Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 16 October 2020
New Orleans Woman Sentenced for Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, that SANDRA DUMAS, age 71, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced to a one-count Bill of Information charging her with attempted bank robbery in violation of federal law.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2018, DUMAS entered the Liberty Bank located at 7200 Crowder Boulevard, while in possession of a Crown Royal bag. DUMAS fabricated a story about her granddaughter being held hostage by a man who threatened to harm her granddaughter if DUMAS did not get money from the bank. DUMAS claimed to be in possession of a bomb that was contained within the Crown Royal bag. Bank employees responded by contacting the New Orleans Police Department. DUMAS fled the bank. No money was taken from the bank during the robbery.
Judge Triche Jane Milazzo sentenced DUMAS to credit for time served, to be followed by a (3) three year term of supervised release.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Committing Multiple Armed Robberies in 2016Read the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VINSON SINGLETON, JR., 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing several armed robberies in March 2016.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.
According court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into a series of armed and attempted armed robberies of commercial establishments in Ansonia, North Haven and New Haven in March 2016. The investigation revealed that, in the evening of March 22, 2016, an individual entered the Shell gas station at 696 Main Street in Ansonia, attempted to rob the store and stabbed a store employee in his back. After the victim was stabbed, the victim saw a metal blade on the ground and the assailant holding a black handle in his hand. The assailant then ran from the store. The victim suffered a small puncture wound in his lower back.
Investigators collected the knife handle and a hat and sweatshirt that the assailant discarded as he ran from the store. DNA collected from these items matched DNA that was collected from Singleton after investigators had identified Singleton as a suspect.
The investigation revealed that Singleton also robbed or attempted to rob a Dunkin Donuts in New Haven on March 8, 2016; a Valero in North Haven on March 9, 2016; a Papa John’s in New Haven on March 17, 2016; a Shell in New Haven on March 17, 2016, and a 7-11 in New Haven on March 21, 2016.
On November 7, 2019, Singleton pleaded guilty to one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery. At the time of his guilty plea, Singleton was serving a state sentence for possessing a sawed-off shotgun and an attempted robbery in late 2016.
Singleton has been detained in federal custody since January 24, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Ansonia, New Haven and North Haven Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
Navajo man pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter for shooting death in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Joshua Gutierrez, 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation of New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque today to voluntary manslaughter and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in Indian Country.
According to his admission in the plea agreement, on March 29, while visiting the home of his girlfriend and her father, Gutierrez was awakened by an argument. He armed himself with a handgun, walked toward the room where the argument was taking place, and passed one of the men involved in the argument. When, according to Gutierrez, the man swung at him, Gutierrez shot the man in the chest, killing him. Gutierrez then pointed the gun at two other people and threatened to shoot them if they did not leave. The incident took place on the Navajo Nation.
Gutierrez is currently in custody pending sentencing. He faces 12 years in prison under the terms of the plea agreement.
The Albuquerque office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from Navajo Nation police and the Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.
Multiple Individuals Charged in Addison County Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 15, 2020 charging five individuals with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in and around Addison County, Vermont between November 2019 and October 2020. Kevin Williams, 31, is the lead defendant.
According to the criminal complaint filed earlier in the case, Williams—who is also known as “Taco”— supervised the transportation of controlled substances from his home city of Paterson, New Jersey to locations in Vermont for distribution, including New Haven and Cornwall. Williams was arrested for the offense while he was present in Vermont on October 11, 2020, and he was arraigned today in Burlington before U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy in conjunction with a hearing on his detention or release pending trial. The defendant pleaded not guilty and was detained pending trial.
Four other defendants were charged along with Williams: Abigail Quesnel, 52, and John Quesnel, 57, both of Cornwall, Vermont; Sue Hutting, 61, of New Haven, Vermont; and Brittany Grover, 35, of Bristol, Vermont. These defendants will be arraigned on the charge at a later date that has not yet been set by the Court.
If convicted of this offense, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment and up to a $5 million fine. The actual sentence for each defendant, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This indictment follows an eleven-month investigation conducted by multiple state and federal agencies that was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 5,000 glassine baggies of heroin, more than 200 grams of cocaine, and over $12,000 in currency, and investigators obtained evidence of historical amounts well in excess of those seized. Agents also seized several firearms tied to the investigation. ATF was assisted in this investigation by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and troopers from both the Vermont State Police and the New York State Police, and the investigation involved activities in the District of Vermont, the Northern District of New York, and the District of New Jersey. “ATF will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts to vigorously combat drug traffickers and the threat they pose to our citizens by illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of their illegal drug trade," stated Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Kevin Williams is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Counsel has not yet appeared in the case for the other defendants.
Multi-Agency Narcotics Operation Nets Large Quantities of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and other Illicit DrugsRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Smith (619) 546-8299
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 15, 2020
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Brewer Jr. of the Southern District of California and Nicola T. Hanna of the Central District of California announced today that through a coordinated operation conducted over the last three months, hundreds of kilograms of dangerous narcotics were taken off of the streets of Southern California.
State and federal law enforcement agencies worked together to plan and execute this operation, which culminated in a one week coordinated surge in mid-September which resulted in the seizures of approximately 778 kilograms of methamphetamine, 268 kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of fentanyl, 31 kilograms of heroin, and $281,000 in U.S. currency.
In addition to the substantial seizures, six individuals were arrested and charged with various federal drug trafficking charges in the Central District of California out of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and numerous additional individuals were charged with federal drug trafficking offenses in the Southern District of California.
The operation focused on identifying narcotics entering the United States though numerous Southern California ports of entry and then being transported to various locations throughout Southern California for further distribution around the country. Numerous High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) teams from Southern California, comprised of both state and federal law enforcement officers and agents, worked throughout the operation to identify and arrest individuals involved in the illegal activity and to seize narcotics and narcotics proceeds.
“Drug traffickers and their networks are not bound by city or county boundaries, and neither are we,” said U.S. Attorney Brewer. “With the combined resources of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, our reach is far and wide. We are seizing the drugs and dismantling the networks that are injecting our neighborhoods with poison.” Brewer praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Smith and his team of prosecutors, as well as law enforcement partners, for their commendable work on this operation.
“This operation underscores our significant – and successful – efforts to disrupt the smuggling routes used by international drug cartels to deliver narcotics to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Hanna. “This concerted effort allowed us to identify shipments coming in from Mexico and being delivered to stash houses across the region. As a result of the excellent work of law enforcement agents, we were able to make substantial seizures and arrest individuals who played important roles in the distribution chain.”
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation jointly undertaken by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in the Southern and Central Districts of California. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime.
OCDETF Director Adam W. Cohen said, “We must salute the coordinated efforts led by dedicated OCDETF prosecutors from these two U.S. Attorney’s Offices to leverage our multi-agency strengths against these criminal networks.”
The three-month operation was coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Smith, Chief of the OCDETF Section in San Diego, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Alexis Chen, Chief of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section in Los Angeles.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
LA IMPACT
SD-NET
Mission Man Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Wire Fraud was sentenced by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Calvin Waln, Jr., a/k/a “Hawkeye” Waln, age 42, was sentenced on October 5, 2020, to time served, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered within 30 days.
Waln was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2019. The charge related to Waln inheriting funds from a life insurance policy of his mothers. The funds were deposited into a bank account and a checkbook was provided to Waln for his use. Waln depleted the funds and then passed nine additional checks totaling $2,525.00, knowing there were insufficient funds in the account. Waln also used checks linked to a Wells Fargo account, which he knew was closed at least seven years, to write thirteen additional checks knowing there was no account with funds to cover them.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama prosecuted the case.
Meth Dealer Sentenced to 32 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL BOBOWSKI, 45, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 32 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervise release, for distributing d-methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as “meth,” “ice” and other street names.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August and September 2018, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Bobowski at his former residence in Hartford. The investigation revealed that, between May and October 2018, Bobowski conspired to distribute between 100 and 150 grams of d-methamphetamine hydrochloride.
Bobowski was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 4, 2018. A search of his residence on the date of his arrest revealed approximately 106 grams of ice and more than $3,000 in cash.
On December 20, 2018, Bobowski pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of d-methamphetamine hydrochloride.
Bobowski, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 16, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and Middletown Police Department, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison Under Project EJECT for Possessing Ammunition and a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Dominique Dontona Ashford, 36, of Meridian, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee, to two concurrent 262 month sentences in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, as well as a $1,500.00 fine, for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 18, 2019, officers with the Meridian Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance. Upon arriving at the residence, the officers spoke with the complainant who told them she wanted her boyfriend, Ashford, out of her house. Officers spoke with Ashford and told him they would need to pat him down for weapons. Ashford was found to be in possession of suspected narcotics during the pat down search.
When officers searched his pockets, three .38 caliber bullets were found in Ashford’s left front pants pocket. The complainant told officers that she did not own any firearms and that she wanted all of Ashford’s belongings out of her house. The complainant testified at trial that Ashford threatened to beat her with a handgun earlier that day.
Meridian Police officers searched the house and located a .38 caliber Taurus revolver, loaded with five .38 caliber bullets, in a closet in a back bedroom. The complainant identified the revolver as the pistol with which she had been threatened. Officers with the Meridian Police Department, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and an ATF agent testified at trial in addition to Ashford’s ex-girlfriend.
Ashford was found guilty by a jury on March 3, 2020 following a one-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Lee. Ashford has previous convictions for robbery, possession of cocaine, burglary and sale of cocaine within 1,500 feet of a church. Due to the number and nature of Ashford’s prior convictions, he faced a minimum of fifteen years in prison, and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison, as to each of the two counts.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
Members, Associates of White Supremacist Gangs Charged in Methamphetamine and Firearms Trafficking CasesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Twenty-one documented gang members and associates of several home-grown white supremacist gangs allegedly responsible for distributing drugs and firearms around the Salt Lake City and Ogden areas are charged in 15 indictments unsealed Friday morning in federal court.
The charges follow a strategic, intelligence-based Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation (OCDETF) of Soldiers of Aryan Culture (SAC) members, Silent Aryan Warriors (SAW) members, Noble Elect Thugs (NET) members, and associates. The joint local-federal investigation resulted in 15 unsealed indictments alleging distribution of methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a narcotics trafficking offense.
OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF employs strategies to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics throughout the United States using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to take on complex investigations. OCDETF cases facilitate joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
Agencies assisting in the organized crime investigation include the ATF, U. S. Attorney’s Office, the Ogden Police Department, the Unified Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Salt Lake Area Metro Gang Unit, the Ogden Metro Gang Unit, the Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, West Valley City Police Department, and the Utah Department of Public Safety’s State Bureau of Investigation.
The charges are the result of an investigation that started in June 2019 with the ATF and the two gang units joining together targeting drug and firearms trafficking activities throughout Salt Lake City, West Valley City, and Ogden City by SAC members. The investigation led law enforcement officers to numerous documented gang members and associates trafficking in methamphetamine and firearms. Many of the defendants have been involved in criminal conduct in Utah communities for many years. In two cases, this criminal history will allow federal prosecutors to seek a significant federal sentencing enhancement if they are convicted of the charges.
As a part of this proactive investigation, agents used a number of investigative techniques to learn about methamphetamine and firearms dealing by SAC members, SAW members, and associates. Ultimately, the targeted federal-state partnership resulting in numerous indictments of these individuals.
Around 1.65 pounds of methamphetamine were purchased during the investigation. Fifteen firearms were recovered during the investigation, including 10 during the investigation and 5 when arrest warrants were executed Wednesday.
21 DEFENDANTS CHARGED IN 15 SEPARATE INDICTMENTS
Multi-Defendant Cases
- Steven Mack Swena, Clinton Dean Spencer
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 5 years mandatory minimum, 40 years statutory maximum, $5 million fine
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 10 years mandatory minimum, Life maximum, $10 million fine
- Felon in Possession of Firearm
- Maximum penalty: 10 years statutory maximum, $250,000 fine
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Richard Ryan, Amanda Lee Graham, Jared Loren Brown, Thomas Radford
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) and aiding/abetting
- Maximum penalty: 5 years mandatory minimum, 40 years statutory maximum, $5 million fine
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) and aiding/abetting
- Justin William Austin, Cody Kelly Wright, Jerrad Luis Colvin
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (3 counts)
- Maximum penalty: 5 years mandatory minimum, 40 years statutory maximum, $5 million fine
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 10 year mandatory minimum, life statutory maximum, $10 million fine
- Distribution of heroin (Austin)
- Maximum penalty: Up to 20 years in prison, $1 million fine
- Carry/use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Austin)Maximum penalty: 5 years mandatory minimum up to life statutory maximum, $250,000 fine
- Felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition (Austin)
- Maximum penalty: Up to 10 years statutory maximum, $250,000 fine
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (3 counts)
Single Defendant Cases
- James William Broadhead
- 2 counts of Distribution of methamphetamine
- Maximum Penalty: 20 years statutory maximum, $1 million fine
- 2 counts of Possession of Firearm In Furtherance of Narcotics Trafficking
- Maximum Penalty: 5 years consecutive sentence, Life maximum
- 3 counts of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
- Maximum Penalty: 10 years statutory maximum, $250,000 fine
- 2 counts of Distribution of methamphetamine
- Johnathan Dale Miller
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 10 years mandatory minimum, Life maximum, $10 million fine
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 5 years mandatory minimum, 40 years statutory maximum, $5 million fine
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brian Christopher Jenson
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 10 years mandatory minimum, Life maximum, $10 million fine
- Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Timothy Cox*
- Heather Brooke Hebdon
- Jesse Harris
- Bret Miller
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 5 years mandatory minimum, 40 years statutory maximum, $5 million fine
- Distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Michael Byrd
- Timothy Daniel Jepsen*
- Distribution of Methamphetamine
- Maximum penalty: 20 years statutory maximum, $1 million fine
- Distribution of Methamphetamine
- Tyler William Riding
- Jordan Anderson
- Chance Robinson
- Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
- Maximum Penalty: 10 years statutory maximum, $250,000 fine
- Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
Prosecutors have filed a notice of a sentencing enhancement for defendants with * next to their names. This enhancement potentially doubles their statutory maximum sentence, or where applicable, their mandatory minimum sentence.
Eleven defendants were arrested Wednesday. Another 10 were already in custody. Defendants in the cases will make initial appearances on the indictments in the coming weeks. Several are in state custody on other state criminal charges.
Indictments are not findings of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
- Steven Mack Swena, Clinton Dean Spencer
McNairy County Man Pleads Guilty to His Involvement in a Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Nickolas Atkins, 41, a resident of Selmer, Tennessee has pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.
In March 2018, a joint-task force investigation was initiated into the activities of a Drug Trafficking Organization run by Timmy Jermaine Cole (Cole). The investigation involved the trafficking of large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine from individuals in Mexico into West Tennessee for distribution. Nickolas Atkins (Atkins) was a member of the drug conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and hydrocodone pills.
On April 15, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Western District of Tennessee, Eastern Division, returned a three-count Indictment against Timmy Jermaine Cole, Lynnie Ray
Pettigrew, Rolando Garibaldi-Alvarado, Juan Javier Acosta-Melendez, Kelvin Pettigrew, Anthony McElrath, Nickolas Atkins, Marcus Canty, Richard Trevino, Bayrin Hinson, Cornelius Talley, Robert Winters, Steven Williams, Scotty Tubbs, and Cindy Cannon. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/nineteen-members-drug-trafficking-organization-indicted-distributing-methamphetamine.
After his arrest, Atkins was released on bond. During his pre-trial release, law enforcement officers utilizing a confidential informant, purchased hydrocodone pills while Atkins was on bond. Atkins was re-arrested by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for distributing approximately 600 hydrocodone pills. His pre-trial bond was revoked and Atkins was detained. Thereafter, Atkins was indicted for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of hydrocodone pills. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/mcnairy-county-man-re-arrested-and-indicted-distribution-hydrocodone-while-pre-trial.
During Atkins’ change of plea hearing on October 13, he admitted to being a member of the Cole drug conspiracy and admitted to distributing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, 3 ounces of cocaine, 100 pounds of marijuana and 600 hydrocodone pills.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson, where Atkins faces a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal enterprises that distribute harmful drugs into our rural communities can no longer hide. We are taking the fight to the drug trafficking organizations in order to dismantle them and remove them from our streets."
The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Selmer Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff's Department, Hardeman County Sheriff's Department, Decatur County Sheriff's Department, Lexington Police Department, Dyersburg Police Department, 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force and Jackson Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerry Kitchen and Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Parham are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
###
Maryland U.S. Attorney Appoints District Election Officer to Receive Complaints and Allegations of Election Fraud and Voting Rights Violations as Part of the U.S. Department of Justice Nationwide Federal Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney Robert K. Hur announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Leo J. Wise will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Wise has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Maryland, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with state authorities, the FBI, and Justice Department Headquarters.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur said, “The vote is the foundation of our democracy. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted accurately. We will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input, tampering with ballot drop boxes, altering or destroying mail-in ballots, and disseminating misinformation about the time, place and manner of voting. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Hur stated that AUSA/DEO Wise will be on duty in this District an available to the public from now through election day, November 3, 2020. He can be reached by phone at 410-209-4800.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 410-265-8080.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
# # #
Marty Man Indicted on Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Marty, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with Intent Commit Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Gordon Primeaux, age 62, was indicted on October 7, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on October 14, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about August 22, 2020, Primeaux unlawfully assaulted a male victim, by repeatedly stabbing him in the chest with a knife.
The charges are merely accusations and Primeaux is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
Primeaux was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Lawrence Man Charged with Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was arrested Wednesday and charged in federal court in Boston yesterday on cocaine distribution charges.
Anthony Rafael Corcino, 32, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, as well as with attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Corcino was detained following a hearing this afternoon.
On or about May 19, 2020, Corcino allegedly sought to obtain a parcel shipped to a business in Wilmington, which was subsequently found to contain 23 kilograms of cocaine. After initially failing to obtain the drugs, Corcino had multiple communications with an undercover federal agent in which he attempted to obtain the parcel. According to court documents, the value of 23 kilograms of cocaine is well over $500,000.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10,000,000. The charge of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10,000,000. 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Wilmington Police Chief Joseph Desmond made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Awards over $54 Million to Support Wellness and Safety of Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs today announced it has awarded funding totaling over $54 million to provide services that protect officers and improve overall public safety. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded grants to law enforcement departments, local jurisdictions, and training and technical assistance organizations throughout the United States.
The FBI’s official crime data for 2019, the most recent available, reflects a decrease in the number of law enforcement officers killed feloniously between 2018 and 2019, from 43 to 32 killed as of September 30, 2019. The number of law enforcement officers reported accidentally killed in 2019 decreased slightly from 33 to 29 in the same reporting period. Additionally, officers experienced nearly 59,000 assaults in 2018.
“The Office of Justice Programs stands proudly with the Attorney General and the President in our commitment to the health and safety of 700,000 sworn law enforcement professionals who selflessly place their lives in jeopardy to keep us all safe,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Bulletproof vests, body-worn cameras, professional training on wellness and safety—these resources, equipment and strategies will help officers do their jobs effectively, keep them safe from harm and protect their health.”
More than $19 million will support the training and implementation of law enforcement agencies’ body-worn camera programs. Almost $24 million will reimburse jurisdictions for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor vests, while more than $11 million will support law enforcement safety and wellness programs, research and services.
A full list of the awards, organized under specific grant programs and listing awardees by state, is available here.
Additional information about Fiscal Year 2020 grant awards made by the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Jamestown Man Going to Prison for 12 1/2 Years for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Matthew Bailer, 35, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of receipt and possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 150 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who handled the case, stated that on July 11, 2018, the Jamestown Police Department received a complaint from a parent that her minor children, Victim 1 and Victim 2, may have been sexually abused by the defendant. The parent stated that she was told by the defendant’s sister that a series of concerning pictures, sexual in nature, were sent on a Nokia cellular telephone that was used by the defendant.
Bailer was subsequently arrested on a warrant out of Missouri related to a burglary case. During a search of the Nokia cellular telephone, investigators recovered several hundred images of images of child pornography involving sexually explicit conduct by prepubescent and pubescent children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Timothy Jackson.
# # # #
Illegal firearms possession sends man to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A man who admitted illegally possessing five firearms that had been stolen during a burglary of a Livingston business was sentenced today to four years in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
John Francis McDermott, 41, a transient, pleaded guilty in February to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that on Sept. 14, 2017, Livingston Police officers responded to a burglary at Yellowstone Gifts and Sports, a federal firearms licensee, where a display case had been broken and five firearms, ammunition, a sleeping bag and a soda were missing. Surveillance video showed the burglary as well as the robber in the store from earlier that day in the same clothing. Store employees remembered the robber from that day and said he had a leaf tattoo under his left eye.
Law enforcement officers arrested McDermott eight days later. McDermott was wearing the same hoodie as in the surveillance video. Officers executed a search warrant for a backpack and black plastic garbage bag near where McDermott had been standing when arrested. Officers recovered all five of the firearms that had been stolen, the sleeping bag and some of the ammunition.
McDermott was prohibited from possessing firearms because of previous felony convictions in Oregon and Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
XXX
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentering United States Again, After Having Been Deported Seven Times BeforeRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Wilson Orlando Hercules, 33, an illegal alien from Honduras, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to Unlawful Reentry by an Alien Removed After Conviction of a Felony, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Diane Witte, Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement & Removal Operations in New Orleans.
Hercules is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 15, 2021. He faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, in addition to 3 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
On February 22, 2020, Bay St. Louis Police stopped Hercules' vehicle after a citizen complaint regarding narcotics. Hercules, who was driving a van, was charged with simple possession of a state misdemeanor amount of crack cocaine and a paraphernalia pipe. He later was arrested by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), who positively identified Hercules through DHS computerized record checks (including fingerprints and photographs) at the Gulfport ICE Office.
In 2019, Hercules was previously convicted of the federal felony of Unlawful Reentry Into the United States by an Alien After Removal. Hercules had been sentenced in 2019 to time-served plus one year of supervised release and was surrendered to ICE for removal from the United States. Thereafter, he was removed by ICE to his home nation of Honduras.
Hercules has been lawfully removed from the U.S. to Honduras on seven occasions starting in 2011, and this is his eighth illegal reentry after removal. Until his earlier prosecution in Mississippi, Hercules had never been prosecuted for Unlawful Reentry After Removal.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations; the City of Bay St. Louis Police Department; and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Hudson County Man Arraigned on Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey man was arraigned today after being indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple narcotics and weapons offenses, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Hector Gonzalez, 68, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was indicted on Oct. 5, 2020, on one count of possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine; one count of being a prior felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Gonzalez had been charged by criminal complaint on Oct. 24, 2019. He appeared for his arraignment by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer and pleaded not guilty.
According to documents filed in this case:
On June 22, 2019, members of the Jersey City Police Department executed a search warrant at Gonzalez’s apartment and discovered three firearms, ammunition, 148 glassine folds of heroin, cocaine, and over $1,300.
The narcotics charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The felon-in-possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited members of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; and special agents and task force officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hancock County Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Joshua Rain Collins, 29, of Hancock County, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Theilhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Judge Ozerden will sentence Collins on January 15, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. He faces a minimum of 5 years in prison on the charge. He further faces fines up to $250,000 and 5 years of supervised release.
On September 26, 2019, Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputies received information that Collins and a female were in possession of narcotics and a firearm at a hotel on Hwy 49 in Gulfport. They found Collins with a backpack containing approximately 17 grams of methamphetamine and a Smith & Wesson handgun. Collins admitted the handgun was protection. DEA lab reports document the methamphetamine had a purity level of 99% for 16.58 grams of pure methamphetamine.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Hammond Man ChargedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Murray Ford, age 57, of Hammond, Indiana was charged in a criminal Complaint with credit union robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in this case, on October 13, 2020, it is alleged that Ford entered Teacher’s Credit Union in Hammond, Indiana, wearing sunglasses and a mask. It is alleged that he displayed a firearm and demanded money, and employees handed over in excess of $14,000. Ford left on foot to a strip mall parking lot where his vehicle was parked. On October 14, 2020, agents subsequently executed a search warrant on Ford’s apartment and located approximately $14,000 in cash, some of which was stolen credit union funds, along with sunglasses consistent in appearance with the robber’s, and a silver revolver.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the Judge after a consideration of federal statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry into United States and Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mario Ipsolino Pineda-Boteo, age 35, and a citizen of Guatemala, pled guilty today to illegally re-entering the United States and escaping the custody of United States officers.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Pineda-Boteo admitted that he is a citizen of Guatemala, and that he was removed from the United States to Guatemala on September 9, 2010. On August 21, 2020, he was found by an ICE Officer near Greenfield, New York, in Saratoga County. A check of fingerprint records verified the prior removal.
Pineda-Boteo also admitted as part of his guilty plea that, following his lawful arrest and being placed in handcuffs on August 21, he fled the custody of the ICE Officers by running into a nearby wooded area in Greenfield, where he hid for less than an hour until he was arrested by law enforcement.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 19, 2021 before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Pineda-Boteo faces a potential maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping.
Grovetown man sentenced to federal prison for possession of pipe bombRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Grovetown convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a pipe bomb.
James Richard Grates II, 36, was sentenced to 84 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, a pipe bomb, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Grates must serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“James Grates has repeatedly demonstrated a breathtaking indifference to other people’s life and safety, including that of his own family,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “At least a term of imprisonment will protect others from his illegal behavior.”
As described in court documents and testimony, in April 2019, personnel from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were called to Grates’ Grovetown mobile home after being alerted about possible unsafe conditions in the residence. Investigators searched the property and seized homemade explosives made from pipe and black powder and additional materials for constructing pipe bombs, along with a shotgun and two rifles, drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Possession of homemade explosive devices is illegal. In addition, as a previously convicted felon, Grates is prohibited from possessing firearms. Grates faces additional state charges related to the case.
“ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with our local law enforcement partners to pursue federal violations of explosives and firearms laws in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF.
The case was investigated by the ATF, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV.
Four More Charged for Involvement in Staged Automobile Accident Scheme Resulting in $4.7 Million SettlementRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today the Indictment of ANTHONY ROBINSON (“A. ROBINSON”), age 66; AUDREY HARRIS (“HARRIS”), age 53; JERRY SCHAFFER (“SCHAFFER”), age 65; and KEISHIRA ROBINSON (“K. ROBINSON”), age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana. These four defendants were charged in a three-count federal indictment with one (1) count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and two (2) counts of Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five (5) years for Count 1 and twenty (20) years as to Counts 2-3. Upon their release from prison, each defendant can be placed on a term of supervised release for up to five (5) years and fined up to $250,000.00 per count. Today’s Indictment brings the total of defendants charged in this federal probe into the staging of accidents with tractor-trailers to 32.
Today’s Indictment charges these defendants and others with intentionally staging an automobile accident with a tractor-trailer in order to defraud trucking and insurance companies through fraud. According to today’s Indictment, Co-Conspirator A, HARRIS, SCHAFFER, and K. ROBINSON intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer on October 13, 2015, in the area of Alvar Street and France Road in New Orleans. The Indictment alleges that Co-Conspirator A intentionally struck the 18 wheeler and then was picked up from the collision site by Damian Labeaud (“Labeaud”), who pled guilty to a previous indictment charging him and seven others with staging automobile accidents. A. ROBINSON, who had been in Labeaud’s vehicle, then got behind the wheel of his own vehicle to make it appear that he had been driving at the time of the staged accident.
As discussed in the Indictment, the passengers were referred to an attorney who paid Labeaud and Co-Conspirator A to stage accidents. All of the defendants were treated by doctors and healthcare providers at the direction of their attorneys, and A. ROBINSON, HARRIS, and SCHAFFER underwent surgeries. In total, the victim trucking and insurance company paid out approximately $4.7 million for the fraudulent claims associated with this staged accident.
The defendants will be required to appear, at a later date, before a United States Magistrate Judge for an initial appearance and arraignment on this indictment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh, Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera.
* * *
Former Stockbroker Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Elderly Victims Through the Sale of Worthless StockRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that VLADIMIR ZISKIND was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 28 months in prison for participating in a scheme to use false statements to promote and sell worthless stock in various companies. ZISKIND pled guilty on October 9, 2019, to one count of securities fraud and one count of securities fraud conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who also imposed today’s sentence.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Vladimir Ziskind heartlessly preyed on innocent investors – many of them elderly – who believed they were investing in a promising IPO or other time-sensitive lucrative investment, when in fact they were being fleeced by Ziskind and his co-conspirators. As this prosecution and today’s sentence reflect, this kind of predatory fraud will not be tolerated.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, the Indictment, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:[1]
For several years, ZISKIND and his co-defendants operated a fraudulent scheme in which a salesman named “Mike Palmer” would call elderly persons on the phone and offer them what he claimed was a time-sensitive opportunity to buy stock in certain companies. In fact, there was no “Mike Palmer,” and the salesman was actually ZISKIND or co-defendant Kevin Weinzoff, who were taking turns using the fake alias. The purported time-sensitive investment opportunity was also fabricated by the defendants, as the companies in which they solicited investments were actually companies under their control. In one intercepted phone call conversation, ZISKIND described to co-defendant Keith Orlean, the chief executive officer of the company, his strategy for a successful investor sales pitch as: “You ram it down their fucking throat.” In another intercepted call between ZISKIND and Orlean, upon learning that a particular victim investor died, ZISKIND remarked: “I knew I should have pulled the last $10,000 out of him.”
The most recent version of the defendants’ phony sales pitch included false representations about an impending initial public offering, or “IPO,” for their company, Digital Donations Technologies, Inc. For example, in April 2018, ZISKIND assured a victim investor that “our company is doing great,” that the company had an offer for an IPO valued at approximately $300 million, and that Orlean was considering a private sale of the company for more than $1.5 billion. In truth, however, the defendants knew that the company had little or no actual commercial value and that no such IPO or sale was taking place.
The FBI estimates that since April 2014, the defendants have convinced more than approximately 50 elderly persons to purchase stock in companies controlled by one or more of the defendants based on false representations. During the scheme, the defendants solicited more than $2 million in stock purchases from victims.
In addition to a prison term, ZISKIND, 52, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $732, 018.
Keith Orlean was previously sentenced to a prison term of 32 months. Kevin Weinzoff, who previously pled guilty, awaits sentencing.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Boone and Andrew Thomas are in charge of the case.
[1] As for the defendants who have pled not guilty, the description of the charges set forth herein constitute only allegations.
Former Maryland Police Officer Who Fled After Sentencing Arrested in IndianaRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – James Piccirilli, age 39, of Mt. Airy, Maryland, was arrested on October 13, 2020, in New Salisbury, Indiana. Piccirilli was sentenced on January 13, 2020, by U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker, sitting by designation in Baltimore, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered fully automatic firearm. Piccirilli fled after sentencing and did not meet his prison reporting date. He was located and arrested by law enforcement including federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore and Louisville Field Divisions, U.S. Deputy Marshals from Indiana, and officers from the Southeast Indiana Regional SWAT Team.
The arrest was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes.
On October 13, 2020, Piccirilli was arrested with his girlfriend, Kellie Warfield, age 29, of Mt. Airy, on criminal complaints charging Piccirilli with failing to surrender for service of sentence and Warfield with aiding and abetting. They both had initial appearances in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on October 14, 2020, and were ordered to be detained and transported to Maryland.
The National Firearms Act regulates certain firearms, known as “NFA firearms,” such as short-barreled rifles; fully automatic firearms; firearms that can be readily made fully automatic; and parts that can make a firearm fully automatic. Individuals may not possess an NFA firearm that is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), nor can a person sell or transfer an NFA firearm without the prior approval of the ATF.
According to his guilty plea, on October 5, 2018, Piccirilli took an MKE 5.56mm caliber firearm, which had been altered to convert it into a fully automatic short-barreled rifle, bringing the firearm under the regulation of the NFA, to the home of another individual, who was a licensed gun dealer in Maryland. Piccirilli, formerly a police officer in Brunswick, Maryland, legally owned non-NFA firearms and had the skill and expertise to convert non-NFA firearms into NFA firearms. Piccirilli admitted that the firearm belonged to him, but it was not registered to him, in violation of the NFA.
According to information presented to the Court, Piccirilli tried to launder the unregistered firearm by attempting to have the gun dealer register the illegal firearm and/or sell it, so that the sale of the gun would appear to be legal. In December 2018, Piccirilli attempted to sell the firearm to an ATF undercover agent without ATF’s prior approval and in text messages and recorded calls tried to conceal the nature of the transaction. On December 14, 2018, as Piccirilli left his house to complete the transaction, he was apprehended by ATF agents. Investigators executed search warrants on his house and two vehicles, seizing 10 unregistered fully automatic firearms, one unregistered short-barreled rifle, and seven unregistered silencers.
Piccirilli pled guilty to possession of an unregistered NFA weapon and was sentenced on January 13, 2020, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to remain on home monitoring and report to Bureau of Prisons custody by March 16, 2020. Instead, Piccirilli disabled his ankle bracelet and fled from Maryland with Warfield on January 24, 2020. ATF Baltimore Special Agents, assisted by U.S. Deputy Marshals from Baltimore, conducted an investigation to locate the couple, tracking multiple potential areas of the country and ultimately developing information that Piccirilli and Warfield were residing and working in the Harrison County area of Indiana. Search and arrest warrants were executed on October 13, 2020, in New Salisbury, Indiana, where the defendants were taken into custody, and in Ramsey, Indiana, where the couple was residing. ATF Special Agents executing the search warrants recovered ammunition and multiple firearms.
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.
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; 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/projectguardian.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF in Baltimore and Louisville, and the U.S. Marshals Service, for their work in locating and arresting Piccirilli and Warfield, and thanked the Southeast Indiana Regional SWAT Team, the Indiana State Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon Moore, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Former Correctional Officer at Jessup Correctional Institution Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Former Correctional Dietary Officer Chanel Pierce, age 27, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal racketeering conspiracy in connection with her work at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI). The conspiracy included former correctional officers, inmates, and outside “facilitators,” for paying bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Robert Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
“Corrupt correctional officers endanger the lives of their co-workers and of the inmates entrusted to their care and supervision,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “They also endanger the entire community, as prisoners can use contraband cell phones to direct criminal activity outside prison walls. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out prison corruption and prosecute correctional officers who abuse their positions of trust to facilitate and engage in criminal behavior.”
“The public expects its correctional officers to guard the wall that divides those who are in prison from the community. Chanel Pierce violated that trust and allowed a free flow of criminal activity in and out of the prison,” said Jennifer Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI. “Today’s guilty plea shows that no one in a position of public trust who carries out a criminal conspiracy is beyond the reach of the dedicated agents, officers and detectives from our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
JCI was a maximum-security prison that housed approximately 1,800 male inmates, with approximately 423 Correctional Officers (COs).
According to her plea agreement, from at least 2017 until her arrest earlier this year, Pierce conspired with other COs, inmates, and outside facilitators to smuggle contraband into JCI, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones, in order to enrich themselves and protect and expand their criminal operation. According to the plea agreement and other court documents, COs accepted or agreed to accept payments from facilitators and/or inmates or engaged in sexual relations with inmates as consideration for smuggling contraband into JCI. Inmates acted as both wholesalers and retailers of contraband and in the process made profits that far exceeded the profits that could be made by selling similar drugs on the street. For example, conspirator inmates could purchase Suboxone strips for approximately $3 each and sell them inside JCI for approximately $50 each, or for a profit of more than 1,000 percent.
As detailed in her plea agreement, Pierce conspired with inmates and outside facilitators to smuggle contraband, including controlled dangerous substances, such as Suboxone, into JCI and then distribute the contraband to inmates. Pierce met with outside facilitators at her residence and elsewhere to obtain contraband for smuggling. Pierce would then conceal the contraband on her person, smuggle it into JCI and distribute it to JCI inmates. Pierce admitted that she did this regularly while employed at the facility.
In exchange for smuggling the contraband, Pierce received thousands of dollars in bribe payments, which were sent to her by co-conspirators on behalf of JCI inmates. The memo line of the payments would often include the name or nickname of the inmate on whose behalf the bribe was made. For example, on April 12, 2019, Pierce received a $500 bribe payment from a co-conspirator along with the message “for Boosie,” who was JCI inmate Marshall Hill. Pierce transferred most of the bribe payments to her personal bank accounts and used the funds for her own benefit.
Early on the morning of May 25, 2019, Pierce met with a co-defendant outside facilitator at her home and obtained several balloons filled with controlled substances to smuggle into JCI. Pierce then went to work and was stopped by law enforcement as she entered the facility and searched. Law enforcement recovered a concealed purple balloon from Pierce’s person containing Suboxone. A subsequent search of Pierce’s home revealed several more balloons filled with contraband that she intended to smuggle into JCI.
Pierce faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for January 8, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
Co-defendant inmates Page Boyd, age 35, and Marshall Hill, a/k/a “Boosie,” age 28, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on November 23, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. and December 2, 2020 at 2:30 p.m., respectively. Co-defendant facilitator Trinesse Butts, age 36, of Parkville, Maryland has also pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 23, 2020, at 10:30 a.m.
The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, whose staff initiated the JCI investigation and have been full partners in this investigation. United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Burden H. Walker and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
# # #
Former Aurora Business Owner Sentenced for $30 Million Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Aurora, Missouri, business owner was sentenced in federal court today for a series of fraud schemes totaling more than $30 million.
“This white-collar thief maintained his lavish lifestyle by stealing millions of dollars from his clients, partners, and lenders to build expensive homes, buy luxurious cars, and take numerous vacations,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “This theft occurred not once or twice, but repeatedly over several years through a series of fraud schemes. Even after being indicted, while free on bond awaiting trial, he brazenly continued to engage in criminal fraud. Today he is being held accountable for the extensive financial damage his greed wreaked upon his victims.”
Russell Grundy, 51, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, formerly of Aurora, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to eight years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Grundy to pay $14,847,451 in restitution to his victims.
“The elaborate multi-million dollar fraud schemes and false information provided on numerous documents by Mr. Grundy resulted in significant harm to his business partner, a significant client and multiple financial institutions, all of which violate the public trust,” said Adam Steiner, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the government’s determination to restore and ensure that trust. Moreover, IRS Criminal Investigation, along with law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals like Mr. Grundy.”
On Jan. 30, 2020, Grundy pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of making a false statement on a loan application, and one count of money laundering. According to court documents, Grundy’s multiple schemes to defraud financial institutions, a Native American Tribe, and his former clients, potentially totaled more than $30 million and resulted in nearly $15 million in actual losses.
Grundy was the owner of several companies that focused on advanced technologies, ranging from software development to computer security to addressing the software and hardware technological needs of its clientele. Grundy’s companies included Innovative Objects, LLC, PILR Technology, LLC, Choice Technologies, LLC, Wyerless, LLC, and Audio Input, LLC.
Land O’Lakes/Nutra Blend Fraud Scheme
Grundy (through his company Innovative Objects) was contracted by Land O’Lakes, Inc., and its subsidiary, Nutra Blend, LLC, from January 2004 to Sept. 27, 2015, to create propriety software to inventory, track, and coordinate the shipping of products. Grundy also contracted with Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend to provide equipment and technical support for the use, upkeep, and maintenance of the software.
Grundy falsely told Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend that third party software programs were built into that proprietary software and were essential to the successful operation of the software. Grundy claimed that some of the payments made to Innovative Objects were remitted to third party license holders. In reality, there were no third party licensee fees; instead, Grundy kept those payments for his personal or unrelated expenses.
Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend paid more than $1.8 million in fraudulent license fees between 2012 and 2015.
Miami Nations Enterprise Fraud Scheme
Grundy engaged Miami Nations Enterprise, a subsidiary company of the Miami Nations Tribe, in negotiations to provide loans and to purchase a controlling interest in all of Grundy’s technology-based companies.
Grundy falsely told Miami Nations Enterprise that his companies had been awarded a $3.5 million contract from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., to develop and provide information technology services. Grundy presented numerous e-mails, invoices, conditional award letters, and other documents to support his false claims. Miami Nations Enterprise loaned Grundy the money to cover the costs associated with software and hardware purchases and training necessary to obtain the $3.5 million Wal-Mart contract. Grundy admitted today that he instead used those funds for his own personal expenses, including building a new home in Charleston, South Carolina.
On Aug. 24, 2014, Miami Nations Enterprise paid an additional $2 million to purchase a 70 percent interest in Grundy’s companies.
Officials with Miami Nations Enterprise later discovered that neither Grundy nor any of his companies had been awarded any contract with Wal-Mart, and determined that the e-mails, conditional contract award, invoices, and bank deposits Grundy had used to support his claims were fraudulently created. Miami Nations Enterprise officials advised that had they been aware of Grundy’s misrepresentations, they would never have purchased any portion of Grundy’s companies or leant him millions of dollars as requested to meet the specifications for an information security program that never existed. Based on records from the financial institution, as well as the numerous misrepresentations made by the defendant, Miami Nations Enterprise transferred a total of $8,010,000 to Grundy.
False Information on Loan Application
Grundy applied for three loans from UMB Bank on Oct. 17, 2014. Grundy specifically admitted that he fraudulently obtained a $5,440,800 loan by providing false information in the loan application. Grundy also submitted a “Change in Terms Agreement” that effectively allowed him to refinance an existing loan based on the information he provided to the bank. The total amount of the loans and “change in terms agreement” fraudulently obtained by Grundy was more than $12 million. After the sale of the seized land and warehouses built with the fraudulently obtained loans, UMB officials have reported a remaining final loss of $4,214,126 after the sale of those assets.
Grundy falsely claimed that Land O’Lakes had agreed to a 20-year lease for warehouse space that he wanted to build using the loans he sought from the bank. Based on lease agreements provided to UMB Bank officials, Grundy claimed he would receive $18 million in future income.
Grundy admitted that he grossly exaggerated the amount of money to be paid by Land O’Lakes in order to obtain the loans from UMB. Rather than one lease agreement between Grundy and Land O’Lakes to rent the warehouses, there were two lease agreements. One lease agreement was for three years at an amount far less than claimed by Grundy. The second lease agreement was a “month-to-month” lease agreement at an even smaller amount. In reality, the true and accurate leases signed and approved by Land O’Lakes only guaranteed Grundy $540,000 in income.
Additional Financial Frauds
After being indicted by a federal grand jury, Grundy was granted bond over the objections of the government. During his pretrial release, according to court documents, Grundy committed two additional known financial frauds.
Grundy contracted with an individual for the creation of a mobile app, for which he was paid $13,230 up front. The app was never completed but Grundy refused the victim’s request for a refund. As a result of this incident, the government moved to have his bond revoked. The court chose not to revoke his bond but did specifically state that Grundy defrauded the victim.
A few months later, Grundy again made false statements on loan documents to Palmetto State Bank in South Carolina in an attempt to fraudulently obtain yet another loan. Grundy vastly overstated his assets and income in order to obtain a loan. But for the diligent efforts of bank officials, Grundy’s fraud and false documents would have resulted in losses that would have amounted to $75,000. Grundy surrendered his bond and was taken into federal custody.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Carney and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FDIC-Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General.
Five Laplace Residents Charged with Firearm and Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today that a federal grand jury returned a nine (9) count Indictment on September 4, 2020 against ELLIS BATISTE, SR. (BATISTE), age 48, TRACY MORGAN (MORGAN), age 50, ELI JUAN MOORE (MOORE), age 25, OCTAVIUS NARCISSE (NARCISSE), age 53, and RICHARD GRAY (GRAY), age 60. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the Indictment remained sealed until today. The Indictment charged the defendants with violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts.
The Indictment charged the defendants with the following federal offenses:
Count 1: Violation: Conspiracy to Dist. and PWITD 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine Hydrochloride; Conspiracy to Dist. and PWITD 400 grams or more of Fentanyl, a quantity of heroin, a quantity of cocaine base, a quantity of methamphetamine, 21 U.S.C. § 846; 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(C)
Statutory Penalties: minimum of ten (10) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, at least five (5) years supervised release (fentanyl and cocaine hydrochloride); up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years supervised release (heroin, cocaine base, methamphetamine)
Defendants: BATISTE, MORGAN, MOORE, NARCISSE, and GRAY
Count 2: Violation: Distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and methamphetamine, 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)
Statutory Penalties: up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years supervised release
Defendant: BATISTE
Count 3: Violation: Distribution of a quantity of cocaine base, 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)
Statutory Penalties: up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years supervised release
Defendant: BATISTE
Count 4: Violation: Distribution of a quantity of cocaine base, 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)
Statutory Penalties: up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years supervised release
Defendant: BATISTE
Count 5: Violation: Distribution of a quantity of heroin, 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)
Statutory Penalties: up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years supervised release
Defendant: MOORE
Count 6: Violation: Use of Communication Facility, 21 U.S.C. § 843(b), 18 U.S.C. § 2
Statutory Penalties: up to four (4) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 1 year supervise release
Defendants: BATISTE, GRAY
Count 7: Violation: Felon in Possession of a firearm, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
Statutory Penalties: up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years supervised release
Defendant: MOORE
Count 8: Violation: Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl , 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A) and Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of Cocaine Hydrochloride, 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B) and 18 U.S.C. § 2
Statutory Penalties: minimum ten (10) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, at least five (5) years supervised release (fentanyl); minimum five (5) years up to a maximum of forty (40) years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least four (4) years supervised release (cocaine hydrochloride)
Defendants: BATISTE, NARCISSE
Count 9: Violation: Use of Communication Facility, 21 U.S.C. § 843(b), 18 U.S.C. § 2
Statutory Penalties: up to four (4) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 1 year supervised release
Defendants: BATISTE, NARCISSE
The individuals listed above participated in a poly-drug distribution network that operated in and around Laplace, Louisiana. Thus far, law enforcement officials have confiscated over fourteen (14) kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and one (1) kilogram of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Strasser reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Members of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Saint John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans is prosecuting the matter.
Felons Appear in Federal Court for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that two felons appeared in federal court this week for gun crimes.
Patrick Napier, 48, of Logan, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a gun. Napier previously admitted that in July 2017 he possessed a Hi-Point, Model 4095, .40 caliber rifle. At that time, Napier was serving a federal term of supervised release. A probation officer found the gun in Napier’s room when visiting his residence as part of his supervised release. Napier has a prior felony drug conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, which prohibits him from possessing firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur handled the prosecution.
Lenville Jason Porter, 36, of Lincoln County, pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2021, where he faces up to 10 years of federal incarceration, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. In his plea hearing, Porter admitted that on October 18, 2018, he was removing engine parts from a car when he was seen by Lt. Napier of the West Hamlin Police Department. Suspicious that he was observing Porter commit theft, Lt. Napier investigated and asked if he could pat Porter down for officer safety. Prior to the pat down search, Porter admitted he had a gun. Lt. Napier physically recovered a Phoenix Arms .22 pistol from the defendant’s pocket. The gun was loaded and capable of shooting. A records check revealed that Porter was convicted in 2013 of two prior felony offenses in Lincoln County: third degree arson and destruction of a public utility. Porter had neither been pardoned nor had his civil right to possess a firearm restored. Additional records checks of the firearm by the ATF confirmed the gun had traveled in interstate commerce. The ATF also confirmed the functionality of the firearm. Stuart commended the investigative work of the West Hamlin Police Department, notably Lt. J. J. Napier, the Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the ATF, who assisted the West Hamlin Police Department with the trace and testing of the firearm. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.
These cases are 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. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the Project Guardian partners referenced above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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 Nos. 2:20-cr-00065 (Napier) and 2:20-cr-00120 (Porter).
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Federal Judge Sentences Five Methamphetamine TraffickersRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Thursday, October 15, 2020, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell handed down prison sentences ranging from 63 to 200 months in prison, to five individuals for their involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking ring, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Judge Bell sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Jeremy Matthew Magnus, 45, of Granite Falls, N.C. was sentenced to 200 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Magnus pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- John Brooks Miller, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Angela Dale, 33, of Morganton, N.C., was sentenced to 97 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Dale pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Bradley Scott Carroll, 37, of Hildebran, N.C., was sentenced to 78 months in prison and four years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- David William Pope, 66, of Connelly Springs, N.C., was sentenced to 63 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Pope pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearings, from early 2019 to February 2020, Magnus and his co-conspirators trafficked crystal methamphetamine in Caldwell, Catawba and Burke Counties. Magnus was the drug conspiracy’s leader and a supplier of crystal methamphetamine to local drug networks. Court records show that Magnus and Dale frequently transported methamphetamine from Georgia to the Hickory area. Court records show that the defendants trafficked more than 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Over the course of this part of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation “Dixie Crystal.” Since 2015, Operation Dixie Crystal has resulted in the prosecution of more than 200 individuals, and law enforcement have seized over 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, more than $500,000 in U.S. currency and other assets, and dozens of firearms.
OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray recognized the following federal, state and local agencies which partnered in Operation Dixie Crystal, and thanked them for their continued cooperation and support: the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI); the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office; the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office; the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; the Hickory Police Department; the Jefferson Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; and the Mooresville Police Department.
The prosecutions are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
Federal Grand Jury in San Antonio Indicts Two in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, federal authorities arrested a former employee of medical services provider Kindred Home Health (KHH) for her role in prescription fraud and home health kickback schemes, announced U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, and Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office.
An eleven-count indictment unsealed today, charges 37-year-old former KHH employee Amber Price and 46-year-old Christopher Cruz, owner of a medical marketing business, CP Cruz Management Group, LLC (Cruz), with one count of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback law. Price is also charged with four counts of soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to commit Health Care Fraud; and, five counts of Health Care Fraud and aiding and abetting Health Care Fraud.
According to the indictment, from June 2014 to April 2019, Price created fraudulent prescriptions which were submitted for payment to federal health care benefit programs including Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP, TRICARE and other private insurance companies. The indictment also alleges that Price and Cruz solicited and received monies from various pharmacies and laboratories to increase their volume of signed prescriptions, lab analysis and other billable procedures. Price used actual hospital patient information she obtained to create fraudulent prescription forms. To facilitate her scheme, she allegedly forged physician’s signatures on prescription forms or used pre-signed or photo copied prescription forms. Price and Cruz accepted financial kickbacks paid by pharmacies on a per-prescription basis once they received payment from the insurance companies. During the scheme, Price was paid over $250,000 in kickbacks by multiple different marketers.
Charges of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback law and soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks call for up to five years in federal prison upon conviction. Charges related to Health Care Fraud call for up to ten years in federal prison upon conviction.
This indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by FBI special agents together with investigators from the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Department of Defense OIG - Defense Criminal Investigation Service, Health and Human Services OIG and the Office of Personnel Management OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
#####
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Executions Scheduled for Two Federal Inmates Convicted of Heinous MurdersRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions of two federal death-row inmates, both of whom were convicted of especially heinous murders at least 13 years ago.
- Lisa Montgomery fatally strangled a pregnant woman, Bobbie Jo Stinnett, cut open her body, and kidnapped her baby. In December 2004, as part of a premeditated murder-kidnap scheme, Montgomery drove from her home in Kansas to Stinnett’s home in Missouri, purportedly to purchase a puppy. Once inside the residence, Montgomery attacked and strangled Stinnett—who was eight months pregnant—until the victim lost consciousness. Using a kitchen knife, Montgomery then cut into Stinnett’s abdomen, causing her to regain consciousness. A struggle ensued, and Montgomery strangled Stinnett to death. Montgomery then removed the baby from Stinnett’s body, took the baby with her, and attempted to pass it off as her own. Montgomery subsequently confessed to murdering Stinnett and abducting her child. In October 2007, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri found Montgomery guilty of federal kidnapping resulting in death, and unanimously recommended a death sentence, which the court imposed. Her conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal, and her request for collateral relief was rejected by every court that considered it. Montgomery is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on December 8, 2020, at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute, Indiana.
- Brandon Bernard and his accomplices brutally murdered two youth ministers, Todd and Stacie Bagley, on a military reservation in 1999. After Todd Bagley agreed to give a ride to several of Bernard’s accomplices, they pointed a gun at him, forced him and Stacie into the trunk of their car, and drove the couple around for hours while attempting to steal their money and pawn Stacie’s wedding ring. While locked in the trunk, the couple spoke with their abductors about God and pleaded for their lives. The abductors eventually parked on the Fort Hood military reservation, where Bernard and another accomplice doused the car with lighter fluid as the couple, still locked in the trunk, sang and prayed. After Stacie said, “Jesus loves you,” and “Jesus, take care of us,” one of the accomplices shot both Todd and Stacie in the head—killing Todd and knocking Stacie unconscious. Bernard then lit the car on fire, killing Stacie through smoke inhalation. In June 2000, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas found Bernard guilty of, among other offenses, two counts of murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and unanimously recommended a death sentence. His conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal, and his request for collateral relief was rejected by every court that considered it. Bernard is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on December 10, 2020, at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute, Indiana. One of his accomplices, Christopher Vialva, was executed for his role in the Bagleys’ murder on September 22, 2020.
Ex-con accused of helping destroy evidence and lying in investigation of murdered wife of Fort Stewart soldierRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A former federal inmate has been charged with helping destroy evidence of the murder of the wife of a Fort Stewart soldier, and then lying to investigators and grand jurors in the case.
Devin Ryan, 30, of Hardeeville, S.C., has been indicted by the U.S. District Court grand jury on charges of Obstruction of Justice, Use of Fire in Commission of a Federal Felony, and False Declarations Before a Grand Jury, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The combined charges carry a possible penalty of up to 75 years in federal prison, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The investigation into the 2018 murder of the wife of a deployed Fort Stewart soldier was lengthy, detailed and complex,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “It was made even more difficult because of active, illegal efforts to impede the investigators working non-stop to find her killer.”
Stafon Jamar Davis, 28, of Savannah, recently pled guilty to Premeditated Murder and to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in the July 9, 2018 shooting death of Abree Boykin, 24, a resident of post housing at Fort Stewart Army Reservation. The indictment in which Ryan is charged states that Ryan knew Davis from their time spent in federal prison on unrelated charges. At the time of Boykin’s death, both Ryan and Davis were on federally supervised release.
According to the indictment, after killing Boykin, Davis contacted Ryan for help in “getting rid of a car,” and Ryan provided directions to a location in Hardeeville, S.C., where he met Davis. As alleged in the indictment, Ryan “did corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede investigations and proceedings of the United States Probation Office and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia of violations of federal supervised release, which were official proceedings, and did attempt to do so, by burning, altering, mutilating and destroying a 2018 Honda Accord,” and then “provided materially false testimony that obstructed, influenced and impeded the investigation.”
Davis is in custody while awaiting sentencing.
“Any attempt to hinder a criminal investigation is a very serious matter,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case is particularly egregious because it was an attempt to cover up the murder of a deployed soldier’s wife. No matter how difficult it makes the investigation, we are determined to uncover it and prosecute it.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
East Longmeadow Man Indicted with Additional Count of False Statements to Federal AgentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against an East Longmeadow man who was previously charged with placing an incendiary device at the entrance of a Jewish-sponsored senior health care organization. The superseding indictment adds an additional charge of lying to federal agents.
John Rathbun, 36, has been charged in a superseding indictment with a third count of false statements to a federal agent. On June 23, 2020, Rathbun was previously indicted with one count of attempting to transport or receive explosive devices in interstate or foreign commerce with the knowledge or intent that the device will be used to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, and another count of attempting to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce.
It is alleged that on April 15, 2020, Rathbun falsely stated to a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he was not familiar with the location on Converse Street where the device was placed; he had not left his house in the past two weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic; and he only used the Internet to search for work, to use a dating application called Bumble and to view pornography.
The new false statement charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempting to transport or receive explosive devices in interstate or foreign commerce with the knowledge or intent that the device will be used to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempting to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Feld Division made the announcement yesterday. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force with valuable assistance also provided by the Longmeadow and East Longmeadow Police Departments and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dyersburg Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Anne Taylor Davis, 28, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in 2019, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers with the Dyersburg Police Department began an investigation into a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization in Dyersburg, and Eastern Arkansas.
During the investigation, Davis sold methamphetamine to an undercover operative, and was found in possession of ice methamphetamine. Evidence revealed Davis intended to distribute more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, which was 98% pure. Davis has an extensive criminal history, including multiple convictions for theft and drug charges. On October 9, 2020, Chief United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Davis to 151 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This sentence represents another great example of law enforcement working together to hold meth traffickers accountable. Criminal enterprises that distribute these harmful drugs into our rural communities can no longer hide. We are taking the fight to the drug trafficking organizations in order to dismantle them and remove them from our streets."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Dyersburg Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
District Election Officer on Duty for November 2020 ElectionsRead the Press Release
Harrisburg - United States Attorney David J. Freed announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Eric Pfisterer will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Eric Pfisterer has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Freed said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Freed stated that AUSA/DEO Eric Pfisterer will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 717-221-4482.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 215-418-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
United States Attorney Freed said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
# # #
Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Release Data on Incarcerated AliensRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security released the Alien Incarceration Report for Fiscal Year 2019. The data shows that 94 percent of confirmed aliens incarcerated in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and United States Marshals Service (USMS) facilities were unlawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the report found that nearly 70 percent of known or suspected aliens in BOP custody had been convicted of a non-immigration-related offense, and 39 percent of known or suspected aliens in USMS custody had committed a non-immigration-related offense.
In January 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, directing “the Secretary [of Homeland Security] and the Attorney General … to collect relevant data and provide quarterly reports on the following: (a) the immigration status of all aliens incarcerated under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; (b) the immigration status of all aliens incarcerated as Federal pretrial detainees under the supervision of the United States Marshals Service; and (c) the immigration status of all convicted aliens incarcerated in State prisons and local detention centers throughout the United States.”
At the end of FY 2019, a total of 51,074 known or suspected aliens were in Department of Justice custody, with 27,494 known or suspected aliens in BOP facilities and 23,580 known or suspected aliens in USMS facilities. Of those 51,074 known or suspected aliens, 27,266 individuals (53.4 percent) had been confirmed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be aliens who had orders of removal or who had agreed to depart voluntarily. 18,308 individuals (35.8 percent) were still under investigation by ICE to determine alienage, 3,691 individuals (7.2 percent) were illegal aliens who were under adjudication, and 936 individuals (1.8 percent) were legal aliens who were under adjudication. 873 individuals (1.7 percent) were aliens who had been granted relief or protection from removal.
By the end of FY 2019, the USMS had directly expended $162 million to house the 23,580 known or suspected aliens remanded to their custody in state, local, and private facilities. The average cost to house noncitizens in these facilities is $88.19 per prisoner, per day.
Information Regarding Immigration Status of Aliens Incarcerated Under the Supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
At the end of FY 2019, a total of 27,494 known or suspected aliens were in BOP custody. Of those individuals, approximately 72 percent had been confirmed to be illegal aliens.
- 16,970 individuals (61.7 percent) were unauthorized aliens and had orders of removal;
- 2,797 individuals (10.2 percent) were unlawfully present and in removal proceedings;
- 6,120 individuals (22.3 percent) were under investigation to determine alienage;
- 830 individuals (3 percent) were lawfully present and in removal proceedings; and
- 777 individuals (2.8 percent) were granted relief or protection from removal.
Of the 27,494 known or suspected aliens in BOP custody, 27,125 had been convicted of an offense (369 inmates were in pretrial status). Of those 27,125 individuals:
- 13,727 individuals (51 percent) had committed drug offenses;
- 8,403 individuals (approximately 31 percent) had committed immigration offenses;
- 1,380 individuals (5.1 percent) had committed fraud;
- 1,086 individuals (4 percent) had committed weapons offenses;
- 1,007 individuals (3.7 percent) had committed racketeering and continuing criminal enterprise offenses (including murder for hire);
- 553 individuals (2 percent) had committed sex offenses; and
- 969 individuals (3.6 percent) had committed offenses including kidnapping, murder, larceny, terrorism, escape, bribery and extortion, and rape.
Information Regarding the Immigration Status of Aliens Incarcerated as Federal Pretrial Detainees
At the end of FY 2019, a total of 63,725 individuals were in USMS custody. Of those 63,725 individuals, 23,580 individuals (37 percent) were known or suspected aliens. Of those 23,580 individuals:
- 10,296 individuals (43.7 percent) were unauthorized aliens and had orders of removal;
- 894 individuals (3.8 percent) were unlawfully present and in removal proceedings;
- 12,188 individuals (51.7 percent) were under investigation to determine alienage;
- 106 individuals (0.4 percent) were lawfully present and in removal proceedings; and
- 96 individuals (0.4 percent) were granted relief or protection from removal.
Of the 23,580 known or suspected aliens in USMS custody, 22,359 were being held for reasons other than being material witnesses. Of those 22,359 individuals:
- 13,662 individuals (61 percent) had committed immigration offenses;
- 4,833 individuals (21.6 percent) had committed drug offenses;
- 1,205 individuals (5.4 percent) had violated conditions of supervision;
- 1,037 individuals (4.6 percent) had committed property offenses;
- 457 individuals (2 percent) had committed violent offenses;
- 422 individuals (1.9 percent) had committed weapons offenses; and
- 743 individuals (3.3 percent) were in USMS custody due to a writ, hold, or transfer, or an unlisted offense.
Immigration Status of All Convicted Aliens Incarcerated in State Prisons and Local Detention Centers Throughout the United States
The departments continue to progress towards establishing data collection of the immigration status of convicted aliens incarcerated in state prisons and local detention centers through the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics.
BJS annually collects aggregate numbers of noncitizens in state and federal prisons through the National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) program. The most recent counts, released in April 2019, were from December 31, 2017. According to Prisoners in 2017, data from 45 states shows that an estimated 69,300 non-U.S. citizens were held in public and private state prison facilities at year-end 2017.
Department of Justice Recognizes October as Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Every year the Department of Justice observes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Commemorated in the United States since 1987, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month educates the public, recognizes and honors victims and survivors, and connects service providers across the country.
“Domestic violence is a crime that effects every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion or nationality,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “The heavy emotional toll that domestic violence takes on a person can last a lifetime. We are committed to using the tools available to ensure that offenders are held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office are working on several fronts to prevent domestic violence and bring those perpetrators to justice. One way is through the use of a federal statute that prohibits individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, from possessing firearms. The Department as a whole charged more than 500 cases last year. However, in some states such as Michigan, the federal and state definitions of domestic violence differ requiring complex legal analysis that varies based on location of the conviction. Even with limited prosecutorial authority in domestic violence cases, the federal government remains committed to working with all of its partners to end the scourge of domestic violence. One way is by violating individuals who are on federal supervised release when they are accused of domestic violence in the state.
Some examples of these cases are:
- Derrell Hayes, a convicted felon, was on federal supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm. While on supervised release, Hayes fled the state of Michigan and was found in Texas where he had been arrested for abusing the pregnant mother of his child. Hayes was convicted of domestic abuse in Texas. Following his conviction, he was subsequently sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutive to his Texas sentence for violating the terms of his supervised release.
- Mohammed Karkash was on federal supervised release after being convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. While on supervised release, two different women made domestic abuse claims against him. In both cases, the women were in intimate relationships with Karkash. In both cases, Karkash violated the “no contact” orders that were issued by the courts to protect the victims in the cases. Karkash admitted to physically assaulting his then-girlfriend and was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for the supervised release violation.
- Michael Browder, a convicted felon, was on supervised release after having served 72 months’ in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prior to his federal conviction, Browder had twelve state felony convictions for various crimes including: pistol whipping a man and assaulting his children’s mother. Twelve days following his release from federal custody in April 2019, his girlfriend flagged down a patrol car to report that Browder assaulted her. At his 2019 supervised release violation hearing, his girlfriend recanted her allegations and the court continued Browder’s supervision. In February 2020, Michigan State Police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting the on-going assault of a woman in a vehicle by her male passenger. When MSP located the car, they learned from witnesses that Browder had assaulted the same woman who recanted the 2019 allegations. After a hearing on the violation, Browder was sentenced to ten months in federal prison.
- David Byford, a convicted felon, was on supervised release after being sentenced to a 48-month term of imprisonment resulting from his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to his probation officer, on April 24, 2020, Byford assaulted his wife, pushing her to the floor in the bathroom. This incident arose out of an argument because Byford had gone to a liquor store. The government moved for Byford’s detention based on his history of abusing his wife as well as the fact that his pregnant wife had obtained a Personal Protection Order against him only a few days before the April 2020 incident. Byford was sentenced to twelve months in federal prison.
Another way the Department is addressing domestic violence is through grants. The Department’s Office on Violence Against Women and Office for Victims of Crime just last month awarded nearly $4.5 million in grant funding to groups in the Eastern District of Michigan to support efforts to curb domestic violence. The grants will provide resources to local legal aid providers, victim service providers, healthcare professionals as well as tribal victim services providers.
Domestic violence tears lives apart. It causes physical, emotional and psychological trauma not only on the victim, but also on children who witness the abuse. It creates fear and can destroy families.
For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Department of Justice Announces More Than $341 Million in Grants to Combat America’s Addiction CrisisRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced grant awards totaling more than $341 million to help fight America’s addiction crisis. Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan discussed this year's grant awards during a roundtable discussion of mental health and addiction issues led by Second Lady Karen Pence.
“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”
“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP's Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Katharine T. Sullivan. “It was a privilege to join the Second Lady in announcing these investments, which will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”
Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.
Funding is made available through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), components of OJP.
- More than $147 million under BJA’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Site-based Program will help prosecutors develop strategies to address violent crime caused by illegal opioid distribution and abuse.
- More than $57 million will fund BJA’s Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program, which helps states, state courts, local courts and federally recognized tribal governments implement and enhance the operations of adult drug courts and veteran treatment courts. BJA also awarded more than $12 million for related training and technical assistance.
- BJA awarded more than $28 million to fund the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which enhances the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health officials to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription data and other scheduled chemical products through a centralized database administered by an authorized agency.
- BJA awarded $28 million to support the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program, which helps states develop and implement residential substance abuse treatment programs within state and local correctional facilities, as well as detention facilities, in which inmates are incarcerated for a time sufficient to permit substance abuse treatment.
- BJA awarded $2.6 million to fund the National Community Courts Site-based and Training and Technical Assistance Initiative, which helps community court grantees and practitioners develop effective responses to low-level and non-violent offenses.
- OJJDP awarded over $19 million across 21 jurisdictions under its Family Drug Court Program to build the capacity of state and local courts, units of local government and federally recognized tribal governments to enhance existing family drug courts or implement statewide or countywide family drug court practices. The program aims to increase collaboration with substance abuse treatment and child welfare systems to ensure the provision of treatment and other services for families that improve child, parent and family outcomes.
- More than $5 million will support OJJDP’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program, designed to help jurisdictions that want to establish or enhance a juvenile drug treatment court and to improve court system operations and treatment services.
- OJJDP awarded $14 million under two categories of its Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative to address opioid and other substance abuse.
- Just over $4 million was awarded to support youth mentoring organizations that have a partnership with a public or private substance abuse treatment agency to provide mentoring services for youth impacted by unlawful or addictive opioid use.
- Nearly $10 million was awarded to build mentoring program capacity in targeted regions throughout the country to support statewide or regional approaches to expanding mentoring services for youth impacted by opioids.
- Nearly $9 million will fund OJJDP’s Opioid Affected Youth Initiative, which will support states, communities, tribes and nonprofits implementing programs and strategies that identify, respond to, treat and support children, youth and families impacted by the opioid epidemic.
- Another $1 million will fund specialized training to serve families impacted by opioids as part of a larger award under OJJDP’s Child Abuse Training for Judicial and Court Personnel
- OVC will fund more than $12 million under the Enhancing Community Responses to America’s Drug Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims Program to support direct services to children and youth who are crime victims as a result of the nation's addiction crisis; and nearly $1.5 million to one organization to support training and technical assistance for the direct services grantees.
- NIJ will fund nearly $1.5 million on Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime, which will support rigorous applied research on evidence-based tools, protocols and policy efforts that will address drug traffickers, markets and related violence. It will also fund over $2.3 million for other related research.
A full list of the awards, organized under specific grant programs and listing awardees by state, is available here.
Additional information about FY 2020 grant awards from the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Award Data Page.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Shawn Everett Daley, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Daly distributed and received computer movies depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. An examination of Daly’s digital devices and cloud storage accounts revealed the presence of thousands of movies depicting young children being sexually abused. Daly has a prior conviction in Pennsylvania for the indecent assault of two minor females. Daly’s plea agreement contains a binding sentencing provision whereby the parties agreed to a sentence of 24 years in jail to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
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 (CEOS), 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.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for February 5, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 80 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Daly.
DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in Fiscal Year 2020Read the Press Release
BOISE – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, sixty cases have been brought by the District of Idaho, announced U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis.
“We have a great impact on curtailing violent crime by focusing our efforts on the enforcement of federal firearm laws,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. “Through our partnerships, we are ensuring that those that contribute to gun violence face appropriate charges and sentences that will protect our community.”
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law-abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Programs
A key component of Idaho’s strategy is its Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) programs. First, is the Treasure Valley Gang SAUSA program, which is based in southwestern Idaho. Second, is the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) SAUSA program.
In southwestern Idaho, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ATF are founding members of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force (Metro), a co-located task force dedicated to investigating violent offenders and criminal enterprises in the Treasure Valley. Their focus is and has been on reducing gang violence in southwestern Idaho. As a complement to this effort, the United States Attorney’s Office utilizes a Gang SAUSA. The Gang SAUSA, a federally deputized Canyon County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, is co-located in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and prosecutes all of the gang and gun crime referrals from the Metro Task Force. The Gang SAUSA was hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org. This program has enjoyed tremendous success and is a national model. Since February 2007, 413 defendants have been indicted, convicted, and sentenced as part of the Gang SAUSA program. The 413 convictions obtained thus far have resulted in a total prison time of 22,157 months (approximately 1,846 years), representing an average prison sentence of 53.6 months (4.5 years). Federal sentences are served out of-of-state, helping to disrupt criminal networks.
Similarly, in the U.S. Attorney’s branch office in Pocatello, the EIP SAUSA prosecutes federal gun crimes among others. This SAUSA program is sponsored by the Eastern Idaho Partnership, a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho. The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent armed criminals. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts. This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 143 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. These defendants have been sentenced to 7,063 months (approximately 588 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 49.3 months (4.1 years).
The following are examples of cases prosecuted in Idaho, some of which were prosecuted through the Special AUSA programs.
Just last month on September 8, 2020, Hussein Al Hasani, 22, of Boise, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm because he was a convicted felon. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on August 13, 2019. According to court records, on June 15, 2019, Al Hasani was in an altercation with individuals outside of a hookah bar in Nampa. During the altercation, Al Hasani discharged a firearm. Police later arrested Al Hasani and found him in possession of a .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun. Al Hasani was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction. Al Hasani is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for December 7, 2020, before Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
Just this week on October 13, 2020, Mark Harry Thompson, 62, of Yuba City, California, pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. Court records reveal that beginning around January 2017 and continuing to June 2019, Thompson, who resided in California, would regularly travel to Idaho to purchase firearms that he would not be able to purchase in California due to differences in state laws. Thompson falsely represented that he was an Idaho resident in obtaining the firearms in Idaho. Thompson would then transport the firearms back to California and sell them to other individuals. During this period, Thompson sold in excess of one hundred firearms in California. The investigation and prosecution of unlicensed firearms dealers is an important part of enforcing federal firearms laws. Federal law establishes a system designed to prevent guns from falling into the hands of felons and others who cannot legally possess firearms. When unlicensed firearms dealers illegally sell firearms for their own profit, they put the community at risk. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to vigorously pursuing these unlicensed dealers.
Finally, on September 30, 2020, Timothy Earnest Hudson, 37, of Idaho Falls, was convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. According to court records, officers with the Idaho Falls Police Department responded to a call for a possible drug overdose at Hudson’s residence in July 2019. Officers contacted Hudson, who was on parole due to a prior felony conviction. The police officers and officers with the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole conducted a search of Hudson’s residence. They located a Ruger pistol in Hudson’s possession, which had previously been reported as stolen. Hudson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony conviction.
Idaho’s anti-violent crime program has enjoyed success because of the investigation and prosecution efforts at all levels of government. “Federal prosecutions of firearm crime involve collaboration between federal, tribal, state, and local agencies,” said Davis. “These partnerships promote our ability to make our community safer on a daily basis.”
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
# # #
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in FY20Read the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals, who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
“Removing an illegal firearm from the street can be the most dangerous thing a law-enforcement officer ever does,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “Our community depends on federal, state and local law-enforcement cooperation to enforce our gun laws. We are all safer when we work together.”
Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, 113 cases have been brought by the Northern District of California, announced U.S. Attorney Anderson.
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in FY20Read the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – This week, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants nation-wide with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals, who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
“The primary mission of law enforcement is to ensure that all citizens feel safe in their homes and communities. However, because of firearm related violent criminal acts, many people do not experience this fundamental sense of security,” said U.S. Attorney Strasser. “In order to keep citizens safe and ensure that violent criminals are brought to justice, the Department of Justice, our own U.S. Attorney’s office, the ATF, as well as our federal, state and local law enforcement partners will continue their relentless effort to uncover, investigate and prosecute violent criminals. Today’s announcement powerfully illustrates that cases like these can and will make a difference.”
This fiscal year the Eastern District of Louisiana charged 38 firearms cases, announced U.S. Attorney Strasser. These cases involve convicted felons in possession of a firearm. Additionally, during this same period, our office has prosecuted numerous firearm crimes that are connected to other federal violent crimes and illegal drug activities. U.S. Attorney Strasser noted, “Despite challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, our office continues in its mission to protect the people of our district and ensure that criminals who engage in firearm related offenses are brought to justice.”
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law-abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
###
DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in FY20Read the Press Release
Charging Numbers Hit Five-Year High in the Southern District of Illinois,
Fairview Heights, Ill. – This week, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than
14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges
of COVID-19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. In the Southern District of Illinois,
93 people were charged with gun crimes – an increase of over 34 percent from last year and the
district’s highest annual total over the past five years.Firearms cases have been a Department priority since November 2019, when Attorney General William
P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a
critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. The significant number of charges
announced this week are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United
States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr.
“By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having
them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious
crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to
investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms.
Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000
individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement
professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our
state and local law enforcement partners.”“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,”
commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and
investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are
prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S.
Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these
offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”According to statistics collected by the Justice Department, the Southern District of Illinois
charged more gun-related crimes in FY2020 than it had in any of the previous five years. Out of 108
matters opened during the year, charges were filed against 93 defendants, representing 86 separate
cases. Of those 93 defendants, 40 were charged with using a firearm in connection with a crime of
violence or a drug trafficking offense. These cases involve defendants who have used and sometimes
discharged a firearm during the commission of a robbery or a carjacking or used the firearm to
further their drug distribution. A conviction for brandishing or discharging the firearm in these
cases carries some of the most serious penalties under federal law, including a mandatory minimum
term of 7 or 10 years and up to life imprisonment. A defendant who commits a series of these
firearm offenses, such as a string of armed robberies or carjackings, will be sentenced to
mandatory consecutive terms of imprisonment for each offense.“Every day, we are working with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime in the Metro
East and throughout Southern Illinois,” U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft said. “When a gun is involved, we
can often leverage federal firearms laws to prosecute and detain some of the most dangerous
criminals in this district. Many of these prosecutions are the direct result of outstanding work by
the Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force, and I especially want to thank the United States Marshals
Service for their tremendous leadership and support in tracking down and apprehending these
offenders.”Led by the United States Marshals Service for the Southern District of Illinois, the Great Lakes
Fugitive Task Force includes members from ATF, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Illinois
Department of Corrections (IDOC), Illinois State Police (ISP), St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office,
Belleville Police Department, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and East St. Louis Police
Department. In FY20, the Task Force continued to concentrate its efforts on the most dangerous
criminals in the Southern District of Illinois, arresting 60% of the district’s priority violent
offenders and seizing a record high 272 firearms and over 100,000 rounds of ammunition.“It has been my great privilege to assist in assembling one of the finest fugitive task forces in
the United States,” said U.S. Marshal Brad Maxwell. “The commitment by our partner agencies has
shown their dedication to doing everything possible for the people of Southern Illinois. Each of
our partner agencies truly has dedicated some of their finest officers, agents and deputies to
ensure success.”Twenty-three men arrested by the Task Force are currently under indictment in the Southern District
of Illinois awaiting trial on felon-in-possession charges. Under federal law, it is illegal to
possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories, including being a felon, an
illegal alien, or an unlawful user of a controlled substance. It is also unlawful to possess a
firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime, or to purchase firearms for
a prohibited person. Lying on ATF Form 4473 (used to lawfully purchase a firearm) is also a
federal offense.DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in Fy20Read the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – This week, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combating gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
“Keeping our communities in East Texas safe will always be the most fundamental priority of this District, and that starts with reducing gun violence and taking firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox. “The Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue those who choose to illegally use and possess firearms.”
Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, 239 cases have been brought by the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox.
Some of those individuals indicted in the last two weeks in the Eastern District of Texas and their corresponding charges are as follows:
- Derionte Chrishaun Thomas, 24, of Beaumont, Texas, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person;
- Amber Dawn LeBlanc, 37, of Beaumont, Texas, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm;
- Antonio Daquan Epperson, 29, of Brookston, Texas, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession;
- Glenn Curtis Frazier, 51, of Honey Grove, Texas, felon in possession of a firearm;
- Austin Dee McManus, 20, of Pilot Point, Texas, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person;
- Andres Ocampo Acosta, 30, of Dallas, Texas, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
- Hector Javier Castenada Rueda, 42, of Dallas, Texas, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
- Robert Leon Franklin, III, 38, of Gainesville, Texas, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person;
- Moniqua Dyan Kershman, 24, of Ardmore, OK, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person;
- Phillip Eugene Seese, 51, of Gainesville, Texas, felon in possession of a firearm;
- Courtney Anderson, 40, of Dallas, Texas, felon in possession of a firearm; and
- Halil Sivri, 31, of Plano, Texas, illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in Fy20Read the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – This week, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
“Actions have consequences, and if, for example, you have committed a felony, you often forfeit certain rights. We will enforce those consequences, including the right to possess firearms. The safety of our communities remains a top priority,” said Powell.
Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, 57 cases involving 75 defendants have been brought by the Northern District of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Powell.
The Northern District began the 2021 fiscal year (began October 1, 2020) with more firearms cases. A grand jury sitting in Wheeling on October 7 and 8, 2020 indicted 12 individuals with firearms violations. Of those cases, five are unsealed.
- Walter S. Bernoski, 52, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” Bernoski is accused of lying on the ATF form when purchasing a 9mm pistol in Morgantown in January 2018.
- Leonadus Lowell Chaney, III, 52, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Lowell, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior felony conviction, is accused of having a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Marion County in February 2020.
- Samuel Robert Loretta, 54, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Loretta, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of three previous felonies, is accused of having a 6-shot revolver in Harrison County in March 2020.
- Shawn Monte Pritchard, 33, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was indicted on two counts of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Pritchard, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of three previous felonies, is accused of having a 9mm pistol and a .22 caliber rifle in October 2019 in Marion County.
- Randolph Michael Smith, 42, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was indicted on one “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Smith, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of four previous felonies, is accused of having two 9mm pistols seven 9mm caliber cartridges in May and August 2020 in Ohio County.
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Coordinated Multi-Agency Narcotics Operation Across SoCal Nets Large Quantities of Methamphetamine, Cocaine and other Illicit DrugsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Nick Hanna in Los Angeles and United States Attorney Robert S. Brewer Jr. in San Diego today announced the results of a coordinated operation conducted over the last three months that resulted in hundreds of kilograms of dangerous narcotics being taken off the streets of Southern California.
State and federal law enforcement agencies worked together to plan and execute this operation, which culminated in a one-week coordinated surge in mid-September and resulted in the seizure of approximately 778 kilograms of methamphetamine, 268 kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of fentanyl, 31 kilograms of heroin, and $281,000 in U.S. currency.
In addition to the substantial seizures, six individuals were arrested and charged with various federal drug trafficking offenses in Los Angeles, and numerous additional individuals were charged with federal drug trafficking offenses in San Diego.
The operation focused on identifying narcotics entering the United States through Southern California ports of entry and then being transported to various locations throughout Southern California for further distribution around the country. Numerous High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) teams, comprised of both state and federal law enforcement officers and agents, worked throughout the operation to identify and arrest individuals, and to seize narcotics and drug trafficking proceeds.
“This operation underscores our significant – and successful – efforts to disrupt the smuggling routes used by international drug cartels to deliver narcotics to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Hanna. “This concerted effort allowed us to identify shipments coming in from Mexico and being delivered to stash houses across the region. As a result of the excellent work of law enforcement agents, we were able to make substantial seizures and arrest individuals who played important roles in the distribution chain.”
“Drug traffickers and their networks are not bound by city or county boundaries, and neither are we,” said U.S. Attorney Brewer. “With the combined resources of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, our reach is far and wide. We are seizing the drugs and dismantling the networks that are injecting our neighborhoods with poison.”
As a result of this operation, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed two cases that charge six defendants.
In one case, a federal grand jury late this afternoon indicted three defendants, including an alleged drug courier who is accused of driving a car from Tijuana into the United States with 21.8 kilograms of pure methamphetamine hidden in his car doors and quarter panels. The courier drove the vehicle to Compton, where he turned it over to another man, who unloaded the drugs into the trailer where he lived, according to court documents. The indictment charges the defendants – one of whom is currently known only by the moniker “Gringo” – with several offenses, including importation of methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendants in this case would face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott D. Dubois of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
In the second Los Angeles case resulting from this operation, a federal grand jury late last month indicted four defendants, two of whom allegedly drove a vehicle with a hidden compartment containing approximately 14.5 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States, eventually bringing their load to a La Puente auto repair shop, where two other men helped them unload the narcotics. The owner of the shop, Juan Pablo Castro Velazquez, and the three other defendants face narcotics trafficking charges that carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsay M. Bailey of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
The three-month operation was coordinated by Assistant United States Attorney Carol Alexis Chen, Chief of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section in Los Angeles, and Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Smith, Chief of the OCDETF Section in San Diego.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation jointly undertaken by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in the Southern and Central Districts of California. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. OCDETF Director Adam W. Cohen said, “We must salute the coordinated efforts led by dedicated OCDETF prosecutors from these two U.S. Attorney’s Offices to leverage our multi-agency strengths against these criminal networks.”
The investigating agencies involved in this operation were Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department; LA IMPACT; and SD-NET.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty After Robbing Traveler Inside I-75 Rest AreaRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A Florida man arrested following a high-speed chase along I-75 after he robbed a traveler at gunpoint, has pleaded guilty for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
James Clemente Holloway, 43, of Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Wednesday, October 14 before U.S. District Judge Louis Sands. Holloway, a convicted felon, faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the facts the Government entered in federal court, Holloway robbed a traveler at gunpoint at the southbound rest area at exit 79 on I-75 in Turner County, Georgia on the morning of March 12, 2019, holding a gun to the man, demanding money. Holloway took off with the cash. A BOLO was issued, and Valdosta Sheriff’s deputies spotted Holloway, pursuing him at speeds of 110 mph. Holloway changed lanes multiple times, and deputies successfully deployed stop sticks, which caused Holloway’s tires to blow. Holloway was arrested without injury and found in possession of a Taurus .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a small quantity of marijuana and the stolen cash. Holloway has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for felony grand theft auto, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, felony burglary, felony breaking and entering and felony probation violation.
“Holloway caused a tremendous amount of terror in a short time, robbing a traveler at gunpoint and creating havoc along a busy highway. I want to commend the Turner County and Lowndes County deputies who responded quickly and bravely to a dangerous situation, ultimately bringing the defendant into custody and restoring peace to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “The penalty is federal prison time for convicted felons caught with firearms, where there is no parole. We will pursue federal prosecutions for convicted felons violating gun laws in this country.”
The case was investigated by the Turner County Sheriff’s Office, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Ellis and Sonja Profit 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.Clifton Park Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Adrian Morris, M.D., age 64, a Clifton Park, New York, psychiatrist specializing in addiction recovery, pled guilty today to distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Morris admitted that he dispensed controlled substances, including Adderall and Xanax, for no legitimate medical purpose, to people he never met or treated. Morris also admitted that he engaged in personal relationships with female patients seeking treatment from him for addiction to controlled substances.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2021 before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Morris faces up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum $1 million fine.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.
Catskill Sex Offender Sentenced to 30 Months for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ricky J. Bilyou, age 28, of Catskill, New York, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and United States Marshal David McNulty.
Bilyou was convicted of child exploitation, in Clinton County, Indiana, in 2016. As part of that crime, Bilyou coerced a child, in Indiana, into sending him photos of herself that were sexual in nature.
In pleading guilty to failing to register, Bilyou admitted that he was residing in Indiana in May 2019, when he traveled to Colorado. After staying briefly in Colorado, in late September 2019, he took Amtrak trains from Colorado, to Chicago, Illinois, and finally to the Albany-Rensselaer station. He then began residing in Catskill, up until his arrest on March 18, 2020. Bilyou knew that he was required to register as a sex offender in New York, and failed to do so.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.