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30 September 2021
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.
Indian national pleads guilty to role in nationwide tech support refund scamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old Indian citizen illegally present in the United States who had resided in Houston has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Sumit Kumar Singh admitted to participating in a fraud ring from 2018 – 2020 which operated out of various cities, including Houston. The scheme targeted elderly victims throughout the United States and elsewhere.
The ring tricked and deceived victims using various ruses and instructed them to send money via wire through a money transmitter business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, by buying gift cards and providing to the fraudsters and by mailing cash to alias names via FedEx or UPS.
One such scheme involved the claim of providing computer technical support services in order to gain remote access to victims’ computers. The fraud ring tricked and deceived victims into believing a technical support company purportedly helped them with their computers. They then told the victims they had erroneously refunded or overpaid them and that the victim needed to return the overpayment in cash via FedEx or UPS.
The scheme generally worked because fraudsters contacted victims by phone or via internet sites directing them to a particular phone number. Once victims contacted them, they were told various stories to include the victim was communicating with a technical support center that needed remote access to their computer in order to provide technical support services. Once a victim provided such access, the fraudsters gained access to their personal data and bank and credit card information.
Victims typically paid a fee to conspirators for the alleged technical support but were later told they were due a refund. Through paying for “technical support” or through the “refund” process, the ring gained access to the victim’s bank account(s) and credit cards and manipulated the accounts to make it appear the victim was paid too large a refund due to a typographical error (e.g., a victim received a refund of $10,000 instead of the intended refund amount of $100). Victims were then instructed to reimburse the ring by various means.
Victims were sometimes re-victimized multiple times and threatened with bodily harm if they did not pay.
Today, Singh admitted to acting as a runner to pick up parcels of victim cash using fraudulent international driver’s licenses in fake names.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 20. At that time, Singh faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He will remain in custody while awaiting sentencing.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Quincy Ollison are prosecuting the case.
Houston crew convicted of violent ATM robberiesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Three Houston men have pleaded guilty to a string of Love’s Travel Stop robberies throughout Texas and Louisiana, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Christopher Bernard Brown aka Chris and C, 39, pleaded guilty today, while Wesley Jerome Davis, 28, and Kevin Wilson aka KCosa or KC, 33, admitted to their roles July 29.
Between May 29, and Sept. 13, 2019, the men conspired with each other to steal or attempt to steal ATMs and the currency they contained from at least nine Love’s Travel Stops. They admitted they threatened or used physical force towards customers or employees.
Brown typically served as a scout or lookout. Davis and Wilson wore masks and gloves and removed or attempted to remove the ATMs using a vehicle. The men would then lift the dislodged ATMs into a waiting vehicle and drive away.
They failed on three attempts but managed to take a significant amount of money from the stolen ATMs in Hungerford, Seguin, Lufkin, Cleveland, and Three Rivers as well as in Vinton, Louisiana.
In the Three Rivers incident, Brown or others came into contact with Love’s employees or customers and made statements and gestures that incited fear. Employees did not intervene for fear of sustaining serious bodily injury.
In Seguin, a good Samaritan attempted to stop the ATM robbery but Davis struck him twice. The victim fell to the floor and suffered bodily injury from a head wound.
Brown is set for sentencing Jan. 5, 2022, before U.S. District Judge David S. Morales, while Wilson and Davis are set for Oct. 27. At their hearings, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
They have been and will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearings.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of sheriff’s offices in Live Oak, Angelina, Brazoria, Wharton, Medina and Cass Counties; police departments in Angleton, Cleveland, Seguin and Lufkin and Vinton, Louisiana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning is prosecuting the case.Harahan Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHARLES A. LOPEZ (“LOPEZ”), age 29, of Harahan, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 29, 2021 for receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).
The case against LOPEZ developed as a result of an undercover child exploitation investigation conducted by special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). On April 30, 2019, HSI agents and special agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation executed a federal search warrant at LOPEZ’s Harahan home and determined LOPEZ received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle sentenced LOPEZ to sixty (60) months incarceration in federal prison, followed by five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. Additionally, LOPEZ will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
Great Falls meth trafficker sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted to distributing methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement stopped him on his way back from Missoula and found about a half pound of meth in the vehicle was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
John Deacon Gundlach, 35, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in May 2020, the Russell Country Drug Task Force received information that Gundlach was distributing meth. Investigators also learned on June 1,2020 that Gundlach was leaving Great Falls to pick up a load of meth, had been in Missoula and was returning to Great Falls. Officers stopped a Chevrolet Tahoe in which Gundlach was a passenger. Gundlach admitted he got meth in Missoula and that it was on floor of the vehicle. Law enforcement found the bag of meth and an analysis determined it contained about 269 grams of meth, or more than half a pound.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Russell Country Drug Task Force and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Great Falls meth and heroin trafficker sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to dealing methamphetamine and heroin in the community was sentenced today to 38 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Tammy Lynn Lapie, 56, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in September 2020, the Russell Country Drug Task Force received information that Lapie was dealing methamphetamine and heroin. During a search of Lapie’s house, officers found both drugs. Officers also seized and searched Lapie’s cell phone and confirmed her involvement in dealing drugs. In February 2021, law enforcement intercepted a package of heroin that Lapie was expecting in the mail and delivered it to Lapie, who took custody of it. Lapie admitted to law enforcement that she sold heroin to a small group of individuals in the community.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Russell Country Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Grand Jury indicts two men accused of bank fraud involving Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Chris Carroll and George Reed today with three counts of bank fraud and six counts of money laundering.
The indictment charges Chris Carroll and George Reed with 3 counts of bank fraud and 6 counts of money laundering in connection with their company Square One Group’s receipt of two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, one in the amount of more than $1.2 million, and the second loan in the amount of more than $1.6 million.
The indictment alleges that Reed and Carroll submitted PPP loan applications in their spouses’ names, rather than their own names, to misrepresent and conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. It is further alleged, that Carroll and Reed did not use the funds to compensate their employees, but instead, used the funds to start a trucking company and to fund $660,000 in payments to themselves. The indictment further alleges that the company suspended their employees’ pay and health insurance coverage after applying for PPP funds.
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created for the sole purpose of helping businesses keep workers employed during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. “With finite taxpayer dollars, those who commit fraud against the PPP are taking money from workers who depend on a stable paycheck.”
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Dashawn Terrell Swygert, age 27, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in early 2020, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted an investigation into firearms within the Columbia area. During this investigation, undercover ATF agents were introduced to Swygert, a validated gang member. During three transactions in February 2020, he sold six handguns, many of which were loaded, to undercover ATF agents. Of the seven handguns recovered by ATF, three had previously been reported as having been stolen from vehicles in Richland County and Newberry County. Another of the handguns was preliminarily linked through ballistics analysis as having been involved in two shooting incidents in Richland County and one shooting incident in Lexington County.
Swygert has prior state convictions for strong armed robbery, assault and battery, and criminal conspiracy.
Swygert faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Swygert after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
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Former Montana man sentenced to 19 years in prison for sexually exploiting numerous children, including two Montana victims, through online activityRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A former Montana man, currently of Arizona, who admitted to coercing minor girls in Montana to send him sexually explicit images of themselves through the internet and to receiving child pornography was sentenced today to 19 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Joshua Dean Fish, 27, formerly of Helena and currently of Gilbert, Arizona, pleaded guilty on June 9 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and to receipt of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Restitution is pending a later hearing.
“Fish communicated directly with children through the internet to coerce them into sending him sexually explicit images of themselves. Many parents and guardians have little ability to monitor these kinds of communications. Anyone who exploits children in this way is an extreme danger to our children and a substantial threat to the community and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson and the investigative agencies in Montana and Arizona for their work on this case,” Acting U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
The government alleged in court documents and in statements in court that in January 2020, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office received a report of online sexually explicit activity involving two children, who were under the age of 18. An investigation identified Fish as offering to pay for the sexually explicit images. Prior to mid-2018, Fish resided in Montana. The two Montana child victims, one in Butte and another in Helena, reported that an online user promised monetary digital payments in exchange for nude images that would be sent through the internet. Both child victims sent Fish sexually explicit images of themselves.
The government further alleged that an investigation by Arizona law enforcement into a Cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving sending and receiving child pornography through a social media application led to Fish. In June 2020, law enforcement searched Fish’s residence. Fish admitted to law enforcement that he paid minor girls for nude images, which were sent to him online, and to possessing numerous hard drives containing child pornography. An examination of digital devices seized during the search found hundreds of thousands of images and video files of child pornography. The examiner determined that Fish received many of these files while living in Montana from 2012 to 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Gilbert (Arizona) Police Department.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Former Lubbock Private School President Sentenced to 5 ½ Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A former Lubbock Christian School president was sentenced today to 5 1/2 years in federal prison for possessing sexually explicit images of a child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Larry Tye Rogers, 56, pleaded guilty in June to possession of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to plea papers, Rogers admitted that in October 2020, his wife caught him surreptitiously taking photographs of a 15-year-old girl as she was naked in the bathroom preparing to shower. Rogers, who was found on his hands and knees holding his iPhone under the opening at the bottom of the door, admitted to his wife that he’d taken several photos and videos of the child in the bathroom. He later admitted his intended focus was the child’s genitals and pubic area, and that the images were designed to elicit a sexual response in Rogers.
Shortly thereafter, a colleague confronted him about his conduct. Rogers dropped his head and confirmed that he had taken photos of a minor female, and suggested that he should resign his position as president of Lubbock Christian School.
In addition to his sentence, Mr. Rogers will have to have to register as a sex offender.
The Lubbock Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Rancourt and Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
Former Long Beach Police Officer Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging He Distributed and Possessed Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Long Beach Police officer has been arrested pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment alleging he possessed and distributed child pornography when he was working as a law enforcement officer.
Anthony Brown, 57, of Lakewood, was arrested Wednesday morning by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). At his arraignment in United States District Court Wednesday afternoon, Brown pleaded not guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment returned on September 21, Brown used MeWe, an internet-based messaging application, to distribute sexually explicit images of girls in November 2019 and April 2020.
From October 2019 through May 2020, Brown also knowingly possessed a sexually explicit image of a girl who had not yet reached the age of 12, the indictment alleges.
Brown was a Long Beach Police officer for 27 years. He left the force earlier this year after his arrest on state charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has dismissed those charges in light of the federal case.
At Wednesday’s arraignment, Brown was released on bond. A trial was scheduled for November 23.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Brown would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.
HSI and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Jackson Public School Band Volunteer Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for production of child pornography involving minors he met through volunteering with various Jackson Public School bands, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Jerrell Lea’Shun Jackson, 34, used his association with the Jackson State University Sonic Boom to entice unsuspecting minors to his apartment and the bus barn for sexually explicit conduct and filming. Jackson preyed on the most vulnerable children by fixing their band instruments, giving them a ride home after band practices and buying them food.
Jackson pled guilty on June 14, 2021 to production of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Jackson Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Jackson Public School Campus Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Former Belmont County attorney charged with stealing more than half a million dollars from elderly victim with dementiaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a former Belmont County attorney with crimes related to stealing more than half a million dollars from an elderly woman with dementia while acting as the woman’s Power of Attorney.
Mark Alan Thomas, 61, of St. Clairsville, Ohio, is charged with four counts of mail fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, from 2012 through August 2019, Thomas defrauded a client while serving as her Power of Attorney. It is alleged that Thomas took the victim’s money without her knowledge or permission to use for his own benefit.
The indictment details that Thomas improperly used the victim’s Power of Attorney and his status as a lawyer – even after his law license was revoked in 2015 – to convince various entities, including banks and life insurance companies, to transfer the victim’s money for his use.
In May 2012, a family member of the victim obtained a separate Power of Attorney for the victim, and it is alleged that Thomas drafted a revocation of the family member’s Power of Attorney for the victim to sign. At the time, the victim was 85 years old, exhibiting symptoms of dementia, and living in a senior-care facility. Thomas allegedly acted as the notary to verify the victim’s signature on the revocation.
The indictment further alleges that Thomas falsely told a banker he needed $200,000 from the victim’s investment account to set up an educational fund that the victim wanted to establish. Once he received the money from the bank, Thomas allegedly transferred the money to himself instead.
In January 2014, Thomas allegedly cashed more than $290,000 of the victim’s U.S. Treasury Bonds, then subsequently transferred $200,000 into his law firm’s bank account, and eventually into his own personal bank account.
According to the indictment, in 2016, Thomas wrote letters to three life insurance companies purporting to be the victim asking to cash out the victim’s policies and direct all correspondence to Thomas.
“In total, the charging document alleges Thomas stole more than $500,000 of the victim’s funds while claiming to act in her best interests as Power of Attorney,” Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel said.
“Having power of attorney is not a license to steal,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I am thankful that investigators with my Health Care Fraud unit and our federal partners were able to expose this alleged abuse of trust.”
Patel, Yost and FBI Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers announced the charges. The Ohio Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Unit and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Twombly and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Firestone Polymers Agrees to Settle Multiple Environmental Claims at its Louisiana Rubber Manufacturing PlantRead the Press Release
Firestone Polymers LLC (Firestone) has agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and several other federal and state environmental laws at the company’s synthetic rubber manufacturing facility in Sulfur, Louisiana. The company will also pay a total of $3.35 million in civil penalties.
The settlement requires several actions from Firestone, including meeting emissions limits, operating and maintenance requirements, equipment controls, limiting hazardous air pollutants from facility dryers, conducting inspections of heat exchangers, installing controls and monitors on covered flares, and installing flaring instrumentation and monitoring systems. After being notified of the violations but prior to the consent decree being lodged, Firestone took other compliance measures, including installing and operating a regenerative thermal oxidizer system to receive waste gases from dryers, reducing n-hexane solvent concentrations and inspecting and testing heat exchangers.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and co-plaintiff Louisiana Department of Environment Quality (LDEQ), filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges that the facility emitted excess amounts of pollutants including nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hazardous air pollutants including 1,3-butadiene, n-hexane, styrene, formaldehyde, methanol and others. Additionally, the company allegedly failed to comply with requirements related to equipment such as dryers, cooling towers and flares; leak detection and repair; mechanical integrity; and monitoring and reporting. The complaint also asserts violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act; the Pollution Prevention Act; and Louisiana state air pollution control requirements.
“This settlement will ensure cleaner air for the citizens of Louisiana and the communities near Firestone’s plant,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It also enforces the company’s obligation to inform local communities of potential chemical hazards to aid state and local efforts to control accidental releases.”
“Businesses such as Firestone Polymers have a sacred obligation to protect Louisiana’s environment and to use our natural resources wisely,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement sends a clear message that those who don’t honor this obligation will be held accountable.”
“The Clean Air Act is vital to protecting people’s health, and the Sulfur Firestone facility violated these protections as Louisiana’s highest emitter of three types of hazardous air pollutants,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray of the EPA. “EPA’s legal and enforcement team, working with DOJ and LDEQ, held the company accountable for reducing emissions, and won additional benefits for environmental justice communities in Southwest Louisiana with improved air monitoring systems. I congratulate our team for their hard work on behalf of the people of Louisiana.”
“The violations detailed in the complaint represent Firestone’s disregard for the Clean Air Act, which is an underlying authority for environmental regulation in the United States,” said Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown of LDEQ. “LDEQ and our federal partner, EPA, will vigorously pursue any violators of the CAA. These penalties and the beneficial environmental project under the consent decree are the result of our efforts. The beneficial environmental project’s funds will be used to support additional ambient air monitoring in the Westlake and southwest Louisiana areas, which will assist LDEQ’s efforts to improve air quality for these communities.”
As part of the consent decree, Firestone will pay a civil penalty of $2,098,678.50 to the United States and $1,251,321.50 to LDEQ for a total of $3,350,000. Firestone will also complete a Beneficial Environmental Project in Louisiana by funding ambient air monitoring system upgrades in several locations in southwest Louisiana.
The consent decree was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the decree will be available on the Department of Justice website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Firestone Polymers Agrees to Settle Multiple Environmental Claims at its Louisiana Rubber Manufacturing PlantRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Firestone Polymers LLC (Firestone) has agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and several other federal and state environmental laws at the company’s synthetic rubber manufacturing facility in Sulfur, Louisiana. The company will also pay a total of $3.35 million in civil penalties.
The settlement requires several actions from Firestone, including meeting emissions limits, operating and maintenance requirements, equipment controls, limiting hazardous air pollutants from facility dryers, conducting inspections of heat exchangers, installing controls and monitors on covered flares, and installing flaring instrumentation and monitoring systems. After being notified of the violations but prior to the consent decree being lodged, Firestone took other compliance measures, including installing and operating a regenerative thermal oxidizer system to receive waste gases from dryers, reducing n-hexane solvent concentrations and inspecting and testing heat exchangers.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and co-plaintiff Louisiana Department of Environment Quality (LDEQ), filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges that the facility emitted excess amounts of pollutants including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hazardous air pollutants including 1,3-butadiene, n-hexane, styrene, formaldehyde, methanol, and others and failed to comply with requirements related to equipment such as dryers, cooling towers, and flares; leak detection and repair; mechanical integrity; and monitoring and reporting. The complaint also asserts violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act; the Pollution Prevention Act; and Louisiana state air pollution control requirements.
“Businesses such as Firestone Polymers have a sacred obligation to protect Louisiana’s environment and to use our natural resources wisely,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement sends a clear message that those who don’t honor this obligation will be held accountable.”
“This settlement will ensure cleaner air for the citizens of Louisiana and the communities near Firestone’s plant,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It also enforces the company’s obligation to inform local communities of potential chemical hazards to aid state and local efforts to control accidental releases.”
“The Clean Air Act is vital to protecting people’s health, and the Sulfur Firestone facility violated these protections as Louisiana’s highest emitter of three types of hazardous air pollutants,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray of the EPA. “EPA’s legal and enforcement team, working with DOJ and LDEQ, held the company accountable for reducing emissions, and won additional benefits for environmental justice communities in Southwest Louisiana with improved air monitoring systems. I congratulate our team for their hard work on behalf of the people of Louisiana.”
“The violations detailed in the complaint represent Firestone’s disregard for the Clean Air Act, which is an underlying authority for environmental regulation in the United States,” said Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown of LDEQ. “LDEQ and our federal partner, EPA, will vigorously pursue any violators of the CAA. These penalties and the beneficial environmental project under the consent decree are the result of our efforts. The beneficial environmental project’s funds will be used to support additional ambient air monitoring in the Westlake and southwest Louisiana areas, which will assist LDEQ’s efforts to improve air quality for these communities.”
As part of the consent decree, Firestone will pay a civil penalty of $2,098,678.50 to the United States and $1,251,321.50 to LDEQ for a total of $3,350,000. Firestone will also complete a Beneficial Environmental Project in Louisiana by funding ambient air monitoring system upgrades in several locations in Southwest Louisiana.
The consent decree was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the decree will be available on the Department of Justice website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
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Federal Judge Sentences West Bank Drug Dealer to 140 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DAVID TRAN, age 42, of Bridge City, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 29, 2021 by the Honorable Jane Triche Milazzo to 140 months in the Bureau of Prisons for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, TRAN pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to manufacture, possess with the intent to distribute, and to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 100 grams or more of heroin. TRAN also admitted that he possessed large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute them and that he was manufacturing large quantities of marijuana.
The case resulted from a lengthy Title III wire intercept investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in which TRAN and his co-conspirators were captured discussing heroin sales, as well as the construction of a large indoor marijuana grow in Bridge City. The calls led the DEA agents to conduct a search of a warehouse and adjacent residence in Bridge City. During the search, the agents found a large marijuana grow that contained approximately 700 plants in varying stages of growth and equipment sufficient to grow many thousand more plants. Significant work and expense had been put into remodeling the warehouse, including thousands of dollars in lights, cooling systems, and ventilation. The agents also discovered a safe containing a cornucopia of other drugs, including 1,396.2 grams of methamphetamine; 990 grams of MDMA (ecstasy); and 1,175.9 grams of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that is fueling the tremendous rise in overdose deaths.
Judge Milazzo sentenced TRAN to 140 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by five years of supervised release after he is released from imprisonment. TRAN was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $400.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Several other law enforcement agencies, including Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Kenner Police Department, assisted in the search of the warehouse in Bridge City. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Superseding Indictment Charging 14 for Their Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Operating in Kanawha CountyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced that a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today charging 14 individuals for their roles in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.
The superseding indictment includes charges against Angie Lane Harbour, 40, of Given, West Virginia. Harbour is charged with conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprises.
Charged along with Angie Lane Harbour in the 15-count indictment are: Ramon David Alston, 41, of Decatur, Georgia; Jonathan Gregory Bush, 38, of Dunbar, West Virginia; Kelly Cordle, 43, of Kimberly, West Virginia; Scott Edward Hudson, 49, and Jason Robert Oxley, 38, of St. Albans, West Virginia; Leo Antoine Smith, of Cross Lanes, West Virginia; and James Edward Bennett III, 30, Treydan Burks, 31, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, 24, Denise Marie Cottrell, 63, Brittany Frances Gilbert, 33, Brian Dangelo Terry, 36 and Douglas Johnathan Wesley, 32, all of Charleston, West Virginia.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service, the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Please note: An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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. 2:21-cr-00172 (Alston, et al.).
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Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Recognizes Three Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office/District of New Jersey for Outstanding WorkRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, are among those who were honored by the Department of Justice’s 37th Annual Director’s Awards this year, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Connie Jones won for Superior Performance in a Litigative Support Role, recognized for her outstanding contributions to criminal prosecutions in the District of New Jersey over the past 27 years. Since 2018, when she became a supervisor overseeing half of the Criminal Division’s paralegals, Jones has been integral to the district’s effort to redefine the role of paralegals in criminal matters. She developed standardized operating procedures and protocols to ensure consistency in the preparation of grand jury subpoenas, the maintenance of case files, the organization of evidence, and the management of discovery. Jones helps manage the office’s “Triggerlock” program, ensuring the safety of the community by assisting in the prosecutions that result in the seizure of hundreds of unlawfully possessed firearms.
Ronnell Wilson and Dean Sovolos won for Superior Performance by an AUSA – Criminal. Wilson and Sovolos coordinated and led the response of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey to two tragic incidents of violent extremism that took place in a span of only eight months: the first, the domestic terror attack fueled by anti-Semitism that took place in Jersey City, New Jersey; and the second, the bias-motivated attack on U.S. District Judge Esther Salas and her family. Wilson and Sovolos demonstrated extraordinary skill and professionalism in working tirelessly to investigate these attacks and find answers for the victims and their families. Their work on these investigations was supported by many others in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“I am proud to congratulate our office’s three recipients of this year’s Director’s Awards,” Acting U.S. Attorney Honig said. “The recognition of their work in the litigation support and criminal areas reflects not only on their tremendous contributions to protecting the people of New Jersey, but on all of the people in this office. They work every day – under especially trying circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic – and maintain the highest levels of professionalism and performance. I am grateful to be their colleague.”
The traditional ceremony held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building was again cancelled this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
East Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to 68 Months’ Imprisonment for Trafficking in Fentanyl and Cocaine While Serving A Term of Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Grier Woodall, age 43, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 29, 2021, to 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 6-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking. Because Woodall engaged in this new criminal conduct while serving a term of federal supervised release, Judge Mannion also sentenced Woodall to a consecutive 41 month term of imprisonment on the supervised release violation, resulting in a total aggregate sentence of 68 months.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, from approximately January 2019 to September 2019, Woodall possessed with the intent to distribute both fentanyl and cocaine. Woodall engaged in this conduct while he was serving a term of federal supervised released that had been imposed in connection with a prior 2005 140-month sentence for his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and its state and local law enforcement partners in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St. John prosecuted 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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EDVA Announces Grant Award for Certified Peer Recovery SpecialistsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh announced today that the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) has provided $301,780 in grant funding for Project RECOVER. The funding will provide peer recovery support for Central Virginians suffering with substance use disorders during one of the most critical times in their path to recovery – immediately following an overdose. This support will be provided by Certified Peer Recovery Specialists who work with local emergency services, are in recovery themselves, and have taken training to help others who want to join the same life-saving journey.
“With the help of our partners and through this important initiative, we are focusing on long-term and community-based support through the deployment of recovery-related resources immediately after overdose incidents,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “By deploying Certified Peer Recovery Specialists who have training and life experience in the treatment and recovery process, we can provide mentors to those in need and allow them to embark on the path to recovery.”
Project RECOVER provides four Certified Peer Recovery Specialists and a supervisory Peer Recovery Specialist to support individuals in Henrico and Chesterfield counties, and in the City of Richmond, suffering with substance use disorders that result in treatment by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or contact with law enforcement. All too often, once EMS and law enforcement have addressed the immediate trauma of an overdose incident and have left the scene to respond to the next call from the community, the victim is left without sustainable treatment and recovery options. Project RECOVER’s goal is to help fill this gap by providing individuals in need with immediate support from a peer who has overcome similar challenges and has gained real-world knowledge of the ongoing process of treatment and recovery. The grant-funded Peer Recovery Specialists will provide a handbook with resources and help guide the individual through the process of obtaining those resources. They will also provide a continuum of long-term support for the individual as they navigate through treatment and recovery. The Peer Recovery Specialists will also provide education and training to Central Virginia community members, including law enforcement, about how to provide proper support for those suffering with substance use disorders.
Project RECOVER’s partners in this community-based initiative include its sub-grantee, the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia (SAARA), Chesterfield County Fire & EMS, Henrico County Fire & EMS, Richmond Ambulance Authority, and the Richmond Police Department. The Certified Peer Recovery Specialists will be embedded within these partner organizations and will respond to overdoses with their partner agencies.
Project RECOVER was developed to address the gap in services described above, as identified by the Central Virginia Overdose Working Group (CVOWG). The CVOWG is comprised of over 330 stakeholders from 14 disciplines. It was created to eliminate the siloed structure of the substance use arena by bringing experts from multiple fields together to discuss issues, identify gaps, and develop solutions to the overdose epidemic in Central Virginia.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously deported pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jose Perez Felix, a/k/a “Eugenio Piedraita-Rivera,” “Roberto Patricio Ramirez,” “Grande,” 43, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana and one count of distribution of heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2022. Perez Felix was charged in May 2019.
In 2018, federal and state law enforcement agents began investigating a violent Brockton drug crew headed by Djuna Goncalves. The investigation revealed that Goncalves and others distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana throughout Southeastern Massachusetts from a base of operations in Brockton. The investigation also identified Perez Felix, a previously deported Dominican national, as a drug supplier to Goncalves and others. Intercepted communications from Perez Felix’s cellphone determined that he distributed large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from a base of operations in Boston. On April 9, 2019, agents observed Perez Felix deliver heroin to a customer in Dorchester and subsequently seized 60 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture from the buyer. A search of Perez Felix’s residence in May 2019 resulted in the seizure of cell phones, materials commonly used to package drugs for street level sale, digital scales and a bag containing over 60 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture.
In all, 17 defendants, including Perez Felix, were indicted as part of a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy reaching from Boston to Brockton to Cape Cod. Of the 17 defendants named in the indictment, nine have been sentenced. Perez Felix is the 14th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone, and marijuana provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of distribution of heroin provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea Porter of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Prince George County, Virginia, to Enforce Servicemember’s Employment RightsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Prince George County, Virginia, and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to enforce employment rights guaranteed to a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, Major Mark Gunn, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
In its complaint, the United States alleges that Gunn had been a detective with the Prince George County Police Department for 14 years when, in January 2016, he was called to active duty by the Virginia Army National Guard. The United States further alleges that when Gunn returned from his active-duty service, the County refused to allow Gunn to return to his detective position. Instead, the County demoted him to a Patrol Unit officer position. The United States also alleges that the County denied Gunn employment benefits that he would have accrued during his period of active-duty service, including a bonus awarded to County employees. Finally, the United States alleges that the County’s unlawful actions caused Gunn to leave his employment with the Prince George County Police Department and return to active duty in the Virginia Army National Guard. The complaint seeks to have Gunn effectively reinstated to his prior detective position and to recover employment benefits that the County denied him during his period of active-duty service from 2016 to 2018, as well as the VRS pension credits and benefits that he lost as a result of the County’s USERRA alleged violations.
“Servicemembers who take military leave from their civilian jobs to serve their country are entitled to return to their prior positions without having to sacrifice their hard-earned promotions and employment benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to enforce federal laws that protect the rights of servicemembers when they are called up to service.”
“It is our profound duty to help protect the brave servicemembers who temporarily leave their civilian employment when called upon to serve our country in times of need,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These courageous Americans make immeasurable personal sacrifices associated with safeguarding the freedoms we enjoy. We will do everything we can to ensure that civilian employers comply with their legal obligation to return these honorable women and men to their previous jobs following their military service.”
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. USERRA also requires employers to provide pension benefits when their employees are called to active duty. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor, at Major Gunn’s request, after an investigation by that agency’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deirdre Brou, Lauren Oberheim, and Robert McIntosh, and as a part of the Servicemember and Veterans’ Initiative within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Shan Shah in the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Prince George County, Virginia to Enforce Servicemember’s Employment RightsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – The Justice Department announced today that it filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Prince George County, Virginia, and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to enforce employment rights guaranteed to a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, Major Mark Gunn, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
“It is our profound duty to help protect the brave servicemembers who temporarily leave their civilian employment when called upon to serve our country in times of need,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These courageous Americans make immeasurable personal sacrifices associated with safeguarding the freedoms we enjoy. We will do everything we can to ensure that civilian employers comply with their legal obligation to return these honorable women and men to their previous jobs following their military service.”
“Servicemembers who take military leave from their civilian jobs to serve their country are entitled to return to their prior positions without having to sacrifice their hard earned promotions and employment benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. “The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to enforce federal laws that protect the rights of servicemembers when they are called up to service.”
In its complaint, the United States alleges that Gunn had been a detective with the Prince George County Police Department for fourteen years when, in January 2016, he was called to active duty by the Virginia Army National Guard. The United States further alleges that when Gunn returned from his active-duty service, the County refused to allow Gunn to return to his detective position Instead, the County assigned him back to a Patrol Unit officer position. The United States also alleges that the County denied Gunn employment benefits that he would have accrued during his period of active-duty service, including a bonus awarded to County employees. Finally, the United States alleges that the County’s unlawful actions caused Gunn to leave his employment with the Prince George County Police Department and return to active duty in the Virginia Army National Guard. The complaint seeks to have Gunn effectively reinstated to his prior detective position and to recover employment benefits that the County denied him during his period of active-duty service from 2016 to 2018, as well as the VRS pension credits and benefits that he lost as a result of the County’s USERRA alleged violations.
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. USERRA also requires employers to provide pension benefits when their employees are called to active duty. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor, at Major Gunn’s request, after an investigation by that agency’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deirdre Brou, Lauren Oberheim, and Robert McIntosh, and as a part of the Servicemember and Veterans’ Initiative within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Shan Shah in the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cv-631.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Department of Justice Announces DEA Seizures of Historic Amounts of Deadly Fentanyl-Laced Fake Pills in Public Safety Surge to Protect U.S. CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Today, at a press conference, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced a significant law enforcement surge to protect American communities from the flood of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills across the United States. Illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid found in most of the fake pills that were seized, is the primary driver of the recent increase in U.S. overdose deaths.
“Opioids were responsible for nearly three quarters of the more than 93,000 fatal drug overdoses in the United States in 2020,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “The pervasiveness of these illicit drugs, and the fatal overdoses that too often result, is a problem that cuts across America from small towns to big cities and everything in between. One pill can kill. The department will continue to use all of the resources at its disposal to save lives, complementing strong enforcement efforts with public awareness and outreach campaigns, as well.”
“During the past eight weeks, DEA has targeted the criminal drug networks flooding the U.S. with deadly, fentanyl-laced fake pills,” said DEA Administrator Milgram. “DEA remains steadfast in its commitment reduce drug-related violence and overdose deaths by dismantling the violent, criminal drug distribution networks across the United States. The fentanyl-laced fake pills seized by DEA could potentially kill more than 700,000 Americans. I urge the American public today to talk to their loved ones about the threats and dangers of fake pills and the simple fact that one pill can kill.”
Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.
These fake pills are more lethal than ever. DEA laboratory testing reveals that today, four out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake pills contain a potentially lethal dose. Moreover, the number of fake pills containing fentanyl has jumped nearly 430% since 2019.
On Aug. 3, DEA launched a nationwide law enforcement effort to address the alarming increase in the availability and lethality of fentanyl-laced fake pills. Fentanyl — in powder and pill form — is a significant U.S. public health threat that is killing tens of thousands of Americans. Over the past two months, working in concert with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, DEA seized 1.8 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and arrested 810 drug traffickers in cities, suburbs and rural communities spanning the United States. The amount of deadly fentanyl-laced fake pills seized by DEA since Aug. 3 is enough to kill more than 700,000 Americans. These recent seizures add to the more than 9.5 million potentially deadly fake pills that DEA seized in the past year, which is more than the last two years combined.
During the two-month law enforcement surge targeting fake pills, DEA also seized 712 kilograms of fentanyl powder: enough to make tens of millions of lethal pills. DEA seized 158 weapons and many of the enforcement actions are tied to violence and overdose deaths. Additionally, DEA seized 4,011 kilograms of methamphetamine and 653 kilograms of cocaine.
DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on Monday, Sept. 27, warning the American public about the increasing availability of fake pills that are more deadly than ever before, and that are easy to purchase, widely available, and often contain deadly doses of fentanyl. DEA also launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to inform the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills. The only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Any pills that do not meet this standard are unsafe and potentially deadly.
For more information, visit DEA.Gov/onepill.
Dedham Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Dedham 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 Brian Saunders, 39, to 155 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Saunders pleaded guilty in December 2020.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Saunders and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Danvers Man Charged with Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. –Alexander B. Smith, 22, of Danvers, Ill., was indicted on September 21, 2021, for allegedly transferring obscene matter to a minor and possessing child pornography in March 2021.
The indictment alleges that Smith used the social media platform Instagram to share pornographic communications with a minor.
Smith is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal Service.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are 20 years imprisonment.
These charges are a result of an investigation by the Bloomington Police Department and the Illinois State Police. 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 Smith 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
Covington Man Sentenced to 240 Months Imprisonment After Pleading Guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRANDON WARD, age 34, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with distribution of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including children as young as less than one (1) year old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2252(a)(2). Judge Fallon also sentenced WARD to five (5) years of supervised release after his term of imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. WARD will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Fallon scheduled a restitution hearing for December 16, 2021.
According to court documents, in about October 2019, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation operating in an undercover capacity accessed a chat room within an instant messaging mobile application known to be a haven for purveyors of digital files depicting the sexual victimization of children. Between September 29, 2019, and October 13, 2019, an individual subsequently determined to be WARD posted over two dozen links to online file storage service accounts. Each link contained hundreds of videos depicting pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults. In total, WARD uploaded at least 47,000 files to the accounts. For example, on October 31, 2019, a special agent with the FBI reviewed the contents of one of WARD’s accounts, and it contained approximately 151 files, all of which depicted the sexual victimization of children as young as less than one year old.
Additionally, a second FBI special agent acting in an undercover capacity participated in direct communication with WARD via Skype, phone, and text message. In the conversations, WARD claimed he had been in contact with an 8-year-old female (Minor 1) who had a crush on him. WARD sent non-sexually explicit pictures he took of Minor 1 to the undercover agent. WARD also instructed the undercover agent, who claimed to be babysitting a six-year-old female, to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the child while WARD watched via Skype.
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.
Court Orders USDA-Licensed Breeder to Provide Immediate Care to Dogs Found to Be in Serious DangerRead the Press Release
A federal court on Sept. 28, issued a temporary restraining order against Daniel Gingerich, an Iowa dog breeder, based on claims that he is placing the health of hundreds of dogs in “serious danger” in violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose granted the relief requested by the Justice Department and ordered Gingerich, and any of his business associates and employees, to identify all locations of dogs intended for breeding or sale, have a licensed veterinarian complete a physical examination “from head to tail” of every dog, and timely provide the veterinary records of those examinations and any other veterinary care to the Department of Justice. Additionally, Gingerich must immediately cease from breeding, euthanizing or otherwise disposing of any dogs without the consent of the Department of Justice or a court order.
The Department of Justice filed a complaint for injunctive relief in the Southern District of Iowa on Sept. 28, along with a motion for temporary restraining order, alleging that Gingerich is failing to provide the dogs with adequate veterinary care, nutritious food in a sufficient quantity, potable water and housing that is both safe and sanitary. According to the complaint, Gingerich is evading federal oversight by denying U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspectors’ access to breeding locations and hiding dogs from inspection. On one occasion, APHIS inspectors discovered hidden in a horse barn a number of live dogs running around two dead dogs. The dogs at Gingerich’s facilities also were being fed moldy and contaminated food and lacked access to potable water. In addition, multiple litters of puppies were not being properly vaccinated against distemper and parvovirus, resulting in multiple disease outbreaks.
“This case shows that there will be consequences for breeders who violate the obligations of their breeding license and endanger the lives and health of the animals in their care,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Animal Welfare Act exists to protect these animals, and the Department of Justice will vigorously enforce this law and hold to account those who violate it.”
“This action demonstrates the shared commitment of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use all available tools to ensure the effective and expeditious enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act,” said General Counsel Janie Simms Hipp of the USDA.
Gingerich has been licensed as a dog breeder since October 2019. In the last six months alone, he has amassed at least 100 violations of the Animal Welfare Act at approved and unapproved facilities in Iowa. During one recent inspection, APHIS inspectors observed a severely emaciated golden retriever, several dogs with untreated and painful eye conditions, and a non-responsive puppy that died moments later.
In September, the USDA determined that Gingerich is placing the health of the dogs in serious danger, in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, and its regulations and standards. The court agreed with the government’s assessment, describing the medical care the dogs receive as “shockingly inadequate” and the food and water at the facilities as “no better.” The court also held that once the United States makes a proper showing that the animals are in serious danger, injunctive relief is mandated by AWA.
Senior Trial Attorney Mary Hollingsworth and Trial Attorney Shampa A. Panda of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division are handling this case. They are assisted by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. This case is being investigated by USDA’s APHIS.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Joshua M. Chafa, 29, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on September 29, 2021, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of Methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of ammunition. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Chafa to 60 months’ imprisonment on both counts to run concurrently. After Chafa’s release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On July 28, 2020 Omaha Police officers noticed Chafa in a vehicle on North 30th Street that had been reported as stolen. Chafa was arrested and found in possession of Winchester ammunition. During a vehicle search officers found a small silver chest containing dozens of small Ziploc bags, a digital scale, pipes, 5 grams of actual methamphetamine, and more ammunition. ATF agents determined that the Winchester rounds had moved in interstate commerce. Chafa admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and that he had recently served an eight-year prison sentence. Chafa was convicted previously in the District Court of Pottawattamie County, Iowa for second degree theft on March 29, 2012.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and 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.
Corrupt Department Head at Walter Reed Sentenced to Federal Prison for Accepting Cash, Event Tickets, and Other Gratuities from a Maryland Company That Received More Than $25 Million in Government BusinessRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced David Laufer, age 64, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, today to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, four months of which is to be served in home confinement, for acceptance of gratuities by a public official. Judge Chuang also ordered Laufer, the former Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed Medical Center, to pay restitution in the amount of $7,890.62.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from 2009 until May 2019, Laufer worked as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest joint military medical center in the United States. Walter Reed is located in Bethesda and provides medical services, including orthotic and prosthetic services to U.S. service members and their dependents, including wounded soldiers. Bruce Thomas lived in Montgomery County and owned, operated, and controlled Pinnacle Orthopedic Services (Pinnacle), located in Germantown, Maryland. Pinnacle provided prosthetics and orthotics materials to Walter Reed in return for payments from the government.
“David Laufer accepted thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts from a company to which he steered government business worth millions in taxpayer funds,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Laufer’s illegal acts not only unfairly helped Pinnacle Orthopedic Services, his actions also hurt other businesses and caused the U.S. government to pay more for goods and services than it should have. We are committed to holding accountable public officials like David Laufer who undermine the market and abuse their positions in government to benefit themselves at the expense of the taxpayers.”
“Attempting to defraud the government is a losing proposition,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “This sentencing is yet another example of the great cooperation among federal law enforcement agencies to put a stop to fraud within the contracting community.”
As detailed in the plea agreement, from 2010 until May 2019, the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics department used Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials. This allowed the department to obligate funds to purchase materials that employees could order without charging a credit card each time or engaging in a formal contract for each purchase. Thomas regularly interacted with Laufer about Pinnacle’s business with Walter Reed, including the award of BPAs, future BPA funding, orders charged against the BPAs, and fulfillment of orders. Walter Reed awarded multiple BPAs to Pinnacle, which the Prosthetics and Orthotics department used to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle.
According to court documents, between 2012 and 2016, Laufer and his wife received things of value, that is the airlines travel, lodging and entertainment tickets, as well as direct cash payments, for and because of Laufer’s official acts as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics department and Laufer’s official acts in connection with the purchase of prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle. Laufer admitted that he undertook official acts in connection with the gratuities, including seeking renewal of BPAs with Pinnacle, sending multiple purchase requests obligating millions of dollars to Pinnacle for prosthetics and orthotics materials, and causing the repeated ordering of supplies from Pinnacle.
Laufer admitted that he restricted the availability of BPAs to some of the manufacturers and distributors from whom Pinnacle purchased products, thereby inhibiting those companies from doing business directly with Walter Reed, and actively encouraged and directed those companies to sell to Walter Reed through Pinnacle, knowing that it would result in a higher price to the government. At the same time that he was funneling business through Pinnacle, Laufer was personally involved in ordering materials and causing materials to be ordered from Pinnacle, as well as taking official acts that impacted Pinnacle.
According to the plea agreement, Laufer’s job required him to complete annual Confidential Financial Disclosure forms which required him to report: all sources of outside income greater than $200; any business outside the U.S. Government in which Laufer or his spouse was an employee or consultant, whether or not compensated; any agreements or arrangements concerning past, current, and future employment; and travel-related reimbursement or other gifts totaling more than $350 from any one source during the reporting period. Laufer’s financial disclosure filings from 2014 to 2019 failed to disclose the financial benefits received from Pinnacle.
Furthermore, when interviewed by federal agents as part of a corruption investigation at Walter Reed, Laufer denied receiving any financial benefits from Pinnacle. Laufer also was interviewed by federal agents several times between 2017 and 2019 concerning unexplained cash deposits. On each occasion, Laufer lied to the agents, initially stating that he earned extra money from the purchase and sale of bicycles and small collectibles at swap meets, then falsely stating that he earned cash by working for Person C and Company C, and finally stating that the unexplained cash came from moonshine and liquor sales.
On September 9, 2021, Judge Chuang sentenced Thomas, to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, with four months of that to be served in home confinement, for paying gratuities to a public official in exchange for official acts. Judge Chuang also ordered Thomas to pay a fine of $50,0000 and forfeit and pay restitution in the amount of $27,890.62.
In a related case, another employee of the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics Department, Timothy Hamilton, age 60, of Columbia, Maryland, is expected to be sentenced in November 2021. Hamilton previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to acts affecting a financial interest. Hamilton admitted that beginning in 2009, he allowed Person A to use his orthotist certification for Person A’s business, Company A. Hamilton was aware that Company A used his certification to obtain national accreditation and as part of its documentation for Medicare credentialing, which allowed Company A to bill insurers for medical treatment that required the involvement of a certified orthotist, even though Hamilton was not providing those services in the vast majority of cases. Hamilton admitted that he received monthly financial payments from Company A from 2009 until October 2015, totaling more than $45,000. From 2011 to 2015, Company A used Hamilton’s credentials to submit more than 225 fraudulent insurance claims of more than $150,000.
Further, Hamilton admitted receiving more than $15,000 in gift cards, checks, and other benefits such as tickets and lodging, from Bruce Thomas and Pinnacle. During the time that Hamilton was receiving payments from Company A and Pinnacle, Hamilton ordered products on behalf of Walter Reed from both companies.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DCIS, HHS OIG, and the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, DOD Cyber Crimes Center Defense Cyber Forensics Laboratory, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.
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Columbus Woman Sentenced to 72 Months for Role in Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kelly Harper, 38, Columbus, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 72 months in federal prison for using the Internet with the intent that the murder of a known individual be committed in exchange for bitcoin. Harper pleaded guilty to this charge on June 24, 2021.
On January 12, 2021, a group of journalists informed a known victim (KV) they were investigating murder-for-hire sites on the dark web, and that they uncovered information showing someone wanted KV killed. In addition, the journalist provided KV with copies of chat messages between an unknown subject (UNSUB) and the murder-for-hire website administrator. In these chats, UNSUB gave the administrator detailed information about KV, including KV’s photograph, place of employment, and vehicle description. UNSUB also directed the administrator to kill KV. KV notified law enforcement and provided copies of the chat messages to the FBI.
During its review of these messages, the FBI determined UNSUB also paid bitcoin to a second murder-for-hire website with the intention of having KV killed. An analyst from the FBI’s Money Laundering, Forfeiture, and Bank Fraud Unit tracked this bitcoin transfer and identified UNSUB as Kelly Harper.
Agents from the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office executed a search warrant at Harper’s residence and found screenshots from a murder-for-hire dark website, as well as one of the pictures Harper sent to the murder-for-hire website administrator. Agents also interviewed Harper, who admitted to paying bitcoin to the murder-for-hire website administrator in order to have KV killed.
The charge against Harper was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and Sun Prairie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.
Colombian Dentist Sentenced for Fraud and Misuse of A VisaRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado sentenced Juan Carlos Pérez-Camacho to three years’ probation for fraud and misuse of a visa in relation with a I-130, Petition for Relative Alien application, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to the facts admitted during the change of plea hearing, Pérez-Camacho was a national of Colombia who had been practicing dentistry without a license in Puerto Rico since 2018. Customs and Border Protection records showed that the defendant had been continuously entering and exiting the United States as a B1/B2 visa holder, for either business or tourism purposes, since as early as 2015. On May 23, 2019, the defendant knowingly made a false statement under oath with respect to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services application form. He stated that he had never worked in the United States without authorization and that he never violated the terms or conditions of his non-immigration status. Pérez-Camacho knew his answers were false since he had worked in 2018 and 2019 in Puerto Rico without authorization in an unlicensed dental practice.
“We are seeing an upward trend of foreign persons traveling to PR to illegally practice medicine and dentistry, and we need to be aware of these doctors and urge the community not to give them the opportunity to practice illegally in PR,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from misbranded products, and to ensure that doctors are practicing medicine legally.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate visa fraud, especially when the health and safety our citizens are unnecessarily placed at risk,” said Walter Rios, the newly appointed Resident Agent-In-Charge of the DSS San Juan Resident Office. “Traveling to the U.S. with the purpose of illegally practicing medical professions is a growing trend and a very serious matter that DSS is addressing with the help and support of our interagency partners”.
“American patients rely on the FDA to ensure that their prescription drugs and devices are safe and effective,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fiedler, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who threaten the health of consumers by evading FDA requirements.”
“HSI San Juan is committed to protecting the well-being of our citizens. Today’s conviction highlights our dedication to work closely with our federal and local partners to bring violators to justice and guarantee public safety,” said Ivan Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney José Ruiz Santiago.
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Co-defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison Resulting from Eisenhower Parkway Corridor Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Four co-defendants found guilty on various methamphetamine distribution charges were sentenced to prison this week as a result of an investigation centered on drug trafficking in and around motels located in the Eisenhower Parkway corridor of Macon, Georgia. As a result of the full investigation into this methamphetamine trafficking organization, agents seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Cartney Pitts aka Blue, 37, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Shauna Bush aka Brittany, 26, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine; Stephanie Davis, 32, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and Lori Harrell, 34, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison to run consecutively to sentences imposed in two Bibb County, Georgia, Superior Court cases plus three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The federal penalty is steep for individuals—especially repeat offenders—who traffic large quantities of methamphetamine in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Preventing the flow of methamphetamine into our region and holding high-volume drug traffickers accountable for their crimes is a priority for our law enforcement partners, who are working around the clock to protect citizens.”
“The sentencing of these four co-defendants removes them from the streets of the Macon community thereby reducing the threat of violence and destruction their drug trafficking posed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to protect our citizens from such predators.”
The following co-defendants been convicted and have been sentenced for their crimes or are awaiting sentencing in this case:
Robert Lee Whisby, Jr. aka Lil Pumpkin, 46, of Macon and Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison;
Rodney Morris, Sr., 46, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison;
Joshua Barham aka Gambino, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison;
Kyra Williams aka K-Boo, 29, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison;
Albruce Green aka B, 41, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve to 60 months imprisonment, to run consecutively to the sentence imposed in an unrelated case;
Theon Robinson, 40, of Macon and Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison;
Melvin Cason, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve three years of probation;
Roderick Chester, 34, of Macon, was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial on Wednesday, Aug. 25, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chester is facing a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30;
Keyundre Stafford aka Dre, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and for the gun charge is facing a minimum of five years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence and a maximum of four years in prison for the use of communication facility charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3;
Troy Faulks, 49, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30;
Carlos Brown aka Lo, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30;
Morley Culver , 44, of Macon, pleaded guilty to two counts use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum four years in prison per count. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3;
Tamara Fryer, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3;
Milton Hill, 38, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled; and,
Ray Kendrick aka Unk, 63, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the sentencing hearings.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shanelle Booker, Beth Howard and Will Keyes are prosecuting the case.