housing communities and were unable to assess, and potentially correct, BBC’s performance.
A number of relevant considerations contributed to the department’s criminal resolution with BBC, including the nature and seriousness of the offense, the pervasiveness of the misconduct among BBC’s employees and at multiple military installations, and the state of BBC’s compliance program and the progress of its remediation, including the fact that BBC’s compliance program and internal controls have not been fully implemented or tested to demonstrate that they would prevent and detect similar misconduct in the future.
As part of BBC’s plea agreement, BBC agreed to cooperate fully with the United States in all matters relating to the conduct covered by the plea agreement and other conduct under investigation by the United States, to self-report violations of U.S. federal criminal law, and to continue to implement a compliance and ethics program designed to effectively detect and deter violations of U.S. anti-fraud laws throughout its operations.
"In defrauding our country's military services, BBC took advantage of their unique position as a military housing provider and put greed and personal profit above our servicemembers," said FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate. "Today's guilty plea reaffirms the FBI, along with our partners, are committed to preventing such disgraceful crimes and will work tirelessly to bring those who engage in this type of crime to justice."
"The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is committed to protecting the integrity of the Department of the Air Force’s procurement process," said Special Agent Paul Wachsmuth, Director AFOSI Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations. "The extensive and dedicated collaborative efforts between AFOSI, the Air Force Audit Agency, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Justice in this investigation was paramount in ensuring the safety and well-being of our warfighters and their families."
"The health and safety of service members and their families remains of critical importance to the DoD Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)," said Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of DCIS. "DCIS and our law enforcement partners are committed to working with the Department of Justice to hold companies accountable when they emphasize profits over the well-being of those who honorably serve our nation."
"This judgment demonstrates the commitment CID Special Agents have to protect soldiers’ families against deceitfulness and fraud, while also ensuring the integrity of the military privatization housing initiative, which is to provide safe, quality, well-maintained housing for our military families," said Special Agent in Charge Frank Robey of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit. "Throughout this investigation, Army CID special agents worked closely with federal authorities emphasizing the importance of successful partnerships with other law enforcement agencies."
"Balfour Beatty’s scheme to delay service request entries into their electronic tracking system to increase their performance-based award violated their contract and wasted valuable taxpayer money," said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. "NCIS and our partners remain committed to rooting out fraud and corruption that threatens the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement process."
"The men and women who live in our nation’s military housing, including those at Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon, deserve prompt and professional maintenance service from their housing providers," said U.S. Attorney David H. Estes for the Southern District of Georgia. "That BBC would not only fail to deliver this service, but also falsify information to line their own pockets is despicable. Our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners, and other components of the Department of Justice, to make sure those who provide subpar service to the military and lie about it are held accountable."
"The Western District of Texas is home to some of the largest military installations in the country and our district works tirelessly to protect and serve our military families," said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff for the Western District of Texas. "The resolution entered with BBC concerns conduct that impacted military families in our district at Lackland Air Force Base and Fort Bliss Army Base. This resolution is an important step in holding private military housing providers accountable to our servicemembers and their families."
"The defendants’ greed undermined a program designed to protect servicemembers’ homes while they courageously fight to protect our homeland," said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. "Servicemembers and their families deserve better. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our military community from fraudulent conduct of all kinds, particularly the integrity of DoD housing programs."
This resolution follows the prior entry of guilty pleas by two BBC managers. In April 2021, Stacy Cabrera, a former community manager of BBC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In June 2021, Rick Cunefare, a former regional manager of BBC, pleaded guilty to major fraud against the United States.
Air Force OSI, DCIS, Army-CID, NCIS, and the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case. The Air Force Audit Agency also provided assistance.
Trial Attorneys Michael P. McCarthy and Siji Moore of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Laura E. Hill and Elspeth England of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Gallegos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Porter and Patrick Schwedler of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Kruger and Jacquelyn Christilles of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas handled the civil matter.
Iowa Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –Michael E. Shell, 52, of Melrose, Iowa, was sentenced on December 21, 2021, to to 27 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Shell must also register as a sex offender once he is released.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Shell sexually abused a minor victim for approximately five years – when the victim was between 9 and 14 years old. Shell took photographs and videos of the abuse, which occurred while the victim lived within the Central District of Illinois. Photographs from the search warrant at Shell’s residence in Iowa revealed a child-sized sex doll and school pictures of the minor victim on Shell’s refrigerator. Law enforcement also seized multiple devices that contained dozens of images and videos of the abuse. Evidence presented in court included testimony that the abuse occurred hundreds of times and only ended when the minor victim demanded the abuse stop at the age of 14.
A statement prepared by the minor victim was read to the court, describing how damaging Shell’s manipulation and abuse was.
Also at the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm found that Shell intentionally groomed the minor victim and questioned whether he was really remorseful. The judge noted the disconnect between the letters of support for Shell written by family and friends and the conduct at issue: the lengthy and intentional molestation of the victim. The judge found that the victim had suffered irreparable harm from the abuse, both psychologically and physically.
Shell was indicted in May 2019 and pleaded guilty in April 2021.
The statutory penalties for production of child pornography are at least 15 years and up to 30 years’ imprisonment; a maximum lifetime term of supervised release; a fine of up to $250,000; and restitution, if requested.
“This case exemplifies our active and tireless pursuit of justice on behalf of minor victims,” said United States Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “Predators who groom and sexually exploit our community’s most vulnerable will be investigated and prosecuted, just as Shell was.”
The United States Secret Service investigated the case, with direct assistance of the Canton Police Department and Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine G. Legge and Paul B. Morris represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Shell was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Investigation of Domestic Abuse, Leads to Humboldt Man Being Sentenced to Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of a Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
A Humboldt, Iowa man who possessed a sawed-off shotgun was sentenced December 15, 2021 to 8 years in federal prison.
Levi Goodell, age 26, from Humboldt, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 28, 2021, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence in the case showed Goodell possessed a sawed-off shotgun, with a barrel less than 18 inches in length, that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transferring Record. Goodall possessed the firearm knowing he was prohibited from possessing any firearms as a convicted felon. Goodall has a criminal history consisting of 5 burglaries, an OWI, an assault, and absence from custody.
Law enforcement discovered Levi Goodell’ illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition during an investigation into his kidnapping, assault, harassment, and domestic abuse of another person.
Goodell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Goodell was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Goodell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-3011.
The case was investigated by the Humboldt Police Department and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Dec. 23 was:
Isaiah Benjamin Antelope, 26, of Butte, on charges of strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury of dating partner. If convicted of the most serious crime, Antelope faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Antelope was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-112.
Appearing on a criminal complaint on Dec. 23 was:
Jeramiah Kayson Gohde, 24, of Belgrade, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gohde faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Gohde was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-78.
Appearing on Dec. 22 was:
Ray Allen Castro III, 34, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and receipt of firearm by person under felony indictment. If convicted of the most serious crime, Castro faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Castro was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-113.
Appearing on Dec. 20 was:
Kimberly Marie Kelch, 44, of Billings, on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kelch faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release consecutive to any other sentence on the aggravated identity theft crime. Kelch was detained pending further proceedings. The IRS investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-100.
Isabel Lopez-Martinez, 60, of Modesto, California, on charges of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lopez-Martinez faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Lopez-Martinez was released pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. PACER case reference. 13-92
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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