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26 April 2021
Lower Brule Man Indicted for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter.
Eugene Skunk, age 42, was indicted on September 9, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 22, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to eight years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on July 26, 2020, in Lower Brule, Skunk killed another human being by operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.
The charge is merely an accusation and Skunk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Morley is prosecuting the case.
Skunk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Lisbon Man Indicted for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Dennis Bousquet, 31, of Lisbon, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
Bousquet was arrested on a criminal complaint on March 31, 2021. The complaint alleges that on March 30, 2021, Bousquet took sexually explicit images of a minor female and sent them to an undercover law enforcement officer through an online chat group.
Bousquet is being detained pending trial. A trial date has not yet been scheduled.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police.
Lincoln Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearms after Domestic Violence ConvictionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lincoln man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Acting United States Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in May 2020, law enforcement officers were called to the home of Matthew Cole, 34, after a family fight complaint. While on scene, officers learned that Cole had recently possessed two firearms—a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and a shotgun. After obtaining a search warrant, officers found the shotgun in Cole’s bedroom. Officers found Cole about two miles away from his residence. He admitted that he had thrown a handgun while he was walking on the road and directed troopers to the gun on the ground. During a subsequent interview, Cole admitted that he was the handgun’s owner. He stated that he purchased the gun two or three years ago in Mattawamkeag. Cole was prohibited from possessing firearms following a 2018 conviction for Domestic Violence Assault in Penobscot County.
Cole faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Environmental CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher Hall, 43, of Pikeville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act.
According to court documents, Hall managed the town of Matewan’s Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), a facility designed to collect and remove domestic sewage sludge from wastewater and then properly treat the wastewater. After the water is treated and tested, the water can be safely discharged into the Tug Fork River. The removed sludge is to be dried and then properly disposed in a landfill designated to receive dried sewage sludge. It is a requirement of the Clean Water Act that the sludge removal process and disposal must be reported every month to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to ensure proper operation of the treatment facility. As manager of the POTW, Hall was responsible for monitoring the sludge removal and accurately reporting its monthly removal to a landfill.
On August 20, 2018, Hall falsely reported in a sludge management report that five tons of sludge had been removed from the Matewan POTW, properly dried, and then disposed at a permitted landfill. In fact, no sludge had been removed from the facility. Hall admitted to submitting a total of ten false sludge management reports indicating that a total of 55 tons of sludge had been removed from the facility and disposed in the landfill from July 2017 to June 2018. Hall further admitted that he knew all ten reports were false and that no sludge was disposed of at a landfill when he submitted the false reports.
Hall pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a sludge management report and faces a maximum possible sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and an order of restitution when he is sentenced on July 22, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. EPA Attorney Perry McDaniel and Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes are prosecuting the case.
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-00048.
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KC Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who distributed a video of himself holding a gun to the head of a blindfolded man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms.
Sean A. Winston, 44, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to being a felon in possession of firearms.
By pleading guilty today, Winston admitted he was in possession of a Rossi .38-caliber revolver and a Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun on April 10, 2018.
According to court documents, an individual contacted law enforcement on April 8, 2018, to report that Winston sent him a video, via text message, in which Winston was holding a handgun to the head of a blindfolded man. Police officers contacted family members, who said they also had received the video. The video showed an unidentified man, who was blindfolded and was sitting on a couch with his hands in the air in a surrendering posture. In the video, Winston said the blindfolded man should be dead. The blindfolded man replied with “I love you, Sean. I love you, Sean.” Winston appeared to be angry and agitated in the video.
Winston’s family members said the blindfolded man appeared to be one of Winston’s associates, who was later identified and located. The man acknowledged that he was in the video, but he did not want to cooperate with the prosecution.
On April 10, 2018, police officers arrested Winston and searched his residence, where they found both firearms.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Winston has prior federal felony convictions for distributing a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Winston is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Judges sentences St. Louis County man for child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Harry Hamm to 68 months in prison today. The 79-year-old Chesterfield, Missouri resident pleaded guilty, in February, to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of access with intent to view child pornography.
On April 19, 2019, officers from the St. Ann Police Department, obtained a search warrant to search Hamm’s premises and conducted the search on the same day. Police then contacted the St. Louis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A special agent obtained a federal search warrant to search the items seized by St. Ann Police from Hamm, his home and Hamm’s employer, including two iPhones, an Acer laptop computer, an iPad and a Toshiba laptop. The items were then searched by a forensic examiner.
A forensics examiner located on Hamm’s iPhones deleted web history showing the phones were used to search for and view child pornography. The examiner also found images of child pornography.
The examiner found deleted images of child pornography on Hamm’s Acer laptop, deleted web history showing searches for a viewing of child pornography on Hamm’s iPad and computer search terms consistent with child pornography on Hamm’s Toshiba laptop computer.
The special agent obtained, through Canada’s legal process, Hamm’s Shoebox account, which revealed images of child pornography. Hamm used his iPhone and the internet to access his Shoebox account between March 1, 2018 and April 18, 2019.
Altogether, Hamm possessed 57 images of child pornography. Some included prepubescent minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, sadistic or masochistic conduct or other acts of violence.
The FBI and St. Ann Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood is handling the case.
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Houston bounty hunter sentenced for running international sex trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old Houston bounty hunter has been ordered to prison following his convictions of sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit visa fraud and international money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Luis de Jesus Rodriguez aka Htown Hunter pleaded guilty July 8, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes sentenced Rodriguez to a total of 180 months in federal prison for leading an international sex trafficking ring. At the hearing, the court heard a statement from a victim and considered other victim letters detailing the emotional, physical and financial impact of Rodriguez’s sex trafficking scheme. He must also serve 10 years on supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.
“This case sends a strong message to those who benefit from the exploitation of vulnerable women,” said Lowery. “To those criminal organizations that engage in human trafficking, whether international or domestic, we will combine forces with our local, state and foreign counterparts to find you, arrest you and bring you to justice.”
In 2016, Rodriguez and his international criminal network targeted, recruited and exploited young women in Colombia and the United States by making false promises of a better life. Rodriguez directed them to watch YouTube videos portraying him as a bounty hunter in order to assure the women he was affiliated with law enforcement and could be trusted.
However, once here, the women had to work at Michael’s aka Chicas Locas, a Houston strip club located at 6440 Southwest Freeway. Rodriguez and others forced the victims to sign debt bondage contracts with debts ranging from $13,200 to $25,000. They also had to make daily payments of approximately $250.
During the conspiracy, Rodriguez threatened victims and their families in Colombia, constantly monitored them, tracked their cellphones and ultimately forced them into engaging in commercial sex acts.
When a victim wanted to leave or was non-compliant, Rodriguez resorted to violent methods and claimed it was useless to try to get help due to his purported connections with law enforcement.
Rodriguez also engaged in widespread visa fraud to facilitate the international transportation of the victims. He created fictitious background and occupations to increase the likelihood that visa applications would be approved.
Rodriguez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Houston Police Department and IRS-Criminal Investigation led the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) with the assistance of Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Department of Labor and its Wage and Hour Division along with police departments in Memorial Village and Los Angeles, California. The Attorney General’s Office of Colombia also provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eun Kate Suh and Sebastian Edwards are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Kate Hill from the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
HTRA law enforcement also includes members of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – OIG, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
High-Ranking Grape Street Crip Gang Member Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Albert "GEE GEE" Green, 25, has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Acting U.S. Attorney, Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., announced the verdict today.
According to the information presented in court, on May 30, 2019, at 5:20pm, detectives with the Multi-Agency Gang Unit were conducting surveillance in the area of East Shelby
Drive, Memphis, Tennessee, when they observed wanted suspect Albert Green aka "GEE GEE," a well-known high-ranking member of the Grape Street Crips Peda Roll Mafia Gang. Green, who was observed at a local gas station in a Silver Mercedes C320, attempted to drive away from the pump with the gas nozzle still attached to his vehicle in order to avoid arrest. Green was placed under arrest on the outstanding warrant.
A search of the vehicle revealed a Ruger 9mm caliber pistol loaded with one live round in the chamber and approximately seven live rounds in the magazine under the driver’s seat, and fifty-six (56) white pills identified as 2mg Alprazolam located in the glove compartment. The name on the prescription bottle had been deleted. Green also had $4,762.00 in cash in his left front pocket.
Green had a purple bandana tied to his jeans indicating his membership in the Grape Street Crips Gang. At the time of his arrest, Green was on state probation for sale of cocaine.
As a result of his prior felony convictions for the sale of cocaine, Green is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On April 21, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Green to 97 months in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, the Shelby County Fugitive Apprehension Team and the Tennessee Department of Probation and Parole.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Harnett County Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Angier man pled guilty today to Production of Child Pornography.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Raul Ayala Jr., 72, was accused of sexual molesting a prepubescent minor. Upon the minor’s disclosure, Ayala was confronted and admitted to some of the conduct but claimed there were explanations for the behavior. Law enforcement was notified, and Fuquay-Varina Police Department began an investigation. Detectives interviewed Ayala and Ayala admitted to touching the child and performing oral sex on the child. He also admitted he had taken some nude photographs of the child, but insisted they were innocent photographs. In addition, Ayala admitted he had molested children in the 1970’s.
A search warrant was executed at Ayala’s residence in Angier and multiple digital devices were seized. In addition, in the attic law enforcement found a briefcase that contained adult pornography and child pornography. In the briefcase were Polaroid pictures of nude minor children, dating back to the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. On Ayala’s digital devices, law enforcement found lascivious images of the minor child who disclosed sexual abuse along with child pornography unrelated to the minor child.
Homeland Security Investigators sought to identify the minor males in the Polaroid photographs. Agents identified one of the males who affirmed he was one of the children in the Polaroids and he disclosed that Ayala had molested him, beginning when he was eight years old.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the plea was entered by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Fuquay-Varina Police Department, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson and Charles Schmitz with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
Gulf Shores Man Sentenced to Five Years for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Zachary Wood, 22, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of receipt of child pornography. Wood pled guilty to the charge in January of 2021.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received a tip that eight files had been uploaded to Google Drive on February 1, 2018, some of which were reported to contain a visual depiction of children engaged in sex acts. Google provided specific information related to the IP address and email address associated with the account and the uploads. ALEA investigators issued a subpoena to CenturyLink to obtain the subscriber information associated with the IP address. On May 8, 2018, agents executed a search warrant at the address in Gulf Shores. Wood is a resident at that address. Wood was interviewed and admitted to transmitting the images. Agents analyzed four devices and found over 10,000 images of child pornography and child erotica.
The analysts also located numerous images involving human mutilation, including images of dismembered females posed for pictures and images of necrophilia with mutilated corpses. There were multiple series of files that focus on the mutilation of a single victim. There were multiple instances of naked females that are impaled and roasting on a spit. Wood also had authored a note on his phone where he expressed hatred and disdain for women, that he believes they should only be used as sexual objects for men, and that they should be killed once they reach age 60.
United States District Court Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 60 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Wood be supervised by federal probation officers for the rest of his life, beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Wood will be required to undergo sex offender treatment and to register as a sex offender. Judge Beaverstock ordered that Mitchell pay $5100 in special assessments and $135,415 in restitution. Wood will be prohibited from have any contact with minors.
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 and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Grant County woman admits to meth chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Betty Arlene Chapman, of Cabins, West Virginia has admitted to her role in a methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution operation, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Chapman, 42, pled guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute at Least Five Grams of Methamphetamine - Aiding and Abetting.” Chapman admitted to working with others to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in January 2020 in Grant County.
Chapman is facing at least five and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The task force consists of the FBI, West Virginia State Police, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Graduate Student Pleads Guilty to Child EnticementRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Zhijun Xia, age 30, of China, entered a plea of guilty on April 23, 2021 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl R. Zwart. Xia’s sentencing hearing was scheduled for July 23, 2021 at 1:30 pm in front of Chief United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, both imprisonment and a fine, a special assessment of $5,000, and a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to a lifetime term of supervised release.
Between June 1, 2018 to February 28, 2020, Xia was a graduate student at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Xia is a Chinese national. Xia met Victim 1’s mother and Victim 1’s mother hired Xia to tutor Victim 1 in the Chinese language. Xia began tutoring Victim 1 in June of 2018. Xia met Victim 1 in person for the tutoring sessions and began communicating with Victim 1 over the social media application WeChat. Xia began inquiring over WeChat about Victim 1’s sexual history.
On July 10, 2018, Victim 1 attended a summer camp at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Xia messaged Victim 1 over the Internet using WeChat about his plan to visit her in Lincoln on July 11. During this conversation, Xia discussed various forms of birth control with Victim 1 in response to Victim 1 relaying her fears of becoming pregnant while in high school. Xia reserved a room at the Red Roof Inn and Suites in Lincoln for the night of July 11. Xia picked up Victim 1 from the University of Nebraska campus and took Victim 1 to the Red Roof Inn, where he subjected Victim 1 to sexual penetration. Xia was 27 years of age and Victim 1 was 15 years of age. It is a crime under Nebraska State law for someone over the age of 25 to subject someone between the ages of 12 and 16 to sexual penetration. Immediately following this incident, Xia continued to message Victim 1 on WeChat regarding the July 11 incident.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Omaha Police Department, the University of Nebraska-Omaha Police Department, and the Lincoln Police Department.
Former South Carolina Sheriff and Former Deputies Convicted of Conspiracy, Misuse of Funds, and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a former South Carolina sheriff and two of his former deputies of conspiracy and a range of other charges, such as deprivation of civil rights during an unlawful arrest, falsification of records, and various charges relating to their misuse of funds and personnel.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, former Sheriff of Chester County, South Carolina, George Alexander Underwood, 57, of Chester, former Chester County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Robert Andrew Sprouse, 46, of Ridgeway, and former Chester County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Johnny Ricardo Neal Jr., 41, of Lancaster, conspired to use their positions to enrich themselves by obtaining money to which they were not entitled, cover up their misconduct, and obstruct investigations into their misconduct. Evidence showed Underwood and Sprouse violated the rights of a Chester County resident, K.S., who was filming the Sheriff’s Office’s response to a crash scene on Nov. 20, 2018, by arresting him without probable cause. When the FBI began investigating these civil rights violations, Sprouse and Neal tried to cover up what happened by creating a false incident reports and Sprouse made false statements to the FBI.
Additionally, court documents and evidence presented at trial showed the three defendants directed on-duty Sheriff’s Office employees to provide manual labor or other services that personally benefited Underwood and Sprouse, including requiring them to help with extensive renovations of a barn on Underwood’s property in order to add a bar, a television viewing area, and other amenities. Underwood and Sprouse took family members on a trip to a conference in Reno, Nevada, and charged the cost to the Sheriff’s Office. Underwood and Neal also engaged in a scheme in which they skimmed money from payments owed to other Sheriff’s Office employees for off-duty work at public safety checkpoints.
Underwood, Sprouse, and Neal were removed from their positions with the Chester County Sheriff’s Office in approximately May 2019 after they were initially indicted by a federal grand jury.
Underwood was convicted of conspiracy, deprivation of rights, federal program theft, and wire fraud. Sprouse was convicted of conspiracy, falsification of records, false statements, and federal program theft. Neal was convicted of conspiracy, deprivation of rights, falsification of records, federal program theft, and wire fraud. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. The Office of the Attorney General of South Carolina and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division aided the investigation.
Trial Attorneys William M. Miller and Rebecca M. Schuman of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina investigated and initially indicted the case.
Former School Athletic Trainer Going to Prison for 15 Years for Enticing A MinorRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Austin Pratt, 32, of Conesus, NY, who was convicted of enticement of a minor, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between November 2018 and February 2019, the defendant, while working as a school athletic trainer, engaged in an ongoing relationship with a minor. Pratt used Instagram and Facebook to communicate with the minor, encouraging the victim to engage in a sexual relationship and to exchange sexually explicit photos with him.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase; the Rochester Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; and the Livingston County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Gregory J. McCaffrey.
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Former Phone Company Employee Pleads Guilty for Role in Sim Swap Scam Conspiracy That Targeted at Least 19 Customers, Including New Orleans ResidentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STEPHEN DANIEL DEFIORE, age 36, a resident of Brandon, Florida, pleaded guilty as charged before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously being charged in a one-count Bill of Information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343, for his role in a subscriber identification module (SIM) Swap scam that targeted at least nineteen people, including a New Orleans-area physician.
According to court documents, a SIM Swap scam is a cellular phone account takeover fraud that results in the routing of a victim’s incoming calls and text messages to a different phone. Once a perpetrator is able to swap the SIM card, it is likely he is able to obtain access to a victim’s various personal accounts, including email accounts, bank accounts, and cryptocurrency accounts, as well as any other accounts that use two-factor authentication.
From August 2017 until November 2018, DEFIORE worked as a sales representative for Phone Company A. In that capacity, DEFIORE had access to the accounts of Phone Company A’s customers, including the ability to switch the SIM card linked to a customer’s phone number to a different phone number. Between October 20, 2018, and November 9, 2018, DEFIORE accepted multiple bribes, typically in the amount of approximately $500 per day, to perform SIM swaps of Phone Company A customers identified by a co-conspirator. For each SIM swap, a co-conspirator sent DEFIORE a customer’s phone number, a four-digit PIN, and a SIM card number to which the phone number was to be swapped. In total, DEFIORE received approximately $2,325 in a series of twelve payments. Among the individuals whose accounts DEFIORE accessed was Victim A, a New Orleans resident, whose phone number was swapped on November 10, 2018, to a SIM card contained in an Apple iPhone 8 that was in the possession of Richard Li. Li was charged with his role in the offense in June 2020. Sentencing before Judge Zainey has been scheduled for July 27, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Former New York Giant on Home Confinement Under CARES Act Charged with Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Dermot Shea, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Marty Raybon, the Acting Director of the New York Office of Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) announced that Clyde Hall, a/k/a “Peter,” was arrested on April 24, 2021, in New York, New York. A criminal Complaint was subsequently filed in Manhattan federal court charging HALL with possessing with intent to distribute over five kilograms of suspected cocaine. HALL, a former professional football player with the New York Giants, was previously sentenced in 2010 to 20 years in prison following his conviction for various financial fraud crimes. HALL was serving his prison sentence and was recently released to home confinement by the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES ACT”), which expanded the authority of the Director of the BOP to place federal prisoners on home confinement earlier than otherwise permissible. HALL was arrested on the instant narcotics charge while on home confinement and will be presented today before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein.
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court[1]:
On April 24, 2021, HALL was found in possession of approximately seven kilograms of suspected cocaine, which he attempted to sell to a confidential source. In addition, HALL claimed that another five kilograms was on its way.
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HALL, 82, of New York, NY, is charged with narcotics distribution, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, HSI, NYPD, and CBP.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ni Qian is in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to over 18 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Matthew Berry, 42, of Eads, Tennessee has been sentenced to 220 months in federal prison for child exploitation offenses. Acting United States Attorney, Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on June 25, 2019, an undercover operative with the Michigan City (Indiana) Police Department who was investigating child exploitation found a computer that was making child sexual abuse material (CSAM) available over the internet. Based on the IP address, the officer determined the computer was in the Western District of Tennessee and alerted the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force.
A search warrant was executed at the Bells, Tennessee, residence of Matthew Berry, who was at the time, a Crockett County Sheriff’s Deputy. Berry admitted to investigators that he had been obtaining and viewing child sexual abuse material for "a long time." Forensic examination of Berry’s digital devices confirmed that Berry had been seeking out CSAM since at least 2002. The investigation also revealed that Berry surreptitiously took photographs of the buttocks of females (adults and minors) in public places and had a sexual relationship with a minor during his time as a law enforcement officer. Berry previously worked as an officer in Halls, Ripley, Maury City, and Brownsville.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Crockett County Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan City (Indiana) Police Department investigated this case.
On April 23, 2021, Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Berry to 220 months in federal prison to be followed by five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra L. Ireland prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Department of Justice Announces Investigation of the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today that the Department of Justice has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). The investigation will assess all types of force used by LMPD officers, including use of force on individuals with behavioral health disabilities or individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment. The investigation will assess whether LMPD engages in discriminatory policing, and also whether it conducts unreasonable stops, searches, seizures, and arrests, both during patrol activities and in obtaining and executing search warrants for private homes. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of LMPD policies, training, and supervision, as well as LMPD’s systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline.
“There are approximately 18,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in this country. In each one, dedicated officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect others,” said Attorney General Garland. “Promoting public trust between communities and law enforcement is essential to making both communities and policing safer. Our enforcement efforts, as well as our grant-making and other support, will contribute to achieving that end and to protecting the civil rights of everyone in our country.”
Department of Justice officials informed Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, LMPD Chief Erika Shields, County Attorney Mike O’Connell, and Louisville Metro Council President David James of the investigation. As part of this investigation, the Department of Justice will reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with LMPD.
“The Constitution and federal law require law enforcement officers to treat all people fairly and equitably, regardless of race, disability, or participation in protected First Amendment activities,” said Pamela S. Karlan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The investigation we are announcing today will examine whether these laws are being violated, while also analyzing the root causes of any violations we may find.”
The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The Act allows the Department of Justice to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The investigation will be led by the department’s Civil Rights Division and conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division and in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-844-920-1460. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdky.
Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years for Possessing Images and Videos Depicting the Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Terry George Zimmerman (73, Lady Lake) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Zimmerman was also sentenced to a life term of supervision, ordered to register as a sex offender, and must pay $21,000 in restitution to identified child victims.
A federal jury had found Zimmerman guilty on November 19, 2020.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, officers from the Lady Lake Police Department executed a search warrant at Zimmerman’s residence and seized several of his computers and other electronic devices. During a subsequent forensic examination of the devices, agents from Homeland Security Investigations recovered from Zimmerman’s 2 computers and 12 USB drives nearly 2,400 images and over 300 videos depicting young children being sexually abused and tortured.
Prior to this offense, in 1995, Zimmerman was convicted as a sex offender in federal court in New York for possessing child pornography.
“It is a travesty when a previously convicted federal sex offender commits the same crime,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “But thanks to our HSI special agents, the Lady Lake Police Department, and the Ocala Police Department, he will now return to prison, making our local communities a safer place.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lady Lake Police Department, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Tyrie K. Boyer.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Possessing Pictures and Movies Depicting the Sexual Abuse of Children and for Unlawful Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Michael John Jordan (39, Jacksonville) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse images and videos and for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered Jordan to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and forfeit 22 electronic devices, a shotgun, and ammunition. He must also to register as a sex offender. As part of his sentence, Jordan was ordered to pay $17,000 in restitution to several child victims.
Jordan had pleaded guilty on February 19, 2020.
According to court documents, the investigation began in September 2018 through CyberTip reports sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving the upload of illegal content received from several electronic service providers. Further investigation revealed that Jordan was the source of the uploads referenced in the CyberTip reports, and that he had used multiple different platforms to share material depicting the abuse of children. On February 20, 2019, agents from Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at Jordan’s home and seized several dozen electronic devices. Forensic analysis of these devices revealed more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography, some of which depicted the sexual assault of infants and toddlers. Jordan had used sophisticated encryption techniques to conceal his internet trafficking of child sexual abuse material, including layered security measures and elaborate password protection.
During the search of Jordan’s residence, agents recovered a loaded 12-gauge pistol-grip firearm. In 2014, Jordan was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
“This convicted felon obviously did not learn his lesson the first time,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “thanks to HSI special agents, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, he will be returning to prison for a second time, this time for possession of child pornography and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of Children in GuatemalaRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced today to 60 years in prison for production, transportation, and possession of child pornography.
Alvaro Castillo, 64, of Englewood, was convicted by a federal jury of three counts of production of child pornography; one count of attempted production of child pornography; one count of transportation of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography on Nov. 18, 2020.
According to trial evidence, in May 2018, Castillo traveled to his native country of Guatemala, and videorecorded himself sexually abusing a 13-year-old victim who was sleeping. Evidence from that video identified Castillo as the abuser. In addition to this videorecording, Castillo also possessed and transported additional images of child sexual abuse. Law enforcement agents discovered the child pornography evidence during an October 2019 search of a recreational vehicle that he was driving at the U.S. – Mexico border.
“Alvaro Castillo recorded himself committing unspeakable crimes against a defenseless child in a foreign country,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to identifying and prosecuting transnational offenders like Alvaro Castillo, and today’s sentence will protect children in Guatemala and the United States from such predatory behavior.”
“Child victimization is a crime that knows no borders and HSI, as a global investigative agency, is committed to working with its domestic and international partners to stop these criminals from exploiting innocent children anywhere in the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Erik P. Breitzke for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. “We may not be able to undo the damage done, but sentences such as today’s serve to hold child predators accountable and, we hope, help the victims heal.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Castillo was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay $33,586.89 in restitution.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Trial Attorney Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro of the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Carthage Man Pleads Guilty to Telemarketing CrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - A Carthage man pleaded guilty today to money laundering as part of a broad telemarketing fraud scheme conducted across the United States and elsewhere, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi, and Jack P. Stanton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ New Orleans Field Office.
Neman Zahid, 33, of Carthage, Mississippi, was charged in a federal criminal indictment with acts supporting a conspiracy defrauding multiple victims, as part of an international tech support and telemarketing fraud scheme.
The indictment, charging ten defendants in the United States and abroad, was returned by a federal grand jury on March 19, 2019.
According to the indictment and testimony in court, beginning no later than on or about January 10, 2015, and continuing through on or about December 20, 2018, Zahid conspired with eight other defendants, located both across the United States and in India, to commit the federal offenses of wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud, in addition to offenses of money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and passing fictitious obligations.
As stated in court documents and testimony in open court, Zahid assisted leaders of a fraud ring which sent tech support emails or telephone messages wrongly advising consumers that their computers were infected with malware or otherwise compromised, and offering for a price to help free their computers. Once given permission to access remotely the victims’ computers, conspirators from the United States or abroad would help themselves to personal identification information and bank account passwords from their victims’ computers. Victims often were senior citizens.
Zahid specifically aided the conspirators by incorporating a company called US Professional Support, Inc., and opening bank accounts for the business. Conspirators would then use the business names and the bank accounts to transfer and remove money obtained from victims during the scam.
“Fraud schemes, like the ones perpetrated and executed by these defendants, inflict considerable loss on citizens, companies, and the financial system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca. “Many of these schemes target the elderly and often steal the victims’ entire life savings. These arrests affirm the Department of Justice’s commitment to prosecuting those who prey on our most vulnerable citizens.”
Zahid is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III on August 20, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Cooperstein is prosecuting the case.
Caribbean Corridor Strike Force Intercepts First Low Profile Vessel Seized in the Caribbean with 2,500 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 14, 2021, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment charging three individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as violations of the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (DTVIA), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The indictment charges that, on or about April 8, 2021, on the high seas, defendants Arturo González-Quiñones, Freiman Yepes-Ospina, and José Álvaro Córdoba-Rentería, conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspired to operate and embark in a semi-submersible vessel without nationality, and to navigate thereon into and through waters beyond the outer limit of any country’s territorial sea, with the intent to evade detection, in violation of the DTVIA.
The United States Coast Guard seized approximately 2,500 kilograms of cocaine that the defendants transported on board a semi-submersible vessel. The shipment of cocaine has a wholesale value of approximately $75 million -- using a wholesale price of $30,000 per kilogram of cocaine.
The interdiction was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs, and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF).
The OCDETF CCSF is a multi-agency task force operating in the District of Puerto Rico focusing on attacking command and control elements of Caribbean and South American-based Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). The CCSF targets the smuggling of shipments of narcotics into Puerto Rico, the transshipment of drugs to the Continental United States, as well as the laundering of drug proceeds using bulk cash smuggling and sophisticated money laundering activities. The signatory agencies to the CCSF are the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
Law enforcement agencies that provide critical and essential support to the CCSF, especially with respect to drug interdiction efforts, include: (a) the United States Coast Guard, (b) the United States Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Caribbean Air and Marine Branch, (c) the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, (c) the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, (d) the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action (“Fuerzas Unidas de Rapida Accion” – FURA), and (e) the United States Border Patrol.
“Since the beginning of October 2020, the CCSF and supporting agencies have seized over 17,000 kilograms of cocaine and charged 82 defendants in connection with those seizures,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The CCSF will also continue to pursue the command and control elements of the transnational criminal organizations involved in these drug trafficking and related money laundering activities. Rest assured that we are steadfast in our resolve to protect our borders and our community from these criminal cartels.”
Using a wholesale value of $30,000 per kilogram of cocaine seized, the over 17,000 kilograms of cocaine seized by the CCSF in FY21 has a wholesale value of $510,000,000. The over 17,000 kilograms of cocaine seized by the CCSF during FY21 significantly outpace the CCSF cocaine seizures in FY19 and FY20. Also, the seizures described above relate only to the CCSF, and do not include other drug seizures unrelated to the CCSF.
The prosecutors in charge of the prosecution of the case are U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Tremble; Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Pérez-Bouret; and Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Bonhomme. If convicted the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life in prison on the drug trafficking charges and a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison for violations of the DTVIA (18 U.S.C. § 2285).
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Caribbean Corridor Strike Force Intercepts First Low Profile Vessel Seized in the Caribbean with 2,500 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 14, 2021, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment charging three individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as violations of the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (DTVIA), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The indictment charges that, on or about April 8, 2021, on the high seas, defendants Arturo González-Quiñones, Freiman Yepes-Ospina, and José Álvaro Córdoba-Rentería, conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspired to operate and embark in a semi-submersible vessel without nationality, and to navigate thereon into and through waters beyond the outer limit of any country’s territorial sea, with the intent to evade detection, in violation of the DTVIA.
The United States Coast Guard seized approximately 2,500 kilograms of cocaine that the defendants transported on board a semi-submersible vessel. The shipment of cocaine has a wholesale value of approximately $75 million -- using a wholesale price of $30,000 per kilogram of cocaine.
The interdiction was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs, and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF).
The OCDETF CCSF is a multi-agency task force operating in the District of Puerto Rico focusing on attacking command and control elements of Caribbean and South American-based Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). The CCSF targets the smuggling of shipments of narcotics into Puerto Rico, the transshipment of drugs to the Continental United States, as well as the laundering of drug proceeds using bulk cash smuggling and sophisticated money laundering activities. The signatory agencies to the CCSF are the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
Law enforcement agencies that provide critical and essential support to the CCSF, especially with respect to drug interdiction efforts, include: (a) the United States Coast Guard, (b) the United States Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Caribbean Air and Marine Branch, (c) the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, (c) the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, (d) the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action (“Fuerzas Unidas de Rapida Accion” – FURA), and (e) the United States Border Patrol.
“Since the beginning of October 2020, the CCSF and supporting agencies have seized over 17,000 kilograms of cocaine and charged 82 defendants in connection with those seizures,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The CCSF will also continue to pursue the command and control elements of the transnational criminal organizations involved in these drug trafficking and related money laundering activities. Rest assured that we are steadfast in our resolve to protect our borders and our community from these criminal cartels.”
Using a wholesale value of $30,000 per kilogram of cocaine seized, the over 17,000 kilograms of cocaine seized by the CCSF in FY21 has a wholesale value of $510,000,000. The over 17,000 kilograms of cocaine seized by the CCSF during FY21 significantly outpace the CCSF cocaine seizures in FY19 and FY20. Also, the seizures described above relate only to the CCSF, and do not include other drug seizures unrelated to the CCSF.
The prosecutors in charge of the prosecution of the case are U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Tremble; Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Pérez-Bouret; and Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Bonhomme. If convicted the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life in prison on the drug trafficking charges and a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison for violations of the DTVIA (18 U.S.C. § 2285).
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Canadian national suspected in armed encounter with officers in illegal border crossing appears in courtRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Canadian national suspected of illegally crossing into Montana near Eureka and arrested after an armed encounter with a Border Patrol officer and pursuit through the woods appeared on criminal charges on April 23, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said today.
Tommy Plante, also known as Joseph Sylvain Tommy Plante, 32, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, had an initial appearance on a criminal complaint accusing him of illegal entry into the United States and prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Plante faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Judge DeSoto ordered Plante detained pending further proceedings.
According to the criminal complaint and affidavit filed in support of the complaint, the government alleged that on the evening of April 19, the Eureka Montana Border Patrol Station received information from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that Plante was possibly in a kayak on Lake Koocanusa and may be attempting to enter the United States. The next morning, a Border Patrol agent arrived in the area and saw a beached kayak and camp site in Montana, about one-quarter mile south of the border. The agent approached the subject, later identified as Plante, and identified himself as with the Border Patrol.
The court documents allege that Plante stepped toward the agent and grabbed a rifle that was leaning against a tree. The agent drew his government-issued handgun while taking cover behind a tree and ordered Plante to put down his rifle. Plante slung the rifle on his shoulder and put up his hands but did not put down the rifle. Plante picked up a water bottle and ran into the woods. Multiple agencies joined in a ground and air search for Plante, who was arrested without injury about approximately five and one-half miles from the initial encounter.
The case was investigated by the Border Patrol and the Air and Marine Operations, both within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; FBI; Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
PACER case reference. 21-58.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Burlington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Thursday, April 22, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Terry Lee Douglas, III, age 34, of Burlington, to 200 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Douglas was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
In January of 2020, Douglas was caught with approximately 250 grams of ice methamphetamine in the Burlington area. On multiple occasions between January and May of 2020, Douglas was associated with methamphetamine transactions. In May of 2020, Douglas and others traveled together to obtain ice methamphetamine from a supplier in Galesburg, Illinois. Upon returning to Iowa, the vehicle was stopped, and Douglas was arrested. At the time of the stop and arrest, Douglas had two ounces of ice in his possession. On December 1, 2020, Douglas admitted to knowingly and intentionally joining in an agreement to distribute methamphetamine in the Burlington area.
This matter was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Broward County Resident Charged with Theft of U.S. Postal Service PropertyRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. – A Broward County resident was charged by indictment with forty counts of theft of government property in connection with a scheme to steal over 37,000 stamps from the United States Postal Service.
According to the allegations in the indictment, from on or about September 11, 2019 through on or about September 13, 2019, Jeffery Allan Grant, Jr., 38, of Fort Lauderdale, visited twenty-nine post offices located in Palm Beach and Broward counties and presented forty checks drawn on his personal bank account to purchase a total of 37,100 stamps. The stamps were property of value belonging to the United States Postal Service. Grant’s bank account had insufficient funds to cover the checks presented for the transactions. As a result of Grant’s theft of the stamps, the United States Postal Service lost approximately $20,405.
Grant had his initial appearance on the indictment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in the Southern District of Florida. Grant’s arraignment is scheduled for May 3, 2021. If convicted, Grant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.
USPIS investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Schall is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-80045.
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Bristol Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Derek Wright, 32, of Bristol, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions between May 18, 2020, and September 17, 2020, Wright purchased fentanyl from a supplier and re-sold it to customers in New Hampshire. Wright was arrested on an outstanding warrant on September 17, 2020. During a lawful search of Wright’s vehicle, officers found over 30 grams of fentanyl, approximately 10 small bags of methamphetamine and other items indicative of drug distribution. Wright later admitted to purchasing 50-60 grams of fentanyl at a time, which he re-sold to customers for profit.
Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16, 2021.
“Drug traffickers who peddle fentanyl and methamphetamine are attempting to profit from the sale of dangerous substances,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Their unlawful actions pose a serious risk to public health and safety. To protect our community from these deadly drugs, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to put drug dealers in the Granite State out of business.”
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and the Tilton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.
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Bridgeport Man on Federal Supervised Release Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDEN HUERTAS, 39, last residing in Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2020, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Huertas. Huertas was arrested on February 26, 2020, after a search of his vehicle revealed quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy, and a subsequent search of his residence revealed additional quantities of crack and heroin, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, a loaded 9mm Taurus PT-92C semi-automatic handgun, and additional rounds of ammunition.
Huertas has a criminal history that dates to 1998 and includes state convictions for drug, weapon, robbery, burglary and larceny offenses, and federal convictions in 2015 for possession of firearm by a felon, and in 2019 for escape from custody.
Huertas was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest.
Huertas pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of possession a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Huertas also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2021. Huertas has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to Prison for Bankruptcy Fraud OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY FAUSTINI, 58, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to three months of imprisonment, followed by three months of home confinement and three years of supervised release, for a bankruptcy fraud offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 12, 2018, Faustini filed a personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut. In the petition, Faustini noted that his unpaid debts were approximately $86,862. However, Faustini failed to disclose to the court that he knew that he was the beneficiary of a $100,000 life insurance policy held against the life of his mother. Nine days later, on March 21, 2018, Faustini’s mother passed away.
On April 18, 2018, Faustini testified under oath regarding his bankruptcy petition. In response to questioning from the Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee, Faustini falsely indicated that he had listed all items of value in his petition, and he failed to mention his vested interest in the $100,000 life insurance policy. In response to a specific question as to whether “anybody died and left you any money,” Faustini responded “No.”
On June 20, 2018, the bankruptcy court entered an order granting Faustini a discharge of his debts. The next day, Faustini contacted the life insurance company to determine the status of the claim payment and to confirm that the company had his correct address. On June 26, 2018, the insurance company issued a check for $100,246 to Faustini.
The Office of the U.S. Trustee for the District of Connecticut subsequently received information about the life insurance payment made to Faustini and conducted a “Rule 2004” deposition examination of Faustini on June 5, 2019. During the examination, Faustini made several false statements, including that he had not known about the life insurance policy when he filed his bankruptcy petition, that did not find out about the policy until he received the check, and that he did not know how the insurance company knew to send the check to his address.
Judge Hall ordered Faustini to pay restitution of $61,062, which comprises the debts and fees that would have been paid had Faustini previously disclosed the insurance recovery, and gives Faustini credit for monies the bankruptcy court was able to recoup from others regarding the insurance policy after the fraud was identified.
On December 3, 2020, Faustini pleaded guilty to making a false statement under oath in a bankruptcy matter.
Faustini, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on June 9, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Atlantic County Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for possessing large quantities of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, along with a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Joseph Brandenberger, 36, of Absecon, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Brandenberger was arrested following an investigation that revealed he was using a rented storage unit to conceal a large cache of drugs and a firearm. Upon execution of a search warrant at the location on June 18, 2019, investigators seized 507.6 grams of heroin, 524.3 grams of cocaine, and 107.2 grams of methamphetamine, along with $1,812 in cash and drug packaging material. Investigators also found a loaded Tech-9 9mm handgun. As a previously convicted felon, Brandenberger is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Brandenberger to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, Atlantic City Division; and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai; and the Absecon Police Department, under the direction of Chief James R. Laughlin, for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Armed Carjacker Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jakendis Jacoby Westry, 19, of Mobile, was sentenced today for his participation in an armed carjacking which occurred in Mobile during December of 2019. In January of 2021, Westry pled guilty to the charge of discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of the carjacking, a crime of violence under federal law.
According to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Westry participated with other men in an armed robbery and carjacking of an individual who was trying to buy a gun from Westry through Facebook. The victim fled, and three or four shots were fired by the perpetrators. The day after the carjacking, Westry was apprehended with his co-defendant Dorian Lakeith Webb, Jr., in the stolen vehicle. Officers also found two pistols in the car, one of which had been reported stolen, and the victim’s wallet was found in the console of the stolen vehicle. Officers also found numerous rounds of loose ammunition for 9mm and .40 caliber pistols in the car.
United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a ten-year mandatory sentence in Westry’s case this morning, and ordered that Westy serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody. Westry was also ordered to pay $200 in restitution and a mandatory special assessment of $100. No fine was imposed. The judge further entered a forfeiture order as to the firearm used in the commission of the crime.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Anchorage Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Stuart Ravn, 33, of Anchorage was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of more than 5,744 unique images and videos of child pornography on his computer.
>In issuing the sentence, U.S. Chief District Judge Timothy M. Burgess noted that the possession of these images perpetually victimizes the children who must live knowing that depictions of their own abuse are being distributed and possessed for the sexual gratification of pedophiles. He said: “It isn’t a momentary crime. It is a crime and violation that goes on for the rest of the victims’ lives. Not a day goes by that they are not impacted.”
Ravn was previously convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography in 2014 by the State of Alaska. While on probation for that conviction, Ravn used a computer to access, possess and view video and photographs of minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct. During a routine home visit, State of Alaska probation officers seized a laptop, thumb drive and external hard drive. After obtaining a search warrant, the Anchorage Police Department found thousands of child pornography images Ravn had downloaded from the internet.
Following his release from federal prison, Ravn will face a life term of supervised release. Ravn was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to one of the identified victims and $5,000 to a crime victims fund established by the Justice for Crimes of Trafficking Act of 2015.
The Anchorage Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State of Alaska Department of Corrections, Anchorage Adult Probations conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.
This case is/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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.
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23 April 2021
Woman admits to tax fraud on behalf of herself and many othersRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Texas tax preparer has entered a guilty plea to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Tiffany Phenix prepared income tax returns for others at Phenix Tax Service in Alice. Asa part of her plea today, she stipulated she prepared a total of 37 false income tax returns for clients and four false income tax returns for herself, resulting in an intended tax harm to the IRS of over $284,000.
Specifically, Phenix admitted preparing a false 2015 income tax return for a taxpayer which included creating a false form W-2. She also claimed on the return false wage amounts, a false Earned income Tax Credit and a false income tax refund.
As part of her plea agreement, Phenix agreed to pay restitution to the IRS.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales accepted the plea and set sentencing for July 22. At that time, Phenix faces up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.
Wilmington Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Circle K RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his role in a Wilmington convenience store robbery and car-jacking that resulted in a car crash at an elementary school.
According to court documents, Ronald Lee Croll, 51, and a co-defendant donned masks in the early morning hours of August 18, 2019 and robbed the Circle K gas station on Gordon Road in Wilmington. Croll brandished a handgun, later determined to be a BB gun, pointed it at the head of the store clerk and demanded money. The clerk gave Croll the cash drawer and Croll demanded the clerk’s car keys. In a back room, Croll took the keys, ordered the clerk to lay on the floor and attempted to zip tie the clerk’s wrists together. Croll and his co-defendant then took the clerk’s car and fled with the cash drawer and a number of cigarette packs. New Hanover County Sheriff’s Deputies spotted the vehicle on Market Street and gave pursuit. The car tried to elude officers by driving at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood, eventually going off the road before crashing into a basketball hoop at Blair Elementary School. Croll and his co-defendant then fled on foot before being apprehended. Officers recovered zip ties, cash, the BB gun, cigarettes, the cash drawer, and clothing worn during the robbery from the vehicle and the flight path of the defendants. After being apprehended, Croll was interviewed and admitted his role in the offense.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated, the Wilmington Police Department assisted in the response, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-00184-FL.
University of Georgia Student Charged with CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A graduate student at the University of Georgia was arrested today on charges that he extorted a Massachusetts woman for videos, photographs and communications of a sexual nature and cyberstalked her for more than a year and a half.
Gary E. Leach, 23, of Athens, Ga. was charged with one count of cyberstalking and one count of extortion through interstate threats. Leach will appear in federal court in the Middle District of Georgia later today.
According to the charging documents, beginning in October 2019, and continuing to the present, Leach obtained private video calls and photographs of a sexual nature from the victim through false promises of payment and surreptitiously recorded the victim during these calls. Leach allegedly threatened to share the recordings with the victim’s family if she did not continue to send him content of a sexual nature over Instagram, and repeatedly harassed and extorted the victim for additional interactions of a sexually explicit and degrading nature. Leach is alleged to have used anonymous Instagram accounts to contact and harass the victim, including accounts featuring nicknames for the victim and several variations of the username “u.kno_who.”
While communicating with the victim, Leach allegedly indicated to her that he engaged in similar conduct with other Instagram users, telling her in one message, “Sweetheart I have hundreds of vids and thousands of pictures meticulously categorized by name.” Leach allegedly told the victim that some of these women also did not know that they had been recorded.
If you believe you may be a victim of the allegations in this case, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/us-v-gary-leach
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of extortion by interstate threat of injury to reputation provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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.
United States Attorney’s Office acknowledges National Crime Victims’ Rights weekRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS - The U. S. Attorney’s Office stands with all victims during the 40th anniversary of ‘National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.’ The men and women, working cases in the Eastern District of Missouri, are united in a commitment to making sure all crime victims feel heard, respected and remembered.
Last year, in an effort to make our city safer, federal prosecutors worked 716 illegal firearms cases, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department seized 2,612 guns. The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to prioritizing the prosecution of those who illegally possess firearms and the protection of those victimized by violent actors.
The office’s Victim Witness Unit continues to support victims of child exploitation, violent crime, white collar crime, identity theft, drug overdoses, human trafficking and civil rights violations.
The VWU, so far this year, is helping 376 victims. The unit estimates 18% of those victims are under the age of 17. In 2020, the VWU helped 549 victims with about 10% percent of those victims under the age of 17.
Victims don’t suffer only physical harm. Many fall prey to scammers.
The office’s Financial Litigation Unit collected $2,195,239.90 in restitution, fines and special assessments for crime victims in March 2021 alone. The total, so far in 2021, is $2,743,369.38. The FLU collected, in all of 2020, $20,309,605.20 for victims.
“Protecting the community and vindicating the rights of victims are paramount.” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming, “I am proud of the tireless efforts of our office and our law enforcement partners undertake to prevent crime and support victims.”
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U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Honors DOJ with Elie Wiesel AwardRead the Press Release
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum last night conferred their highest honor, the Elie Wiesel Award, on the U.S. Department of Justice in recognition of the successes of its longtime enforcement program’s efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute participants in World War II-era Nazi crimes.
That program, previously based in the former Office of Special Investigations (OSI), is now part of the mission of OSI’s successor unit, the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP). The award was accepted by former OSI Director Eli Rosenbaum, under whose leadership most of the unit’s prosecution successes were achieved. Rosenbaum, who recently led HRSP’s investigation and prosecution of a Nazi concentration camp guard who was removed from the U.S., currently serves as HRSP’s Director of Human Rights Enforcement Strategy and Policy.
“It is deeply gratifying that the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has recognized the Justice Department’s extraordinary work in pursuing justice on behalf of the victims of Nazi genocide,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department remains steadfast in its resolve to pursue justice on behalf of victims of human rights abuses committed in a tragically long list of countries both during and since World War II.”
Also honored with the Eli Wiesel Award was Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, former Chief White House Domestic Affairs Advisor under President Jimmy Carter, who was instrumental in the legislation that led to the creation of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and who led tireless efforts to secure compensatory and historical justice for survivors.
“While true justice for the victims of the Holocaust is not possible, Stuart Eizenstat and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Special Investigations have each worked tirelessly in different ways to secure a measure of justice for the survivors and accountability for the perpetrators,” said Museum Chairman Howard M. Lorber. “We are honored to recognize their achievements and decades-long dedication to these noble pursuits.”
The OSI was established in 1979 to identify, investigate, and bring to trial people living in the U.S. who participated in Nazi crimes against humanity. Staffed by a dedicated team of prosecutors, investigators, and historians, OSI sought out Nazi perpetrators living in the U.S. who had entered the country illegally. Between its founding and 2010, when it was merged into HRSP, OSI’s investigations and prosecutions led to the denaturalization and/or removal or extradition of more than 100 Nazi offenders from the U.S. In addition, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s former Immigration and Naturalization Service—and since 2002, its successor, the Department of Homeland Security—OSI blocked more than 200 people suspected of participating in wartime Nazi and Japanese crimes from gaining entry to the U.S.
OSI documented and made public the details of U.S. intelligence agencies’ recruitment of such Nazi perpetrators as Klaus Barbie, known as “the Butcher of Lyon” for his torture of Jews and members of the French Resistance and the deportation of Jewish children to Auschwitz. It also denaturalized and deported, among others, John Demjanjuk, the notorious Sobibor extermination camp guard, and Arthur Rudolph, a wartime Nazi slavemaster and later a senior NASA official in charge of constructing the Saturn V rocket. OSI also performed the key investigative work, under Ambassador Eizenstat’s leadership, that proved that the Third Reich transferred Holocaust victim-origin gold to the Swiss National Bank during the war and helped achieve the declassification and public release of millions of pages of classified U.S. government records on Nazi criminals and their crimes.
Given that most Holocaust perpetrators are no longer alive, the principal focus of the human rights enforcement work of HRSP is now on modern human rights abusers. HRSP has prosecuted war criminals, persecutors and other human rights abusers from all over the world, including in relation to postwar conflicts such as those in Bosnia, Guatemala, and Rwanda.
Established in 2011, the Elie Wiesel Award recognizes internationally prominent individuals whose actions embody the Museum’s vision of a world where people confront hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, the Museum’s founding chairman, was the first recipient of the award, which was subsequently named in his honor. Engraved on the award are words from Wiesel’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, “One person of integrity can make a difference.”
In addition to the late Professor Wiesel, the 13 previous recipients include former Nuremberg prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz, the late Congressman John Lewis, and the Syrian White Helmets organization.
U.S. Government Seizes Oil Tanker Used to Violate U.S. and U.N. Sanctions Against North KoreaRead the Press Release
Note: A full copy of the complaint can be viewed
here.WASHINGTON – A Singaporean national was charged today in New York with crimes related to his alleged leadership role in a scheme to use an oil tanker to violate U.S. and U.N. sanctions imposed against North Korea for facilitation of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The oil tanker, the M/T Courageous was seized last month by Cambodian authorities and held pursuant to the court approval of today’s U.S. seizure warrant.
According to court documents, Kwek Kee Seng, 61, of Singapore, and his co-conspirators engaged in an extensive scheme to evade U.S. and U.N. sanctions by using vessels under their control to covertly transport fuel to North Korea, providing a critical resource for the North Korean government and for DPRK-based companies. One of those vessels was M/T Courageous — formerly known as the Sea Prima — which was purchased by Seng through front companies to further the scheme to evade sanctions and launder money.
“The seizure of the Courageous is another step in sinking North Korea’s efforts to circumvent sanctions on the high seas,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department's National Security Division. “The United States will continue to enforce sanctions on North Korea through civil forfeiture actions and criminal prosecutions to ensure that the North Korean government —and the private entities that enable this regime by prioritizing personal profit over global security — are held accountable.”
“The FBI investigates violations of U.S. law wherever they may occur, even in the middle of an ocean,” said Assistant Direct Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Those individuals who decide to violate sanctions imposed on North Korea should expect to encounter the full force of U.S. law enforcement.”
“As alleged, Kwek Kee Seng conspired to violate international sanctions by arranging illicit deliveries of petroleum products to North Korea, and used front companies and false documentation to send money through the U.S. financial system in furtherance of his support for that pariah state,” said U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss for the Southern District of New York. “As a result of his illegal activities, not only does Kwek face criminal charges, but his sanctions-evading ship, the Courageous, has been seized and will no longer enable North Korea’s pattern of evading the global community’s prohibitions on support for that regime. Thanks to the extraordinary cooperation between U.S. and Cambodian law enforcement authorities, the Courageous is out of service. This Office has pioneered the deployment of the full array of criminal and civil enforcement tools to curb North Korea’s deceptive and illicit activities, and today’s actions send a message that anyone who supports the DPRK’s sanctions-busting efforts stands to lose both their liberty and their property.”
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (NKSPEA), the DPRK and individuals or entities that the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has determined are involved in the facilitation of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are prohibited from engaging in transactions with U.S. persons or using the U.S. financial system. The United Nations Security Council has similarly imposed economic sanctions on North Korea, prohibiting among other things the conduct of ship-to-ship transfers with DPRK-flagged vessels and the provision of petroleum products to the DPRK.
For a four-month period between August and December 2019, M/T Courageous illicitly stopped transmitting location information, during which time satellite imagery shows that M/T Courageous engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer of more than $1.5 million worth of oil to a North Korean ship, the Saebyol, which had been designated by OFAC and traveled to the North Korean port of Nampo. Seng and his co-conspirators took additional steps to hide the scheme by (1) operating a series of shell companies, (2) lying to international shipping authorities about M/T Courageous’ dealings with North Korea, and (3) falsely identifying M/T Courageous as another ship in order to evade detection.
In furtherance of the scheme, Seng and his co-conspirators arranged for a variety of payments, denominated in U.S. dollars, that were processed through U.S.-based correspondent accounts to purchase oil — including more than $1.5 million to purchase the oil that was transferred to the Saebyol, over $500,000 to buy M/T Courageous, and thousands more dollars to procure necessary services for M/T Courageous and another vessel, including registration fees, ship materials and salary payments for crewmembers. Seng and his co-conspirators overseas sought to conceal these sanctions-evading transactions by, among other things, using front companies to disguise the nature of the transactions; disguising location information for vessels carrying illicit shipments; and conducting ship-to-ship fuel transfers on the open sea in an attempt to hide their counterparties, such as the Saebyol.
Seng is charged with conspiring to violate the IEEPA and to commit money laundering. If convicted, each count carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Seng remains at large and the United States looks forward to working with our foreign partners to bring him to justice.
Acting U.S. Attorney Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division. Strauss also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section’s Program Operations Unit, Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Cambodian Ministry of Justice; and the Cambodian National Police, for their assistance.
Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton Jr. and Kimberly J. Ravener are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Government Seizes Oil Tanker Used to Violate U.S. and U.N. Sanctions Against North KoreaRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the filing of a criminal complaint charging KWEK KEE SENG with conspiring to evade economic sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“DPRK” or “North Korea”) and money laundering conspiracy. In addition to these criminal charges, a civil forfeiture complaint was filed against M/T Courageous, an oil products tanker purchased and operated by KWEK to make illicit deliveries of petroleum products through ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean vessels and direct shipments to the North Korean port of Nampo.
The M/T Courageous
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Kwek Kee Seng conspired to violate international sanctions by arranging illicit deliveries of petroleum products to North Korea, and used front companies and false documentation to send money through the U.S. financial system in furtherance of his support for that pariah state. As a result of his illegal activities, not only does Kwek face criminal charges, but his sanctions-evading ship, the Courageous, has been seized and will no longer enable North Korea’s pattern of evading the global community’s prohibitions on support for that regime. Thanks to the extraordinary cooperation between U.S. and Cambodian law enforcement authorities, the Courageous is out of service. This Office has pioneered the deployment of the full array of criminal and civil enforcement tools to curb North Korea’s deceptive and illicit activities, and today’s actions send a message that anyone who supports the DPRK’s sanctions-busting efforts stands to lose both their liberty and their property.”
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said: “The seizure of the Courageous is another step in sinking North Korea’s efforts to circumvent sanctions on the high seas. The United States will continue to enforce sanctions on North Korea through civil forfeiture actions and criminal prosecutions to ensure that the North Korean government – and the private entities that enable this regime by prioritizing personal profit over global security – are held accountable.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “In case our message wasn't clear when we seized M/V Wise Honest in May 2019, our seizure of M/T Courageous should serve as another signal of our intentions: the FBI will not allow adversaries to evade sanctions designed to protect our nation. Kwek is now a fugitive on our radar, and his ship is now ours. We are grateful to our international partners who have worked with us to ensure the safety of the citizens we serve."
According to the criminal and civil documents filed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (NKSPEA), the DPRK and individuals or entities that the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has determined are involved in the facilitation of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are prohibited from engaging in transactions with U.S. persons or using the U.S. financial system. The United Nations Security Council has similarly imposed economic sanctions on North Korea, prohibiting among other things the conduct of ship-to-ship transfers with DPRK-flagged vessels and the provision of petroleum products to the DPRK.
For a four-month period between August and December 2019, M/T Courageous illicitly stopped transmitting location information, during which time satellite imagery shows that M/T Courageous engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer of more than $1.5 million worth of oil to a North Korean ship, the Saebyol, which had been designated by OFAC, and traveled to the North Korean port of Nampo. Seng and his co-conspirators took additional steps to hide the scheme by (1) operating a series of shell companies, (2) lying to international shipping authorities about M/T Courageous’ dealings with North Korea, and (3) falsely identifying M/T Courageous as another ship in order to evade detection.
In furtherance of the scheme, Seng and his co-conspirators arranged for a variety of payments, denominated in U.S. dollars, that were processed through U.S.-based correspondent accounts to purchase oil – including more than $1.5 million to purchase the oil that was transferred to the Saebyol, over $500,000 to buy M/T Courageous, and thousands more dollars to procure necessary services for M/T Courageous and another vessel, including registration fees, ship materials and salary payments for crewmembers. Seng and his co-conspirators overseas sought to conceal these sanctions-evading transactions by, among other things, using front companies to disguise the nature of the transactions; disguising location information for vessels carrying illicit shipments; and conducting ship-to-ship fuel transfers on the open sea in an attempt to hide their counterparties, such as the Saebyol.
Cambodian authorities seized M/T Courageous in March of 2020, and have been holding the vessel pursuant to a U.S. seizure warrant, which was issued under seal on April 2, 2020.
* * *
KWEK, 61, of Singapore, is charged with conspiring to violate the IEEPA and to commit money laundering. Each count carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
KWEK KEE SENG remains at large. The United States looks forward to working with our foreign partners to bring KWEK to justice.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division. Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section’s Program Operations Unit, and Office of International Affairs; the United States Coast Guard; the Cambodian Ministry of Justice; and the Cambodian National Police, for their assistance.
The cases are being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton Jr. and Kimberly J. Ravener are in charge of the cases, with assistance from Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation against Kwek.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
FARGO – Acting United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced that on April 23, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota recognized individuals throughout the state who provide outstanding services to victims.
Victim assistance awards were presented to the following individuals:
Assistant United States Attorney Victim Assistance Award – Dawn M. Deitz, Assistant U.S Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Fargo.
Support Staff Victim Assistance Award – Nick Larson Probation Officer, U.S. Probation, Devils Lake.
Victim-Witness Advocate Assistance Award –Miriam Smette, McHenry County Victim Witness.
Special Agent Victim Assistance Award – Randy Helderop, Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations, Bismarck.
Crime Victim Service Legacy Assistance Award – Rick L. Volk, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bismarck.
Special Courage Victim Assistance Award – Katelyn Workman, Survivor.
The U. S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme - Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities - celebrates the contributions that we all can make toward building trust in our community’s capacity to support the healing journeys of crime victims.
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Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Sex Trafficking of A Minor at A Bloomington HotelRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Maria Candelaria Zambrano Zavala, 26, of Bloomington, and Humberto Rangel-Torres, 50, pleaded guilty this week to sex trafficking of a minor.
According to court documents, beginning in March 2019 through May 2019, Zambrano Zavala began transporting and providing a minor for commercial sex to Rangel-Torres, who was at the time a construction worker residing at a hotel in Bloomington. On at least three occasions, Rangel-Torres arranged for commercial sex acts through Zambrano Zavala and paid Zambrano Zavala or the minor in cash for each commercial sex act.
“These defendants showed no regard for the health and safety of a minor and instead prioritized their own gratification and profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “The commercial sexual exploitation of minors is a horrifying crime and one that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for.”
“Apprehending human traffickers who take advantage of children, and rescuing those exploited will always be a top priority for HSI,” said Jamie Holt, acting special agent in charge HSI St. Paul. “HSI and our law enforcement partners, like the Bloomington Police Department, will not relent in our investigations until every trafficker is behind bars and every victim is rescued.”
Zambrano Zavala pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor, and Rangel-Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Zambrano Zavala faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
W. Anders Folk, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota and Jamie Holt, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud accepted the pleas.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by HSI and the Bloomington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manda M. Sertich and Evan B. Gilead are prosecuting 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
Three Men Indicted for Setting Off Explosives Inside Target, Wawas During October 2020 Civil Unrest in Philadelphia AreaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Cushmir McBride, 21, of Yeadon, PA, Kamar Thompson, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, and Nasser McFall, 22, of Claymont, DE, were charged by Indictment for their alleged involvement in four separate incidents in Fall 2020: the robberies of a Target and a Wawa, and attempts to rob two different Wawas, all with multiple explosive devices. McFall is also charged with setting off an explosive device at a bank in Philadelphia later that year. McBride and McFall were previously arrested and charged by Complaint, and Thompson is in federal custody facing charges in a separate case involving the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Each defendant is expected to be arraigned on these new charges next week.
On October 26, 2020, a Philadelphia Police Officer-involved shooting occurred in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia that resulted in the death of Walter Wallace, Jr. Peaceful protests began that evening and continued into the following days, accompanied by a period of civil unrest with widespread incidents of looting and violence in various neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
The Indictment announced today alleges that on October 28, 2020, defendants McBride, Thompson and McFall conspired to break into a Target in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and set off an explosive device in order to steal money from an ATM inside. The defendants are also alleged to have broken into a Wawa the following day, October 29, on Richmond Street in Philadelphia, where they once again set off explosive devices in order to steal money from the ATM. The Indictment further alleges that the defendants set off explosive devices in two other Wawas, one in Philadelphia and one in Claymont, DE, in two separate attempts to rob these stores in the same manner. Finally, McFall is alleged to have set off an explosive device inside an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank in Philadelphia on December 2, 2020.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and aiding and abetting, as well as four separate counts alleging maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice will always support the constitutionally protected right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “However, there is no right to rob, loot or destroy property while endangering lives, as the defendants are accused of doing here. If you engage in violence and commit a federal crime during periods of civil unrest hoping the turbulence will afford you some cover, rest assured that it will not. As this Indictment shows, we will find you, charge you, and you will faces the consequences of your actions in federal court.”
“The Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force maintains a wealth of expertise in these types of investigations,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “These arrests and indictment would not have been possible without the continued professionalism of our partners in the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office. ATF is committed to vigorously working with all of our law enforcement partners and to utilize our expertise in explosives investigations to identify and arrest individuals that commit these types of crimes.”
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.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 80 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Justice Department’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative Announces Newly Translated Online Hate Crimes ResourcesRead the Press Release
Today, marking the 40th Anniversary of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), the Justice Department’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative announced newly translated hate crimes resources in eight languages for the department’s hate crimes website, www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
The website, which has been visited by over one million users since launching in 2018, now features new pages in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Arabic, and Japanese. These pages include basic information about hate crimes, in-language resources, and instructions on reporting hate crimes to the FBI Tip Line with assistance from qualified interpreters. Experience has proven that communicating in-language with people who are limited English proficient (LEP) is a crucial step to combating hate crimes nationally.
There has been an alarming rise in violence, harassment, and discrimination directed at the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The new in-language pages can help victims and witnesses who are limited English proficient recognize and report hate crimes. The website also has a new English language page with links to resources and news addressing hate targeting AAPI communities. www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/addressing-hate-crimes-against-AAPI. The page includes a link to the FBI’s Hate Crime Threat Guide. The Threat Guide, a single-page chart describing types of hate crime threats (physical, verbal, phoned, electronic, written, or visual), lists recommended responses, including steps to preserve evidence. The Guide is now available in Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
The Spanish language hate crimes site, www.justice,gov/hatecrimes-espanol, also has expanded content, such as up-to-date hate crimes statistics, case examples, Spanish language resources, and a map of which states have hate crimes laws.
“Supporting victims of hate crimes is an essential part of the department’s mission, and an important measure of our success,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People with limited English proficiency, and the advocates and community leaders who work with them, face additional barriers to seeking justice. We hope that these new in-language resources help the department and our partners more effectively support victims of hate crimes, build trust, and engage communities. We will continue to expand the number of languages on www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.”
Today’s announcements are just one part of the department’s work to combat discrimination and violence through capacity building, training, support and outreach to our partners, including those that work with AAPI communities or members of the public who have limited English proficiency.
On Jan. 26, President Biden issued the “Presidential Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States,” which mandates that the Attorney General shall:
- explore opportunities to support, consistent with applicable law, the efforts of state and local agencies, as well as AAPI communities and community-based organizations, to prevent discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI individuals, and
- expand collection of data and public reporting regarding hate incidents against such individuals.
For more information on the Justice Department’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes, a one-stop portal with links to hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals. For more information about ensuring language access and the concentration of, and languages spoken by, persons with limited English proficiency in a county, state, or judicial district, visit www.lep.gov/
لقد حل الأسبوع الوطني لحقوق ضحايا الجرائم. هذا الأسبوع، وعلى مدار العام، نود أن يعلم ضحايا جرائم الكراهية أنهم ليسوا وحدهم. لمعرفة المزيد من المعلومات عن جرائم الكراهية والتعرف على كيفية طلب المساعدة، يرجى زيارة الموقع: www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-arabic (Arabic)
本周是“全国犯罪受害者权利周”。 本周，乃至全年，我们想要让仇恨犯罪的受害者知道他们并不孤单。 要了解更多关于仇恨犯罪的信息和了解您可以如何求助，请访问：www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-simplified-chinese (Simplified Chinese)
本週是「全國犯罪受害者權利週」。本週，乃至全年，我們想讓仇恨犯罪的受害者知道他們並不孤單。要瞭解更多關於仇恨犯罪的資訊和瞭解您可以如何求助，請訪問：www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-traditional-chinese (Traditional Chinese)
全国犯罪被害者の権利週間です。今週そして年間を通じ、自分は一人ではないということをヘイトクライム被害者に知っていただきたいです。ヘイトクライムの詳細および助けの求め方を知るには：www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-japanese (Japanese)
전국 범죄 희생자의 권리 주간입니다. 이번 주 그리고 연중 내내, 저희는 증오 범죄의 희생자들이 혼자가 아니라는 것을 알게 되길 바랍니다. 증오 범죄에 대해 더 자세히 알고 도움을 요청할 수 있는 방법에 대해 알아보려면 다음을 방문해 주십시오: www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-korean (Korean)
Pambansang Linggo ng mga Karapatan ng Biktima ng Krimen ngayon. Ang linggo ito, at sa buong taon, nais naming iparating sa mga biktima ng poot na hindi sila nag-iisa. Para malaman pa ang tungkol sa mga krimen ng poot at para malaman kung paano kayo hihingi ng tulong, bisitahin ang: www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-tagalog (Tagalog)
Đã đến Tuần lễ Quyền của Nạn nhân Tội phạm Quốc gia. Tuần này, và trong suốt cả năm, chúng tôi muốn các nạn nhân của tội ác thù hận biết rằng họ không đơn độc. Để tìm hiểu thêm về tội ác thù hận và tìm hiểu cách bạn có thể yêu cầu trợ giúp, vui lòng truy cập: www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/translated-get-help-vietnamese (Vietnamese)
South Florida Medical Clinic Owner Charged with Orchestrating $42 Million Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. – A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment yesterday charging a Key Largo man with submitting approximately $42 million in fraudulent health care claims to United Healthcare.
According to allegations in the indictment, from April 2013 to March 2017, 49-year-old Bradley Jason Kantor owned and operated Mobile Diagnostic Imaging, Inc. (“MDI”), a purported medical clinic in Davie, Florida that provided antigen therapy and other allergen immunotherapy services, such as allergy testing and allergy shots, to commercial insurance beneficiaries. It is alleged that Kantor offered and paid kickbacks to co-conspirators to induce them to refer beneficiaries to MDI, so that MDI could bill commercial insurers for services that it never provided. The indictment alleges that MDI submitted approximately $42 million in false and fraudulent claims to United Healthcare, and that United paid MDI more than $12 million in reimbursement for services that beneficiaries never received. According to the indictment, Kantor purchased a $3 million home in the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, two Winnebago motor coaches, and a 37’ yacht with the ill-gotten proceeds.
The indictment charges Kantor with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. If convicted, Kantor faces up to 50 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Defendant is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Friday, April 23, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid, who sits in Miami.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office announced the charges.
FBI Miami is investigating this case. Department of Labor provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Michael B. Homer are prosecuting it.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20243.
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CONTACT: Marlene Rodriguez
Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney
www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl
Public Affairs Officer
Twitter @SDFLNews
Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charge in Maryland for Stealing Checks from Churches and Depositing Them into Fraudulently Opened Bank Accounts, Then Withdrawing the Stolen FundsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Marian Unguru, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty late yesterday to a federal bank fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, in which the conspirators received approximately at least $1,115,571.68 from 2,654 stolen checks.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
According to Unguru’s plea agreement, from June 2018 to January 2021, Unguru and his co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions. Unguru and his co-conspirators stole checks from the incoming and outgoing mail of churches and other religious institutions, then deposited the stolen checks into the fraudulently opened bank accounts. Unguru and his co-conspirators then withdrew the funds and spent the fraudulently obtained proceeds.
Specifically, Unguru admitted that he and his co-conspirators used foreign identity documents, often but not universally Romanian, in both their true identities as well as suspected fictitious identities, to fraudulently open bank accounts at victim financial institutions. Unguru and his co-conspirators then fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks by depositing the stolen checks into the victim bank accounts, often by way of automated teller machine (ATM) transactions, then made cash withdrawals from ATMs and purchases using debit cards associated with the bank accounts.
Unguru admitted that during the course of the conspiracy, he personally deposited at least 90 stolen checks, totaling at least $35,662.79, and withdrew at least $22,200 from the accounts that received the checks. In total, the fraudulently opened bank accounts received approximately at least $1,115,571.68 from 2,654 stolen checks. Based on Unguru’s involvement in the scheme and his relationship with the other conspirators, between $550,000 and $1.5 million in actual and intended loss was foreseeable to Unguru.
As part of his plea agreement, Unguru has agreed to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is at least $1,115,571.68, and to forfeit $14,100 in cash seized during a search of Unguru’s home on October 9, 2020.
Unguru faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Unguru on July 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.
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Reading, PA Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Melissa Madera, 27, of Reading, PA was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, and a lifetime of supervised release by United States District Judge Joseph P. Leeson for multiple child exploitation and sex trafficking offenses.
In September 2020, the defendant pleaded guilty two counts of sex trafficking minors, and one count each of distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The charges stem from Madera’s trafficking of two children, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl, from about August until October 2017. Madera forced the girls to engage in commercial sex for her own financial gain, all while plying the minors with drugs like Ecstasy and cocaine to ensure their compliance. Sometimes one of the girls would not make it to school the following day because she had been given so many drugs the previous night.
Madera also obtained a sexually explicit image of one of the girls and used it on a commercial sex trafficking website, advertising the minor for commercial sex acts using locations like the Quality Inn in Wyomissing, PA, and the Days Inn, Kleins’ Motel and Roadway Inn, all in Reading, PA. The defendant would rent two rooms at the hotel: one room was for the commercial sex acts and Madera would stay in the other after meeting the sex buyers and charging a fee of $200 per hour. After the 15-year-old’s mother reported her missing to the Reading Police Department in October 2017, Madera confronted the girl and assaulted her, stating “This is what you get for being a rat.”
“The crimes committed by this defendant will physically and psychologically impact her victims for years to come,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Madera advertised these children like objects and plied them with drugs so she’d be more easily able to control them. Her behavior is horrifying, and she deserves every single day of that prison sentence.”
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri A. Stephan.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 15 years for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing Methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Connor Daniel Rushing, 25, was responsible for distributing over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine between November 2018 and September 2019. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement seized over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine as well as 2 firearms from the defendant. Rushing’s operation was ultimately brought to an end when he was stopped on September 29, 2019, returning from Georgia with over 500 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Crosby prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00460-FL-1.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 120 Months for Distributing Methamphetamine in CapserRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that GLEN ROY WAYT, age 66, of Casper, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and attempted possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams. Wayt was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by 60 months of supervised release on both counts, to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay $400 in restitution and a $200 special assessment fee.
During an investigation that took place in March 2017, the Casper Police Department and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Casper Office determined Wayt was distributing methamphetamine out of his maintenance shop in Bar Nunn. He was arrested on March 23, 2017.
The investigation revealed that Wayt was obtaining multiple pounds of methamphetamine from two to three different individuals whose sources of supply came from California and Arizona. The amount of methamphetamine obtained and distributed by Wayt totaled more than 20 pounds. Approximately $18,000 in cash was also seized from the truck Wayt was driving when he was arrested.
After his arrest in 2017, Wayt was released from custody pending trial. Wayt absconded from pretrial supervision and fled the state. Wayt had been convicted of nearly identical conduct in the year 2000 and had been sentenced to 121 months in Federal prison at that time.
“Repeat offenders are no contest for strong law enforcement partnerships which led to the dismantlement of this once-thriving methamphetamine ring. This effort underscores the power of combined forces across multiple borders. These partnerships are vital in the war against methamphetamine and other drugs poisoning our citizens,” said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray. “We are committed to removing such criminals in order to protect Wyoming communities, like Casper.”
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Casper Office, Casper Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and multiple coordinating partners in California and Arizona. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Blonigen and Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. Hambrick.
Prince George’s County Police Lieutenant Facing Federal Charges for Attempting to Evade or Defeat Taxes for Years 2014 Through 2019Read the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Edward Scott Finn, age 46, of Dunkirk, Maryland, for the federal charges of attempting to evade or defeat taxes for tax years 2014 through 2019. Finn is a Lieutenant with the Prince George’s County Police Department and owned and operated Edward Finn Inc. (EFI). EFI employs off-duty law enforcement officers to provide security services to apartment complexes and other businesses, primarily in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Finn was arrested on April 22, 2021 and will have an initial appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms.
The federal charges were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Finn allegedly omitted a total of $1.3 million of EFI income on his 2014 through 2019 individual income tax returns. During that time frame, the affidavit alleges that Finn deposited approximately $1,397,295 of checks written for services from EFI into his personal bank account or into his children’s bank accounts. These security service deposits were not reported as income on EFI’s corporate tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2019, nor as income on Finn’s personal tax returns. This underreported income resulted in a total tax loss to the government of $484,281.
If convicted, Finn faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of five counts of attempting to evade and defeat taxes. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-CI and the FBI and for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Thomas P. Windom, who are prosecuting this case.
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