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Thursday 30 September 2021
Two Men Sentenced to at least 14 Years in Prison for Cell Phone Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on September 24, 2021, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Maurice Tolbert (age 43, of Milwaukee) to 15 years and ten months in prison after Mr. Tolbert pled guilty to his involvement in four cell phone store robberies and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Judge Stadtmueller previously sentenced Mr. Tolbert’s co-defendant and cousin, Richard Tolbert (age 38, of Chicago) to 14 years in prison after he pled guilty to his involvement in three of the cell phone store robberies and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Each defendant faced a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years in prison for the use of firearms during crimes of violence.
The evidence reflected that Maurice and Richard Tolbert entered the cell phone stores and brandished firearms to steal cell phones and other electronic devices. On some occasions, they ordered the employees into the back rooms, where on at least one occasion they bound the employees’ wrists and ankles. The evidence further reflects that the firearms used during the robberies were purchased by Maurice Tolbert’s girlfriend, Angel Price, who was convicted in this case of providing a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and sentenced to 24 months of probation.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force, the Milwaukee Police Department, the West Allis Police Department, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office Investigators, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret B. Honrath
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Two Former Correctional Officers Charged with Accepting Bribes and Smuggling Contraband into Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
As part of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts against prison corruption, a federal grand jury in the District of Kansas returned two indictments on Sept. 22 charging two former correctional officers with smuggling drugs and other contraband into Leavenworth Detention Center.
According to court documents, Jacqueline Sifuentes, 25, of Laredo, Texas, previously worked as a correctional officer at Leavenworth Detention Center, a privately run, maximum-security federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. The indictment alleges that Sifuentes used her position as a public official to smuggle contraband, including methamphetamine, marijuana, and tobacco, into the prison in exchange for bribe payments from federal inmates.
Sifuentes, who was arrested Tuesday, is charged with conspiring to commit bribery and provide contraband, bribery, and providing contraband to an inmate. She made her initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. If convicted of all counts, she faces up to 40 years in prison.
According to court documents, Cheyonte Harris, 29, of Raytown, Missouri, also previously worked as a correctional officer at Leavenworth Detention Center. The indictment alleges that Harris used her position as a public official to smuggle contraband into prison in exchange for bribe payments. The indictment further alleges that she made material misrepresentations to the FBI when she was interviewed in April 2021.
Harris, who was arrested on Monday, is charged with conspiring to commit bribery and provide contraband and making false statements to federal agents. She made her initial appearance on Sept. 27 before U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. O’Hara of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. If convicted of all counts, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Charles A. Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office made the announcement.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Trial Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Dahoud A. Askar of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting these cases.
The cases are part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat the dangerous and corrosive effects of prison corruption. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section and the FBI recently obtained convictions against three former North Carolina prison officials who smuggled contraband, including illegal narcotics, into a state facility in exchange for bribe payments. See United States v. Ollie Rose, III, Case No. 4:20-CR-96 (E.D.N.C.); United States v. Kenneth Farr, Case No. 4:21-CR-9 (E.D.N.C.); and United States v. Jeremy Chambers, Case No. 4:21-CR-38 (E.D.N.C.).
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tsayatoh man charged with federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Rumaldo Peshlakai, 40, of Tsayatoh, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court today for a preliminary hearing on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Peshlakai will remain in custody pending trial.
According to a criminal complaint, on Sept. 23, Peshlakai and Jane Doe allegedly were involved in a domestic dispute at a residence in Tsayatoh. Peshlakai allegedly left the residence with their four children. At the time of the incident, Peshlakai allegedly was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The children, who were unharmed, were recovered by law enforcement. Peshlakai was arrested on Sept. 24.
Peshlakai was convicted in 2001 of assault by striking, beating or wounding and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and in 2006 for being a felon in possession of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Peshlakai cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Peshlakai faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Navajo Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Phoenix Field Office, New Mexico State Police, Navajo Police Department, McKinley County Sheriff's Office and Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Aliberti is prosecuting the case.
Three Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Financial Institutions and Other Credit IssuersRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Shawn Franklin, Anthony Maryland, and Sabrina Wiggins Branch pleaded guilty today to defrauding financial institutions and other lenders by using synthetic identities to obtain credit cards and consumer loans with no intention of payment. All three individuals were living in the Eastern District during the multi-year conspiracy.
According to court documents and the government’s factual representations in open court, Franklin, age 48, began using synthetic identities in 2012. By coupling his own name and date of birth with a nine-digit number that looked like a social security number, Franklin created a new credit profile, otherwise known as a Credit Privacy Number (CPN). Individuals, like Franklin, with poor credit scores built fresh credit histories by adding a CPN as an authorized user to credit accounts belonging to other individuals with good credit scores. These “trade lines” enhanced the CPN’s creditworthiness, scamming lenders and credit card issuers into believing the CPN applicants have the ability and intent to pay-off indebtedness. Individuals using CPNs, however, lack the ability or intent to pay-off the loans and credit card balances.
Franklin had been a NC Medicaid provider. Ten of the names and SSNs he used to obtain credit belonged to actual NC Medicaid recipients. Franklin obtained fictitious NC driver’s licenses in these individuals’ names, bearing images of himself. With respect to credit cards, Franklin maximized the fraud proceeds by making bogus payments to the issuers. Such payments were immediately credited, restoring the credit limit. Before the credit issuer received notification that the payments were bogus, Franklin and others quickly made additional charges, resulting in significant losses.
Maryland, age 48, and Branch, age 39, used synthetic identities created in their own names by Franklin. Maryland obtained credit cards and consumer goods. Wiggins obtained credit cards and financed the purchase of two vehicles with CPNs.
Branch also conspired with Franklin to generate cash with the fraudulently obtained credit cards. They ran approximately $650,000 in fictitious charges through merchant accounts associated with her retail store in Wilmington’s Independence Mall. Branch paid Franklin his share of the proceeds in cash. Records showed she withdrew cash in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports.
All three individuals pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced. Franklin also pleaded guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft for his use of the names and personal identifiers of ten NC Medicaid recipients. He faces an additional mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other term imposed.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Magistrate Judge James E. Gates accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, United States Social Security Administration, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer is prosecuting the case.
Teetso Man Sentenced to 5 Years for ArsonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Nevale Roanhorse, 39, of Teetso, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Roanhorse previously pleaded guilty to Arson.
On July 3, 2020, Roanhorse broke into a neighbor’s home on the Navajo Nation. Once inside, he started several fires that eventually consumed the structure. Roanhorse is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Jason Crowley, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 20-08084-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021- 064_RoanhorseStearns County Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Stearns County man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms as a felon.
According to court documents, on November 22, 2019, Samuel Charles Skelton, II, 30, sold a pound of methamphetamine for $4,500 to a confidential informant. On January 16, 2020, after conducting surveillance on Skelton, law enforcement arrested him as he traveled from St. Cloud to the Twin Cities. Following the arrest, law enforcement searched Skelton’s black BMW and found 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, digital scales, multiple standard and flip phones, cocaine, $1,665 in U.S. currency, and multiple pills, including gabapentin, cyclobenzapinre, and oxycodone.
According to court documents, on April 13th, 2020, law enforcement was involved in an investigation of a suspected death overdose at a residence in Brook Park, Minnesota. While the investigation was underway, Skelton arrived at the location in a silver BMW. Law enforcement searched Skelton’s vehicle and located a bag containing 14 grams of methamphetamine, three bags containing 9.4 grams of marijuana, four loaded 30 round magazines containing .223 ammunition and one loaded 30 round magazine containing .300 ammunition, and four firearms, including a loaded 9mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun, a High Standard .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, an Anderson .300 caliber AR-15 style rifle, and a .223 caliber FR AR-15 style rifle.
Skelton has multiple prior felony convictions in Clay and Stearns Counties and therefore is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis sentenced the defendant.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Task Force, the East Central Drug and Violent Offenders Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the St. Paul Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter.
St. Croix Man Arrested and Charged with a Marijuana Grow Operation After an Investigation Revealed 178 Plants Growing at his ResidenceRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Croix man was arrested on September 28, 2021, on criminal charges related to his alleged marijuana grow.
According to court documents, Virgin Islands Police Department Officers were dispatched to the residence of Mikey Luke, age 48, of Anna’s Hope, St. Croix, on a report of alleged child abuse. During that investigation, officer observed marijuana plants outside of his house. A subsequent search revealed 178 growing marijuana plants.
Luke is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. If convicted, Luke faces a potential of 5 - 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Virgin Islands Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Pekin Woman Charged with Making a False Statement During the Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Kirstin Sue Jackson, 39, of the 200 block of Ripper Street, Pekin, Ill. was indicted on federal charges on September 21, 2021.
The indictment alleges that in May of 2021, Jackson acquired a firearm from Pekin Gun & Sporting Goods, Inc. after knowingly making a false and fictitious written statement, stating she was the actual buyer of the firearm. Jackson was arrested on September 23, 2021 and is currently in custody of the United States Marshal Service.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are not more than 5 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The charge is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
South Louisiana Man Sentenced for Enticement of a Minor ChargeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Alton Leonard Lowe, 33, of Eunice, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing in this case, Lowe was arrested in May 2020 in Jefferson Davis Parish on charges of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Lowe met the victim, who was under the age of 18 years old, through the Grindr app in November 2019. Grindr is a software application that utilizes the internet to allow individuals to meet and communicate. In December 2019, while Lowe was at least 31 years old, he began having sexual relations with the minor victim when he knew the victim was under the age of 18 years old. Lowe and the minor victim accessed the Grindr app via cellular telephones and communicated using the Grindr app and text messaging. Lowe provided the minor victim with a cellular phone and they communicated via text messaging, including what they were going to do the next time they were together.
Lowe pleaded guilty to the charge of enticement of a minor on May 12, 2021 and admitted to using a smartphone to persuade, induce, entice and coerce an individual under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity while having a criminal offense of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. PSC is part of the Department’s focus on reducing the incidence of sexual exploitation of children by directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to promote community action and public awareness and to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To learn more about Project Safe Childhood, go to www.justice.gov/psc.
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Self-Described Member of “Boogaloo Bois” Pleads Guilty to RiotRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Texas man pleaded guilty today to a federal riot charge in connection to the 2020 civil unrest, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, Ivan Hunter, 24, admitted to traveling from San Antonio, Texas to Minneapolis with the intent to participate in a riot. Hunter is a self-described member of the Boogaloo Bois, a loosely connected group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. The term “Boogaloo” itself references an impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government.
On the night of May 28, 2020, Hunter was captured on video discharging 13 rounds from an AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle into the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building. At the time of the shooting there were other individuals believed to be looters still inside the building. Law enforcement recovered from the scene discharged rifle casings consistent with an AK-47 style firearm.
According to court documents, upon returning to Texas, Hunter made various statements on social media describing the violence in which he engaged in Minneapolis. On June 3, 2020, officers with the Austin Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a pick-up truck for numerous traffic violations. Hunter was one of three occupants in the vehicle. Hunter, the front seat passenger, had six loaded magazines for an AK-47 style assault rifle affixed to a tactical vest he was wearing. Officers found three semi-automatic rifles on the rear seat of the vehicle, one loaded pistol in plain view next to the driver’s seat, and another loaded pistol in the center console. Several days after the traffic stop, federal agents became aware of Hunter’s online affiliation with Boogaloo Bois member Steven Carrillo, who has been charged in the Northern District of California with the May 29, 2020, murder of a Federal Protective Service Officer in Oakland, California.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Trial Attorneys George Kraehe and Felice John Viti of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.
Santa Ana Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation and Online Enticement of a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Marcos Lucero, 30, of Santa Ana, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography, and coercion and enticement, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Aug. 13 and 19, 2021, Lucero asked an 11-year-old girl for explicit pictures, and she sent them to him via email. Lucero continued communicating with her when unbeknownst to him, an undercover law enforcement agent took over the minor victim’s account. Lucero suggested meeting up for sex, and traveled from Santa Ana to Fresno to have sex with the 11-year-old on Sept. 15, 2021.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Lucero faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a child, and a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the coercion and enticement charge. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Sanford Man and South Portland Woman Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Sanford man and a South Portland woman were sentenced today in federal court for distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of another individual, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Earl Cormier, 42, to 125 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge Levy sentenced Suzanne Cormier, 40, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Earl Cormier pleaded guilty on January 3, 2019, and Suzanne Cormier pleaded guilty on January 9, 2019.
According to court records, on July 8, 2017, Earl Cormier arranged a drug transaction with another male. Suzanne Cormier acquired the drugs from a supplier and the two traveled together to the Walmart in Biddeford to complete the transaction. Earl Cormier delivered a substance containing fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl along with needles to the male. The male used the substance in the Walmart bathroom and was later discovered unconscious in the bathroom. He never regained consciousness and died on July 19, 2017.
The Biddeford Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sandisfield Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Sandisfield man was indicted today on multiple counts of child sexual exploitation offenses.
Brian Hohman, 57, was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. Hohman is currently being held in Connecticut on unrelated state charges and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield at a later date.
According to the indictment, on various dates between October 2018 and July 2020, Hohman employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. The indictment further alleges that during this time period, Hohman committed a felony offense involving a minor while he was a registered sex offender.
The charges of sexual exploitation of children and attempted sexual exploitation of a child provide for a sentence of at least 25 years and up to 50 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender provides for a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison in addition to any sentence imposed for the charges of sexual exploitation of children. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the State’s Attorney’s Office for the State of Connecticut, Litchfield Judicial District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
San Joaquin County Man Sentenced for Selling Drugs on the Dark Web Under the Moniker PhantomlabRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren Horwood
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Public Affairs Officer
EDCA.gov | @EDCAnews
San Joaquin County Man Sentenced for Selling Drugs on the Dark Web Under the Moniker Phantomlab
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cody Boyd, 26, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute testosterone, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in December 2017, law enforcement agents began monitoring PhantomLabs, an online storefront on Dream Market, a dark web sales site. Agents identified Boyd, as the owner and operator of this store, which sold, among other things: anabolic steroids (including testosterone, deca durabolin, oxymetholone (Anadrol), oxandrolone (Anavar), methandrostenolone (Dianabol), and boldenone (Equipoise)), cocaine, Xanax pills, and pound-quantities of marijuana.
PhantomLabs had joined Dream Market on May 27, 2017. Less than 10 months later, on March 23, 2018, it had 620 customer reviews presenting an average satisfaction rating of 4.9 on a five-point scale.
On March 26, 2018, agents executed search warrants at Boyd’s home and business. In total, agents found more than 100 pounds of steroids – at least 1,500 vials of liquid steroids and approximately 10 pounds of powder steroids. They also found approximately 20 pounds of marijuana and 50 Xanax pills. Additionally, agents found more than $26,500 in cash, an AR-15-style rifle registered to him, more than 10 fraudulent drivers licenses bearing Boyd’s photo and false names, various items bearing the PhantomLabs brand logo, packets of suspected butane honey oil, and an electronic money counter. Agents also found a Sig Sauer handgun in Boyd’s truck. At Boyd’s business unit, agents found a digital scale, about 50 U.S. Postal Service parcels, and a folder containing indicia for Boyd and Team Phantom.
Agents seized Boyd’s Ford Shelby GT 350, which he valued at $120,000, about $95,000 in currency and bank accounts, and about 2.2 bitcoins.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy Task Force (NCIDE), composed of agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and IRS Criminal Investigation. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Hemesath prosecuted the case.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Abusing Special Needs ChildrenRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Today, 76-year-old Paul Charles Zappe III was sentenced to 60 years in prison for production of child pornography.
According to court documents, the San Antonio resident created photos and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the media created by Zappe involved Zappe committing a variety of sexual acts on special needs children under the age of 12.
In addition to the prison sentence, Zappe was ordered to forfeit his house, car, electronic equipment and to pay each of the two victims $81,000.
On June 29, 2021, Zappe pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography.
“The defendant’s egregious abuse of two young children targeted for their special needs is abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “The defendant preyed upon the most vulnerable in our society for his own sexual gratification. He violated their trust and that of their parents. Our communities cannot tolerate these types of child predators and we will continue to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“It is unconscionable that every day, criminals prey upon innocent children by sexually assaulting them and producing child pornography,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “This case is all the more horrific because the subject harmed special needs children. The FBI is committed to finding perpetrators like this one that commit terrible crimes and seeking justice for all who have been victimized.”
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
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Republic Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking After High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Missouri, man who led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
Heath E. Yarger, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
By pleading guilty today, Yarger admitted that he was in possession of approximately 336 grams of methamphetamine when he was arrested on Dec. 21, 2020. A Christian County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Yarger, who was driving a Chevrolet Silverado on Highway CC near Carnegie Road. Yarger failed to yield, however, and a pursuit ensued. Stop sticks were deployed and disabled the two passenger side tires. The pursuit continued onto northbound Highway 160 as Yarger reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and began to swerve and travel in the middle of the roadway, nearly striking multiple other vehicles. The pursuit continued through several residential streets before returning to Highway 160. The pursuit ended near the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Primrose Street in Springfield, Mo. Yarger ran from the vehicle and was arrested.
Officers found a plastic bag that contained approximately 44.2 grams of methamphetamine in Yarger’s left jacket pocket. Officers searched his vehicle and found two plastic bags that contained an approximate total of 291.8 grams of methamphetamine.
Under federal statutes, Yarger is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Meeting with Mexico Attorney General Alejandro Gertz ManeroRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met in Washington, D.C. yesterday afternoon with Mexico Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work closely on criminal investigations and prosecutions of cross-border crime, including with regard to narcotics and firearms trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and illicit finance and money laundering. The Attorneys General also agreed on the importance of our extradition relationship, and committed to vigorously pursuing the extradition requests pending in each of our countries.
Recognizing that continuing and intensive cooperation between their departments is essential, the Attorneys General agreed to continue their bilateral dialogue on a regular basis to help protect the citizens and communities on both sides of our common border.
Rancho Cordova Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyler Shayne Nelson, 28, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 15 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in June 2018, following a tip concerning child pornography trading, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Nelson’s home. During an interview, Nelson stated that he had communicated with underage girls using the Snapchat and Kik apps. On May 27, 2021, Nelson pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted that he had contacted a 12-year-old victim and requested and received explicit pictures of her.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Quapaw Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexually Abusing a Native American Minor and Illegally Possessing Parts of Protected EaglesRead the Press Release
A man who portrayed himself as a Native American spiritual counselor was sentenced Thursday in federal court for sexually abusing a Native American minor and for illegally possessing feathers, talons and heads from seven bald eagles and seven golden eagles, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced sexual predator Carl Gene Ortner, 57, of Quapaw, to life in federal prison and ordered him to pay a $100,000 fine.
“The victim in this case and two others bravely came forward and shined a light on Ortner’s criminal behavior,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Today’s life sentence sends a strong message that the sexual abuse of children will not be tolerated.”
“The defendant used wildlife items, in this case eagle feathers, to deceive and harm a child,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “As this investigation shows, wildlife crime may be connected to numerous types of criminal activity, and I am proud that we had a role in this predator receiving life in prison. I would also like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance with this case. Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that sexual violence will not be tolerated.”
In May 2021, a jury found Carl Gene Ortner Jr. guilty of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country, abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, possession of parts of a bald eagle, and possession of parts of a golden eagle.
During trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Cozzoni and Ryan Roberts argued that Ortner fraudulently claimed to be a Native American spiritual counselor. Cozzoni pointed out the defendant portrayed himself as an Indian, yet he had no tribal affiliation. He told several people he was a member of several Tribes, but no Tribe claimed him.
A special agent with the Fish and Wildlife Service testified that investigators discovered feathers and various parts of bald and golden eagles, including heads, talons, and entire wings, at Ortner’s residence. Native Americans consider eagles to be sacred and use the parts in cultural and religious practices. Ortner illegally possessed the feathers and parts.
Further evidence was presented showing that the defendant used his position of influence to groom the victim and force her into sexual relations with him, using her cultural beliefs and vulnerability against her. The victim also had been struggling with losing a loved one, and Ortner used the loss to further groom the victim.
In 2016, Ortner began sexually abusing the minor. While some of the abuse allegedly occurred within state jurisdiction, Ortner also abused the victim on Indian land, which falls within federal jurisdiction. Furthermore, Ortner at one point drove the victim to Joplin, Missouri, to engage in criminal sexual activity with the minor victim. Crossing state lines to engage in illegal activity falls within federal jurisdiction.
Witnesses testified that Ortner threatened to embarrass the victim and the tribe unless she said the sexual assault did not happen. Also testifying for the government were two other women who stated that Ortner also groomed them as minors and sexually abused them.
In the Government’s closing, Roberts called Ortner “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” stating that he disguised himself as a caring Native American elder to get close to the victims. Then when the time was right, Ortner took advantage of the victims.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, FBI, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Roberts and Shannon Cozzoni prosecuted the case.
Presque Isle Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Presque Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Justin Michaud, 35, to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Michaud pleaded guilty in December 2020.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Michaud and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Michaud coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and Colorado to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply their drug trafficking enterprise.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case.
This prosecution 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.
Pike County Man Sentenced to 41 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 29, 2021, Dimitriy Maltsev, age 41, of Milford, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, federal authorities conducted two controlled multi-gram purchases of cocaine before securing a federal search warrant for Maltsev’s residence in Milford. Upon executing the search warrant, authorities seized 390 grams of cocaine, 10 pounds of marijuana, hashish, liquid THC, psilocybin mushrooms, $30,000 in cash, drug packaging materials, and a .357 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver. Maltsev is a Ukrainian citizen residing in the United States as a Permanent Resident.
The case was investigated by the DEA in cooperation with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pike County (Pennsylvania) Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce crime.
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Philadelphia man admits to role in drug trafficking enterpriseRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christian Lamar Goode, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has admitted to his role in a multi-state organized drug trafficking enterprise dubbed the “19th Street Enterprise,” Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Goode, also known as “Lil Chris,” 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “RICO Conspiracy.” Goode admitted to working with others as a member of the “19th Street Enterprise,” a criminal organization that engaged in acts of violence, robbery, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, providing and selling false identification documents, and drug trafficking. The enterprise operated in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Puerto Rico.
Goode faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Kent County Sheriff’s Office assisted.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally. 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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/22-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-enterprise-spanned-several-states
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Federal Firearm and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – Ryan Ashley Williams, 36, was sentenced today to 128 months in prison for federal firearm and drug crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams was arrested by law enforcement officers at an apartment on Hall Street in Parkersburg on or about December 1, 2019. Officers located approximately 40 grams of a mixture containing carfentanil, fentanyl, and heroin on Williams. Also on his person were the keys to a safe where officers located approximately eight grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin, approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine, and a semi-automatic pistol. Williams admitted that he intended to distribute these substances to other people, and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous felony conviction for first degree robbery with a firearm specification in Wood County Circuit Court.
Williams’ first degree robbery conviction was the result of a March 2012 incident where he robbed a Parkersburg business at gunpoint while wearing a ski mask. Williams ordered all the customers onto the ground and stole approximately $4,000 from the cash register. He was sentenced to a prison term of 20 years, and was under parole supervision as part of that sentence when these federal crimes were committed.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00091.
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Owner of Trucking Companies Pleads Guilty to COVID-Relief Fraud, Tax Evasion and Conspiracy in Fatal Gas Tanker ExplosionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The owner of several Inland Empire-based trucking companies has pleaded guilty to five felony charges, admitting he engaged in an array of criminal conduct, including:
- ordering the illegal repair of a tanker that resulted in an explosion and the death of one his employees;
- committing tax evasion, which included failing to file income tax returns for six years; and
- fraudulently obtaining more than $667,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 pandemic relief funds while on bond awaiting trial.
Carl Bradley Johansson, 63, of Newport Beach, pleaded guilty late Wednesday to two felony counts in relation to the tank explosion – one count of conspiring to make illegal repairs on the cargo tanks and to defraud the United States Department of Transportation, and one count of welding without required certifications.
Johansson also pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. Johansson admitted that he committed the bank fraud offenses stemming from the PPP scam while he was on pretrial release in the gasoline tanker explosion case.
The Tanker Explosion Case
Johansson controlled and operated two Corona-based trucking companies: National Distribution Services, Inc. (NDSI), which operated from about 2009 through 2015, and NDSI’s successor company, Wholesale Distribution, Inc. (WDI), which does business as Quality Services. Johansson established NDSI following a 15-month federal prison sentence he served after one of his welders was killed in a similar tanker explosion in 1993. Johansson created WDI to take over NDSI’s operations so he could continue to operate cargo tanks that were ordered out of service after two more welding explosions at NDSI in 2012 and 2014, according to court documents.
Even though NDSI was not certified to conduct in-house welding repairs on its cargo tanks, Johansson and his shop manager – co-defendant Enrique Garcia, 46, of Pomona – discussed directing two NDSI workers to repair a cargo tank on May 5, 2014.
The following day, Garcia issued the welding orders to the employees and the two workers began a welding project on the cargo tank. Because the tank had not been completely purged of its fumes and crude oil, the sparks generated by the welding repair caused an explosion, which killed one worker, seriously injured the other worker, and blew a hole in the roof of the warehouse.
Johansson admitted that, from May 2014 to April 2018, he and other employees of NDSI and WDI conspired to obstruct a federal investigation into the May 6, 2014 explosion by making multiple false statements to local, state and federal officials to conceal the illegal welding repairs, that Johansson controlled NDSI and WDI, and that the deceased and injured employees worked for him. For example, on the day of the fatal explosion, when investigators arrived at NDSI, Johansson identified himself as being a customer service representative with another company and said the welders were employed by an outside tank-repair company.
In August 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an imminent hazard order – known as an “Out-of-Service Order” – to NDSI, which prohibited the company from operating approximately 37 cargo tanks to haul gasoline or ethanol because the FMCSA determined that those cargo tanks presented safety risks. Nevertheless, Johansson continued to use them to transport gasoline and ethanol.
Furthermore, Johansson admitted that he and NDSI submitted false statements to the FMCSA to have the Out-of-Service Order rescinded by the agency. Johansson signed, under oath, an affidavit that falsely claimed NDSI had never engaged in tank repairs and that Garcia worked for an outside tank-repair company.
To circumvent the FMCSA’s Out-of-Service Order, Johansson, at the end of 2014, converted NDSI to operate under the WDI name. WDI had almost all the same employees and management as NDSI, and it operated out of the same warehouse. WDI continued to violate the Out-of-Service Order through early 2018 by using the prohibited cargo tanks to haul gasoline and ethanol.
As part of the conspiracy and to further conceal his control of NDSI and WDI, Johansson did not file income tax returns for the years 2012 through 2017. Johansson failed to report to the federal government at least $1,174,173 in income from the trucking companies. He used that income to pay for personal expenses – including renting a large home in Corona for at least $12,000 per month and using company accounts to make $200,000 in tuition payments at his children’s private high schools and universities.
In total, Johansson admitted to unlawfully avoiding the payment of at least $298,562 in federal income taxes from 2012 to 2017.
COVID-Relief Fraud
In April 2020, while free on bond in the tanker-related case, Johansson directed another trucking company he controlled, the Ontario-based Western Distribution LLC, to apply for a $436,390 PPP loan. After the loan was funded, Johansson directed Western Distribution in May and June 2020 to immediately spend the PPP funds, largely on non-payroll expenses. Rather than use the funds to keep the company’s employees on staff, Johansson laid off most of the company’s employees, but rehired many of them in late 2020. To create the impression that Western Distribution LLC had spent more of its PPP loan on its payroll than it did, in September 2020 Johansson moved 21 employees from a separate company that Johansson controlled – the Merced County-based Agri-comm Express, Inc. – onto Western Distribution LLC’s payroll, even though those employees never worked for Western Distribution LLC.
In March 2021, Johansson caused Western Distribution LLC to repeat the same fraudulent representations concerning its employee lists and payroll numbers when the company submitted a second PPP loan application, this time for $231,527. The second loan application was also approved.
The total loss in the COVID-relief fraud matter is approximately $667,917.
United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips has scheduled a May 9, 2022 sentencing hearing, at which time Johansson will face a statutory maximum sentence of 100 years in federal prison.
Also in court Wednesday afternoon, Western Distribution LLC pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. Under Johansson's direction, the company applied for and received approximately $667,917 in PPP loans that were fraudulently obtained and spent.
NDSI and WDI each pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiring to make illegal repairs on cargo tanks and defrauding the United States Department of Transportation. NDSI pleaded guilty to an additional count of welding without required certifications.
The three companies are scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2022.
Co-defendant Donald Cameron Spicer, 69, of Fullerton, who was the safety manager at Johansson’s companies, pleaded guilty on August 16 to one count of conspiracy to violate federal law by causing illegal repairs on cargo tanks and defrauding the United States Department of Transportation. Spicer was Johansson's safety manager at NDSI and WDI when the welding explosions occurred. Spicer is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2022.
Garcia is scheduled to go on trial on January 18, 2022.
The United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated these matters.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew W. O’Brien and Joseph O. Johns of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Omaha Residents Charged with COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that an Indictment was unsealed today that charges Tamika R. Cross, age 42, Ronnie E. Cross, age 44, and Davida J. Anderson, age 51, all of Omaha, Nebraska, with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Money Laundering.
The Indictment alleges that the defendants each engaged in a scheme to defraud lenders in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act that Congress enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses so they could preserve jobs and continue paying employees.
The Indictment alleges that these three defendants submitted fraudulent applications for more than $2 million in PPP loans on behalf of businesses that were not in operation, and that they obtained approximately $489,000.00 in PPP loan proceeds. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
An Indictment is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Omaha Man Convicted of Impersonating a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Jeffrey Thomas Ostdiek, 56, of Omaha, Nebraska, was found guilty today following a three-day jury trial in federal court for four counts of impersonating a federal officer. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., scheduled Ostdiek’s sentencing for January 7, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Ostdiek faces up to six years in prison.
Between October 2016 and at least January 2017, Ostdiek went to multiple locations in the Omaha area claiming to be a Postal Inspector or Postmaster General. Ostdiek wore identification that he made from Postal Service receipts along with a body-worn video camera. On one of these occasions, Ostdiek convinced an actual United States Postal Service employee to accompany him to the Douglas County Courthouse where he demanded to meet with a government official, all under the pretense of being a Postal Inspector investigating a legal matter concerning his brother.
In September 2020, Ostdiek went to multiple locations in the Omaha area claiming to be a United States Marshal. Ostdiek wore a six-pointed star belt buckle along with a body-worn video camera. On one of these occasions, Ostdiek went to a business in Omaha seeking contact information for a former employee. Ostdiek left a note to pass on to the former employee asking her to call “Marshal Thomas.”
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshal Service, and United States Postal Inspection Service.
North Pekin Man Charged with Soliciting an Obscene Visual Depiction of a Minor and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –Larry Daniel Saal, 53, of North Pekin, Ill., was indicted on September 21, 2021 for allegations related to solicitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that Saal knowingly solicited material that contains an obscene visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and knowingly distributed child pornography in Tazwell County and elsewhere in the Central District of Illinois.
Saal is currently in custody of the United States Marshal Service.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are 20-year terms of imprisonment for each count, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime term of supervised release. Special assessments also apply.
The charge is a result of an investigation by Washington Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case against Saal was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state, and local resources to 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.
Nigerian National Charged with Money Laundering for Investment Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian national was indicted today in federal court in Boston in connection with allegedly operating an unlicensed money transmitting business to launder the proceeds of online investment fraud schemes.
Tochukwu Abel Edeh, 31, a Nigerian national previously residing in Jacksonville, Fla., was indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business. Edeh was previously charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 2, 2021.
According to the indictment, Edeh managed used car dealerships and currency transfer services in Texas, Florida and Nigeria. This included a trading company as well as a cryptocurrency and e-commerce firm, both of which were based in Nigeria, through which Edeh exchanged Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for profit.
The indictment alleges that in or around 2015, Edeh conspired with others to launder and transmit proceeds of Ponzi-style investment fraud schemes based in Nigeria. Specifically, the schemes purported to offer trading and Bitcoin investing services when, in fact, investor funds were allegedly stolen and later victims’ investments were used to pay purported returns to earlier investors. Edeh allegedly laundered the fraud proceeds using a network of co-conspirators in the United States and using his personal and business accounts in the United States and Nigeria. Edeh, along with his alleged co-conspirators, did not hold money transmitting licenses in their respective states of residents, nor were they registered as money transmitters as required by federal law.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business provides for a sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Division of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced NICK HELMSTETTER, age 29, of New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 29, 2021 to 46 months in the Bureau of Prisons for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, HELMSTETTER conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. HELMSTETTER admitted to being captured on a Title III wire intercept.
District Judge Vance sentenced HELMSTETTER to the 46 months imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release. Judge Vance also ordered that HELMSTETTER pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MICHAEL PAUL PERRILLOUX, age 43, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to Count Four of a four-count Indictment charging him with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including prepubescent children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(2).
According to court documents, in about November 2020, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) executed a search warrant at PERRILLOUX’s New Orleans-area residence after receiving a tip that PERRILLOUX had uploaded images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children to an online, cloud-based file storage account. Agents seized numerous electronic devices belonging to PERRILLOUX. A subsequent review of the devices revealed that between at least 2017 and 2020, PERRILLOUX uploaded images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children via a computer and the internet to one or more online, cloud-based file storage accounts under his control. PERRILLOUX obtained, uploaded, and catalogued thousands of digital files (i.e., images and videos) depicting the sexual exploitation of children. The Government would further establish through the introduction of forensic digital evidence that PERRILLOUX sometimes received payments in exchange for distributing depictions of his collection of CSAM by transmitting electronically a link to one of more of his online file storage accounts. Specifically, on or about September 10, 2018, PERRILLOUX received approximately $200 from Person 1 in exchange for PERRILLOUX providing Person 1 a link to an online file storage account under PERRILLOUX’s control that contained images and videos depicting CSAM.
Additionally, a review of PERRILLOUX’s electronic devices revealed that PERRILLOUX engaged in sexually suggestive online conversations with individuals, including minors, while pretending to be either a female or a younger male. During the conversations, PERRILLOUX requested that the minors either engage in sexually explicit conduct or take and send him sexually explicit pictures and videos.
PERRILLOUX faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. PERRILLOUX also faces a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. PERRILLOUX can be required to register as a sex offender and may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his crime. Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Barbier for January 6, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Arsonist Sentenced to 168 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ARCHIE MORRIS, age 43, of New Orleans, was sentenced on September 28, 2021 for five counts of arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 844(i).
According to court documents, ARCHIE MORRIS used gasoline and Molotov cocktails to start five fires at an occupied apartment in New Orleans, Louisiana. On or about April 2, 2018, at two different times of the day, ARCHIE MORRIS started fires at this apartment. Then on or about April 7, 2018, ARCHIE MORRIS set fire to this residence at three different times of the day.
U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced MORRIS to serve 168 months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release. Judge Zainey also imposed a $500 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Fire Department, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERICK E. GOMEZ, JR., 28, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 3, 2020, Gomez fled from his car after he was involved in a car accident in Woodbridge. A search of the car revealed a loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol, 15 baggies of crack cocaine and 12 folds of heroin and fentanyl. Gomez, who was on state probation, was subsequently charged with state offenses stemming from this incident, and another incident in April when he was found in a car with a convicted felon and a firearm. On July 31, 2020, Gomez, who was released on bonds in both of his state cases, was arrested on related federal charges. At the time of his arrest he possessed quantities of crack cocaine, heroin/fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Gomez has been detained since his federal arrest. On June 9, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Gomez has a criminal history that includes convictions for escape, interfering with arrest, possessing firearms, assault, and possession and sale of narcotics.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Police Department and Woodbridge Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Peter D. Markle and Tara E. Levens.
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.
Multiple Federal Indictments for Straw Purchases of Guns Allegedly Used in Violent Crimes in ChicagoRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – On July 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. The purpose is to ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region and Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Indianapolis and Chicago Field Divisions, sought to identify firearms used in violent crimes in Chicago which had been illegally purchased in Indiana. By using the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes, agents identified suspects in Indiana who illegally purchased firearms (through straw purchase schemes) and allowed the transit of those firearms to Chicago where they were eventually recovered at various crime scenes. A straw purchase scheme is when a person not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm does so for the purpose of transferring that firearm to someone who is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm. To date, 14 individuals have been indicted in 2021 in the Southern District of Indiana for straw purchasing and/or unlicensed dealing.
A federal grand jury in Indianapolis returned several indictments on September 8, 2021, charging six Indianapolis residents with multiple counts including making false statements during the purchase of a firearm, making false statements regarding information kept by licensed firearms dealers, unlawful possession of a firearm while under felony indictment, and the unlicensed dealing of firearms. Those six individuals are allegedly responsible for purchasing over 90 firearms since November 2020. More than 20 of those firearms were recovered in Chicago in various situations including murder scenes, the execution of search warrants, mass shootings investigations and an incident where a Chicago police officer was shot.
“Those who illegally provide firearms to others fuel the violent crime crisis facing many of our major cities” said Acting United States Attorney John Childress. “Despite the fact that those who illegally provide those firearms may never pull a trigger or brandish a firearm during a crime, they are significantly responsible for the destruction and harm resulting from the use of those firearms and as a result, will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted in the Southern District of Indiana.”
“When people straw purchase firearms on behalf of those who are prohibited from purchasing and possessing firearms themselves, they often end up in the hands of those who commit violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristen de Tineo of the Chicago Field Division. “ATF remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Offices throughout the country to investigate these firearms trafficking schemes and prosecute those responsible.”
One of the cases indicted on September 8, 2021, alleges that Tashia Overton, 21, of Indianapolis, purchased a firearm from a federal firearms dealer in Greenwood, Indiana. During the transaction, Overton allegedly provided false information regarding required paperwork for the purchase of the firearm. Four days after the purchase, investigators with the Chicago Police Department recovered the firearm during the commission of a crime in Chicago. ATF agents from the Chicago Field Division subsequently learned that within the span of 25 days Overton had purchased 31 firearms and subsequently sold them within three days of the purchases. To date, 6 of those firearms have been recovered in the Chicagoland area. The most recent recovery was from a mass shooting in Chicago. For each purchase, Overton provide false information to buy the firearms and is now subsequently charged with: Making a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6); Making a False Statement with Respect to Information Required To Be Kept By a Licensed Firearms Dealer, 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1); and Unlicensed Dealing in Firearms:18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A).
Another case indicted on September 8, 2021, involved the alleged illegal purchase of a firearm by Eric Keys Jr., 23 of Indianapolis. According to court documents, in April of 2021, Chicago Police Department Officers responded to a shots fired incident. Upon arrival to the scene, officers located a 29-year-old man and a 6-year-old child sitting in a car. Both had been shot. The adult survived, the 6-year-old child did not. When law enforcement executed a search warrant on the suspected shooter’s residence, they located a firearm. Subsequent analysis by ATF determined that the firearm recovered was the weapon used to kill the minor child. It is alleged that the same firearm was illegally purchased by Keys Jr. in Indianapolis in March of 2021. As a result, Keys Jr. is charged with the following offenses: Making a False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6) and Making a False Statement with Respect to Information Required To Be Kept By a Licensed Firearms Dealer, 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1).
In addition to Overton and Keys, the below listed individuals were also indicted September 8, 2021 on separate straw purchase cases:
- Jordan Henry, 22, Indianapolis
- Jayte Davis, 22, Indianapolis
- Kwamay Armstrong, 29, Indianapolis
- Charles Hunter, 22, Indianapolis
In addition, the eight individuals listed below have been indicted earlier this year in the Southern District of Indiana for separate straw purchase cases:
- Edward Wilson, 22, Indianapolis
- Traven Armstrong, 22, Indianapolis
- Victor Anderson, 24, Indianapolis
- Ernisha Collins, 30, Indianapolis
- Kelvin Henderson, 21, Indianapolis
- Ryanne Godfrey, 38, Indianapolis
- Sierra Vasquez, 25, Indianapolis
- Latasha Davis, 28, Indianapolis
If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and up to 3 years supervised release on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Morgantown woman admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sarah Kuhn, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Kuhn, 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms.” Kuhn admitted to working with another to purchase a firearm, making a false statement claiming the firearm was for her, when, in, fact, the firearm was meant for someone else. The crime occurred in July 2020 in Monongalia County.
Kuhn faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Mississippi Man Sentenced for Robbing Kentwood BankRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STEVEN WILLIAMS, age 35 of Jackson, Mississippi, was sentenced on September 28, 2021 to 13 years and 8 months in prison followed by (5) years of supervised release for bank robbery. WILLIAMS was further ordered to pay $5,136.00 in restitution and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, WILLIAMS used a firearm on November 21, 2016 while robbing the First NBC Bank, whose deposits were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), in Kentwood, Louisiana. He previously pleaded guilty to bank robbery by assaulting and putting in jeopardy the life of another by using a dangerous weapon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a) and (d).
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Kentwood Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
Minneapolis Felon, Member of Tre Tre Crips Gang Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2020, Donell Deon Flowers, 26, a member of the Tre Tre Crips gang, knowingly possessed a loaded Ruger LCP .380 semi-automatic pistol, with an obliterated serial number. The firearm was equipped with a large capacity magazine, capable of accepting more than 15 rounds of ammunition. Flowers is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. He has multiple prior felony convictions in Hennepin County and one prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm as a felon.
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.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan H. Nelson is prosecuting the case.
Mid-level Drug Trafficker Convicted by a Federal JuryRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a mid-level drug trafficker Wednesday for a drug conspiracy and for distributing methamphetamine and heroin.
“Kamau Williams profited from others’ addiction when he distributed methamphetamine and heroin in Tulsa. These deadly drugs have caused too much suffering in communities across Oklahoma,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This week, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn McCormick and David Nasar presented their case to a jury and that jury found Williams guilty on all counts. I am proud of their advocacy, and I am thankful for the jury’s service.”
Kamau Jahi Williams, 43, of Tulsa, was found guilty of distribution of methamphetamine, drug conspiracy, and distribution of heroin.
In the Summer of 2020, the DEA agents and Task Force Officers with the Tulsa Police Department became aware of Williams’ potential criminal activity and began physical surveillance of the suspect. On Oct. 20, 2020, and as alleged in Count 1 of the indictment, Williams met with another individual in a fast food restaurant parking lot in Tulsa. Williams was observed entering the lot in a black pick-up to meet the other man. Agents watched the man take possession of a white plastic bag from Williams and place it in the rear of his white SUV. Soon after, officers stopped the man for a traffic violation. He consented to a vehicle search and officers located 56 grams of methamphetamine in the rear of the vehicle in the same white bag he was seen receiving from Williams earlier. Fifty-six grams is equal to 24 dosage units and worth thousands of dollars. After the seizure, investigators continued their investigation of Williams.
In April 2021, two codefendants were charged in a superseding indictment with Williams and additional charges were added. Agents intercepted communication between Kamau Williams, Albert Thomas III, and Tanara Ruble involving a conspiracy to distribute heroin. The defendants used code words like “dog food” or “black Nike t-shirt” when discussing drug transactions. Agents learned from the communication that Williams was trafficking marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin. The heroin conspiracy was alleged in Count 2.
Williams was also charged in Count 3 with distributing heroin based on a March 4, 2021, drug deal. Ruble met with Williams at the Love More Hookah Lounge, a business owned by Williams. The two were observed entering the business and Ruble exited a short time later. Within the next hour, Williams called Thomas who then met him at the hookah lounge. The two men entered the lounge and emerged after several minutes. After leaving, Thomas was again stopped by uniformed officers, and heroin was discovered along with Glock .45 caliber pistol.
In her closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick told the jury they were provided the opportunity to peer into the secret life of a mid-level drug trafficker. These traffickers, she said, rarely keep large amounts of illicit drugs in their possession. Once Williams received the various drugs, she said, he rapidly distributed them in order to avoid detection and turn a quick profit. She further stated that all the evidence, when viewed a whole, pointed to Williams’ guilt.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
On July 16, 2021, codefendant Tanara Monique Ruble, 40, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to the heroin conspiracy. The case against codefendant Albert Thomas III, 39, of Sapulpa, continues in federal court. He remains innocent until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick and David A. Nasar are prosecuting the case.
Michigan man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dejuan Bernard Williams, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Williams, 27, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with the Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine” in November 2020. Williams admitted to having more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in October 2019 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and White Hall Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Nathan Wilkes, age 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty upon his plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tina Nommay.
Wilkes was sentenced to 211 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, while conducting a narcotics investigation, Fort Wayne Police detectives observed Wilkes driving a Jeep. When officers attempted to stop Wilkes, he attempted to flee. Wilkes was apprehended after a short pursuit. While searching the Jeep, officers located 165 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana and a loaded handgun. Wilkes has previous convictions dealing cocaine and for handgun offenses.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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Maine Woman Arrested for Theft of Public FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine woman was arrested today in connection with stealing federal housing benefits from 2004 to 2020.
Rebecca Amelia Cranford, 62, was charged with one count of theft of government funds. Cranford made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Maine this afternoon and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, from December 2004 until February 2020, Cranford allegedly stole approximately $113,067 in federal housing assistance benefits.
The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Regional Field Office, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Maine State Police and Cumberland County (Maine) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Madison Man Charged with Gun & Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Madison, Wisconsin man is charged with gun and drug crimes in an indictment returned on July 8, 2020 by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison. The charges are announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges Robert L. Coney, 48, with being a felon in possession of ammunition and with possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he possessed the ammunition on May 3, 2020, and that he possessed crack cocaine on May 12, 2020.
The indictment was unsealed following Coney’s arrest in Madison on Tuesday, September 28 by the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the Madison Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Department.
Coney made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison yesterday. He remains in custody pending an arraignment and detention hearing, which has not been scheduled. A trial date has been set for February 28, 2022, before U.S. District Judge William M. Conley.
If convicted, Coney faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition and 20 years on the drug charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Leader of Klamath Falls Drug Trafficking Ring Indicted in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Medford has returned an indictment charging the leader and multiple associates of a Klamath Falls, Oregon area drug trafficking ring with conspiring with one another to transport large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Oregon for distribution and sale in and around Klamath Falls.
Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 57, a Mexican National residing in Reno, Nevada, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and attempted distribution of methamphetamine.
Nine of Martinez-Gil’s associates also face federal charges for their roles in the conspiracy. They include:
- Elizabeth Irene Martinez-Agbalog, 47, of Reno, Nevada
- Anthony Wayne Smith, 56, of Midland, Oregon
- Katherine Desiree O'Brien, 42, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Larry Ralph Labeau Jr., 57, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Bryce Allen Stewart, 57, of Klamath County, Oregon
- Candice Nadine Mckee, 29, of Lakeview, Oregon
- Peter Hill Mitchell, 40, of Lakeview, Oregon
- Cole Edward Reeves, 51, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Reynel Heriberto Ramos-Cornejo, 49, a Honduran National residing in Lynwood, California
According to the indictment, between August 1, 2019 and September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and his associates conspired with one another to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills.
A coordinated law enforcement operation was conducted on September 2, 2021, leading to the arrests of Martinez-Gil and other co-defendants. Federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately seventeen pounds of methamphetamine and seven-hundred counterfeit oxycodone pills.
Martinez-Gil made his initial appearance in federal court today in Portland before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending an eight-day jury trial scheduled to begin on December 14, 2021.
All of Martinez-Gil’s co-defendants have made their first appearances in federal court, including Ramos-Cornejo who was arraigned today in Portland.
If convicted, Martinez-Gil faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, 5 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $10 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), which is made up of members from the Oregon State Police, Klamath Falls Police Department, and the U.S. National Guard. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
The DEA also received assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Central Point Police Department, the Torrance Police Department, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Justice Department Secures Settlement with Santander Consumer USA Inc. to Remedy Violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief ActRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Santander Consumer USA Inc, dba Chrysler Capital (Santander), has agreed to pay more than $134,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that the company denied early motor vehicle lease terminations to servicemembers who qualified for them under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The department previously settled an SCRA lawsuit against Santander in 2015 for repossessing the vehicles of 1,112 servicemembers without a court order.
“The civil rights of servicemembers who sacrifice so much for our country must be respected,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to ensuring that those serving in our nation’s military receive the full range of benefits and protections that they are entitled to under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.”
“Given all our veterans put on the line when they deploy or change station, the last thing they should have to worry about is their car lease,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah for the Northern District of Texas. “The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is designed to ease the financial burdens associated with active duty military service. We are determined to uphold this important law.”
The SCRA permits servicemembers to terminate their motor vehicle leases early without penalty after entering military service or receiving qualifying military orders for a permanent change of station or to deploy to another location.
Today’s settlement, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, resolves a lawsuit filed today by the Department of Justice. The lawsuit alleges that Santander unlawfully denied early motor vehicle lease terminations to ten servicemembers.
Under the proposed settlement, Santander must pay $94,282.62 in compensation to the ten aggrieved servicemembers and a $40,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury. As part of the agreement, the company has also updated its SCRA procedures and training.
The department’s investigation, which began in 2019, stemmed from a complaint submitted by U.S. Army Captain Eric McDowell. Captain McDowell entered into a three-year lease in October 2017 for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but he learned in May 2019 that he was going to be deployed to Afghanistan. In August 2019, he returned the vehicle to Santander and tried to terminate the lease, but the company denied his termination request. It was not until February 2020, after the United States had opened its investigation and six months after Captain McDowell returned his vehicle to the dealership, that Santander finally approved the lease termination, voided early termination charges, and refunded the lease amounts that had been paid in advance. Captain McDowell faced significant stress during his deployment to Afghanistan as a result of this six-month delay. The department’s investigation uncovered nine additional servicemembers whose SCRA rights it alleges Santander violated.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $476 million in monetary relief for over 121,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.
Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Discrimination at 46 Multifamily Housing Complexes in North Carolina and South CarolinaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that Pendergraph Development LLC and several related entities have agreed to pay $300,000 to settle claims that they violated the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to build 46 multifamily housing complexes in North Carolina and South Carolina with required accessible features for people with disabilities. As part of the settlement, the defendants also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the complexes.
The settlement, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, requires the defendants to pay all costs related to the retrofits, $275,000 into a settlement fund to compensate individuals harmed by the inaccessible housing, and a civil penalty of $25,000 to the government.
“For decades the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act have required that new housing complexes be built with accessible features for people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue aggressively enforcing our federal civil rights laws to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the housing options of their choice.”
Under the settlement, the defendants will, among other things, replace steeply-sloped walkways and install new walkways to help residents reach units, amenities, mailboxes and entrances to the properties, remove obstacles from pedestrian pathways, and widen doorways and modify bathrooms so they are accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs. The settlement also requires the defendants to receive training about the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act to take steps to ensure that their future multifamily housing construction complies with these laws and to provide periodic reports to the Justice Department.
The complexes at issue, all of which were built with financial assistance from the federal government’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and some of which are marketed as housing for elderly persons, are:
- Cottages at Twin Oaks, Angier, NC
- Cottages at Brevard, Brevard, NC
- McKinley Place, Coats, NC
- Wilton Place, Creedmoor, NC
- Laurel Pointe Apartments, Goldsboro, NC
- Laurel Pointe Apartments II, Goldsboro, NC
- Lochstone Apartments, Goldsboro, NC
- Oxford Plantation, Goldsboro, NC
- Sierra Gardens, Hamlet, NC
- Signal Ridge, Hendersonville, NC
- Franklin Ridge, High Point, NC
- Abby Gardens, Kinston, NC
- Andover Park, Kinston, NC
- Cambridge Farms, Kinston, NC
- Greenbrier Landing, Kinston, NC
- Loris Garden, Loris, NC
- Cleveland Ridge, Mountain, NC
- Kings Falls Apartments, Mountain, NC
- Hamilton Ridge Apartments, Oak City, NC
- Wyndsor Downs, Polkton, NC
- Oaks at Brier Creek, Raleigh, NC
- The Meadows at Brier Creek, Raleigh, NC
- Greenridge Apartments, Rockingham, NC
- Whitford Place, Salem, NC
- Lanier Pointe I, Shelby, NC
- Lanier Pointe II, Shelby, NC
- Glen Lake Apartments, Smithfield, NC
- James Pointe Apartments, Statesville, NC
- Evans Pointe I, Tabor City, NC
- Evans Pointe II, Tabor City, NC
- Hawthorne Court Apartments, Tarboro, NC
- Kingston Ridge Apartments, Thomasville, NC
- Bayleaf Plantation, Washington, NC
- Clifton Park, Washington, NC
- Cottages at Glendale, Wilson, NC
- Glendale Woods, Wilson, NC
- Morgan’s Ridge I, Wilson, NC
- Morgan’s Ridge II, Wilson, NC
- Wesley Landing, Wilson, NC
- Manor Ridge Apartments, Wingate, NC
- Glen Arbor Apartments, Aiken, SC
- Port Royal, Beaufort, SC
- Azalea Gardens Apartments, Lancaster, SC
- Cottages at Azalea Apartments, Lancaster, SC
- Miller’s Ridge Apartments, Lancaster, SC
- Palmettos Way, Loris, SC
Individuals who believe they or someone they know may have had difficulties because of the inaccessible conditions at any of these properties should e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or leave a message at 1-833-591-0291, selecting option 1 for English, selecting option 4 for housing accessibility for persons with disabilities, and selecting option 4 for Pendergraph Development LLC.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. This law requires that multifamily housing buildings with four or more units constructed after March 13, 1991, have basic accessible features. Enacted in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes constructed after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals may report disability discrimination or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing a complaint online.
Jury Convicts MS-13 Member of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A jury found Lorenzo Amador, 23, of Mendota, guilty of one count of assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amador was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. On Aug. 12, 2018, Amador and fellow MS-13 members kicked, hit, and stabbed a member of a rival gang in the back with a knife, slicing his diaphragm and sending him to the emergency room where he had to have life-saving surgery.
After the attack, Amador logged on to his Facebook account and used coded language to send word of the attack to his fellow MS-13 members. His message was intercepted by a wiretap on the Facebook account of one of his fellow MS-13 members. In the days following the stabbing, Amador’s fellow MS-13 members called each other in frantic efforts to warn Amador that police might be closing in on him and to try to help him flee Mendota, which he did. Police eventually caught him two months later.
Amador also joined a drug conspiracy, which he participated in by driving to Los Angeles to help the gang pick up drugs, returning to Mendota with the drugs, and selling them for the gang.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson, Michael Tierney, and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the case.
Several of Amador’s co-defendants have been sentenced, and others have pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing later this year.
Amador is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 17, 2021. Amador faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Judge sentences serial armed business robber to more than 20 yearsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Lloyd Wings to 252 months in prison today. The St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, six counts of armed robbery and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Wings conspired with others from July 2018 through September 2018 to commit armed robberies at commercial establishments located in the City of St. Louis. The defendant and his co-conspirators would choose a location to rob and drive to the location of the intended business in separate vehicles. Once there, members of the conspiracy would enter the business, armed with one or more firearms, and demand from the employees, at gunpoint, to provide the contents of the safe and/or cash registers. Oftentimes, the defendant and his accomplices would forcibly steal the personal property of customers or employees as well. Wings and the others would then flee in their respective vehicles, meet up at location and divide the proceeds of the robberies.
“Judge White’s sentence today sends a clear message to those in our community who wish to do harm to others. These types of violent armed crimes simply will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Missouri. Although no victims were physically injured in these robberies, the resulting toll and mental anguish is immeasurable,” said United States Attorney Sayler Fleming. “The United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to do everything in our power to bring perpetrators such as Lloyd Wings to justice.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case.
Judge sentences St. Louis man for weapons charges related to a domestic assaultRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jermaine Collier of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on September 28, 2021. Collier previously pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) began an investigation on November 25, 2020, relative to Collier being suspected of a domestic assault which occurred in the City of St. Louis. During the initial incident, Collier exhibited a black-and-greenish-brown rifle in a threatening manner towards the victim.
Detectives learned Collier was a convicted felon and had warrants out for his arrest. A series of investigative leads were followed that resulted in the arrest of Collier on December 3, 2020.
After Collier was secured, he advised that he had a gun in his jacket pocket, where officers found a loaded 9mm Ruger pistol. Collier also indicated that there were two other guns at his residence which were eventually seized by police. One such weapon seized at the residence was the previously described rifle in addition to another semi-automatic pistol. The sentence handed out is based in large part on the enhancements for physically restraining a victim, using a firearm in connection with another felony offense (UUW-exhibiting), possessing three or more firearms, and obstructing justice by attempting to conceal a shotgun. Collier a previously convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing the weapons due to his conviction.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Agrees to New Policies to Improve Communication with Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard-of-HearingRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) has agreed to adopt a set of policies to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. As described in the agreement, the changes in policy were obtained after an investigation into complaints by two individuals who are deaf, who each claimed that JCSO deputies had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not providing them with aids and services they needed to effectively communicate in connection with their arrests and bookings.
Title II of the ADA requires public entities, including law enforcement agencies, to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Auxiliary aids and services can include items such as computers with video communication software or qualified in-person interpreters. The United States Attorney’s Office investigated the two complaints referenced above, as well as interactions the JCSO has had with other individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and the JCSO’s policies and procedures for such interactions. The investigation revealed that some existing policies were not always followed and other policies needed improvement.
To address these issues relating to JCSO’s interactions with individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, the United States obtained an agreement that requires JCSO to undertake several reforms, including adopting several new policies and ensuring that those policies are understood and followed:
- When JCSO patrol deputies encounter individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, they will assess whether those individuals need auxiliary aids and services and provide them if needed.
- JCSO employees will be required to notify a supervisor any time they encounter an individual who is deaf or hard-of-hearing, and if that person is en route to the jail, JCSO patrol deputies will notify dispatch staff, who in turn will notify booking staff.
- JCSO employees working at the jail will ensure that detainees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are able to access technology that enables them to communicate with family, friends, and their attorneys.
- JCSO employees in patrol, booking, and jail operations will receive job-specific training on effective communication policies and operations involving individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
- JCSO patrol officers who fail to assess and document the communication needs of individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may be required to receive more training or face discipline.
“When law enforcement interacts with individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, effective communication requires the use of appropriate aids and services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch. “We are pleased that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to take steps not only to improve their policies on interacting with individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, but also to ensure that JCSO employees know how to put those policies into action. The measures announced today will help both law enforcement officers and individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing by ensuring effective communication.”
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeyen Wu.
Link to Settlement Agreement
Inmate at USP Lee Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a WeaponRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An Inmate at USP Lee in Jonesville, Virginia was sentenced this week to 36 months of additional incarceration for unlawfully possessing a weapon inside the prison.
Andrew Bryant, 35, previously pleaded guilty to one count of possessing contraband inside a prison. He was sentenced this week to 36 additional months of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar made the announcement today.
The Investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Steven J. Luckie prosecuted the case for the United States.
Indianapolis Man Sentenced for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man was sentenced yesterday to more than 11 years in prison following his guilty plea to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. He will also serve 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Andreas Calhoun, 35, who has a prior conviction for robbery, committed an armed robbery of the Castleton Branch of the Fifth Third Bank. Calhoun, who was armed with a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, held three Fifth Third employees at gunpoint and threatened to kill them while he took over $7,000.00 from the bank.
After leaving the bank, Calhoun led police on a high-speed chase through Indianapolis. The chase ended when Calhoun crashed his vehicle into a drainage ditch at 46th Street and Andover Road in Indianapolis. Calhoun was placed under arrest and police recovered the stolen money, a loaded Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic handgun, and a black ski mask that was used by the defendant in the robbery.
“Due to the investigative teamwork by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Lawrence Police Department, a violent bank robber now faces the consequences of his choices, said Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress. “Those who embrace such violent behavior will be caught, and they will be held fully accountable for their actions.”
“Mr. Calhoun terrorized innocent bank tellers and civilians just trying to go about their daily lives and his actions will have a lifelong impact on those involved,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “This sentence should send a clear message that if you rob a bank in this state the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you, arrest you, and ensure you go to federal prison for a long time.”
“Of particular help in this investigation was the willingness of witnesses to provide rapid, accurate information to 911 operators and first responding officers, leading to an observant, veteran LPD officer spotting and attempting to stop the suspect vehicle,” said Lawrence Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff. “The results of witness cooperation combined with these investigative collaborations speak for themselves, holding those who commit violent crime accountable for their actions.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and Lawrence Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman prosecuted the case.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.