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1 March 2021
Canadian Fugitive Charged with Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man appeared in court today on charges of possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Perth De, aka “Parthasarthie Kapoor,” 47, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III and was ordered detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 21, 2020, De was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant obtained at the request of the Government of Canada, which previously charged De with sexually assaulting minors. Law enforcement officials found several cellular phones in De’s luggage. A subsequent forensic examination of one of the cellular phones revealed numerous videos of children being sexually abused. Some of the videos had been distributed from the cellular phone.
The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, and the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Casper Men Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAY DONALD FARLEY, a/k/a/ Ray Donald Lucero, Jr. was sentenced on March 1, 2021 to 150 years in prison for three counts of production of child pornography. In sentencing Ray Farley, the Honorable Nancy D. Freudenthal stated that the Defendant’s conduct was “reprehensible” and “unforgivable” and sentenced him to 50 years, per count, consecutively, totaling 150 years’ imprisonment.
In March 2020, Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation received Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children informing them that Ray Farley and Conner William Biggs Farley may be producing child pornography. Agents swiftly investigated the Cybertip and learned that from August 2019 through March 2020, Farley and his husband, Conner Farley, sexually abused three children, ages 7, 5, and 1. Agents arrested both Farleys on April 16, 2020 in Casper, Wyoming. Over the course of the investigation, it was learned that both Farleys recorded their sexual abuse of the children and produced multiple still and video images of such abuse. These images were shared with RICHARD THOMAS WILLDEN, age 29, of Casper. Willden was sentenced last Wednesday, February 24 to 121 months’ imprisonment for receiving and possessing the images. CONNER FARLEY pleaded guilty on December 14 to three counts of production of child pornography and is set to be sentenced on March 25, 2021.
“Farley is a very real danger to children. He was convicted and sentenced for sexually abusing children for the second time. He previously spent 3½ years in state prison for sexually abusing one child, and now he will spend the rest of his life in federal prison.” Said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Murray.
“Lucero and Willden belong in federal prison where they no longer have access to children. I am thankful for Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Forwood and Christyne Martens, who take on these challenging cases and fight for the child victims. No child should ever suffer at the hands of pedophiles nor endure abuse in silence. Our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers are working day and night to protect Wyoming’s children. I commend the work of Homeland Security and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation in this case, and I assure you we will all continue to bring child predators to justice.” Murray said.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation an abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Bucksport Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bucksport man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, William Meier, 56, possessed electronic devices containing child exploitation material. The electronics, including a cell phone and a computer and associated drives, were seized from his home on June 13, 2020. Some of the material Meier possessed on these devices depicted children under the age of 12.
Meier faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bucksport Police Department and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated this case. The 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. 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.
Bryan Wilson to Serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for District of AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, AK – Effective today, Bryan Wilson begins serving as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. Mr. Wilson, who has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska since November 2017, assumes the position as Acting U.S. Attorney by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act.
Mr. Wilson has served with the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney since 1991. Mr. Wilson began his career with the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Florida in 1991 and served as an Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, and as the Civil/Appellate Chief from 2003 through 2010. Mr. Wilson transferred to the District of Alaska in 2010. Mr. Wilson has served as the Chief of the Financial Litigation Units in both the Northern District of Florida and District of Alaska.
Mr. Wilson was in private practice in Tallahassee, Florida from 1983 through 1991. He received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College.
“Our outgoing U.S. Attorney, Bryan Schroder, had a strong commitment to the employees of this office; our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners; and the people throughout the State of Alaska” said Acting U.S. Attorney Wilson, “I am humbled and honored to continue those traditions. The important work of the public servants in this Office – and their dedication to justice – continues. Our casework will persist uninterrupted.”
Bronx Man Sentenced to 61 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Albert Paulin, 34, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately August of 2017 to approximately January of 2018, Paulin conspired with others to withdraw money from other person’s bank accounts. Specifically, Paulin drove runners to a number of bank branches and provided them with false driver’s licenses that contained bank customers’ personal identifying information and the runners’ photographs. Paulin also provided the runners with the account holders’ bank account number. The runners then entered the bank branches and withdrew funds from bank accounts with the information provided by Paulin.
In total, Paulin’s runners successfully withdrew over $109,900 and attempted to withdraw an additional $43,700 from over 19 victims’ bank accounts. All but three of the accountholders targeted by Paulin’s scheme were New Hampshire residents.
Paulin previously pleaded guilty on January 30, 2020. In addition to his prison sentence, Paulin was ordered to pay $114,400 in restitut
“Fraud and identify theft are serious crimes that can have very significant impacts on the victims whose identities are stolen or whose accounts are compromised,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who travel to New Hampshire to commit these crimes should understand that we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute identity thieves. The significant sentence imposed on Mr. Paulin demonstrates that federal crimes will have substantial consequences.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the West Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department, Westboro, Massachusetts Police Department, and Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter.
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Beltsville Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison After He Was Convicted After Trial of Involuntary Manslaughter, Reckless Driving, and Related Charges in Connection with a Fatal Crash on the Baltimore-Washington ParkwayRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Christopher Andrew Smith, age 31, of Beltsville, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, driving without a license, and failure to place a child in a safety seat, in connection with a fatal car crash on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on February 5, 2018, in which a three-year-old child was killed. A federal jury convicted Smith of those charges on January 29, 2020, after a two-day trial.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith of the U.S. Park Police.
According to trial testimony and court documents, on February 5, 2018, Smith drove a 2011 Nissan Altima on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway accompanied by a male passenger in the front seat and the passenger’s three-year-old daughter in the back seat. An eyewitness reported that Smith was driving at a high rate of speed when he attempted to pass the witness’s vehicle on the right shoulder, near the exit for Route 198. Smith lost control of the vehicle on the shoulder then swerved into the left lane of the Parkway before crashing into a tree in the wooded median. Smith was found partially ejected from the sunroof while the male passenger was found underneath the vehicle. Both men sustained critical injuries and were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals for immediate treatment. The three-year-old girl was declared deceased at the scene. She was not secured with a child’s safety seat or seatbelt.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Park Police and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hollis Raphael Weisman and Dwight Draughon, who prosecuted the federal case.
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Baltimore Police SWAT Officer Facing Federal Charges for Possession and Production of Child Pornography and for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Donald Hildebrandt, age 51, of Bel Air, Maryland, with the possession and production of child pornography and obstruction of justice.
The federal charges were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Lieutenant Paul Marziale of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Director of the Harford County Child Advocacy Center; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.
Hildebrandt is a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is currently suspended without pay. According to the criminal complaint, on October 18, 2020, law enforcement received a complaint that Donald Hildebrandt had been discovered in a room with a minor female with his erect penis exposed. Another minor had reported the incident. During an interview at the Harford County Child Advocacy Center (CAC), one of the minor victims disclosed that Hildebrandt exposed himself to her and demanded that she engage in sexually explicit conduct with him.
As detailed in the affidavit, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hildebrandt’s home on October 20, 2020 and seized several electronic devices. A forensic examiner subsequently decrypted a file found on Hildebrandt’s laptop computer and discovered videos allegedly documenting the sexual abuse of a minor female. Another nearly three-hour long video discovered on Hildebrandt’s laptop depicted a compilation of multiple instances of child sexual abuse, including prepubescent victims. Additionally, over 100 still shots believed to be derived from covert video recordings allegedly taken by Hildebrandt were uncovered by investigators. The images included two minor female victims, including some images displaying their breasts and genitalia.
In January 2021, a witness informed investigators that Hildebrandt had reset his tablet. A forensic review of the previously seized tablet showed signs consistent with a factory reset. In Hildebrandt’s iCloud account, analysts also discovered a web address to an anonymous communication network within Hildebrandt’s notes application, which opened to a child pornography website. The website allowed customers to anonymously purchase child pornography with cryptocurrency. The site claimed to be a “safe zone for pedo folks.”
If convicted, Hildebrandt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography; a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for obstruction of justice. 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. No date has been set for Hildebrandt’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Hildebrandt remains detained on related state charges.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Apprehended Fugitive Charged in Second Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Joseph Albert Corey appeared today in federal court to face an indictment filed December 15, 2020, charging him with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. Corey also re-appeared on a 2019 federal indictment for mail fraud to which he had already pleaded guilty but had absconded in February 2020 before sentencing.
According to the new indictment (CR 20-481 RS), between March 2019 and October 2020, Corey, age 56 and last known to live in Los Angeles, engaged in a fraud scheme that involved impersonating different physicians and applying for loans in the physicians’ names. The applications sought loans purportedly to purchase expensive medical devices. The indictment outlines that once a fraudulent loan application was approved for a loan, Corey directed the lender to deposit the funds in a bank account set up by Corey in a deceptive name, one that closely resembled or was identical to that of a legitimate medical-device supply company. After the lender deposited the money loaned for the medical device purchase into the apparent medical-device supplier’s bank account, the indictment alleges that Corey withdrew the money and purchased gold. The gold purchase obscured the financial trail of the funds, laundering the money for Corey. The indictment alleges three different executions of this scheme – twice in April 2019 and once in August 2020 after Corey pleaded guilty to the fraud outlined below and had absconded – that netted more than $300,000.
Corey is also indicted in this district in an earlier federal criminal case charging a different fraud (CR 19-530 EMC). In October 2019, an indictment charged Corey with engaging in a mail fraud scheme that obtained approximately $34,000. The scheme involved Corey opening an account under a false name and depositing checks into the account that were drawn without authority on a legitimate company’s bank account. Corey then purchased gold with the deposited funds. Corey ultimately pleaded guilty to this mail fraud charge in November 2019. While sentencing was pending, the Court ordered Corey to appear for a bond hearing. Corey failed to appear and on February 19, 2020, the Court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Corey remained at large for almost a year, and during that time he was charged in the new indictment.
In another filing by the government, the government asserts that Corey left the country and remained at large until arrested in January 2021. When arrested, he possessed numerous false identifications, including one identifying him as a special agent of the CIA. He was transferred to this district to face both cases outlined above.
Investigators are asking anyone who has further information about Joseph Albert Corey or his activities that may be relevant to these cases to email the FBI tip line at tips.fbi.gov.
Corey’s next scheduled court appearance is set for March 8, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., for identification of his counsel in front of the Honorable Sallie Kim, United States Magistrate Judge, who Corey appeared before this morning. Corey is also set to appear on April 7, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., for a status conference before the Honorable Edward M. Chen, United States District Judge.
The new indictment (CR 20-481 EMC) charges Corey with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and two counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of a wire fraud or wire fraud conspiracy charge, Corey faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release once imprisonment ends. If convicted of a money laundering charge, Corey faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the amount of the criminally derived proceeds, as well as three years of supervised release once imprisonment ends. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Corey already pleaded guilty in November 2019 in the earlier case (CR 19-530 EMC) to one count of mail fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and term of up to three years of supervised release once imprisonment ends.
Mohit Gourisaria is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maddi Wachs and Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Admitted methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Charlton County man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine in south Georgia has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison.
Phillip Yarbrough, 39, of Folkston, Ga., was sentenced to 264 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Yarbrough will be required to serve four years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“As methamphetamine abuse continues to threaten the security and health of citizens throughout the Southern District, our law enforcement partners are relentless in identifying and shutting down suppliers of this illegal narcotic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Phillip Yarbrough now faces stiff consequences for spreading this poison in our communities.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Yarbrough was arrested after a traffic stop in March 2018 when Willacoochee, Ga., Police officers found two large bags of methamphetamine hidden in Yarbrough’s vehicle.
Yarbrough, a member of the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang with a documented history of drug distribution and domestic violence, admitted acting as a drug courier and dealer, transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs from an Atlanta supplier into communities in south Georgia.
“The manufacture of methamphetamine poses an imminent danger to everyone,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division. “The precursor chemicals used to manufacture ‘meth’ are toxic and can be extremely volatile. This Ghost Face Gangster can no longer feed the addicts who craved this addictive substance. This case is a great example of how spirited law enforcement collaboration keeps our communities safe from ‘meth’ dealers who seek to do harm by distributing this poison.”
“This sentence is the direct result of the effective partnership between our local, state, and federal agencies,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will work tirelessly together to hold accountable gang members and drug dealers who terrorize our neighborhoods. The GBI is dedicated to thoroughly investigate violent offenses to lead to successful prosecution.”
The case was investigated by the DEA, the GBI, the Willacoochee Police Department and the Charlton County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Additional Charges Brought Against Clinton Man and Fitchburg ManRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury in Worcester brought additional charges against a Clinton man and Fitchburg man in connection with their involvement in an employment tax and mail fraud scheme.
Juliano Fernandes, 39, of Clinton, and Anderson Dos Santos, 36, of Fitchburg, were charged in a superseding indictment on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. The superseding indictment charges Fernandes with two counts of false statements and charges Dos Santos with two counts of filing a false tax return. In January 2021, Fernandes was charged with 11 counts of failure to pay over employment taxes and two counts of mail fraud and Dos Santos was charged with one count of mail fraud.
According to the superseding indictment, Fernandes made two false statements to the Department of Labor in August 2017 concerning the value of property he owned in Lunenburg, Mass. and that he never had any responsibility or control over the payroll for Force Corporation. In addition, Dos Santos was charged with two counts of filing a false and fraudulent tax return related to his 2013 and 2014 personal tax returns.
According to charging documents, Fernandes exercised management and control over Force Corporation and AB Construction, both Massachusetts-based construction companies. Between 2015 and 2017, Fernandes willfully failed to account for and pay over employment taxes for Force Corporation and AB Construction to the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, from approximately April 2013 through January 2017, Fernandes allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud worker’s compensation insurance carriers for Force Corporation by misrepresenting the number of employees and amount of wages paid to its employees. Similarly, from approximately December 2013 through April 2016, Fernandes and Dos Santos engaged in a scheme to defraud worker’s compensation insurance carriers for AB Construction by misrepresenting the number of employees and amount of wages paid to its employees.
The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of failure to pay over employment taxes and making a false statement each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, three years 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.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting United States Attorney AppointedRead the Press Release
Ellison C. Travis has been appointed and sworn in as the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana following the resignation of Brandon J. Fremin who had served as the United States Attorney since 2018.
Mr. Travis stated, “It is a great honor to serve in this position, as this office has a long history of seeking justice. I can assure the public that our professional staff will continue our mission, and aggressively enforce federal law by working with federal, state, and local partners to prosecute criminals and pursue federal civil enforcement actions when appropriate.”
Mr. Travis has served as First Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Louisiana since 2018. Previously, he was with the Louisiana Department of Justice for over twenty years. During his tenure with the Louisiana Department of Justice, Mr. Travis served as the Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Criminal Division (2017-2018), as an Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (2002–2017), and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division (1997–2002). Mr. Travis also served as an Assistant District Attorney (1990–1996). During his thirty years in public service, Mr. Travis has prosecuted all manner of criminal matters, including violent crimes, financial crimes, and public corruption. Mr. Travis helped author and pass legislation to penalize those who commit electronic abuse of persons with infirmities and those who commit public program fraud. He also represented the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the state Legislative Task Force on Medicaid Fraud Prevention.
Mr. Travis received his J.D. from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and his B.A. in Economics from Louisiana State University.
28 February 2021
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores Leaves the Department of Justice after 18 Years of Service to the NationRead the Press Release
Today marks Trent Shores’ final day of service as United States Attorney. His resignation brings to a close nearly 18 years of federal law enforcement experience. He served the mission of justice under four Presidents and seven United States Attorneys General.
“Serving as United States Attorney has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to contribute to improving public safety in Northern Oklahoma, a community where I grew up and where I have chosen to raise my family. The attorneys and staff of this U.S. Attorney’s Office approach their jobs daily with unparalleled integrity and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. I’ll sleep well knowing they’re on the job,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Following confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Shores was sworn in as United States Attorney on Sept. 22, 2017. He served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The district is home to more than 1 million people and covers eleven counties, including thirteen federally recognized Indian tribes. He started his tenure as U.S. Attorney in an office of 47 total attorneys and support staff, and within the next four years, grew the office to more than 100 personnel to meet the substantially increased caseload following a landmark Supreme Court decision. In his dozens of hiring decisions, Shores demonstrated his commitment to building a work force that looks like America, constructing the best qualified, most diverse staff the office has ever had.
“Over the last four years, U.S. Attorney Shores has conducted a master class for leadership. He has proactively sought input and listened to the concerns and ideas of all staff, agency partners and stakeholders,” said Civil Division Chief Cathy McClanahan. “Never one to take a day off, his one aim has always been providing the best service to the people of the Northern District of Oklahoma. All of those who work with Trent understand his great love of justice, as demonstrated by the fact that he has spent half of his life serving in the Department of Justice. On behalf of the Civil Division, I extend my deepest appreciation to Trent for all that he has done for this Division, the entire office and the people of Oklahoma.”
“Law enforcement and our team had the privilege of having Trent lead the Northern District of Oklahoma during times of nationwide unrest, a pandemic and a game changing decision by the Supreme Court in the McGirt case. During his tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office doubled in size and more than doubled its case load,” said Criminal Division Chief Allen Litchfield. “It takes a natural born leader to excel in times of great adversity. Trent is that kind of leader. He brought an unwavering sense of commitment to the mission of justice for victims and the citizens he served. His dedication to the Office of the U.S. Attorney and his efforts to ensure justice for all, sets the standard for us all to follow.”
Shores was appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, by both Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and William Barr, providing counsel on key policy and operational matters for the Justice Department. He further served on the Attorney General’s domestic violence working group, aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, using the tools of federal prosecution help prevent domestic violence.
Shores also was named Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues (NAIS), a group of United States Attorneys charged with the developing and guiding national policy for Indian Country justice. Known as an expert on Indian Country criminal law, Shores testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to discuss violent crime in Indian Country and of potential legislation to address the problem. He also testified before the United States Sentencing Commission regarding the impact of federal sentencing guidelines on Native Americans in the criminal justice system.
Shores and his NAIS colleagues were instrumental in shaping Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative, launched in November 2019. The initiative, in part, placed MMIP coordinators in U.S. Attorney’s offices in 11 states, including Oklahoma, who were charged with developing protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases.
Shores also hired Patti Buhl, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, to serve as the MMIP Coordinator. Shores and Buhl would soon team up with the leaders of the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) Nations to launch the MMIP Tribal Community Response Plan Pilot Project in Oklahoma, the first of six states to launch the project. The goal of the pilot is to establish a collaborative response from tribal governments, law enforcement agencies, and other partners by implementing culturally appropriate draft guidelines when investigating emergent cases of missing and murdered American Indians. Lessons learned will be used to improve the draft guides for developing response plans before they are used across the nation.
Seeking to highlight Tribes in Oklahoma, Shores coordinated a 3-day NAIS meeting and a visit from Attorney General Barr. In 2018, Shores hosted 38 U.S. Attorneys, the Justice Department’s Inspector General, and countless officials from other agencies and tribes from across the country for the NAIS meeting. In 2020, Shores joined with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. to welcome Attorney General Barr to the Cherokee Nation. Attorney General Barr and Shores met with Cherokee leadership, council members, and marshals to discuss public safety priorities.
Forward leaning and mission oriented, Shores led with intensity and vision. In July 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court found, in McGirt v. Oklahoma, that land historically reserved for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation remained Indian Country so that the Northern District of Oklahoma holds a reservation, including most of Tulsa. Overnight, criminal jurisdiction of thousands of cases involving Native Americans shifted from state courts to federal or tribal courts. Shores and his leadership team proactively advocated for resources and personnel in order to implement the Court’s decision. They called on federal prosecutors and support staff from across the nation for assistance, and 17 volunteers came to Tulsa to assist. In early 2021, the leadership team also hired 13 additional Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff, building capacity within the office. In the process, Shores strove to create a culture of professionalism, transparency, and teamwork as attorneys and support staff took on ever-increasing responsibilities. Shores and his team also prioritized collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, training officers on the unique legal considerations of Indian Country and helping to coordinate cross deputization agreements so officers were able to work crimes that occurred on the reservation involving Native American suspects or victims.
Like many Tulsans, Shores was profoundly affected when two Tulsa Police Officers were shot during a traffic stop in 2020. Tragically, Sergeant Craig Johnson lost his life as a result of wounds sustained in the incident. In response, Shores created and launched the 2150 Initiative in partnership with the Tulsa Police Department and ATF. The 2150 Initiative was named for Sgt. Johnson’s badge number as a way of honoring his legacy of service and duty to the citizens of Tulsa. The initiative aimed to remove illegal guns from the street and keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who are prohibited by law from possessing them.
In the last four years, federal prosecutors in the Criminal Division convicted 963 defendants and filed 1,335 cases, many of which are still ongoing in federal court. Under Shores’ leadership, violent crime prosecutions on average nearly doubled when compared to the three years prior, and violent crime rates declined. Shores frequently spoke about the devastating impact violent crime had on communities and its oppression on the opportunities afforded to residents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized public safety through targeted, impactful prosecutions. For example, through strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement, the team launched Operation Alpha in 2018. The operation used crime-mapping technology to focus on high volume areas of violent crime in Tulsa over a two-month period, arresting 174 repeat violent offenders, called Alpha criminals, and taking 106 illegal guns off the street. The office further focused on taking firearms out of the hands of individuals who illegally possessed guns, including felons and domestic violence perpetrators, through Project Guardian and the 2150 Initiative. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, prosecutors charged 75 individuals with firearms violations. Underscoring importance of these cases, the office prosecuted Jakob Garland, a felon who exchanged a firearm for heroin. The recipient of the firearm was a felon who gunned down two Tulsa Police officers in 2020.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also significantly increased child exploitation prosecutions under Shores’ leadership. He hired Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Nassar and Edward Snow to take on these prosecutions and protect child victims. In July 2019, they teamed up with the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, FBI and other law enforcement partners to conduct Operation Independence Day, netting 19 total child predators. Currently, federal prosecutors and 15 local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies are conducting Operation Clean Sweep across the 11 counties in the Northern District of Oklahoma. So far, the operation has charged 18 alleged perpetrators of internet facilitated child exploitation crimes.
Shores also sought to build strong partnerships with law enforcement in the district, offering federal resources as needed. He encouraged every sheriff, chief, and marshal to reach out to him personally to share concerns or to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Shores also offered support to assist law enforcement and social services agencies to apply for millions of dollars in Justice Department grants to pay for resources like crime gun intelligence centers, domestic violence programs, school safety programs and rape kit processing. It was not uncommon to find Shores in a rural county or small town meeting with local law enforcement or joining them to present to local students about the dangers of opioids.
Additionally, Shores expanded the Civil Division by hiring four new Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Over the last four years, the division filed or responded to 2,251 cases. The team’s defensive work saved taxpayers a total of $83,923,856 while affirmative civil enforcement actions totaled $4,593,167. Notably, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit worked to recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud by holding accountable medical professionals who accepted illegal kickback payments in return for recommending and prescribing compounded drugs produced by OK Compounding.
Outside the office, Shores engaged with the broader Tulsa community as well as more rural parts of the district. He prioritized community engagement and frequently spoke to citizen groups and students. He championed the American justice system and sought to inspire confidence in the dedicated public officials and civil servants who worked within it- from judges to public defenders to prosecutors. He promoted transparency in law enforcement and created opportunity for dialogue with community organizers. Importantly, he worked with citizen leaders to provide bilingual information on Spanish television and radio, sharing vital education regarding human trafficking, drugs, and illegal arms. Building these connections allowed his office to do justice on behalf of all victims, regardless of race, gender, or immigration status. One public speaking highlight of Shores’ tenure was when he delivered the keynote remarks at the Memorial Day celebration at the Wake Island Memorial in Bristow, Creek County. Shores spoke about the military service of his grandfather, PFC Robert Shores of the U.S. Marine Corp, who fought valiantly defending the island in World War II and survived captivity as a POW for nearly four years. At the conclusion of his remarks, Shores presented to his father an American flag that, with the assistance of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, had been flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of PFC Shores.
Shores started his career as the Deputy Director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Tribal Justice in Washington, D.C. Later as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, he prosecuted human trafficking and child exploitation crimes, international organized crime, and white-collar crimes and public corruption. He also served as the National Security Cyber Specialist, working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force to address cyber-based threats to our national security and attacks on critical infrastructure.
U.S. Attorney Shores leaves this week after nearly 18 years of service with the Department of Justice. His actions showed a concern for the safety, well-being, and rights of the entire community. By pursuing a mission of liberty and justice for all Oklahomans of all backgrounds, he built trust throughout the community with integrity and accountability to the rule of law.
27 February 2021
Department of Justice Issues Statement Announcing Decision to Appeal Terkel v. CDCRead the Press Release
Brian M. Boynton, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Division, released the following statement:
"The CDC’s eviction moratorium, which Congress extended last December, protects many renters who cannot make their monthly payments due to job loss or health care expenses. By preventing people from becoming homeless or having to move into more-crowded housing, the moratorium helps to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Department of Justice respectfully disagrees with the February 25 decision of the district court in Terkel v. CDC that the CDC’s eviction moratorium exceeds Congress’ powers under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the Department has appealed that decision. The decision, however, does not extend beyond the particular plaintiffs in that case, and it does not prohibit the application of the CDC’s eviction moratorium to other parties. For other landlords who rent to covered persons, the CDC’s eviction moratorium remains in effect."
Clendenin Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Terry L. Spradlin, 34, of Clendenin, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Spradlin admitted that on August 31, 2019, officers with the Dunbar Police Department encountered him before opening hours in Shawnee Park in Dunbar. Spradlin admitted he possessed a firearm which had travelled in interstate commerce and which he had strapped in a holster. Spradlin further admitted he had a prior felony conviction for first degree robbery in the Circuit Court of Roane County and was prohibited from possessing the firearm.
Spradlin faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 20, 2021.
The Dunbar Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00161.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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26 February 2021
법무부 민권부 선임 부차관보 파멜라 칼란 성명서Read the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Korean
民权司首席副助理司法部长 帕米拉·卡兰（Pamela Karlan）的声明Read the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Chinese (Simplified)
تصریح لبامیلا كارلان النائبة الأولى المساعدة لوزیر العدل بقسم الحقوق المدنیةRead the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Arabic
West Philadelphia Lowe’s Arsonist Indicted for Blaze Set During May 2020 Civil UnrestRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Derrick Weatherbe, 29, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with arson related to an incident which occurred during the violent civil unrest in late May of last year. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon.
Following peaceful protests in Philadelphia in the early afternoon of May 30, 2020 in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, civil unrest began to unfold later that afternoon and into the following day that resulted in widespread looting, burglary, arson, destruction of property, and other violent acts. The Indictment alleges that on May 31, 2020, the defendant maliciously damaged and destroyed the Lowe’s Home Improvement store located at 1500 North 50th Street in West Philadelphia by setting it on fire. He is charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, store surveillance cameras allegedly showed a man with distinct clothing and tattoos, later identified as the defendant, make his way through the entry vestibule and pick up what appears to be a utility lighter and containers of lighter fluid. Weatherbe is then allegedly seen on surveillance video carrying these items into the middle of the store, where the fire is set less than two minutes later as indicated by a flash of light. He is then allegedly seen fleeing from the store.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the entire Department of Justice will always support peaceful protest – we are sworn to protect the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “But that does not cover destructive rioting, looting, committing arson and other violent acts. Here, the defendant allegedly set a fire in the middle of a business, potentially endangering many lives including those of police officers and firefighters who responded to the scene, and as a result he is now being prosecuted for a federal crime.”
“The alleged acts of the defendant are extremely careless and dangerous, which could have caused serious injury or loss of life to first responders and others in the community,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of Philadelphia’s Field Division. “ATF, along with our partners at the Philadelphia Fire Department and the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office will continue our efforts to ensure public safety. Our investigators will pursue and apprehend anyone who uses fire to damage property or endanger lives in our city.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Virginia Woman Returns to the United States to Face Charges of Conspiracy and International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – United States Attorneys James P. Kennedy, Jr., of the Western District of New York, and Christina E. Nolan, of the District of Vermont, announced today that Lisa Miller, 52, formerly of Virginia, has been returned to the United States from Nicaragua and will be arraigned in the Western District of New York on charges of conspiracy and international parental kidnapping. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
According to the 2014 indictment, the defendant, in 2009, conspired with co-defendants Philip Zodhiates, Kenneth Miller and Timothy Miller to flee the United States to Nicaragua with her seven-year-old daughter. The defendant fled the country in order to prevent her partner, Janet Jenkins, from visiting her daughter. Both women had parental rights of the child. Miller, who is believed to have been living in Nicaragua with her daughter since 2009, recently surrendered to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua.
Three other defendants were charged and convicted for their roles in this case. Philip Zodhiates was charged in the Western District of New York and convicted following a jury trial of international parental kidnapping and conspiracy to commit international parental kidnapping and sentenced to serve 36 months in prison. Zodhiates organized the kidnapping of Lisa Miller’s seven-year-old daughter. He also assisted in the recruitment of Mennonite Pastor Kenneth Miller, who was convicted following a jury trial of international parental kidnapping in the District of Vermont and sentenced to serve 27 months in prison. Timothy Miller was also charged, convicted, and sentenced to time served (eight months) for his role in assisting Lisa Miller. He purchased a one-way plane ticket for Lisa Miller and her daughter to travel from Toronto, Ontario to Nicaragua. Upon their arrival in Nicaragua, Timothy Miller assisted Lisa Miller and her daughter financially including providing her with shelter.
Lisa Miller will be arraigned today, February 26, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
The indictment against Lisa Miller is the culmination of an investigation by the Vermont Office of the U.S. Marshal’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Bradley Larose; the Vermont Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Thomas F. Redford, Special Agent-in-Charge, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael DiGiacomo and Paul Van de Graaf are handling 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.
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Virginia Woman Returns to the United States to Face Charges of Conspiracy and International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – United States Attorneys James P. Kennedy, Jr., of the Western District of New York, and Christina E. Nolan, of the District of Vermont, announced today that Lisa Miller, 52, formerly of Virginia, has been returned to the United States from Nicaragua and will be arraigned in the Western District of New York on charges of conspiracy and international parental kidnapping. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
According to the 2014 indictment, the defendant, in 2009, conspired with co-defendants Philip Zodhiates, Kenneth Miller and Timothy Miller to flee the United States to Nicaragua with her seven-year-old daughter. The defendant fled the country in order to prevent her partner, Janet Jenkins, from visiting her daughter. Both women had parental rights of the child. Miller, who is believed to have been living in Nicaragua with her daughter since 2009, recently surrendered to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua.
Three other defendants were charged and convicted for their roles in this case. Philip Zodhiates was charged in the Western District of New York and convicted following a jury trial of international parental kidnapping and conspiracy to commit international parental kidnapping and sentenced to serve 36 months in prison. Zodhiates organized the kidnapping of Lisa Miller’s seven-year-old daughter. He also assisted in the recruitment of Mennonite Pastor Kenneth Miller, who was convicted following a jury trial of international parental kidnapping in the District of Vermont and sentenced to serve 27 months in prison. Timothy Miller was also charged, convicted, and sentenced to time served (eight months) for his role in assisting Lisa Miller. He purchased a one-way plane ticket for Lisa Miller and her daughter to travel from Toronto, Ontario to Nicaragua. Upon their arrival in Nicaragua, Timothy Miller assisted Lisa Miller and her daughter financially including providing her with shelter.
Lisa Miller will be arraigned today, February 26, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
The indictment against Lisa Miller is the culmination of an investigation by the Vermont Office of the U.S. Marshal’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Bradley Larose; and the Vermont Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Thomas F. Redford, Special Agent-in-Charge. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael DiGiacomo and Paul Van de Graaf are handling 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.
Virginia Man Charged with Passing Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dale Richard Estep II, age 34, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 24, 2021, for passing counterfeit currency.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment charges Estep with eleven counts of passing counterfeit United States currency in businesses in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and York Counties between May 12, 2019 and May 14, 2019.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law on each count of passing counterfeit currency is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Valdosta Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Production ChargesRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Valdosta resident is facing a maximum sixty years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts charging him with child pornography production, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Robert Abacan, 43, of Valdosta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson in Macon federal court today. Abacan is facing a minimum of 15 years to a maximum 30 years imprisonment for each count. Co-defendant Frances Abacan, 43, of Valdosta, pleaded guilty to one count production of child pornography before Judge Lawson on December 16, 2020. Her sentencing has not yet been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.
“People who abuse and prey upon the most vulnerable among us, our children, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. “We are thankful for the strong partnership we have with the FBI and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office as we all work relentlessly to protect the safety of children in the Middle District of Georgia.”
“Our message to predators who prey on children is that the FBI and all of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners are committed and working hard together to bring them to justice by getting them the toughest penalties of the law,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “And this case is a great example, thanks to our relationship with the Lowndes County Sheriff Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Georgia.”
“This was a very well-coordinated law enforcement effort, and we especially appreciated the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI. Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more of this type of crime against children. We appreciate the partnership from the federal level to keep predators off of the streets and away from our children,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
In 2018, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office received information which ultimately revealed that Abacan had sexually molested three minor victims. Some of this sexual abuse was recorded on video, and a copy was transported from the state of California to Valdosta.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is being investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katelyn Semales and Alex Kalim are prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
United States Attorney Muldrow to Continue to Serve as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, announces that the White House has decided not to seek a new United States Attorney nominee for Puerto Rico at this time.
“I am truly honored and privileged to be able to continue to serve the people of Puerto Rico, and I am extremely grateful to President Biden for giving me this opportunity,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “Rest assured that I will strive every day to make Puerto Rico a safer place to live and raise a family, and I will fully implement the law enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice and the White House.”
“I also would like to give my heartfelt appreciation to the many people who have shared their support and well wishes with me over the past weeks, with special thanks to the dedicated women and men in the United States Attorney’s Office who continue to place their trust and faith in me.”
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United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman Submits Letter of ResignationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman on Thursday evening submitted a letter of resignation to the President. Mr. Weisman’s resignation is effective February 28, 2021.
United States Attorney Weisman commented, “Serving as United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island has been the greatest honor of my career. I am indebted to the hard working, dedicated, and conscientious professionals with whom I have had the privilege to work alongside at the United States Attorney’s Office, and who, day in and day out, carry out the Office’s critical justice mission – ensuring the just prosecution of federal-law violations, and that justice be achieved in the civil lawsuits brought by and against the federal government. I have no doubt that the Office, working together with its outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue its exemplary service to all Rhode Islanders.”
Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, with the departure of United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, First Assistant United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus will become Acting United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. In his capacity as Acting United States Attorney, Mr. Myrus serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer for the District of Rhode Island.
Appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in May 2007, Mr. Myrus has served as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division’s drug, gun and white collar crime units, and as a civil litigator in the office’s Civil Division. Mr. Myrus was named Civil Division Chief in February 2014. Mr. Myrus has served as First Assistant United States Attorney since January 2018.
Prior to his appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Myrus was a partner in two Boston law firms specializing in patent litigation and served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
A veteran, Mr. Myrus served in the United States Navy as a helicopter aircraft commander and flight instructor.
Mr. Myrus graduated from Columbia University in 1984 and received his M.A. in United States History from the University of California, San Diego in 1992. He earned his law degree from Fordham University Law School in 1995.
Mr. Myrus announced that the leadership team in the United States Attorney’s Office will remain the same.
Sandra R. Hebert – Chief, Criminal Division
Sandra R. Hebert, named Criminal Chief in December 2020, joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island as an Assistant United States Attorney in June 2006. In addition to prosecuting a wide variety of criminal matters, including a number of significant drug and white collar crime cases, Ms. Hebert served as OCEDTF Chief and Criminal Division Deputy Chief. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island, Ms. Hebert served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas - Midland Division beginning in 2004.
Prior to her appointments as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ms. Hebert served as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. Ms. Hebert was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.
Ms. Hebert is a 1996 graduate of the University of North Carolina and received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999. After earning her law degree, Ms. Hebert served as a Law Clerk for U.S. District Court Judge John D. Rainey in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Lee H. Vilker – Deputy Chief, Criminal Division
Lee H. Vilker, named Deputy Criminal Chief in December 2020, joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island as an Assistant United States Attorney in June 2002 after serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey since May 1999. In his more than two decades as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Vilker has specialized in white-collar fraud and has prosecuted a wide variety of criminal conduct.
Prior to his appointment as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Vilker was employed as a litigation associate in the New York law firm of Proskauer Rose, LLP from 1995-1999. Mr. Vilker also served as law clerk for the Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court from 1995-1996.
Mr. Vilker is a 1990 graduate of Brandeis University and received his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1993, where he received the annual American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law.
Zachary A. Cunha – Chief, Civil Division
Zachary A. Cunha was named Civil Division Chief in February 2018. Prior to being named Civil Division Chief, Mr. Cunha served as the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island. In that capacity, he was responsible for cases in which the United States, as plaintiff, seek to vindicate governmental interests, combat fraud, and recover funds under the Federal False Claims Act. Prior to joining the Rhode Island office in 2014, Mr. Cunha served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts for five years.
Mr. Cunha began his career with the Justice Department in the Eastern District of New York, where he served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 2005-2008. Before joining the Department, Mr. Cunha worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York, representing the City and its officers in federal litigation.
Mr. Cunha received his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Brown University in 1998, and his Juris Doctorate, also with honors, from the George Washington University Law School in 2001.
Lauren S. Zurier – Appellate Chief
Lauren S. Zurier was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of Appeals in December 2019, where she handles the District’s criminal cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston.
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Ms. Zurier practiced for four years at law firms in Boston and Providence before joining the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General in 1993 as an appellate prosecutor. Between 1993 and 2019, Ms. Zurier litigated over 180 appellate cases in the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Ms. Zurier received her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1984, and her law degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1987. After graduating from law school, Ms. Zurier served as a law clerk for Senior U.S. District Court Judge Frank Kaufman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
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United Airlines to Pay $49 Million to Resolve Criminal Fraud Charges and Civil ClaimsRead the Press Release
United Airlines Inc. (United), the world’s third largest airline, has agreed to pay over $49 million to resolve criminal charges and civil claims relating to fraud on postal service contracts for transportation of international mail.
United entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and agreed to pay $17,271,415 in criminal penalties and disgorgement to resolve a criminal investigation into a fraud scheme perpetrated by former employees of United’s Cargo Division in connection with United’s execution of contracts to deliver mail internationally on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Separately, United has entered into a False Claims Act settlement with the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, for related conduct, under which it is obligated to pay $32,186,687.
“United was entrusted by the U.S. Postal Service with fulfilling a critical government function – the transportation of U.S. mail abroad,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of performing this duty with transparency, United defrauded the U.S. Postal Service by providing falsified parcel delivery information over a period of years and accepting millions of dollars of payments to which the company was not entitled. Today’s resolution emphasizes that companies that defraud the government – no matter the context, contract, or federal program – will be held accountable.”
“Companies that do business with the United States must adhere to their contractual obligations,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will pursue those who knowingly fail to provide the government with the goods or services for which it has paid and that it is entitled to receive.”
“The USPS contracts with commercial airlines for the safeguarding and timely delivery of U.S. Mail to foreign posts, including the mail sent to our soldiers deployed to foreign operating bases,” said Director Steven Stuller of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General. “The Office of Inspector General supports the Postal Service by aggressively investigating allegations of contractual non-compliance within the mail delivery process, including the falsification of delivery information. Our special agents worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to help ensure a reasonable resolution and we applaud the exceptional work done by the investigative and legal teams.”
According to the criminal NPA and civil settlement agreement, United entered into International Commercial Air (ICAIR) contracts with USPS, by which United transported U.S. mail internationally on behalf of USPS. Pursuant to these ICAIR contracts, United was obligated to provide bar code scans of mail receptacles to USPS when United took possession of the mail receptacles and when the receptacles were delivered to the foreign postal administration or other intended recipient. United was entitled to full payment under these ICAIR contracts only if accurate mail scans were provided and mail was timely delivered to the foreign postal administration or intended recipient.
Between 2012 and 2015, United engaged in a scheme to defraud USPS by submitting false delivery scan data to make it appear that United and partner airlines with which it worked were complying with the ICAIR requirements, when in fact they were not. Instead of providing USPS accurate delivery scans based on the movement of the mail, United submitted automated delivery scans based on aspirational delivery times. These automated scans did not correspond to the actual movement of the mail, as mandated by the contracts. Because this scan data was not tethered to the actual delivery of mail to the foreign recipients, payment was inappropriate under the ICAIR contracts. Through this data automation scheme, United secured millions of dollars in payments from the USPS to which United was not entitled under the ICAIR contacts.
United further admitted that it concealed problems related to scanning and mail movements that, if known, would have subjected United to financial penalties under the ICAIR contracts. Certain individuals at United worked to conceal United’s automation efforts from the USPS, as they knew that the data being transmitted was fabricated. These individuals further knew that the transmission of false data violated the terms of the ICAIR contracts. The attempts to hide the automation practices included efforts to revise the falsified delivery times to make the automated scans appear less suspicious to USPS.
As part of the criminal resolution, United has agreed to continue to cooperate with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and to report any evidence or allegation of a violation of U.S. fraud laws. United has further agreed to strengthen its compliance program and to specific reporting requirements, which require United to submit yearly reports to the Fraud Section regarding the status of its remediation and implementation of United’s compliance program and internal controls, policies, and procedures aimed at deterring and detecting violations of U.S. fraud laws in connection with government contracting.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section reached this resolution with United based on a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct; United’s failure to timely and voluntarily self‑disclose the offense conduct to the department; and United’s prior history, including a 2016 non-prosecution agreement relating to potential criminal bribery or corruption violations arising out of United’s establishment and operation of a non-stop route between Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina. In addition, United, responding to the Fraud Section’s requests, cooperated with the Fraud Section’s investigation by collecting, organizing, and producing voluminous documents, assisting in making employees available to be interviewed, and making a factual presentation to the Fraud Section. The Fraud Section did not require United to pay a victim compensation payment as part of the NPA because United agreed to a global resolution of its criminal and civil liability, entering into a separate civil settlement agreement with the Department’s Civil Division.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section also considered that United engaged in remedial measures after the offense conduct, including: (i) removing and replacing the principal manager of the criminal scheme detailed in the Statement of Facts; (ii) hiring outside legal and accounting advisors to review and consult on United’s government contracting compliance and related policies and procedures; (iii) establishing an independent Government Contracts Organization to manage and ensure contractual compliance for United’s government contracts that reports directly to United’s Legal Department; (iv) establishing a training curriculum and holding a monthly training call for employees who have government contracting-related duties and responsibilities; (v) prohibiting automation and limiting access to flight configuration data to ensure that data transmitted to the USPS cannot be manipulated by employees; (vi) conducting international mail operations process reviews; and (vii) enhancing its policies and procedures relating to obtaining and complying with government contracts, including assignment of roles and responsibilities, ensuring accurate representations to the U.S. government, and subcontracting.
The civil settlement resolves allegations under the False Claims Act that United falsely reported the times it transferred possession of United States mail to foreign postal administrations or other intended recipients. This is the fourth civil settlement involving air carrier liability for false delivery scans under the USPS ICAIR Contracts. Including the civil settlement announced today, the United States has recovered nearly $65 million in connection with its investigation of delivery scan practices under the ICAIR Contracts through these civil settlements.
The criminal case was investigated by the USPS Office of the Inspector General. Assistant Chief Timothy A. Duree of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case. The civil matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the USPS Office of the Inspector General and the USPS Office of General Counsel. Senior Trial Counsel Don Williamson of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, represented the government in the civil case.
U.S. District Judge in Columbus Hands Down Lengthy Prison Sentences to Gang Member, Criminals with Past Violent ConvictionsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Three Columbus residents with lengthy criminal histories, one a known member of the Black Disciples street gang, were sentenced to federal prison without parole this week for a variety of firearm convictions, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
On Thursday, February 25, Roderick Phillips, 27, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised released after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On Tuesday, February 23, two other defendants were sentenced. Clay Pugh, 36, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jamorris Worthey, 31, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a stolen firearm. U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land handed down the prison sentences. There is no parole in the federal system.
“A key component to reducing violence in Columbus is bringing gang members and felons with violent criminal histories who illegally possess guns to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal partners are working actively with local and state law enforcement agencies to ensure that criminals wreaking havoc in Columbus will face lengthy federal prison sentences.”
“The safety of our communities is more important than ever,” said ATF Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Arthur Peralta. “ATF will continue to support our Columbus law enforcement partners in our combined mission of reducing violent crime and taking guns out of the hands of criminals. These sentences should serve as a deterrent to anyone who is considering using a firearm to commit their crimes.”
“I am pleased with the outcome of these cases and I am thankful for our partnership with our federal partners. We will continue to work together to make cases on violent career criminals. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in Columbus, Georgia,” said Columbus Police Department Chief Freddie Blackmon.
“I am thoroughly pleased to see federal prosecution being sought in efforts to interrupt gun and gang violence in Muscogee County. As we move forward, we will continue to work and collaborate with our federal, state and local resources to eradicate gang criminal activity,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman.
Phillips, a member of the Black Disciples street gang, was taken into custody by Columbus Police on October 13, 2020 in possession of a stolen gun. During the course of the arresting incident, officers found rounds of ammunition in the car Phillips was traveling in, as well as a second stolen firearm. Phillips was previously convicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2015) and aggravated assault (2019) in the Superior Court of Muscogee County, and assault in the second degree (2013) in the Superior Court of Elmore County, Alabama.
Pugh was arrested on January 29, 2020 after accelerating away from officers during a routine traffic stop in Columbus, striking a minivan and reaching speeds over 80 mph before running the vehicle into a pole and taking off on foot. Pugh was apprehended and officers found quantities of heroin and methamphetamine in his car, as well as a .223 caliber pistol with a 60-round drum magazine and a round located in the chamber, plus additional ammunition. Pugh’s driver’s license was suspended, and he was wanted on outstanding warrants, including possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. In addition, Pugh has previously been convicted of entering auto (2005), armed robbery (2005) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2017) in the Superior Court of Muscogee County.
Worthey was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2020 on multiple counts, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and an arrest warrant was issued. Officers apprehended the defendant at his residence in Columbus, seizing a stolen pistol, a stolen revolver, multiple rounds of ammunition, suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia. Worthey was previously convicted for burglary (2009), theft by taking (motor vehicle) and theft by receiving (2009), theft by receiving stolen property and fleeing from law enforcement (2013), possession of cocaine and ecstasy with intent to distribute (2017) and felon in possession of a firearm (2017). These convictions all occurred in the Superior Court of Muscogee County.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/archives/projectguardian.
All three cases were investigated by the Columbus Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). In addition, the Worthey case was investigated with the assistance of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Community Supervision and U.S. Marshals. The Phillips and Worthey cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams. The Pugh case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Easterling. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
U.S. Attorney’s Office calls attention to scammers and offers ways to help avoid being dupedRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – As Missourians begin to file their 2020 tax returns, criminals are exploiting the filing season to scam people out of their money and personal information. The best way to avoid falling victim to a scam is knowing how the Internal Revenue Service communicates with taxpayers.
The IRS isn't going to call asking you to provide or verify your financial information so you can get an Economic Impact Payment or your refund faster. The IRS does not send unsolicited texts or emails. The IRS does not call people with threats of jail or lawsuits, nor does it demand tax payments on gift cards. Taxpayers should look out for calls and email phishing attempts about the coronavirus or COVID-19, such as the sale of fake at-home COVID-19 test kits, fake donations and bogus opportunities to invest in companies developing COVID-19 vaccines.
“While criminals are constantly changing their tactics, taxpayers can help protect themselves by acting as the first line of defense. You should always protect your personal and financial information,” said Internal Revenue Service Acting Special Agent in Charge David Talcott.
These contacts can lead to tax-related fraud and identity theft. Taxpayers should be wary of emails, text messages, websites and social media attempts that request money or personal information. You can report phishing emails to [email protected] and report IRS impersonation scams to TIGTA.gov.
Scammers are always coming up with ways to take advantage of people. Whether they prey to exploit the evolving COVID-19 public health crisis or to steal identities, the USAO wants you to recognize examples of what to avoid:
“These scams are particularly insidious because they manipulate and capitalize on victims’ fears and vulnerabilities in order to turn a profit. We are best able to prevent and limit the damage caused by fraudsters when victims exercise diligence and follow their gut instincts. If something sounds too good to be true, or strikes you as strange or unusual, listen to your gut, and contact a legitimate government agency to verify whatever information you have been given,” said Assistant United States Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll.
Examples of common scams include:
Treatment scams: Scammers offering to sell fake cures, vaccines and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19.
Supply scams: Scammers creating fake shops, websites, social media accounts, and email addresses claiming to sell medical supplies currently in high demand, such as surgical masks. When consumers attempt to purchase supplies through these channels, fraudsters pocket the money and never provide the promised supplies.
Provider scams: Scammers are also contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.
Charity scams: Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas affected by COVID-19.
Phishing scams: Scammers posing as national and global health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are sending phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information.
App scams: Scammers are also creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.
Investment scams: Scammers are offering online promotions on various platforms, including social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure COVID-19, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often styled as “research reports,” make predictions of a specific “target price,” and relate to microcap stocks, or low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies with limited publicly available information.
Unemployment benefit scams: Scammers are also contacting individuals and purporting to represent unemployment benefit agencies and offering to submit applications for COVID-related unemployment benefits. State agencies do not independently initiate applications for unemployment benefits, and individuals should be aware that it is unlawful to receive employment benefits from a state in which you have never been employed. Individuals should be vigilant about not providing any personal identifying information, such as a social security number or a bank account number
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reminds Public of CDC Eviction Moratorium OrderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – As part of the federal response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is reminding landlords of their obligations and tenants of their rights under the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Order temporarily halting residential evictions of tenants who meet certain income eligibility requirements and who are unable to pay their full rent due to substantial loss of household income, loss of compensable hours of work or wages, a lay-off, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses. The Order prohibits landlords from evicting such tenants for non-payment of rent from Sept. 4, 2020 to March 31, 2021.
In September 2020, the CDC issued a federal Order imposing a Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19. The Order aims to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by enabling people who get sick or who are at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 to protect themselves and others by staying in one place to quarantine.
Under the CDC Order, tenants who meet income eligibility requirements (generally, those earning less than $99,000 per year, or $198,000 if filing jointly) and who are unable to pay their full rent due to substantial loss of household income, loss of compensable hours of work or wages, a lay-off, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses can obtain protection from eviction by providing a sworn declaration regarding their situation to their landlord. Once this declaration is provided, a landlord is prohibited from evicting the tenant while the moratorium remains in effect, and is subject to substantial penalties, including fines of up to $250,000 and up to a year in jail.
The Order is not intended to prevent landlords from starting eviction proceedings, but rather to stop the actual eviction of a covered person for non-payment of rent. Moreover, the Order does not affect the obligation of tenants to pay rent, nor does it bar the collection of fees, penalties, and interest.
For questions or reports of violations of the Order please email [email protected] or call 617- 275-8756 and leave a message. More information on the CDC Order is available here.
Federal resources are available through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to assist landlords with mortgage relief here.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights.
U.S. Attorney's Office Files Civil Complaint Seeking the Forfeiture of over $1 Million Seized from A Money Mule Bank Account Used to Defraud A Virgin Islands BusinessRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced today the filing of a federal civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of $1,047,535 seized from a money mule bank account being used to defraud a Virgin Islands business via a business email compromise scheme.
Reginald DeMatteis, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
A business email compromise scheme, or BEC, is a sophisticated scam, often targeting businesses involved in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques, to cause employees of the victim company (or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions with the victim company) to transfer funds to accounts controlled by scammers. In addition to targeting businesses, BEC scams also often target individual victims, convincing victims to make wire transfers to bank accounts controlled by the scammers. Money mule accounts are bank accounts used by fraudsters as a pass-through means of moving fraudulently obtained funds.
According to allegations in the filed civil forfeiture complaint, in or about January 2021, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) seized $1,047,535 held in a bank account on behalf of Boyang Group, Inc. (Boyang Group). As alleged in the complaint, at the urging of an acquaintance, an individual residing in Matthews, N.C., created Boyang Group in Florida, and opened a bank account in the company’s name. However, Boyang Group had no legitimate purpose and the Boyang Group’s bank account was operated solely as a pass-through money mule account to receive and distribute proceeds of the BEC scheme.
Specifically, as alleged in the complaint, between July and November 2020, one or more unidentified individuals (UI) perpetrated the BEC scheme against a private Virgin Islands business identified in the complaint as Victim Company. The Victim Company was in the process of purchasing real estate and was using a real estate agency to conduct the sale. The complaint alleges that UI perpetuated the BEC scheme by compromising the business email of an employee of the real estate agency. As alleged in the complaint, in November 2020, the UI used the real estate agency business email account to dupe an employee of the Victim Company, who had authority to conduct financial transactions on behalf of Victim Company, into wiring a payment of approximately $1,344,000 to the Boyang Group’s money mule bank account instead of the real estate agency’s so as to close a real estate sale.
As alleged in the complaint, following the fraudulent wire transfer into Boyang Group’s bank account, a UI initiated a $296,500 outgoing wire transfer from the Boyang Group’s money mule bank account to an unidentified bank account. Ultimately, the Victim Company uncovered the fraud and the theft was reported to law enforcement. Law enforcement traced the initial wire transaction from the Victim Company and proceeded to execute a warrant, seizing the fraudulently obtained funds from the Boyang Group’s money mule bank account. Law enforcement also identified the individual in Matthews who had opened the Boyang Group’s account.
“There has been a steady rise in business email compromise schemes in which online criminals recruit individuals to act as ‘money mules’ and transfer wired money stolen from victims back to the criminal perpetrators,” warned U.S. Attorney Murray. “I urge public, private and government entities and employees to stay vigilant and to protect themselves from BEC fraud, especially when conducting financial transactions at the direction of emails. And, I urge citizens to act responsibly and think twice before opening a bank account at the request of a person whom they don’t know and with no apparent legitimate purpose. Whether it’s an online romance, a business relationship, or a new work opportunity, remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
In December 2020, the U. Attorney’s Office joined the Justice Department in a landmark initiative aimed at global crackdown on money mule activity. As a result of the initiative, actions were taken to halt the conduct of approximately 2,300 money mules, spanning 92 federal districts. In addition, more than 35 individuals were criminally charged or arrested, including four individuals indicted in Western North Carolina for operating as money mules in two business email compromise schemes.
U.S Attorney Murray also commended the expeditious response of law enforcement stating that, “Law enforcement swiftly identified the money mule bank account and used civil forfeiture laws to secure a significant portion of the stolen funds. Identifying and seizing ill-gotten gains is a priority for my office, and civil asset forfeiture is an invaluable tool in our efforts to stop BEC fraud, particularly where perpetrators cannot easily be identified or apprehended.”
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the U.S. Secret Service for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bain-Creed of the United States Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is handling the proceedings.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama Announces RetirementRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. retired after three decades of public service. Franklin joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama in 1990 as an Assistant United States Attorney. Over the years that followed, he rose from a line AUSA to hold a number of leadership positions, including head of the office’s major drug trafficking task force, criminal chief, and acting U.S. Attorney, culminating with his nomination and confirmation in 2017 to serve as the first African-American United States Attorney in the district.
During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Franklin personally prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases, from large-scale drug trafficking operations to high-profile public corruption cases. Franklin led the prosecution team that brought former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy to justice for their involvement in a wide-ranging bribery scheme.
“It has been an absolute privilege to spend my career in this office, serving the people of the Middle District and working alongside so many talented attorneys and staff,” said Franklin. “I know I am leaving the office in good hands, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve in my hometown and make our communities safer for the people of Alabama.”
U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister Steps Down Effective February 28Read the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – As requested by the Biden Administration of all presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorneys, United States Attorney for the District of Kansas, Stephen R. McAllister, is resigning his position, effective February 28. McAllister sent his resignation letter to the President earlier this week, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve the United States and Kansas in the U.S. Attorney role, and wishing the President every success as he leads the country. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard will become Acting U.S. Attorney following McAllister’s departure.
McAllister said: “I am leaving what many have rightly described as ‘the best lawyer job there is,’ and I am doing so with great respect for those who work daily to maintain the rule of law in our country. I commend not just the dedicated prosecutors and civil lawyers in my office, but also the conscientious judges, the tireless defense attorneys, and the many brave, selfless women and men who serve in a wide variety of law enforcement positions. Serving as U.S. Attorney has been the highest professional honor of my life and career.”
For the immediate future, McAllister plans to return to the University of Kansas School of Law, where he was a professor for 25 years before becoming U.S. Attorney.
McAllister’s 37-month tenure as U.S. Attorney included some high profile trials and convictions, including three men who plotted to blow up an apartment complex in Garden City inhabited by Somali, Muslim immigrants, a doctor in Wichita who prescribed opioids to addicted persons resulting in at least one overdose death, and the “swatter” from California whose hoax call to Wichita emergency authorities in December 2017 resulted in the fatal shooting of an innocent man on his front porch.
McAllister’s tenure also saw a renewed emphasis on federal and local law enforcement cooperation to fight violent crime, with significant assistance and support from Senator Jerry Moran and his staff. These efforts were supported by substantial new resources and programs flowing into Kansas and the Kansas City region, including the Public Safety Partnership program in Wichita, the creation of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center at Wichita State University, and the establishment of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Strike Force in the Kansas City metro region that works cooperatively across state lines, brings together numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in one location, and has the ability to conduct investigations that reach even outside U.S. borders.
Under McAllister’s leadership and with favorable budget circumstances, the office did more hiring than had been possible in a long time, bringing on board approximately a dozen new attorneys and about the same number of support staff, filling some positions that long had been vacant, and bringing the District to almost full staffing for the first time in decades. The District’s Civil Division is in a stronger position than ever, and the Criminal Division has the most prosecutors in its history.
McAllister personally drove the reopening of a longstanding, unsolved cold case, the death of Alonzo Brooks, who disappeared after a farmhouse party close to La Cygne, Kansas in April 2004, and was found dead in a nearby creek almost a month later. In his post-U.S. Attorney life, McAllister plans to continue to support efforts to pursue and solve cold cases by working collaboratively with law enforcement and perhaps even establishing a nonprofit entity to financially support and further such investigations.
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U.S. Attorney Scott Brady announces resignationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Scott W. Brady, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, announced today that he has submitted his resignation, effective February 28, 2021.
"Leading this office has been the greatest honor of my professional career," said Brady. "I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving as chief law enforcement officer for my home, western Pennsylvania. Together with our law enforcement partners, the men and women of this office have pursued justice with humility and integrity, to advance the rule of law and secure a framework for ordered liberty. As a result of their tireless efforts, western Pennsylvania is a safer place for our neighbors and their loved ones."
Brady was sworn-in as United States Attorney on December 14, 2017 and will step-down on February 28, 2021. U.S. Attorney Brady also had the distinguished role of serving on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, a body of federal prosecutors advising the Attorney General on policy and operational issues from September 2019 to December 2020.
The following are notable accomplishments achieved under U.S. Attorney Brady’s leadership:
Combatting Opioids & Addiction
As United States Attorney, Brady’s chief priority was to focus on saving lives. When he began his tenure in 2017, no area in the country demanded more attention than the opioid epidemic and narcotics overdose crisis. From 2013-2017, overdose deaths in western Pennsylvania had increased 208%, with 5,456 drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania in 2017. "This crisis has impacted every community in western Pennsylvania," said U.S. Attorney Brady, calling western Pennsylvania "Ground Zero" for the opioid epidemic. "From day one of my administration, I vowed to fight the opioid epidemic with every tool the Department of Justice has, and to do so with new urgency."
One of the key sources of opioid addiction was prescription opioids by medical professionals and pharmacists. To address that issue, Brady directed substantial resources, including the office’s most experienced white-collar prosecutor, into the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit. The office was a nationwide leader with the first physician prosecutions for opioid diversion, and the office prosecuted more medical professionals than any other U.S. Attorney’s Office in the nation. The office created training for medical professionals throughout western Pennsylvania on the pitfalls and risks – to their patients and to the professionals themselves – of opioid addiction and over-prescription. Additionally, the office partnered with the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to create the state’s first Opioid Rapid Response Team, which provides substance abuse resources on-site when closing a "pill mill" doctor’s office.
Brady simultaneously focused on fentanyl trafficking by domestic and international drug trafficking organizations. He created a new Narcotics and Organized Crime Section and filled it with the office’s most experienced narcotics prosecutors. He appointed an Opioid Coordinator to serve as a point person for the district’s strategic efforts and obtained funding from the Department of Justice for new federal prosecutors. Additionally, Brady prioritized cyber investigations into opioid sales on Darknet marketplaces, using the cyber expertise of the office to attack vendors, marketplaces, and the funding sources for Darkweb activity.
U.S. Attorney Brady also brought significant resources to bear by working to have Allegheny, Beaver, Washington and Westmoreland counties designated as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. Prior to this designation, Pittsburgh had been the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. without a HIDTA designation or funding. Working closely with District Attorneys in these counties, Pennsylvania State Police and local partners, HIDTA designations expanded law enforcement efforts – including critical federal funding and expanded training for law enforcement officers – in the areas determined to be the most significant drug-trafficking regions in western Pennsylvania.
The office increased federal drug prosecutions by 42% versus 2016, aggressively targeting major drug trafficking organizations, corrupt doctors and Darkweb marketplaces. This prioritization was a significant factor in the corresponding dramatic decrease in narcotics overdose deaths in this region in 2018 and 2019. During this period, the 25-county district experienced a significant decrease of over 40% in narcotics overdoses, with some counties experiencing a decrease of over 50%, including significant decreases in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington County and Westmoreland counties.
"Every life is precious – every person addicted to drugs is a son, daughter, mother, father, brother or sister," said Brady. "We will continue to fight for every life."
Reducing Violent Crime
U.S. Attorney Brady also advanced priorities focused on reducing violent crime rates, helping women break free from domestic and intimate partner violence, and taking down major crime cartels that have targeted the region as part of their drug distribution networks.
Under Brady’s tenure, the office has seen an unprecedented federal enforcement effort with a record number of prosecutions for Western Pennsylvania. In FY 2019 and FY 2020, the office filed criminal charges 1,422 defendants, including record numbers of cases each year against drug and firearm defendants. These numbers represent the most productive two years in the history of this U.S. Attorney’s Office.
"I believe there is a direct, linear and causal relationship between the number of violent felons that our federal prosecutions remove from communities they are terrorizing, and how safe our neighbors are," Brady said. "The commitment of the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to the safety of our region is nothing short of remarkable. We have just completed the two most productive years in the history of this office, and as the head of this office, I am proud that western PA families and their loved ones have safer communities in which to live and flourish than they did in 2016."
Under Brady’s leadership, the office prioritized and dismantled violent gangs that had been terrorizing communities in western Pennsylvania. Those gangs include the Greenway Boy Killas in and around Pittsburgh’s West End neighborhood, Darccide/Smash 44 in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood, "11 Hunnit" in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood, SCO in the Greater Pittsburgh area, Shot Boyz in Pittsburgh and Latrobe, Hustlas Don’t Sleep in Eastern Allegheny County communities, "1800" in Erie, and the Pagan’s Motorcycle gang.
Calling Mexican cartels a "clear and present danger" to the safety of western Pennsylvania, Brady prioritized large and violent drug trafficking organizations, with ties to Mexican cartels. For example, from May to September 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, the Office took down 7 major drug trafficking organizations and charged over 150 defendants with trafficking drugs including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Allegheny, Butler, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Erie, Indiana, and Lawrence Counties. These drug trafficking organizations were connected to source cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, Arizona, and California, and many had direct ties to cartels in Mexico.
Significantly increasing the federal prosecution of violent felons, violent gangs and drug organizations, and expanding the office’s work with state and local partners, was one of the reasons that western Pennsylvania witnessed a decrease in violent crime, especially firearms-related violent crime. In 2019, for example, firearms-related violent crime decreased by 25% in Allegheny County and 32% in Pittsburgh, with homicides falling to a 20-year low in the City of Pittsburgh.
U.S. Attorney Brady also recognized that domestic and intimate partner violence are some of the most common and harmful forms of violent crime. He was one of a few U.S. Attorneys to ask the Attorney General to create a first ever Domestic Violence Working Group of U.S. Attorneys aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of convicted abusers and using federal firearm prosecutions to prevent domestic violence. That group was promptly formed, and Brady was a member of it for his entire time on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. Brady appointed a Domestic Violence Coordinator for western Pennsylvania and marshaled federal resources to supplement the great work being done by state and local law enforcement in this area. Brady wrote op-eds bringing attention to domestic violence issues. During the pandemic, the office collected needed supplies for domestic violence shelters in Allegheny, Cambria, Erie, Lawrence and Mercer counties, which Brady delivered personally with his sons and others from the office. Due to all of these efforts, the office significantly increased its federal domestic violence prosecutions, especially cases involving abusers with firearms.
Combatting Cybercrime
"Crimes committed by cyber attackers are against real victims who suffer real harm," said U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. "We have an obligation to hold accountable those who commit crimes — no matter where they reside and no matter for whom they work — in order to seek justice on behalf of these victims."
U.S. Attorney Brady built on the office’s reputation and history of cutting-edge cyber prosecutions. In addition to traditional prosecutions, the office took the ground-breaking steps of seizing and taking over the cybercriminals’ infrastructure, including routers used to control Russian malware and a portal to the dark web. Brady oversaw unprecedented coordination with several law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and Europe to develop parallel investigations and prosecutions for several key transnational criminal organizations.
In May 2019, the office – with partners from Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Germany, Bulgaria and Eurojust – dismantled the GozNym cybercriminal network, which was the world’s most significant malware syndicate and was operating out of Europe. At the end of that year, the office charged the top cybercriminal in the world, Maksim Yakubets, who led Evil Corp., which deployed malware against banks and companies around the world causing losses over $100 million.
Under Brady’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced charges in 2018 and 2020 against military intelligence officers of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) for a series of cyberattacks around the world. The 2018 indictment was for hacking the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and international athletic organizations, including the World Anti-Doping Agency and FIFA. The 2020 indictment was for computer intrusions and attacks intended to support Russian government efforts to undermine, retaliate against, or otherwise destabilize: (1) Ukraine, including its electric grid; (2) Georgia; (3) elections in France; (4) efforts to hold Russia accountable for its use of a weapons-grade nerve agent, Novichok, on foreign soil; and (5) the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games after Russian athletes were banned from participating under their nation’s flag, as a consequence of Russian government-sponsored doping effort. These attacks caused incalculable damages, with three victims suffering nearly $1 billion in losses from the NotPetya malware part of the scheme. These investigations exposed and charged an expansive criminal conspiracy of cyber-attacks across three continents and seven countries.
These prosecutions have resulted in a paradigm change in how cybercrime is investigated and prosecuted. Rather than the traditional bi-lateral investigations resulting in U.S. charges, under Brady’s leadership, the office works closely with international partners to not only investigate and share information and evidence, but also to build prosecutions in those partner countries without extradition treaties with the U.S. As a result, an entire criminal infrastructure is dismantled with simultaneous prosecutions in the U.S. and partner countries. This paradigm, known as the "Pittsburgh model," is being adopted throughout the Department of Justice and the F.B.I.
Hate Crimes and National Security
As U.S. Attorney, Brady also fought hate crime and terrorism to advance community and national security in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The office swiftly brought charges against Robert Bowers in connection with the Oct. 27, 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha synagogue building in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and has pressed for a trial date despite a government shutdown and the COVID-19 pandemic. The office also successfully disrupted a plot to bomb a church located on the North Side of Pittsburgh by a self-identified member of ISIS, in the first international terrorism prosecution in the history of this office.
Brady also worked to protect the community and promote the right to Free Speech by prosecuting violent rioters who used the guise of protests to incite violence. During the summer of 2020, the office worked with federal and local law enforcement to prosecute the people who instigated a riot in Pittsburgh, including setting police cars on fire, attacking police officers and placing homemade IEDs along the protest route. Brady stated, "Throwing IEDs and bricks at police officers, throwing projectiles at and striking police horses, and setting police cruisers on fire are not the protected First Amendment activities of a peaceful protest; they are criminal acts that violate federal law." Similarly, in 2021, the office assisted the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia to bring to justice rioters from western Pennsylvania who invaded the U.S. Capitol. Brady stated, "As the chief law enforcement officer in western Pennsylvania, I'm worried about the rule of law and applying it equally across the board and protecting our neighbors, our loved ones and people of western Pennsylvania - full stop."
Fraud and Public Corruption
Throughout his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Brady targeted fraud to protect western Pennsylvanians’ hard-earned money and tax dollars. "Every dollar matters to families who work hard and play by the rules," Brady stated. "We are here to protect them."
In March 2020, in response to impending COVID-19 fraud, United States Attorney Brady and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the formation of a first-in-the-nation joint federal and state task force: the Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force This Task Force has been investigating and prosecuting coronavirus-related fraud, bringing together federal and state investigative agencies and prosecutors to ensure there is no gap between the shields in protecting the public from COVID-19 fraudsters. The Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force model has been adopted throughout the nation. "The goal is to protect the citizens of western Pennsylvania from fraudsters who seek to take advantage of the fear and confusion many feel surrounding the coronavirus," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "Fraudsters are targeting vulnerable members of our community, including our seniors, by setting up websites to sell bogus products, and using fake emails, texts, and social media posts as a ruse to take your money and get your personal information."
Brady’s COVID-19 Fraud Task prosecuted several notable COVID-19 fraudulent schemes, which included the prosecution of over 40 individuals, including inmates at 8 state and county jail and prisons, for illegally and repeatedly obtaining CARES Act unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled, by submitting false or fraudulent statements; the disruption of an international fraud scheme to sell 39 million N-95 masks to major medical systems in California; and the prosecution of an international fraud conspiracy to charge Americans for puppies that did not exist, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The office also prioritized environmental investigation and prosecutions, including the prosecution of
the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA), which violated the Clean Water Act by discharging sludge generated during the drinking water treatment process into the Allegheny River, and falsified reports to cover it up. PWSA agreed to create and fund a comprehensive environmental compliance program.
Another priority was protecting senior citizens from fraud and abuse. The office has worked with the FBI, AARP, and others to teach seniors how to identify, avoid and report common fraud schemes. The office – working with the FBI, HHS Office of Inspector General, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and IRS Criminal Investigation – indicted the former administrator of a nursing home for depriving seniors of patient care by using inflated nursing hours, falsified timecards and other schemes that they concealed with two sets of records. The office was also part of a $15.4 million settlement of a False Claims Act case alleging a nursing home company with over 50 homes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia billed for medically unnecessary rehabilitation therapy sessions.
Partnerships with Law Enforcement
During his tenure, U.S. Attorney Brady prioritized the expansion and deepening of strategic partnerships with District Attorneys and federal, state and local law enforcement throughout western Pennsylvania. Brady highlighted the critical relationships between federal agencies and the Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety and Allegheny County Police Department in the fight against both the opioid scourge and violent crime in our region.
"One of the great privileges of being the top law enforcement officer in western Pennsylvania is the opportunity to work with the men and women of federal, state and local law enforcement," said Brady. "They serve us selflessly as they keep us and our loved ones safe every day. These heroes deserve to be celebrated."
By operation of federal law, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Kaufman will be sworn-in as Acting U.S. Attorney upon the effective date of Brady’s resignation.
U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer Stepping Down after Two Years as San Diego’s Chief Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 26, 2021
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer announced today that he has submitted his resignation to President Biden, effective at midnight on February 28, 2021, concluding more than two years in the position.
“Serving as U.S. Attorney has been the highlight of my 45-year legal career,” Mr. Brewer said. “I am humbled to have led the office’s remarkable public servants. Together we have made our community safer through perilous times. I have witnessed our attorneys and staff, alongside officers, agents, and first responders, work tirelessly to meet these unprecedented challenges. For your sacrifices and your courage, I am eternally grateful. In departing, I am confident that the office will continue its critical mission with the highest ethical standards, and I could not be more proud of the work we accomplished together.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman will become Acting U.S. Attorney immediately following the effective date of Brewer’s resignation.
Mr. Brewer continued, “Randy Grossman is an outstanding prosecutor and leader. In addition to his vast experience as a trial attorney, Randy’s judgment and collegiality will ensure a smooth transition for the office. I wish him and every member of the office the best of luck in the continued pursuit of justice.”
During Mr. Brewer’s tenure, the office hired a record 48 new assistant U.S. attorneys – almost one-third of the entire ranks of federal prosecutors in this district; strengthened relationships with law enforcement partners; and reorganized the criminal division, including the addition of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking Section (VCHT). VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking.
Brewer also continued the great work of two of the Southern District of California’s diversion programs, the Alternative to Prison Solutions (APS) Diversion Program and the Veteran’s Diversion Program (VDP). These programs offer select criminal defendants who plead guilty to felony charges an alternative to incarceration with an opportunity to have their case dismissed after 12 months in exchange for compliance with certain court requirements, such as obtaining employment, enrolling in education programs, and obtaining mental health and addiction treatment.
Mr. Brewer made combatting opioids a top priority and directed a strong response when the already-serious drug epidemic collided with the coronavirus pandemic, causing overdose deaths to spike in San Diego County. The U.S. Attorney’s Office pursued more than 20 defendants in connection with fentanyl- and heroin-related overdose death cases, bringing justice and a sense of closure to devastated family members.
Under Mr. Brewer’s leadership, attorneys in the office have prosecuted some of the most sophisticated and important cases in the nation, including:
- U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison for stealing $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for his and his wife’s living and luxury expenses.
- Gina ChampionCain pleaded guilty to masterminding the longest Ponzi scheme in San Diego history with hundreds of victims throughout California and the nation and losses estimated as high as $400 million.
- Abdullahi Ahmed Abdullahi, a Canadian national, was successfully extradited to the United States and faces trial on federal conspiracy charges of providing material support to terrorists.
- U.S. Navy Captain David Haas and former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Brooks Alonzo Parks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, representing the 22nd and 23rd defendants to have entered guilty pleas as part of the bribery and corruption scheme involving Glenn Defense Marine Asia and its leader, “Fat Leonard” Glenn Francis. The decadelong scandal involves scores of numerous U.S. Navy officials and officers, tens of millions of dollars in fraud, and millions of dollars in bribes. Eight more defendants await jury trial.
- Rabbi Ysiroel Goldstein, former Director of Chabad of Poway Synagogue, and five of his associates pleaded guilty to fraud charges, admitting they participated in a complex, yearslong, multi-million dollar tax-evasion scheme and other illegal financial transactions involving theft of public money.
- Former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, former Honolulu prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, were sentenced to 84 months and 156 months in prison, respectively, for a wide range of criminal conduct, including framing their relative with a crime to conceal their own fraud. Additionally, the Kealohas’ coconspirators, former Honolulu police officers Derek Wayne Hahn and Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen, received 42 months and 54 months, respectively, for their involvement in what has been called the largest case of corruption in Hawaii in decades.
- Dr. Jennings Ryan Staley, a licensed physician, was indicted for mail fraud and additional crimes arising from his business venture selling alleged COVID19 “treatment kits” and agreeing with a Chinese supplier to smuggle hydroxychloroquine powder in the U.S., including lying to U.S. Customs by mislabeling a shipment as “yam extract.”
Mr. Brewer, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, former prosecutor and prominent San Diego litigator for decades, was sworn in on January 16, 2019 as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California. President Trump nominated Mr. Brewer to serve as U.S. Attorney for this district on June 25, 2018. The full Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment on January 2, 2019.
Prior to becoming U.S. attorney, Mr. Brewer, a native of Ithaca, New York, was an Of Counsel litigation attorney at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek. He previously served as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County from 1975 to 1977, and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California from 1977 to 1982, where he successfully prosecuted a variety of cases including espionage, bank robbery, murder for hire and aircraft hijacking. He also held various management positions, including Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division.
From 1982 through the present, Mr. Brewer was in private practice, including from 1991 to 2009 as a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, and from 2009 to 2014 as a partner at Jones Day. Before attending law school, Mr. Brewer served in the United States Army as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer and received the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for his combat service in the Vietnam War. Mr. Brewer has been a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1999. He received the Daniel T. Broderick Award from the San Diego County Bar Association in 2009 and the Distinguished Graduate Award from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2016. Mr. Brewer earned his B.A. from St. Lawrence University, and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
U.S. Attorney Matt Martin Presents Award to Lexington Police Chief Mark SinkRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, N.C. - Today, U.S. Attorney Matt Martin, on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office and other federal law enforcement agencies in the Middle District of North Carolina, presented an award for support of law enforcement and the rule of law to Mark Sink, Chief of the Lexington Police Department.
Chief Sink has actively supported Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) – the U.S. Department of Justice’s premier anti-violence program – by devoting department personnel to investigation and enforcement of federal firearms law violations, participating in PSN call-ins and gun screenings, and hosting regional PSN meetings at Lexington Police Department facilities. He has also partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on initiatives to decrease domestic violence, rehabilitate criminals to reduce recidivism, and target high-level drug trafficking. Earlier in his career, prior to his service as Chief, Sink served on a federal task force that focused on narcotics trafficking.
“Chief Sink is a consummate professional and excellent partner to all law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “He has been a steadfast advocate for the rule of law and understands the need to collaborate with other agencies to better serve his community. The citizens of Lexington and Davidson County are safer because of Mark Sink. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office extend our gratitude to him and his team.”
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U.S. Attorney Durham Announces Departure from OfficeRead the Press Release
After serving as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut for more than three years, and as a federal prosecutor in Connecticut for more than 38 years, John H. Durham today announced his resignation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, effective at midnight on February 28.
“My career has been as fulfilling as I could ever have imagined when I graduated from law school way back in 1975,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “Much of that fulfillment has come from all the people with whom I’ve been blessed to share this workplace, and in our partner law enforcement agencies. My love and respect for this Office and the vitally important work done here have never diminished. It has been a tremendous honor to serve as U.S. Attorney, and as a career prosecutor before that, and I will sorely miss it.”
Prior to his appointment as an interim U.S. Attorney in November 2017 and subsequently as the presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney in February 2018, Mr. Durham served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in various positions in the District of Connecticut for 35 years, prosecuting complex organized crime, violent crime, public corruption and financial fraud matters. From 1978 to 1982, he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, and from 1977 to 1978, he served as a Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney upon Mr. Durham’s departure.
“The Office will be in the extraordinarily capable hands of Len and our superb supervisory team who, together, guarantee that the proper administration of justice will continue uninterrupted in our District.”
Mr. Boyle has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney since June 2018, when he returned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office after serving as Deputy Chief State’s Attorney in Connecticut for approximately nine years. He previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office from 1986 to 1998, and from 1999 to 2004.
Mr. Boyle is the 53rd U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, an office that was established in 1789.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 54 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.
Troy Man Charged for Intending to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Frankie Rios, age 40, of Troy, New York, was ordered detained yesterday after being arrested on Monday and charged with possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Rios appeared yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and was ordered detained pending further proceedings. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge filed against Rios carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and Troy Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.
Statement by Pamela Karlan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights DivisionRead the Press Release
“The United States is currently facing unprecedented challenges, some of which are fueling increased bigotry and hatred. Hate crimes cannot be tolerated in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to put all necessary resources toward protecting our neighbors and our communities from these heinous acts. The Department, through its strong Civil Rights Division, remains resolute in its commitment to investigating and prosecuting civil rights violations, both criminal and civil, and seeking justice for the victims of illegal discrimination. In addition, over the past months, the Division has trained hundreds of federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers to identify, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes and other civil rights crimes. The Division is also in frequent communication with our colleagues in the FBI and United States Attorney’s Offices as they work with local law enforcement to evaluate possible hate crimes. And the FBI has offered support to assist the criminal investigations.
“In partnership with the FBI and United States Attorney’s Offices across the nation, the Division’s Criminal Section aggressively prosecutes hate crimes, official misconduct, and other criminal civil rights violations. And its other Sections pursue illegal discrimination in many aspects of life, including housing, employment, voting, education, and the operation of federally funded programs, among other areas.
“When a crime is motivated by animus based on race, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), disability, or citizenship, it causes a ripple effect across a community. No one in the United States should live in fear of victimization because of who they are, how they worship, where they come from, or whom they love. Diversity is central to who we are as a nation, and the Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable anyone who violates the civil rights of others."
For more information and resources on the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes. If you believe you have been a victim of a civil rights violation please visit: https://civilrights.justice.gov/ to file a report.
Southern Colorado Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years for Plotting to Blow up SynagogueRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced today in federal court in Colorado for plotting to blow up a synagogue.
Richard Holzer, 28, was sentenced to over 19 years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Holzer previously pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and explosives charges for plotting to blow up the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado, conduct that constituted acts of domestic terrorism. Holzer told undercover FBI agents that he wanted the bombing to send a message to Jewish people that they must leave his town, “otherwise people will die.”
Holzer pleaded guilty to intentionally attempting to obstruct persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, through force and the attempted use of explosives and fire, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 247, and to attempting to maliciously damage and destroy, by means of fire and explosives, a building used in interstate commerce.
“The Department has combatted hate-based violent extremism and domestic terrorism since our inception,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin. “Today there is no higher priority. This sentencing serves as a reminder that these crimes will not be tolerated, and we will hold the individuals who engage in them fully accountable. From our Civil Rights Division, our National Security Division, and the FBI, to the Office for Victims of Crime and our Community Relations Service, the Department of Justice will use every tool at its disposal to identify, disrupt, deter, and prevent hate-based, extremist threats to members of the American public.”
“Today’s sentence is another step forward in our on-going fight against extremism,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn of the District of Colorado. “About two-and-a-half years ago, my first day as U.S. Attorney took me to a vigil for victims from the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue attack. Today, my last day in the office, we have sentenced the extremist responsible for the attempted bombing of the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo. We must remain ever vigilant in this battle and I am confident the Department will continue to lead this fight.”
“Protecting our communities from terrorism, both domestic and international, is a top priority for the FBI. Mr. Holzer targeted a place of worship for violence and destruction to drive people of the Jewish faith from our community," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. "Today’s sentence demonstrates the commitment by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to ensure that if a crime is motivated by bias against a religion or any other federally protected status, it will be aggressively investigated, and the perpetrators held responsible for their actions. We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of the FBI’s Southern Colorado Joint Terrorism Task Force, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold Mr. Holzer accountable for plotting violent acts of hate.”
Holzer, who self-identifies as a Neo-Nazi and white supremacist, admitted that he planned to destroy Temple Emanuel, a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The planned bombing, which Holzer declared was “a move for our race,” was born from years of Holzer consuming and promoting white supremacist ideology. Holzer regularly used social media to glorify violence and advocate for white supremacy. After an undercover FBI employee contacted Holzer, he sent pictures of himself holding automatic weapons and said he was “getting ready for RAHOWA,” shorthand for a racial holy war.
Holzer talked to associates for months about attacking Temple Emanuel, and he visited the synagogue to observe Jewish congregants. During a meeting with undercover agents to discuss his plans, Holzer repeatedly expressed his hatred of Jewish people and suggested using explosive devices to destroy the Synagogue. Holzer told the undercover agents that he wanted to “get that place off the map.” Holzer further admitted that he coordinated with the undercover agents to obtain explosives, including pipe bombs.
On the evening of Nov. 1, 2019, Holzer met with undercover agents, who provided Holzer with inert explosive devices that had been fabricated by the FBI, including two pipe bombs and 14 sticks of dynamite. Holzer removed a copy of “Mein Kampf” from his bag and told the undercover agents that the explosives looked “absolutely gorgeous.” Holzer admitted that he planned to detonate the explosives several hours later, in the early hours of Saturday morning, Nov. 2, 2019. After his arrest, Holzer explained that “The event planned for tonight would define me as a person who would die for his people.”
The actions Holzer admitted in the plea agreement meet the federal definition of domestic terrorism, as they involved criminal acts dangerous to human life that were intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.
Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Martinez prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Pueblo Police Department and Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information and resources on the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
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Southern Colorado Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Federal Prison for Plotting to Blow up SynagogueRead the Press Release
DENVER – A Colorado man was sentenced today in federal court in Denver for plotting to blow up a synagogue.
Richard Holzer, 28, was sentenced to more than 19 years (235 months) in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Holzer previously pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and explosives charges for plotting to blow up the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado, conduct that constituted acts of domestic terrorism. Holzer told undercover FBI agents that he wanted the bombing to send a message to Jewish people that they must leave his town, “otherwise people will die.”
Holzer pleaded guilty to intentionally attempting to obstruct persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, through force and the attempted use of explosives and fire, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 247, and to attempting to maliciously damage and destroy, by means of fire and explosives, a building used in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code, Section 844(i).
“The Department has combatted hate-based violent extremism and domestic terrorism since our inception,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin. “Today there is no higher priority. This sentencing serves as a reminder that these crimes will not be tolerated, and we will hold the individuals who engage in them fully accountable. From our Civil Rights Division, our National Security Division, and the FBI, to the Office for Victims of Crime and our Community Relations Service, the Department of Justice will use every tool at its disposal to identify, disrupt, deter, and prevent hate-based, extremist threats to members of the American public.”
“Today’s sentence is another step forward in our on-going fight against extremism,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “About two-and-a-half years ago, my first day as U.S. Attorney took me to a vigil for victims from the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue attack. Today, my last day in the office, we have sentenced the extremist responsible for the attempted bombing of the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo. We must remain ever vigilant in this battle and I am confident the Department will continue to lead this fight.”
“Protecting our communities from terrorism, both domestic and international, is a top priority for the FBI. Mr. Holzer targeted a place of worship for violence and destruction to drive people of the Jewish faith from our community. Today’s sentence demonstrates the commitment by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to ensure that if a crime is motivated by bias against a religion or any other federally protected status, it will be aggressively investigated, and the perpetrators held responsible for their actions," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. "We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of the FBI’s Southern Colorado Joint Terrorism Task Force, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold Mr. Holzer accountable for plotting violent acts of hate.”
Holzer, who self-identifies as a Neo-Nazi and white supremacist, admitted that he planned to destroy Temple Emanuel, a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The planned bombing, which Holzer declared was “a move for our race,” was born from years of Holzer consuming and promoting white supremacist ideology. Holzer regularly used social media to glorify violence and advocate for white supremacy. After an undercover FBI employee contacted Holzer, he sent pictures of himself holding automatic weapons and said he was “getting ready for RAHOWA,” shorthand for a racial holy war.
Holzer talked to associates for months about attacking Temple Emanuel, and he visited the synagogue to observe Jewish congregants. During a meeting with undercover agents to discuss his plans, Holzer repeatedly expressed his hatred of Jewish people and suggested using explosive devices to destroy the Synagogue. Holzer told the undercover agents that he wanted to “get that place off the map.” Holzer further admitted that he coordinated with the undercover agents to obtain explosives, including pipe bombs.
On the evening of Nov. 1, 2019, Holzer met with undercover agents, who provided Holzer with inert explosive devices that had been fabricated by the FBI, including two pipe bombs and 14 sticks of dynamite. Holzer removed a copy of “Mein Kampf” from his bag and told the undercover agents that the explosives looked “absolutely gorgeous.” Holzer admitted that he planned to detonate the explosives several hours later, in the early hours of Saturday morning, Nov. 2, 2019. After his arrest, Holzer explained that “[t]he event planned for tonight would define me as a person who would die for his people.”
The actions Holzer admitted in the plea agreement meet the federal definition of domestic terrorism, as they involved criminal acts dangerous to human life that were intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Martinez and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Pueblo Police Department and Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information and resources on the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
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Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Steps Down This WeekendRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. - This weekend Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, will step down, along with all remaining Presidentially-appointed United States Attorneys across the country, in response to a request from the President.
First Assistant United States Attorney Norman Acker will assume the role of Acting United States Attorney upon Mr. Higdon’s resignation. Mr. Acker will serve in that capacity until a new Presidentially-appointed United States Attorney is named by the current Administration and is confirmed by the United States Senate.
Mr. Higdon was appointed as United States Attorney by former President Donald Trump in 2017, following the recommendation of North Carolina’s United States Senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. He has served for more than 28 years as a federal prosecutor.
Mr. Higdon commented: “It has been my great privilege to serve the people of eastern North Carolina as United States Attorney and as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer over the last three and a half years. I am grateful to President Trump and to Senators Burr and Tillis for their trust in me and for their constant support and encouragement. I am also grateful to Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr for their leadership, their confidence in me and for the opportunity to serve the people of this State as we look for solutions to some of the most intractable problems plaguing communities all across the Eastern District. To serve in this way has been the greatest honor of my career.”
During Mr. Higdon’s tenure as United States Attorney, federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation saw dramatic transformation and success with a sharp focus on the mission of the United States Attorney, commitment to the priorities laid out by the Department of Justice and reliance on the exceptional men and women who serve in the United States Attorney’s Office.
Prior to stepping down Mr. Higdon highlighted some of the key accomplishments over the last three and a half years:
Criminal
Regarding criminal prosecutions, Mr. Higdon noted: “Early in 2017, the United States Department of Justice, and the 94 United States Attorney’s Offices, were directed to (1) undertake all necessary and lawful action to break the back of criminal cartels that have spread across our nation; (2) reduce violent crime across the country; and (3) stop crimes of violence against law enforcement officers.” (See, Executive Orders issued on February 9, 2017.) “Indeed, upon our appointment, each United States Attorney was personally directed by the Attorney General to embrace these goals and to show meaningful and substantial results within the federal district each was chosen to lead.”
Mr. Higdon continued: “In the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC) we embraced the goals set out by the President and we reorganized and rededicated ourselves in order to make a difference in the safety and security of communities all across the eastern half of North Carolina. This effort involved the renewal of frayed relationships with federal, state and local law enforcement, the addition of a large number of new federal prosecutors and support staff who shared the vision of the new leadership and the aggressive and strategic prosecution of those who would violate federal criminal law.”
“Since 2017 the attorneys and staff of the office have prosecuted record numbers of offenders, particularly violent and drug offenders, have charged more defendants annually than at any time in the District’s 231 year history – a more than 125% increase over 2016 annually - and have partnered with federal, state and local law enforcement in ways leading to a sustained and measurable decline in crime rates all across the District.”
“In our effort to serve all 44 counties within the Eastern District, we have worked to move our attorneys and staff out into the District and away from a concentration in Raleigh; we have opened a staffed office in Wilmington for the first time in the District’s history; and, we have conducted regular office hours throughout the District for the purpose of meeting with law enforcement, providing advice and guidance and for the intake of cases and matters for federal investigation and prosecution. We have also worked to strengthen our relationships with the elected District Attorneys and those working with them throughout the District.”
-National Security
The EDNC is an area with substantial but vulnerable assets that are often the targets of threats to the national security. These threats come from outside the United States, from within, and are often from mixed sources. However, at the beginning of 2017 the United States Attorney’s Office had no meaningful national security apparatus despite its shared responsibility for the security and integrity of the four military bases residing in the EDNC, significant portions of the Research Triangle Park, substantial research universities and facilities, significant critical infrastructure and our easily accessible coastline and transportation corridors. To bring the office back into partnership with national security agencies the USAO:
-stood up a National Security Section which now includes 5 experienced Assistant United States Attorneys who prosecute significant security threats;
-included the prosecution of illegal aliens found in the district who are committing other crimes as part of our national security mandate; this focus included the addition of an immigration crime analyst with substantial investigative experience related to large scale immigration crimes;
-partnered with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) to increase resources in this area of prosecution;
-added a dedicated cybercrimes attorney in the National Security Section with responsibility to aid other litigating divisions of the office;
-conducted focused and targeted outreach to vulnerable communities (based on ethnicity, race, national origin, faith, etc.) to ensure equal access to the court and justice system, to provide for individual and group safety and security, to develop prevention skills and techniques and to develop a level of trust between these individuals and the law enforcement community.
-Violent Crime
Like so many other districts around the country, the EDNC saw a dangerous increase in violent crime rates between 2013 and 2016. This period coincided with a reduction in the Department of Justice’s support for and commitment to the prosecution of violent offenders across the country. Following the direction of the President and the Attorney General, in late 2017 and early 2018, the USAO worked to revitalize the District’s Project Safe Neighborhood program and augmented that effort with the development of the “Take Back North Carolina Initiative”. The programs, working in tandem, included:
-the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify those individuals driving the violent crime and drug problems in a particular community, develop prosecutions against them, and remove them from the area;
-empowering federal prosecutors to accept cases for prosecution directly;
-emphasis on the prosecution of those who were driving criminal activity in a particular area;
-close coordination with the elected District Attorneys;
-charging the most serious, readily provable offense in every case;
-encouraging all offenders to cooperate against those higher up in the criminal activity of which they were a part;
-sustained focus on a community or region until the crime rates began to decline;
-use of outreach and community development efforts to provide an alternative to criminal activity;
-sustained focus on criminal gangs and gang related activity;
-the prosecution of any offender who risks the life or safety of law enforcement officers if their crime is a violation of federal criminal law;
-working to highlight the work of the office, as a deterrent, whenever possible through appropriate media outlets;
-Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
By 2016 the District’s drug prosecution efforts had fallen to record lows. Beginning in late 2017, the office reorganized and reenergized its efforts to disrupt and dismantle key drug trafficking organizations through its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) by:
-reappointing an experienced and skilled attorney to lead the effort;
-rebuilding the task force from four attorneys to a team of 14 Assistant United States Attorneys and Special Assistant United States Attorneys focused solely on attacking transnational and international drug trafficking organizations operating within the EDNC;
-inclusion of the OCDETF attorneys in the District’s “Take Back North Carolina Initiative;”
-focusing aggressively on the opioid and heroin epidemic through aggressive prosecution of offenders distributing these substances and through community outreach and education; development of a Heroin Education Action Team (HEAT) to provide information and counseling to users of these substances or those faced with the chance to begin using them;
-charging the most serious, readily provable offense in every case;
-sustained, strategic focus on criminal gangs and gang related activity;
-more than tripling the number of active, funded, and authorized OCDETF investigations underway in the District;
Working to highlight the work of the office, as a deterrent, whenever possible through appropriate media outlets;
-Economic Crime
In the last four years the District, like so many other locations in the country, has faced challenges and hurdles in the form of a pandemic, natural disasters, and other types of adversity where governmental agencies step in to provide assistance and help. In each and every case there is an element of fraud and misuse that occurs, and which undermines the goals and purpose of the assistance. In the EDNC we have developed standing and ad hoc task forces which have addressed fraud issues in these and other areas. We have organized a task force to focus on fraud related to the pandemic and to address issues related to the hording of personal protective equipment (PPE); we have trained thousands of senior citizens on elder fraud scams and prosecuted numerous perpetrators in federal court. We have also attempted to deter fraud associated with disaster relief through aggressive prosecutions and community outreach and awareness.
Our economic crime attorneys have prosecuted some of the most prolific financial crimes in the District’s history and have recovered millions of dollars in loses which have been returned to the victims of crime.
Civil
The attorneys and staff of the USAO who focus on civil matters – the representation of the United States as plaintiff or defendant in civil litigation – have continued to perform at record setting levels. These professionals routinely handle some of the most complex and impactful litigation in the country. In the last four years the Civil Division has:
-functioned at twice or better the national average in terms of matters handled per attorney;
-seen record recovery of assets which are the proceeds of, or which have facilitated criminal activity;
-partnered with the Criminal Division in the effort to fight the opioid pandemic through the investigation and litigation against medical providers and pharmacists who step away from their professional obligations and have aggravated this problem;
-participated actively in the fight against program fraud, fraud associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and fraud following natural disasters;
-continued to handle all civil commitment litigation of dangerous sex offenders in federal prison for the entire country (Adam Walsh litigation);
-responded to the hundreds of requests for compassionate release by prisoners in federal prisons due to the pandemic;
-maintained a sophisticated civil litigation docket to include medical malpractice defense, employment matters within federal agencies, bankruptcy litigation, asset forfeiture, tax matters and litigation associated with a wide range of federal agency functioning.
Administrative and Organizational
The Administrative Division of the United States Attorney’s Office assists the United States Attorney in overseeing an operation with an annual budget approaching $20 million, with more than 130 employees and contractors and with some 40 Special Assistant United States Attorneys. During the last four years the Division, in addition to its substantial daily responsibilities, also led efforts to move the office’s headquarters from the Federal Courthouse in Raleigh into private space, the opening of a staffed office in Wilmington, the closing of an unnecessary and underutilized office in Greenville, the improvement of facilities in New Bern, Greenville and Elizabeth City and the rebuilding of space in the federal courthouse in Wilmington following two hurricanes which rendered the space unusable. The Division also continued its active and critical support of the litigating functions of the office.
Relationships With Law Enforcement
Over the last three and a half years, the USAO has made a concerted effort to provide support to law enforcement all across the District. Through the “Take Back North Carolina Initiative”, moving our attorneys and staff out into the District on a daily basis, careful listening to and respect for the expertise of law enforcement officials all across the District who know their communities and who know who and what to pursue in order to drive down our crime rates and make our communities safer and more secure, and, by aggressively prosecuting any offense that places the life or safety of a law enforcement officer in jeopardy. With the encouragement and support of the President and the Attorneys General, we have attempted to be as supportive as possible of our law enforcement communities. Through both words and actions, we have attempted to say, “We have your back and you have our thanks.”
Conclusion
Finally, Mr. Higdon commented: “It has been a deeply humbling privilege to serve alongside the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and with law enforcement all across the District. To serve as the 47th Presidentially-appointed United States Attorney for this half of North Carolina is an opportunity I never anticipated and never expected. But, to have the chance to work with these exceptional professionals and the brave heroes who serve us in uniform has been a true blessing. I hope that we have served the people of this District, this State, and this Country well. I am proud of the work we have done together. And, I hope and pray for the continued success of these fine public servants in the years to come.”
Raytown Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A registered sex offender in Raytown, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the internet.
Joseph L. Smith, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Smith to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. Smith must pay $33,000 in restitution to his victims.
Smith is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 1992 for forcible oral sodomy of an 8-year-old female. Smith was also convicted of failure to register as a sex offender in 2001.
On Oct. 15, 2020, Smith pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the internet. Smith admitted to participating in chat rooms and to receiving various links which included images and videos that depicted child pornography.
On March 15, 2018, investigators obtained a search warrant to seize Smith’s laptop and hard drive. A forensic analysis disclosed a total of approximately 13,036 suspected child pornography files on the laptop and hard drive. Of those files, 11,205 were still images and 1,831 were videos. Approximately 1,327 images and 428 videos depicted infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children. Approximately nine images and 52 videos depicted minor children subjected to bondage, torture, sadomasochistic behaviors, or other violence. Approximately 10 images and eight videos depicted minor children engaged in bestiality or sexual acts involving animals.
The investigation began on March 20, 2017, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip from Dropbox, Inc., regarding 49 files of child pornography uploaded into Smith’s account. Additionally, on June 8, 2017, the Toronto, Canada, Police Service executed a criminal code search warrant on the residence of an individual in Scarborough, Canada. During the search, the individual’s computers were examined and hundreds of images of child pornography were discovered. The police also reviewed approximately 30,000 Kik chats and identified Smith as one of a number of suspects whom the individual either sent to or received child pornography from.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the Western Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Puerto Rican Man Sentenced for Cocaine OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a cocaine conspiracy.
William Torres, a/k/a Poro, 34, of Tao Baja, P.R., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Hillman to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In September 2020, Torres pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
A federal investigation revealed that, around October 2018, Torres made arrangements for his associate, Melvin Burgos, to obtain a kilogram of cocaine from Julio Rivera. Torres provided Burgos with Rivera’s number, and on Nov. 1, 2018, Burgos and Rivera met at a storage facility in Worcester. Police subsequently stopped the men and inside the vehicle driven by Burgos they found approximately 900 grams of cocaine. Inside Rivera’s vehicle, law enforcement found a phone that had been used to contact Torres.
Burgos and Rivera were arrested on state charges that day and later charged in federal court in Worcester. Burgos pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30, 2021. Rivera has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely and John Mulcahy of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prince George’s County Felon Facing Federal Charge After Firing a Weapon at Security Guards at a U.S. Secret Service Facility in Beltsville, MDRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint was filed late this afternoon charging Jeremiah Peter Watson, age 22, of Hyattsville, Maryland, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Chief of Police Gregory T. Monahan of the U.S. Park Police.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on the evening of February 25, 2021, a dark four-door sedan, with significant damage to the passenger front and side, pulled up to the gated entry of the Secret Service facility within the National Agricultural Research Center, which is federal property. The driver of the vehicle was having a conversation on speaker on his cellular phone, which had a green case. The driver got out of the car and approached the security guard in an aggressive manner. Another security officer arrived to assist. Despite being given verbal commands to stop, the driver continued to approach and the security officer deployed pepper spray at the driver.
As detailed in the affidavit, the driver returned to his vehicle and began to drive from the area. Another security officer and a Secret Service Officer arrived to assist and the Secret Service Officer called the U.S. Park Police for further assistance. The first security officer was able to see and report to the Park Police the license number of the vehicle. The driver then made a U-turn and began to fire a handgun at the victims, who fled into the guard house, which has bullet-proof glass. The driver made another U-turn and continued to fire at the victims through the passenger window of his car. A subsequent search of the scene recovered three .9mm shell casings.
The affidavit alleges that Watson was identified as the registered owner of the vehicle and one of the victims identified a photo of Watson as the person who had shot at the victims. Watson’s vehicle was located where he has been residing. A federal search warrant was executed earlier today at the residence and on Watson’s vehicle. Law enforcement recovered a .9mm handgun loaded with three .9mm rounds in the magazine and a fourth in the chamber from the vehicle. From the trunk jamb law enforcement recovered three .9mm shell casings, allegedly similar to the shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting. When law enforcement executed the search warrant at the residence, Watson was present. Law enforcement seized a cellular phone with a green case from Watson’s vicinity and Watson subsequently provided law enforcement with the access code for the phone.
If convicted, Watson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. 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. Watson is detained and is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Monday, March 1, 2021, although no time has been formally set.
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.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Park Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.
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Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Mail Theft in LiverpoolRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Quayshaun Mitchell, age 28, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday before Chief United States Judge Glenn T. Suddaby to possession with the intent to unlawfully use a United States Postal Service key, and aiding and abetting the theft of mail, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon, Joseph Cronin, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General-Northeast Region.
As part of his guilty plea, Mitchell admitted that on March 5, 2020, while employed by the United States Postal Service (“USPS”), he gave a USPS arrow key (used to open USPS mail collection boxes), a USPS letter carrier uniform jacket, and a USPS mail satchel to Kevin Ronny Williams, so that Williams could steal mail from USPS mail collection boxes in Liverpool, New York. That same day Williams dressed as a postal worker wearing Mitchell’s jacket and carrying the mail satchel, and used the arrow key to open USPS collection boxes from which he stole 49 pieces of first class mail. All of the stolen mail was later recovered from Williams. Kevin Ronny Williams has pled guilty to offenses for his role in the mail thefts and is awaiting sentencing.
The charge of possession with the intent to unlawfully use a United States Postal Service key, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and the charge of aiding and abetting the theft of mail carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. Both offenses could result in the imposition of a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Quayshaun Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2021.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.
Port Saint Joe Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Clark Downs of Port Saint Joe, Florida, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison following his conviction for producing and possessing child pornography. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Child pornography is a vile act that can ruin the lives of its innocent victims, and we will do everything possible to put an end to it by investigating and prosecuting the depraved individuals who prey on children in this way,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “The exceptional work of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners has ensured that this individual will not be able to exploit young innocents again.”
Downs, 72, was convicted by a federal jury in Pensacola last November. Jurors found Downs guilty of one count each of producing child pornography and possessing child pornography. The evidence showed that in November 2014, Downs intentionally coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. In April 2018, he was found to be in possession of material containing child pornography.
“We are proud of the successful conclusion of this case,” said Gulf County Sheriff Mike Harrison. “I hope this sentencing sends a strong message to those who choose to exploit the young and innocent.”
Downs’ prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions.
“We are appreciative of the dedication and work of our agents and our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and Gulf County Sheriff’s Office that led to the apprehension of this individual, and grateful for the prosecutorial action of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Jack Massey, Special Agent in Charge, FDLE Pensacola Regional Operations Center. “The safety of our citizens is always a priority of FDLE.”
The case was investigated by the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Spaven and Aine Ahmed prosecuted the case.
“The law enforcement team of HSI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office worked together to bring this child predator to justice,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. Downs sentencingPhiladelphia Man Charged with Kidnapping and Robbery of Postal WorkersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that James Chandler, 54, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested and charged by Indictment with two counts of robbery of a United States Postal Service employee, and one count of kidnapping. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon and was detained pending trial.
The Indictment alleges that on January 11, 2021 and February 4, 2021, Chandler robbed uniformed postal workers during the execution of their official duties delivering parcels in West Philadelphia, using a replica handgun, forcing them into their postal trucks, and stealing packages from inside. During the incident on February 4, the defendant is also alleged to have forced the postal worker at gunpoint to drive him for several blocks in her postal truck before fleeing on foot.
“Targeting and violently assaulting employees of the United States Postal Service is a federal crime that will be investigated and prosecuted swiftly by this office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Mail carriers provide an essential service to nearly every citizen, oftentimes going above and beyond to execute their duties in challenging circumstances. If you choose to kidnap or rob a mail carrier, I guarantee you will feel the full force of the federal government come down on you in the form of intense investigation and aggressive prosecution.”
“Today, the United States Attorney’s Office charged James Chandler for assaulting two postal carriers while they delivered mail in the City of Philadelphia,” said Damon Wood, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division. “While the carriers went about their job, delivering the many items that residents of the city depend upon, including medications, bills, benefits, and all the other items that help folks manage through this cold snowy winter and the pandemic a little easier, Mr. Chandler kidnaped them with what looked like a gun, and ransacked their postal trucks, looking for items he thought he could sell for a few dollars. Working closely with Detectives from the Philadelphia Police Department, Postal Inspectors developed enough evidence to identify and arrest Mr. Chandler before he could assault another carrier or another citizen of Philadelphia. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for supporting the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service with this arrest. The United States Postal Inspection Service has many priorities, but it should surprise no one, that pursuing those who rob or assault Postal Service employees are at the top of the list.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Oshana.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pharmaceutical Business Owner Sentenced in Miami for Role in Prescription Medication Diversion SchemeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Miami federal judge has sentenced a wholesale pharmaceutical business owner to 103 months imprisonment for his role in a scheme to pass off expensive and delicate prescription medications illegally procured on the streets as ones that came directly from legitimate prescription drug manufacturers. The illegally obtained prescription medications to treat conditions like cancer, HIV, and psychiatric illness ended up in pharmacies and in the hands of unsuspecting patients.
Mohammad Salemi, 35 years old, of Medina, Washington, operated a wholesale pharmaceutical business that obtained its supply from an underground health care fraud market. Criminals would obtain bottles of medications from health care fraud, including from patients who had prescriptions for the medicines but sold them instead of using them. During backstreet exchanges, many of which occurred in Miami, unmarked boxes filled with bottles of these illegally obtained medications were turned over to others who worked with Salemi. Many of the drugs involved required storage in controlled conditions, the types of which usually do not exist during street drug exchanges.
Salemi fabricated documents to make it appear that the drugs were obtained directly from the manufacturers. Other participants in the scheme cleaned the bottles to remove patient prescription labels and make them look like legitimate medical products. Salemi shipped the drugs, with falsified papers, to another co-conspirator who had a pharmaceutical wholesale company in Arizona. The co-conspirator then sold the drugs to pharmacies, which sold them to unsuspecting patients. Salemi sold approximately $78 million worth of these medicines. He hid his profits and kept the scheme going through an extensive series of wire transfers and the use of shell corporations.
In connection with his conduct, on October 13, 2020, Salemi pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation and money laundering conspiracy. He is one of seven defendants to plead guilty to charges in the indictment.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office, and Justin C. Fielder, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations’ (FDA-OCI) Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and FDA investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Tamen and Walter Norkin are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find related court documents 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 19-cr-20674.
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Parkersburg man admits to drug traffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – David Edward Allanson, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Allanson, also known as “Curly,” 51, pled guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Allanson admitted to having methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” and “ice,” in May 2020 in Grant County.
Allanson faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 Mountain Region Drug Task Force, the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office the Elkins Police Department, and the Petersburg Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Painted Post Man Arrested After Sending Child Pornography to an Undercover FBI AgentRead 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 Jordan Sowersby, 25, of Painted Post, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in January and February 2021, an undercover FBI Agent located the defendant offering child pornography for download on the internet. The agent downloaded child pornography directly from Sowersby, which enabled the FBI to determine his location in Painted Post. On February 26, 2021, the FBI, accompanied by members of the Steuben County Sheriff and the New York State Police, executed a federal search warrant at the defendant’s residence. A preliminary review of multiple digital devices that were seized found hundreds of child pornography images and videos. Sowersby was arrested immediately following the search warrant.
The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Corning Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James L. Allard; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Pahayag ni Pamela Karlan, Punong Kinatawan na Kawaning Abogado Heneral para sa Sangay ng Pangkalahatang mga Karapatang SibilRead the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Tagalog