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3 November 2020
Member of North Shore Chapter of Latin Kings Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the North Shore Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced today for drug conspiracy charges.
Henry Caribe a/k/a “King 40Cal,” 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release. In July 2020, Caribe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
Caribe admitted that on seven occasions from January to March 2015, he and a co-conspirator distributed 78 grams of cocaine base to a cooperating witness during audio/video recorded transactions. At the time, Caribe was a member of the North Shore chapter of the Latin Kings.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury in Boston returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Caribe is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard and Mark Grady of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
Man Sentenced for Role in International Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Colorado man was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for participating in an international conspiracy to traffic pharmaceutical drugs into the United States and distribute those drugs throughout the country.
According to court documents, between October 2016 and November 2019, Shaun Michael Kohut, 36, received bulk shipments of pills sent into the United States from abroad by foreign-based actors. Following those actors’ instructions, Kohut would then mail smaller shipments of pills to buyers across the United States and receive payments for his services by accepting money remittances from customers via Western Union and other payment-processing systems.
According to court documents, Kohut is estimated to have been involved in the trafficking or attempted trafficking of close to 400,000 pills between October 2016 and November 2019, including substantial quantities of the Schedule IV opioid tramadol. Kohut came to the attention of federal law enforcement when a buyer in the Eastern District of Virginia was instructed to remit payment to Kohut for the unlawful purchase of alprazolam, also known as Xanax.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Elliker and Heather H. Mansfield prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-159.
Man Sentenced for Federal Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Stuart Kurt Rollins, 59, of Barre City, Vermont, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release for a violation of 42 U.S.C. § 3631, a federal hate crime statute. Rollins has been detained since Nov. 27, 2019, and thus has served nearly a year in prison.
According to court documents filed in connection with Rollins’s guilty plea, on July 29, 2019, Rollins intimidated and harassed his neighbors, members of a Hispanic family, including two children, because of their race and national origin and because they occupied a home on his street. Rollins threatened to burn down the family’s home while they were inside and threatened to set fire to a member of the family. Rollins shouted racial and ethnic slurs at the family, yelled at them to “go back to Mexico,” and yelled that “you Mexicans don’t belong on this street.” Rollins warned the family that he would do “whatever it takes to get you off this street.” Rollins also exposed his genitals and buttocks in front of the family, including one of the children. Finally, Rollins smashed the family’s mailbox and smashed glass on their lawn during the incident.
“Violence in the form of federal hate crimes is antithetical to our core values of freedom, unity and equality”, stated U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont Christina E. Nolan. “The defendant’s threats here made a Vermont family feel unsafe in their own home, just because of their race and national origin. As this case shows, Vermont is unfortunately not immune to hate-motivated acts. Our office will do all we can to work with our partners to end these vicious acts and, where they violate federal law, will not hesitate to take action.”
“Investigating hate crimes is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” stated Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albany Field Office. “No individual should live in fear because of someone’s intolerance and hatred. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the rights of all Americans.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, Albany Division, Burlington Resident Agency, with assistance from the Barre City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jules Torti of the District of Vermont and Trial Attorney Olimpia Michel of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case. Steven Barth from the Office of the Public Defender for the District of Vermont represented Mr. Rollins.
Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Zachary Clouse, 27, was originally identified by law enforcement in November 2016 when Canadian authorities found Clouse posting images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct to an Internet bulletin board. Clouse, aka Boylover9, asked for violent videos of children being sexually abused from other members of the forum, and posted the same. Later, in 2018, a Virginia Beach resident answered a Craigslist advertisement Clouse posted looking for a “sick perverted boyfriend.” Clouse texted the resident about trying to kidnap a child, so the resident reported Clouse to the Virginia Beach Police Department. Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations interviewed Clouse, and he admitted to the Internet and Craigslist conduct. Law enforcement also searched Clouse’s cell phones and found additional images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Clouse faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on March 16, 2021. 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-13.
Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing a Firearm During RobberiesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man pleaded guilty today to brandishing a firearm during separate robberies of two banks and a shoe store in Northern Virginia in 2018 and 2019.
According to court documents, Freddie Lee McRae, 34, committed a series of robberies in 2018 and 2019. On Nov. 13, 2018, McRae robbed a Wells Fargo branch located in Alexandria. McRae handed a teller a note that demanded money, indicated he had a firearm, and threatened to “[k]ill [a]ll [b]ankers” if the teller did not comply. McRae pointed a firearm at two tellers before fleeing with approximately $8,750 in cash.
On Dec. 10, 2018, McRae robbed a Burke & Herbert branch located in Alexandria. McRae approached a teller, who asked if he wanted to make a deposit. McRae responded, “gimmie your money,” before lifting up his shirt and pulling a pistol from his waistband, which he pointed at the teller. As the teller gathered money, McRae racked the slide on the pistol and demanded all large bills. McRae fled with approximately $1,366 in cash.
On April 21, 2019, McRae robbed the Legend Kicks & Apparel store located in Arlington. McRae brandished a pistol and demanded that two store employees empty their pockets, which they did. McRae then ordered the employees to lie on the floor before taking approximately $2,160 in cash that belonged to the store. McRae fled the store on foot and the area by vehicle. When a law enforcement officer tried to pull over the vehicle, McRae stopped only briefly before leading law enforcement officers on a vehicle pursuit on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. McRae ultimately jumped out of his moving vehicle prior to it crashing and sinking into the Potomac River. McRae tried to flee law enforcement by jumping into the river, but officers pulled him out and placed him under arrest.
McRae also admitted to robbing a Bank of America branch in Springfield on Oct. 27, 2018; a BB&T branch located in Alexandria on Dec. 20, 2018; and a Capital One branch located in Bowie, Maryland, on Jan. 2, 2019. McRae further admitted to attempting to rob a Capital One branch located in Arlington on Feb. 11, 2019, and to obstructing justice by instructing an individual to destroy his cell phone and another individual to delete communications within a cell phone.
The bank robberies that McRae admitted to committing were investigated by the FBI as part of the “Beltway Bank Bandit” series.
McRae pleaded guilty to three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 21 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 23, 2021. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Acting Chief Andy Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police; Michael L. Brown, Alexandria Chief of Police; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Washington Field Office’s Northern Virginia Violent Crime Task Force which is composed of FBI Agents along with Detectives from Northern Virginia law enforcement agencies. Significant investigative assistance in this case was provided by the Arlington County Police and the Fairfax County Police. The task force is charged with identifying, investigating and disrupting the most egregious and violent criminal actors within Northern Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Alexander E. Blanchard are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-268.
Lake Charles Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Damon Lechtenberg, 47, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays for production of child pornography. Lechtenberg was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. Lechtenberg pleaded guilty on April 9, 2020.
According to information presented in court, it was reported to law enforcement in December 2019, that Lechtenberg had been filming a minor female using a hidden camera in the minor’s bedroom. Law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant of the minor’s bedroom and found the hidden camera. Lechtenberg admitted to filming the minor female and further investigation revealed that he had numerous videos containing images of her in sexually explicit poses.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
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Kenton County Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Bromley, Ky., man, Brandon Daunt, 33, was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Daunt’s plea agreement, on February 13, 2020, law enforcement arrested him on an existing warrant, after he exited his apartment. Upon searching his backpack, they found 25.6 grams of methamphetamine, 7.1 grams of crack cocaine, 5.3 grams of fentanyl, 184.8 grams of marijuana, two cell phones, and $1,157 in cash. Law enforcement then searched his apartment, finding three firearms, which Daunt admitted he possessed to protect himself, his drugs, and his proceeds, and later admitted acquiring in exchange for drugs.
Daunt pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Daunt must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; and Christopher Conners, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wade Napier.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Duncan coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
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Justice Department Honors Law Enforcement Officers and Deputies in Fourth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in PolicingRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr and Justice Department leadership today announced the recipients of the Fourth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 23 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.
The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and tribal sworn rank-and-file police officers and deputies for exceptional efforts in policing. The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or innovations in community policing. This year, the department received 214 nominations recognizing a total of 355 individual officers, deputies, and troopers. There were 39 states represented in the nomination pool, covering state, local, campus, sheriff, and other agency types.
“There is no career nobler than that of a police officer, and the 23 officers we honor this year demonstrate that clearly,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These individuals are distinguished in their service for field operations and criminal investigations – from investigating homicides to drug trafficking to sexual exploitation and assault – to making positive change in their communities through innovative outreach to local residents. Their actions are a testament to what law enforcement officers contribute to our nation each day, keeping us safe from violent crime and building more trusting communities, and they are deserving of our collective thanks. I am pleased to honor these 23 officers for their distinguished service in policing.”
The Department of Justice works closely with local law enforcement and strives to be a ready resource for them. The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing is just one more way the department can show its continued commitment to the profession and honor the men and women who so bravely serve it.
Attorney General Awards for Distinguished Service in Policing 2020
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
Detective Kenneth Williams, Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, DC)
Detective Kenneth Williams, with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, was determined to pursue a cold case file to bring a serial rapist and murderer to justice. For over twenty years, Detective Williams followed leads and pursued the case. His efforts ultimately led him to a town in South Carolina, where a suspect was taken into custody and extradited to Washington, DC.
Special Agent Ryan Kedley, Iowa Department of Public Safety (Iowa)
Special Agent Ryan Kedley orchestrated and oversaw one of the largest sexual exploitation investigations in Iowa state history. Kedley’s team discovered that, for almost 20 years, a local youth basketball coach had been secretly amassing thousands of videos and photos of his players and their friends. Investigators determined the coach had sexually assaulted at least 15 young men and victimized another 400, though the actual numbers are suspected to be much higher. The former coach is now serving a 180-year sentence in prison – the longest sentence possible for the charges he faced.
Detective Bryan Bennett, Detective Ty Deichert, Detective Fred Longobricco, and Detective Ian Ranshaw, Thornton Police Department (Colorado)
These four Thornton (CO) detectives diligently pursued a high-level Walmart credit card scheme that eventually led the detectives to partner with the F.B.I., the U.S. Postal Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department. Senior citizens in particular were targeted by this confidence scheme, who unknowingly became the source of millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained funds – funds that were eventually laundered and sold as gift cards overseas. The detectives conducted numerous surveillance operations, covertly went through the suspects’ trash on multiple occasions, spent days reassembling shredded gift cards, and ultimately followed their leads to East Asia. So far, two defendants have now pleaded guilty, and 25 other defendants are being monitored.
Detective Ryan Flood, Officer Vance Henning, Jr., and Investigator Denny Vokes, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office (Wisconsin), Fond du Lac Police Department (Wisconsin)
These dedicated individuals sought to stem an increase in shootings, drug trafficking, illegal guns, and gang activity; and their work achieved just that, with illegal drugs, guns, and violent criminals removed from city streets and community trust revived. Forming a coalition that included agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, over 50 active, armed participants in the illegal drug trade were identified, many with criminal gang ties. The investigation also led to a major firearms straw purchasing scheme. Hundreds of hours of surveillance, interviews with numerous suspects and dozens of warrant executions have led to the arrest of 35 suspects, with many more arrests and indictments still pending. These cases also involved the disruption of networks distributing cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, including the largest single heroin seizure in the history of Fond du Lac.
FIELD OPERATIONS
Officer Sherrelle Mitchell and Officer Felix Rivera, Philadelphia Police Department (Pennsylvania)
Sometimes lost in the narrative of American policing are the lives that officers save. This particular drama unfolded on an August night in Philadelphia, when Officer Felix Rivera was monitoring a large party. When he heard multiple gunshots Officer Rivera first radioed for help, and then rushed toward the shots. Officer Sherrelle Mitchell quickly sped to the scene. The officers found a gunshot victim bleeding profusely. After applying a tourniquet, the officers placed the victim in their vehicle and rushed to the hospital. On the way, the victim lost consciousness several times, and Officer Mitchell continued to perform CPR and chest compressions. The heroic actions of these officers saved a life that night.
Officer Natalie Eucce and Corporal Seay-Peter Floyd, Fayetteville Police Department (Arkansas)
In December 2019, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, an individual determined to assassinate law enforcement officers, and armed with 100 rounds of ammunition, approached a police car and fired 10 times, killing Officer Stephen Carr. Hearing the shots and seeing the suspect, Corporal Seay-Peter Floyd – with no regard for his personal safety – pursued the suspect and fired. Officer Natalie Eucce (Officer Carr’s partner) and Sergeant James Jennings joined Corporal Floyd in pursuing the suspect and fired as well. The suspect was pronounced dead on the scene. It is very likely more officers would have lost their lives that night, if it were not for the bravery of Corporal Floyd and Officer Eucce.
Sergeant Jason Thien, Curry County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon)
In Curry County, Oregon, Sergeant Jason Thien often works alone on his shift, where he services a 1,600-square mile county and more than eighty miles of the Pacific Coast Highway. Even so, he did not hesitate to give it his all when word came down of a widespread manhunt for a murder suspect, who was thought to be in Curry County. Working his contacts, combing property records, and using other investigative tools, he found his man. Thanks to Sergeant Thien’s dedicated efforts, he apprehended the subject, who will soon be facing charges.
INNOVATIONS IN COMMUNITY POLICING
Officer James Bryant, Detective Traves Humpherys, Officer Darling Mapes, Officer Strahinja Pavlovic, Detective David Shive, and Officer Luis Vidal, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Nevada)
The Bolden community had always been a challenge for police officers and it was very difficult to build trust with residents. Youth in the community also struggled, and the numbers showed poor academic records and low graduation rates. So when an area merchant wanted to create a free, fully accredited baseball league for youth, police officers jumped in to assist as coaches for the Bolden Little League (BLL). Just two years after it started, and as relationships between police officers and the children and their families strengthened, the league expanded to 14 teams and 186 children. The league focused on reducing violent crime by building trust and positively affecting the children and families involved; and the success was in the numbers, with the neighborhoods surrounding the park posting a 76 percent reduction in violent crime from 2018 to 2019.
Officer Philip Smith, Evansville Police Department (Indiana)
Officer Philip Smith is the symbol of community policing in Evansville, Indiana, where he serves as the special projects coordinator for the Evansville Police Department. His community outreach efforts have put a human face on the badge, and his efforts have encouraged the public to work with the police and the police to have an ally in the public. Smith runs the department’s Facebook page, which now has 45,000 subscribers – in a city of 117,000. His social media activity includes weekly videos celebrating different officers and community members, and photos of police and kids on department-sponsored trips to theme parks. He also helped create the department’s breast cancer awareness fundraiser, and established a program where salons and barbershops host officers for informal chats with their patrons. All this community outreach has meant that when the department now has to explain an officer involved shooting, or asks the public for help in recognizing a criminal, there is a community now pre-disposed to understand and work with the department more than ever before.
Officer Sally Landrum, Willingboro Police Department (New Jersey)
When the Willingboro Police Department named Officer Sally Landrum its inaugural Community Engagement Officer, she became the face of the department in her community. Her goal was to build trust and legitimacy by engaging residents of all backgrounds in positive interactions and she found a myriad of ways to do that. Officer Landrum dove into her new role with gusto, quickly earning the respect of local religious leaders and community organizations. Her initiatives include recruitment events; story times where police read to children at the local library; anti-drug programs in the schools; toiletry drives for the homeless; training on how to spot telephone scams and mail fraud for older adults; breast and prostate cancer awareness campaigns; food, coat, and toy drives; a resiliency program for officers in distress; and a community service diversion program for young offenders. Through these efforts, community residents now know they have a friend in the Willingboro Police Department, and both the department and the community are better for it.
Detective Archie Lidey, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety (Oregon)
When Josephine County, Oregon, suffered a funding crisis, Detective Archie Lidey zoomed into action. The situation was dire, with staffing reduced at the sheriff’s office and the jail, limiting the number of offenders that could be housed. Citations were issued to most criminal offenders instead of placing them under arrest. But Detective Lidey began a grassroots effort to find and maintain funding. As a founding member of Securing Our Safety (SOS), formed specifically to overcome the law enforcement–funding crisis, Detective Lidey organized a 5k race that grew to 700 participants in 2020. Lidey and SOS also raised over $60,000 to complete a study of local justice and law enforcement programs. They also formed a nonprofit called Grace Roots, to establish a residential treatment center for people with addictions; and he was key in establishing the Grants Pass Treatment Center, a methadone and suboxone treatment program for substance abuse addiction. Josephine County went from having no treatment facility to one that now sees more than 300 patients a day. And funding-wise, it has all paid off: since 2013, Detective has coordinated events and contributions that now total $324,000.
Joplin Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed at least 12 pounds of methamphetamine in the Joplin area, as well as to illegally possessing numerous firearms.
Mark E. Burdge, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of distributing methamphetamine on premises where children are present or reside.
By pleading guilty today, Burdge admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from May 9, 2018, to July 18, 2019. Burdge imported at least 12 pounds (approximately 5.4 kilograms) of methamphetamine into southwest Missouri from a source in Oklahoma.
On May 9, 2018, investigators with the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at Burdge’s residence. Officers seized a total of 71.96 grams of methamphetamine and approximately $20,550 from a bedroom in the residence. Officers also searched an outbuilding and seized six rifles, five shotguns, four pistols, a revolver, a .22-caliber Magnum derringer, and 4,000 rounds of assorted ammunition.
On July 18, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Burdge’s residence, where they encountered a 10-year-old child among a number of individuals at the residence. Officers seized a total of 159.66 grams of methamphetamine and $24,300.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Burdge must forfeit to the government $44,850 seized by law enforcement as the proceeds of drug trafficking.
Under federal statutes, Burdge is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol., Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
OCDETF
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.Inglewood Women Plead Guilty to Running Half Million-Dollar Scheme that Improperly Billed Medi-Cal for Substance Abuse CounselingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Inglewood woman and her mother-in-law, who both ran a South Los Angeles drug and alcohol abuse treatment program, each pleaded guilty today to a health care fraud charge for fraudulently submitting more than $500,000 in claims for services that did not qualify for reimbursement or were never provided.
Mesbel Mohamoud, 47, and her mother-in-law, Erlinda Abella, 66, also of Inglewood, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud in separate hearings before United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez.
Mohamoud was the owner and executive director of The New You Center Inc. (TNYC), located in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Abella, who co-founded TNYC with Mohamoud in 2005, was the company’s program director. TNYC had contracts to provide medically necessary substance abuse treatment services through the Drug Medi-Cal program to adults and teenagers in Los Angeles County.
According to Mohamoud’s and Abella’s plea agreements, from January 2009 to December 2015, TNYC submitted false and fraudulent bills for counseling sessions that were not conducted at all, were not conducted at authorized locations, or did not comply with Drug Medi-Cal regulations regarding the length of sessions or the number of clients.
Mohamoud and Abella also allegedly caused TNYC to bill for clients who did not have a substance abuse problem, to falsify documents related to services supposedly provided to clients, and to forge client signatures on documents such as sign-in sheets.
For example, in September 2013, TNYC submitted a fraudulent claim for Medi-Cal reimbursement in the amount of $62.15 for a three-hour counseling session for a client on August 17, 2013 – the same day when the client was hospitalized and did not receive any counseling from TNYC.
In court documents, Mohamoud further admitted she knew that among the acts Abella directed TNYC counselors to engage in included enrolling clients in TNYC’s substance abuse treatment program even if the clients had used drugs or alcohol only occasionally or even just once.
Mohamoud and Abella admitted that TNYC submitted approximately $527,313 in false and fraudulent claims for group and individual substance abuse counseling services and was paid $260,101 on those claims.
Judge Gutierrez scheduled a January 25, 2021 sentencing hearing for Abella and a February 8, 2021 sentencing hearing for Mohamoud, at which time each of them will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI, the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Cathy J. Ostiller of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Illinois-Based Charter School Management Company to Pay $4.5 Million to Settle Claims Relating to E-Rate ContractsRead the Press Release
Concept Schools, NFP, has agreed to pay $4.5 million as part of a civil settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by engaging in non-competitive bidding practices in connection with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate Program, the Department of Justice announced today.
The E-Rate Program, created by Congress in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, subsidizes eligible equipment and services to make internet access and internal networking more affordable for needy public schools and libraries.
“Today’s settlement demonstrates our continuing vigilance to ensure that those doing business with the government do not engage in anticompetitive conduct,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Government contractors and schools that seek to profit at the expense of taxpayers will face serious consequences.”
The United States alleged that Concept Schools, a charter school management company located in Des Plaines, Illinois, rigged the bidding for E-Rate contracts between 2009 and 2012 in favor of chosen technology vendors so that its network of charter schools located in several states, including Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana, selected the chosen vendors without a meaningful, fair and open bidding process. Additionally, the government alleged that Concept Schools’ chosen vendors provided equipment at higher prices than those approved by the FCC for equipment with the same functionality. The government also contended that Concept Schools failed to maintain sufficient control over equipment reimbursed by the FCC, some of which was discovered missing.
Contemporaneous with the civil settlement, Concept Schools has agreed to enter into a corporate compliance plan with the FCC.
“E-Rate contractors and schools receiving E-Rate funds must understand and know that actions that undermine the contracting process, such as conspiring to rig competitive bidding, will not be tolerated and will be investigated aggressively,” said David L. Hunt, Inspector General of the FCC.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the FCC Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Goldsboro Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, Daniel Lamar Young, 26, possessed two firearms on March 26, 2019, in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Both firearms were loaded, and both had been stolen. Young had multiple prior felony convictions. At the time of this offense, he was on post-release supervision for a state conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Brown prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-59.
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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.
Ghost Face Gangster sentenced to federal prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A methamphetamine trafficker who claims membership in a notorious white supremacist street gang has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison.
Danny Lamar Chancey, a/k/a “Toby,” 48, of Blackshear, Ga., was sentenced to 86 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Chancey will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Meth and gangs are a toxic combination, and we will relentlessly fight for the eradication of both,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Putting a habitual criminal like Chancey behind bars is a good start – and instantly makes the Blackshear community a safer place.”
As described in court documents and testimony, a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office investigator and an officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision visited Chancey’s residence in September 2019 to investigate reports that he was selling methamphetamine. Because Chancey was on probation from a state conviction for possession of methamphetamine, his residence was subject to search.
Inside the residence, officers found multiple small and large bags containing methamphetamine, along with materials used for distribution and a notebook of information on the Ghost Face Gangsters, a violent white supremacist street gang. Chancey admitted his membership in the notorious gang, which started in Georgia’s prison system and spread into communities throughout the Southeast.
“We removed another menacing methamphetamine trafficker from the streets,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This repeat offender can no longer distribute toxic doses of poison to the Blackshear community. This investigation was a success because of the great working relationship that DEA has with its law enforcement partners.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Department of Supervision, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and the Blackshear Police Department, and was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland.
Former federal employee sentenced for cocaine distribution and threatening fellow agentRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old former Border Patrol (BP) agent has been ordered to prison following his conviction on multiple drug trafficking charges and threatening a federal agent with bodily harm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
A federal jury in Houston returned guilty verdicts July 22, 2019, against Daniel Polanco, Edinburg, on cocaine charges and making a false statement. He was again found guilty March 6 after a second trial for threatening a federal agent.
Today, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison imposed a total 166-month sentence to be followed by five years of supervised release for all convictions. At the hearing, the court found Polanco played an integral role in the drug trafficking conspiracy, abused and exploited his position of trust as a law enforcement officer in order to facilitate the offenses and obstructed justice by providing false statements to federal agents during the course of the investigation.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Ellison also found Polanco made a credible threat of bodily harm against one the agents investigating the drug trafficking conspiracy. The court noted that as a former federal agent himself, Polanco knew the consequences of making such a threat and had the ability to carry it out. For that reason, Judge Ellison imposed a separate six months on that charge to be served consecutively to the 160 months he received for the drug trafficking charges. As a condition of supervised release, Judge Ellison ordered Polanco not to have any contact, directly or through a third party, with the federal agent he threatened.
Polanco was a former BP agent, but is no longer with the federal government.
“Every day, dedicated law enforcement officers across the nation risk their lives to make our communities safe. The criminal actions of Daniel Polanco, for which he was justly sentenced, demean that dedication and sacrifice,” stated Special Agent in Charge Steven S. Whipple of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target all narcotics traffickers, especially those who abuse their office and the trust of the American Public.”
The investigation began in 2011 when authorities targeted a drug trafficking organization involved in the transportation and distribution of cocaine and marijuana. Authorities soon found the organization was also stealing loads of cocaine and marijuana from sources of supply. As part of the scheme, the organization had created fake bundles of drugs and used law enforcement officers to seize them in order to cover up the theft.
At trial, the jury heard Polanco helped facilitate the distribution of more than 15 kilograms of cocaine in April 2013. He and others were hired to transport the cocaine but stole it instead and sold the cocaine for profit. To cover up the theft, co-conspirators created fake drug bundles that were placed in an abandoned vehicle. Polanco assisted in the planning and staging of that incident and devised a plan to ensure law enforcement seized the sham bundles. He personally called authorities to report the abandoned vehicle and falsely reported the vehicle as looking suspicious.
Testimony revealed the drug trafficking organization paid Polanco for his participation in the scheme to seize the fake drugs. The jury also heard he made a false statement to an agent who was investigating the 15-kilogram cocaine seizure in an attempt to cover up his involvement in the transaction.
Polanco testified at trial and denied participating in the scheme. The jury did not believe his claims and convicted him of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and knowingly giving a false statement to a federal agent.
Following that verdict and losing a legal motion, Polanco threatened one of the federal agents involved in the case. He was charged and later convicted of threatening to commit bodily harm with the intent to intimidate, interfere or impede the agent while he was engaged in the performance of his official duties and/or to retaliate against him for performance of his official duties.
The drug trafficking investigation has led to the arrest and prosecution of 20 individuals including six law enforcement officers, one of whom has already received a 10-year prison term.
Polanco has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations
and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation dubbed Operation Blue Shame. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the drug case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Leo III handled the threat matter.
Former Manning Police Chief Sentenced to One Year in Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $80,000 in Seized CashRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr., announced today that Gary Blair Shaffer, former Chief of the City of Manning Police Department, was sentenced to a year in federal prison for stealing nearly $80,000 in seized cash in 2015.
“Those who are sworn to uphold the law must lead by example. The Defendant here dishonored his oath, violated the public’s trust, and deserved his federal prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney McCoy. “As this case shows, no one is above the law. This office will not allow those who are supposed to protect our community to take advantage of the people of South Carolina.”
Evidence presented to the court showed that, as Chief of Police, Shaffer had unfettered access to the Manning Police Department’s facilities and evidence rooms. On September 12, 2015, following a traffic stop in which drugs and nearly $80,000 in cash were seized, the drugs and money were placed in the Manning Police Department Evidence Room. Beginning a week later, Shaffer began making large cash deposits, ranging between $500 and $5,000, in a series of separate transactions. Between September 19, 2015, and November 10, 2015, Shaffer deposited $78,514 in cash into his personal banking account. All of this money was stolen from the evidence room.
After a tip was reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Shaffer was contacted by law enforcement officers and falsely denied stealing the money. He deceived officials a second time, before ultimately being charged with, and pleading guilty to, theft of government funds and making a false statement to law enforcement.
United States District Judge Bruce Hendricks sentenced Shaffer to one year and a day in federal prison, to be followed by a one-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by Special Agent Aaron Hawkins of the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Brook Andrews prosecuted the case.
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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.
Domestic violence offender sentenced to four years in prisonRead the Press Release
HONOLULU, Hawaii – District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi sentenced David Benjamin Cordeiro, 38, of Mountain View, Hawaii, today for one count of possession of ammunition after having been previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). Cordeiro will serve four years imprisonment, with three years of supervised release to follow.
U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the District of Hawaii stated that according to court documents and information presented in court, on September 1, 2018, Cordeiro fired approximately nine bullets into a stopped car, in which two females, including his girlfriend, were seated. One bullet pierced the windshield of the car, causing his girlfriend to believe she had been struck by a bullet. Cordeiro had multiple prior convictions for domestic violence and abuse of family members under Hawaii law. Accordingly, federal law prohibited Cordeiro from possessing firearms or ammunition.
As presented in court, Cordeiro’s prior convictions under state law included an incident wherein he physically assaulted and threw gasoline on a prior intimate partner; an incident in which he burned a female victim with the hot metal tip of a butane torch; and two separate incidents wherein he violently struck women while they held his infant child. All of these incidents involved different female victims.
In light of his criminal history and characteristics, Judge Kobayashi imposed an upward variance at sentencing, meaning a sentence higher than Cordeiro’s calculated guidelines range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. “In cases like this one, a firearm or ammunition in the hands of someone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence is a federal crime and recipe for disaster. We will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who choose to endanger our communities by unlawfully possessing guns or ammunition,” stated U.S. Attorney Price.
The case was investigated by the Hawaii County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Early.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhood, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Cortland County Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Christopher M. Perry, 36, of Cortland, New York, was sentenced today to serve 540 months (45 years) in federal prison for conspiring and acting together with co-defendant Sarah R. Gates to sexually exploit a child under five years of age for the purpose of producing images of the abuse.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his prior guilty plea to a three-count Information, Perry admitted that on several occasions in 2017, he and Gates performed sexual acts on the child while taking photographs of the abuse, using two cell phones.[1]
Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Perry is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, Perry will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the City of Cortland Police Department, and the New York State Police-Computer Crimes Unit, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sahar L. Amandolare and Special Assistant United States Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle.
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
[1] Gates is charged by complaint with the same offenses, which are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Cibecue Man Sentenced for Domestic Violence AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 26, 2020, Gregg Henry, 54, of Cibecue, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Henry previously pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
On April 6, 2018, Henry punched the victim in the face one time, breaking her jaw. The victim and defendant were dating partners. Henry is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and the crime occurred on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 19-08005-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-095_G. Henry# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Chairman of Wealth Management Business Charged with Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of TERRENCE CHALK, a/k/a “TERRENCE CASH,” the Chairman of Greenlight Investment Partners and several related entities operating in Florida, with securities fraud and wire fraud for his role in a scheme to fraudulently induce individuals to invest in his wealth management business under false pretenses, including operating under an alias to hide his criminal past. CHALK was arrested this morning in Orlando, Florida on a criminal complaint (the “Complaint”) and was presented before a magistrate judge in the Middle District of Florida.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Terrence Chalk gained the trust of his clients by promising that he would invest it in opportunities he had vetted. As alleged, he betrayed their trust. He concealed his criminal past, did not make the investments as promised, and sent most of the money he took from his clients to a pool of money from which he spent lavishly on himself and his friends. Meanwhile, his clients were left with broken promises. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud like this wherever it exists.”
Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As the chairman of a Florida-based investment group, “Terrence Cash” allegedly convinced his clients to trust him with their money, which, in some cases, amounted to the entirety of their retirement savings. Little did they know his investment pitch wasn’t the only lie he told. His real name was Terrence Chalk, and he was a previously convicted felon whose pseudonym spelled out exactly what he was after: cash, and lots of it. In the end, as charged today, he solicited more than $4 million from his victims for purposes other than what he had promised. The charges announced today demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to protect the investing public.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan Federal Court[1]:
CHALK, holding himself out as “Terrence Cash,” was the Chairman of Greenlight Investment Partners and Greenlight Investment Circle, among other similarly named entities (together, “Greenlight”). The Greenlight companies offered customers “business, money, and wealth coaching” -- advice and training in investment planning and wealth management. To certain of his coaching clients, CHALK also offered admission into the “Chairman’s Fund” – purportedly, an elite investing arrangement under which clients would purchase equity stakes in Greenlight and CHALK would invest the purchase proceeds into individual ventures he had vetted. As promised by CHALK, the ventures would generate a guaranteed, fixed return, often in excess of 12 percent annually, to be paid by check on a quarterly basis.
CHALK induced the investors to entrust him with their money – including, in several instances, the entire contents of their retirement accounts and pensions – while concealing from them the fact that, under his real name, he had been convicted for fraud-related offenses in this District in 2010. Had his clients known his real name and researched him on the Internet, they would have found press releases detailing his conviction and sentencing for an array of fraudulent activity, which included fraudulently applying for loans, including in the name of a deceased relative, and directing the submission of fraudulent documents to a BMW car dealership from jail after his initial arrest in order to secure luxury automobiles for his associates. This history would have dissuaded clients from investing with CHALK.
Instead, CHALK’s victims each invested tens of thousands of dollars in the Chairman’s Fund, which took in over $4 million overall. Within months of the clients’ investments, their promised return payments began to arrive erratically or not at all. In fact, CHALK had not made all of the promised investments. Despite having solicited more than $4 million in investments, CHALK routed no more than $1.2 million of that money into the promised ventures. Instead, he had diverted much of the money into other Greenlight accounts, from which he spent lavishly on himself and his associates. CHALK’s spending included approximately $1.7 million on credit card bills for cards in his name, those of his associates, and business accounts from which clear personal purchases or business purchases wholly separate from investment activity had been made. CHALK also transferred, out of the same accounts, tens of thousands of dollars to a criminal defense attorney who had handled a personal matter for him; over $70,000 to a luxury car dealer; approximately $30,000 to a retail jewelry retailer; over $20,000 to an incarcerated prison inmate; and approximately $17,000 to an NBA basketball team in what appear to have been season ticket payments.
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CHALK, 58, is charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the FBI and thanks the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately filed a civil action against CHALK.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Martin S. Bell and Robert L. Boone are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Central City Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Central City man who distributed over seven kilograms of meth from 2017 to 2018 was sentenced November 2, 2020, to more than 16 years in federal prison.
Brian Jeffrie Padgett, age 42, from Central City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 29, 2020 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.
In a plea agreement, Padgett admitted that on July 27, 2018, and again on August 10, 2018, he sold over 75 grams of methamphetamine to an individual within 1,000 feet of Central City Community School in Central City, Iowa. On August 16, 2018, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Padgett’s residence in Central City, where they recovered over 38 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded firearm, and drug packaging material. Padgett admitted that he had two main sources of supply for methamphetamine. Padgett received pounds of methamphetamine from these two sources over approximately six months.
Padgett was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Padgett was sentenced to 198 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Padgett is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-00016.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than One Kilogram of Heroin After Jury TrialRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Renato Salazar-Lopez, age 37, of San Ysidro, California, was convicted late yesterday, after a one-day jury trial in the Hammond District Court of possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio presided over this jury trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 28, 2018, on Interstate 90 near the Portage Toll Plaza, a Hobart police officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Renato Salazar-Lopez. During a search of the vehicle, police recovered approximately 4.8 kilograms of heroin in the trunk.
Sentencing is scheduled to take place on February 16, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Hobart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
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Boyle County Man Sentenced to over 26 Years for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking in Floyd CountyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Christopher Francisco, 30, of Boyle County, Kentucky, was sentenced last week to 322 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Robert Wier, for possession with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, law enforcement stopped Francisco’s vehicle in Floyd County, Kentucky, on February 11, 2020, and found approximately three pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Francisco admitted in his plea agreement that he had been regularly delivering methamphetamine to drug dealers in Floyd County. During the sentencing hearing, the Court found that Francisco was responsible for the introduction of between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine into Floyd County, between November 2019 and February 2020. Before this latest conviction, Francisco had twice been convicted of state drug trafficking charges, resulting his designation as a “career offender,” for the purposes of the federal sentencing guidelines.
Under federal law, Francisco must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following his release.
“The defendant was responsible for trafficking an enormous amount of a dangerous, illegal drugs,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We are committed to reducing the availability of these dangerous drugs, and the violence that often accompanies armed methamphetamine trafficking. This case reinforces a simple point: dealing meth with a gun invites a long stay in a federal prison.”
U.S. Attorney Duncan; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and John Hunt, Floyd County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
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.
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Berkeley County residents admit to roles in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three Berkeley County residents have admitted to their roles in a drug conspiracy that spanned several states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Braheem Jamal Gilbert, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine Base.” Gilbert, also known as “Slick,” 31, admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base from January 2019 to September 2019 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
Ashley Marie Seal, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, pled guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine Base.” Seal, 32, admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base from January 2019 to September 2019 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
Ashley Lynn Hess, of Inwood, West Virginia, pled guilty today to one count of “Distribution of a Mixture and Substance Containing Phencyclidine (PCP)” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Hess, 31, admitted to selling PCP and cocaine hydrochloride or “coke” in September 2019 in Berkeley County.
Gilbert, Seal, and Hess each face up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.Baltimore Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Devan Mack, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The sentence 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; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of criminals, like Devan Mack, and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Mack now faces 15 years of federal time, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
“Criminals like Devan Mack are contributing to the violent crime on the streets of Baltimore by selling illegal guns,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We are determined to work with our law enforcement partners to target repeat offenders and those illegally in possession of firearms in order to better protect our communities.”
According to his guilty plea, on November 29, 2018, a Baltimore Police Department undercover officer conducted a controlled purchase of two firearms from Mack in the 2900 block of Gwynns Falls Avenue. The controlled purchase was audio and video recorded. The first firearm was a 9mm-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition. The second firearm was also a 9mm-caliber semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported stolen. The undercover officer paid Mack $700 for each firearm. As the transaction was being completed, Mack advised that he had other firearms as well as an additional magazine for sale.
Mack was aware that he had a prior felony conviction and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. Mack had three previous convictions for serious drug offenses and was therefore an Armed Career Criminal subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison.
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; 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 FBI, the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, who is prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Alien Sentenced for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Santos Mileny Torres-Diaz, 31, of Honduras, illegally present in the United States and residing in Duplin County, North Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
On July 28, 2020, Torres-Diaz pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. From April 20, 2015 through January 13, 2020, Torres-Diaz, did knowingly use the identity of another person, including, name, date of birth, and Social Security number, which she knowingly purchased for $1000 from a fraudulent document vendor. Torres-Diaz was previously deported from the United States on June 23, 2009 at San Antonio, Texas.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00049-M.
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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.
Albuquerque man charged with bank robberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Calvin Whiteside, 27, of Albuquerque, appeared in federal court on Oct. 29 on two counts of bank robbery. Whiteside will remain in custody pending trial.
According to a criminal complaint, on Oct. 23, Whiteside allegedly entered and robbed Bank of the West on Menaul Blvd. in Albuquerque. Moments after leaving Bank of the West, Whiteside allegedly entered and robbed First Financial Credit Union on San Mateo Blvd. Albuquerque Police identified and apprehended Whiteside a short time later.
If convicted, Whiteside faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen A. White is prosecuting the case.
2 November 2020
West Michigan Woman Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Defrauding Immigrants Seeking Legal Status by Posing as A Department of Homeland Security AttorneyRead the Press Release
Jessica Marie Rubio also was Ordered to Pay $273,755 in Restitution to 91 Victims in Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff sentenced Jessica Marie Rubio, 32, of Holland, Michigan, to 72 months’ imprisonment for defrauding immigrants without legal status in the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343. Rubio was sentenced in Grand Rapids today by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff. In imposing the sentence, Judge Neff commented that Rubio’s fraud was elaborate and found it “appalling when you pick on people trying to pursue the American dream and do it for your own financial gain . . . .”
“Rubio’s fraud scheme targeted people attempting to comply with the immigration laws of the United States and lawfully file paperwork to gain status in the United States. She took advantage of their hopes and dreams, yet pocketed their application fees and never filed these forms with the agencies that administer our immigration laws,” U.S. Attorney Birge commented.
Over a six year period, Rubio solicited people who did not have legal status in the United States by assuming the identity of a Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) attorney and promised to prepare and expedite the immigration application process for them, which included the filing of numerous immigration forms to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) and the Department of Justice - Executive Office for Immigration Review. Rubio demanded payment for her services, purported to be legitimate fees, but never submitted those forms on her clients’ behalf. At least 91 victims in Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama fell victim to this scheme, plus at least two other victims with no monetary losses but whose identity or employment affiliation Rubio misappropriated. Total loss amounts are calculated at $273,755 at the time of sentencing. Rubio violated her pretrial bond and was a fugitive between March 26, 2019 and December 13, 2019, when a U.S. Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force investigation located Rubio and returned her to face trial.
Maintaining the integrity of our nation’s immigration system remains one of the top priorities for the DHS Office of Inspector General (“OIG”). “To that end, the DHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue and investigate those who attempt to defraud the system. The agency has zero tolerance for those who prey upon the vulnerable who simply desire to become U.S. citizens,” Special Agent in Charge Todd Dennis, DHS OIG – Detroit Field Office said.
“As this sentence makes clear, individuals who undermine our nation’s security by compromising the integrity of our immigration laws for their own enrichment will face serious consequences,” said Shane Folden, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HSI will move aggressively to hold those involved in these types of criminal schemes accountable.”
As part of her sentence, the court imposed mandatory restitution for the victims in the amount of $273,755, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $105,245. Rubio also was ordered to serve two years of supervised release following her prison sentence and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by DHS OIG - Detroit Field Office; HSI - San Antonio (Texas) Field Office; HSI - Grand Rapids, the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate of USCIS - Harlingen (Texas) Field Office; Texas Department of Public Safety - Harlingen Criminal Investigations Division; U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force; and the Holland Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay M. West prosecuted the case.
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Washington County Man with Felony Manslaughter Conviction Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Russell Lance Warren, 35, of St. Stephens, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and for possessing stolen firearms. Warren pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2020.
In connection with his guilty plea, Warren admitted that on November 6, 2019, he burglarized a residence in St. Stephens and stole three firearms: (1) a .45-caliber pistol; (2) a .30 30-caliber rifle; and (3) a .22-caliber rifle. After stealing the firearms, Warren went to a wooded area behind his house and fired rounds from the pistol. Warren then returned to his house and hid the stolen firearms in his bedroom closet. Warren admitted that at the time he possessed the stolen firearms, he knew he was a convicted felon and therefore could not legally possess firearms. At the time he possessed the stolen firearms, Warren had prior felony convictions for Manslaughter and Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Circuit Court of Washington County, Alabama.
United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 51 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Warren will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Warren to pay $200 in special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Roller.
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore Announces $992,237 Award to Combat Violent Crime in Selma, AlabamaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore today announced more than $990,000 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the Southern District of Alabama. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
United States Attorney Moore said, “While we have made great strides in reducing violent crime in Selma, much of that progress has been on the ‘weeding’ side and not the ‘seeding’ side. We cannot arrest or prosecute our way out of Selma’s violent crime problem. Law enforcement continues to make Selma safer by removing the most violent trigger-pullers from the community, but we must have community-based programs that target the root of criminal behavior which is poverty, unemployment and the lure of local criminal gangs. I am extremely pleased to announce that the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth and Reconciliation has been awarded a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant in the amount of $992,237 to reduce gang violence in Selma. Unfortunately, we have seen over the years that gang members engage in violent retaliation against rival gang members with innocent citizens often caught in the crossfire. This is a national problem that has been addressed successfully in other cities by programs that aggressively confront the dynamics of street violence and redirect gang members’ anger and provide alternatives to gun violence. The Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth and Reconciliation, under the direction of Ainka Jackson, will be implementing intervention strategies that are modeled after the Nonviolence Institute in Providence, R.I. The model includes education and employment assistance, as well as victim services. The Weed and Seed Board in Selma will be working closely with this program as we continue to coordinate the work of our law enforcement partners to make a better Selma.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
United States Attorney McSwain Announces Successful Results of ADA Accessibility Review for All Polling Places in the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced the results of a review of all election polling places in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to determine their compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. This massive undertaking, which was announced on February 19 of this year, involved nine counties and was the Department of Justice’s first-ever ADA review of an entire district. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all programs, activities, and services provided by public entities. The ADA requires that public entities provide voting facilities that are accessible to people with disabilities.
As part of the review, election officials in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties were asked to complete survey questions pertaining to polling place accessibility in their county. The United States Attorney’s Office then followed up with the county officials to address any access issues and to make sure each county remedied those issues. All nine counties responded to the survey and have now either resolved those issues or are in the process of remediating them.
By way of example, Lancaster County was one of the first counties to respond to the survey, demonstrating full accessibility and an extensive ADA plan in place for the county. Delaware County identified access issues with the entrance to Lamb of God Church in Havertown. Through a bipartisan agreement, the county was able to move that polling place to an accessible location at Chestnutwold School. Bucks County identified an inaccessible polling place in Lower Southampton, and the county is in the process of remediating that situation. Philadelphia County is currently finalizing its review and expects to have all issues resolved before election day.
“Polling place accessibility for the disabled is a critically important issue and one of the many ways that my Office is working hard to provide a free and fair 2020 election,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “People with disabilities deserve equal access to polling places, and we are committed to making sure that they have it. We also appreciate the seriousness with which the counties approached our review, during this 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Any citizen with ADA-related polling place concerns in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is encouraged to contact Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, Civil Rights Coordinator, at 215-861-8200 or [email protected].
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces over $1.9 Million in DOJ Grants to Combat Violent Crime in NevadaRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich today announced $1,957,208 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the District of Nevada. The grants, which have been awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
“Driving down violent crime rates to improve public safety has been one of our office’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “These funds will continue to make our Nevada communities even safer, as our law enforcement partners deploy the new resources provided by Office of Justice Programs.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received funding:
• Clark County received $400,000
• Nevada Department of Public Safety received $720,508
• Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Criminal Justice Assistance received $836,700
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI to Monitor Election Day ComplaintsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – November2, 2020 - United States Attorney Don Cochran announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Sarah Beth Myers and Robert S. Levine will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for tomorrow’s general election. AUSAs Myers and Levine have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers for the Middle District of Tennessee and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “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, the District Election Officers will be on duty while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 615-401-6661.
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 615-232-7500.
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 Cochran 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.”
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U.S. Attorney Wrigley Announces String of Violent Individuals Arrested for Federal Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
FARGO - United States Attorney Drew Wrigley announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Harleigh Josett Haugen, age 20 and Jordan Daniel Kraft, age 21, both of Fargo, ND, for Conspiracy to commit Robbery and Robbery. The Indictment alleges that from May and continuing through June 2019, Haugen and Kraft conspired with a group of young males and females to rob customers of commercial sex. Haugen, Kraft and others posted advertisements on "Skip the Games" promoting prostitution with adult women. The defendants sought to take advantage of a group of commercial sex customers whom they believed would be unwilling to go to law enforcement if they were robbed. The defendants arranged to meet the victims in their private residences and in local apartments controlled by the defendants. Using dangerous weapons, the defendants robbed the commercial sex customers by threats of force and violence, and in some instances the victims were physically assaulted by the defendants before they were robbed.
"While these violent defendants used a novel ruse to allegedly commit robbery, they still got ensnared in our high priority anti-violence initiatives," said US Attorney Drew Wrigley, "and we will continue to aggressively pursue violent offenders and remove them from our communities."
Several of Haugen and Kraft’s co-defendants have also been indicted in North Dakota and are awaiting trial:
• SHELTON LEE MOSEBY, IV, age 19, Fargo, ND: Indicted on charges of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery
• TEAJAHA SHANETTE LAYSHA GRANDER, age 24, Fargo, ND: Indicted on charges of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery
• TATYANNA DESHUAN GRANDER, age 21, Fargo, ND: Indicted on charges of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery
• TEON TYRIK BERRY, age 19, Fargo, ND: Indicted on a charge of Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery
• ZACHARY RONZELL MITCHELL, age 19, Fargo, ND: Indicted on a charge of Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery
• JACOBY RASHAWN LEE, age 19, Fargo, ND: Indicted on a charge of Interference with Commerce by Threats or Violence—Hobbs Act Robbery
Grand jury Indictments are allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigation and the case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Puhl assigned to the case.
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U.S. Attorney Trent Shores Announces $8.5 Million to Combat Violent Crime in the Northern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores today announced more than $8.5 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Oklahoma. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
“I’m thankful for the men and women of the Tulsa Police Department and District Attorneys’ Offices who are called to protect our communities and ensure the safety of all Oklahomans. They are great partners, and I’m proud to see the Justice Department support them with more than $5.6 million in grants,” U.S. Attorney Trent Shores said. “My hope is that this grant money will help Oklahoma officials fulfill their public safety mission by focusing on community outreach, mental health funding, violent crime investigations, research programs and more.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received grant funding in Oklahoma:
BJA Community-Based Crime Reduction: CBCR leverages community knowledge and expertise to focus enforcement efforts on crime “hot spots” ‒ neighborhoods where crime is concentrated. To generate long-term impacts, the program addresses a range of challenges.
- City of Tulsa (TPD)- $900,000
BJA Justice Reinvestment Initiative: JRI provides funding for innovative and research-based responses that address a range of problems within the criminal justice system. The Justice Reinvestment approach recognizes that every justice agency has a role to play in preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, ensuring efficient and effective court and pretrial decision-making, facilitating appropriate sentencing and treatment and protecting community security.
- Tulsa County District Attorney $976,980
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP): NARIP provides financial and technical assistance to states and tribes to improve the completeness, automation and transmittal of records to state and federal systems used by the NICS.
- Oklahoma District Attorneys Council $2,795,947
National Criminal History Improvement Program: NCHIP enhances the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information to state, territory and federal systems used by the NICS and ensures the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems
- Oklahoma District Attorneys Council $359,180
NIJ Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime ($7.3 million): The National Institute for Justice awarded grants to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime.
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences- Drugs and Crime $587,219
“The Tulsa Police Department is thrilled to have been awarded the Community-Based Crime Reduction Grant. The Department worked in partnership with Tulsa Housing Authority to author the grant,” Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said. “The Tulsa Police Department plans to use these funds to assist with youth enrichment, crime prevention, community education and violent crime investigations. Police departments rely upon funding from our federal partners to carry out existing programs as well as pilot programs and initiatives. TPD will build on our collaborative efforts with partners across the community!”
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant: Byrne JAG supports a broad range of initiatives that work to prevent and reduce violent crime. It also provides funds to help crime victims and assist efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
- State of Oklahoma- $2,469,111
- Tulsa County- $20,373
- Tulsa City Municipal- $322,587
- City of Broken Arrow- $11,382
BJA Project Safe Neighborhoods: The efforts of Project Safe Neighborhoods include addressing criminal gangs and the felonious possession and use of firearms. PSN collaborates with local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as the communities they serve, in a unified approach led by the U.S. Attorney in all 94 districts.
- Oklahoma Northern $103,782- Oklahoma District Attorney’s Council
“As a prosecutor for the past 30 plus years, I have longed to tackle issues where the criminal justice system and those with mental health needs intersect. This award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance is certainly a positive step forward in our effort to develop innovative and research-based solutions to this expanding area of the law,” Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said. “We are partnering with Family and Children Services to examine and implement best practices so that individuals suffering from mental illness might be diverted away from criminal prosecution, and towards restorative treatment options. I am certainly appreciative of US Attorney Trent Shores and his tireless efforts to help secure this award on behalf of all citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma. I am equally confident that the Tulsa County District Courts under the leadership of Judge William LaFortune are also appreciative of this allocation of resources to address this need in our community.”
“As a prosecutor for the past 30 plus years, I have longed to tackle issues where the criminal justice system and those with mental health needs intersect. This award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance is certainly a positive step forward in our effort to develop innovative and research-based solutions to this expanding area of the law,” Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said. “We are partnering with Family and Children Services to examine and implement best practices so that individuals suffering from mental illness might be diverted away from criminal prosecution, and towards restorative treatment options. I am certainly appreciative of US Attorney Trent Shores and his tireless efforts to help secure this award on behalf of all citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma. I am equally confident that the Tulsa County District Courts under the leadership of Judge William LaFortune are also appreciative of this allocation of resources to address this need in our community.”
“As the state administering agency for the National Criminal History Improvement Project (NCHIP) and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP), the District Attorneys Council is elated to receive notice of these grant funds,” DAC Executive Coordinator Trent H. Baggett said. “In 2020, NCHIP funds were used to help fourteen (14) law enforcement departments obtain Livescan digital fingerprinting devices that allows the electronic transmission of fingerprints of criminal offenders to be used nationwide for criminal and noncriminal background checks. The NARIP funds helped the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) with their Criminal Record Improvement Project. That project is vital considering the OSBI is the preeminent agency in Oklahoma for the collection of criminal offender records. The DAC is very appreciative of the efforts of everyone who played a role in seeing to it Oklahoma receives these funds.”
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady Announces Record Number of Prosecutions for Western Pennsylvania for FY 2020Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Scott W. Brady, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, today announced that the number of cases being prosecuted by the district reached another all-time record high in fiscal year 2020.
From October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020, the office filed cases against 757 defendants, an increase of 67% versus FY 2016. The total number of drug defendants prosecuted reached 376, a 122% increase versus FY 2016. The total number of firearms defendants prosecuted was 187, a 78% increase versus FY 2016.
All numbers represent the most defendants prosecuted in any one year in the history of the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the cases filed against defendants in the last fiscal year also exceeded FY 2019’s record amounts. The total number of defendants prosecuted last year vs. FY 2019 increased by 14%; the number of drug defendants increased by 22%; and the number of firearms defendants increased by 50%.
"The commitment of the men and women of the US Attorney’s Office to the safety of our region is nothing short of remarkable," stated U.S. Attorney Brady. "Despite a global pandemic and grand jury being shut down for two months this year, our office has prosecuted a record number of total defendants, drug dealers and violent felons federally."
Brady continued: "I believe there is a direct, linear and causal relationship between the number of violent felons that our federal prosecutions remove from communities they are terrorizing, and how safe our neighbors are. We have just completed the two most productive years in the history of this office, and as the head of this office, I am proud that western PA families and their loved ones have safer communities in which to live and flourish than they did in 2016."
U.S. Attorney Brady highlighted seven significant cases involving drug trafficking organizations and the violence associated with these groups, all of which were charged federally and arrested/dismantled during the COVID-19 pandemic:
"OPERATION RENTS DUE" - In May and June 2020, 22 total people were charged with drug conspiracy and firearms violations following an intensive investigation into the narcotics trafficking activities of a neighborhood street gang, known as "11 Hunnit", operating in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood and beyond.
"OPERATION CRYSTAL HIGHWAY" - In June 2020, an indictment was returned charging 38 residents of Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and Erie Counties with narcotics trafficking, money laundering and unlawful possession of firearms. The organization was bringing kilo quantities of methamphetamine from Atlanta for distribution throughout north central Pennsylvania.
"OPERATION COPPER BEACH" - In June 2020, 19 Pennsylvania residents were indicted for their roles in a Philadelphia-to-Indiana County drug trafficking network that distributed methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine, primarily in Indiana County.
"OPERATION NORTH COUNTRY" – In June 2020, 9 members of a significant Philadelphia-to-Butler drug organization whose pipeline brought fentanyl, heroin and cocaine into Butler communities, including near neighborhood playgrounds and schools, were charged.
"OPERATION BEELINE" - In August 2020, 26 residents of western Pennsylvania were charged following a wiretap investigation into drug trafficking and gun violence by a street gang known as the "Shot Boyz", who were wreaking havoc in Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood.
"OPERATION NO MERCY" - In September 2020, 13 members of a drug trafficking organization based in New Castle, PA were indicted for trafficking significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. The organization’s source of supply was traced to a cartel in Mexico.
"OPERATION TRIPWIRE" – In September 2020, 27 members of an international drug trafficking organization were indicted, following an investigation that dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking pipeline that brought hundreds of kilos of cocaine from Mexican cartels, into the United States through California and Arizona, and across the country to the streets of Pittsburgh.
U.S. Attorney Schroder Announces More Than $1.8 Million Awarded to Combat Violent Crime in AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Schroder announced $1,875,130 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Alaska. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety received funding under two programs:
• National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) $899,032
• National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) $976,098
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Says DOJ is Ready for Election DayRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Christopher P. Tenorio (619) 909-7556
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 2, 2020
SAN DIEGO – In anticipation of the upcoming general elections, the U.S. Department of Justice is providing detailed information about its particular efforts, through the Criminal Division, Civil Rights Division, and National Security Division, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or fraud in the election process.
“We are prepared to address any Election Day issues that arise,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “Voters should feel confident that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are committed to making sure they will be able to vote safely, and without interference or discrimination.”
Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process. The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the department’s U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer in the Southern District of California, are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election fraud, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, and alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. The Criminal Division is also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting voter intimidation for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted below, voter intimidation that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division).
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country have designated Assistant U.S. Attorneys to serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in the respective Districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their Districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C. 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, U.S. Attorney Brewer has designated AUSA/DEO Christopher Tenorio to remain on duty while the polls are open. The public can reach him at (619) 909-7556.
From now through Nov. 3, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices will work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election fraud are handled appropriately. Specifically:
• In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the District Election Officers in U.S. Attorney’s Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
• Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Offices or the local FBI office. The FBI will have special agents and an Election Crimes Coordinator available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. The public can contact the San Diego FBI at (858) 320-1800. The public may also contact the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. at (800) 253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/
• DOJ’s Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.
All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911; after alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the department.
The U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division:
The department's Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; the National Voter Registration Act; the Help America Vote Act; and the Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
• Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
• Prohibit intimidation of voters;
• Provide that voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or illiteracy can obtain assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
• Provide for accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
• Provide for provisional ballots for voters who assert they are registered and eligible, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
• Provide for absentee voting for absent uniformed service members, their family members, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
• Provide for covered States to offer citizens the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail; and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and vote suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
On Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020, the Civil Rights Division will implement a comprehensive program to help ensure the right to vote that will include the following:
• The Civil Rights Division will conduct monitoring in the field under the federal voting rights statutes.
• Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations relating to any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. Attorneys in the division will coordinate within the Department of Justice and will take appropriate action concerning these complaints before, during, and after Election Day.
• Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and also can submit complaints through a link on the department’s website, at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.• Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website, at ada.gov.
• Once again, complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.
The U.S. DOJ National Security Division:
The department's National Security Division supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:
• The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt, including computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure; covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
• The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.
As in past elections, on Nov. 3, 2020, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorney’s Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. In particular, attorneys from both sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Field Offices to counter any such threats. Again, complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should also be reported to the department.
Both protecting the right to vote and combating election fraud are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information suggesting voting rights concerns or ballot fraud to contact the appropriate authorities, and notes in particular that the Department of Homeland Security plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. Announces $403,972 to Combat Violent Crime in Eastern District of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. today announced $403,972.00 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
“These two grants are critical to our ongoing effort to ‘Take Back North Carolina’ from the violent criminals, drug traffickers and gangs plaguing many of our communities.” Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina commented. “Law enforcement in Henderson has been a strong partner with the Department of Justice for the last three years as the work to rid that community of those who use and carry guns illegally. Funding for their Crime Gun Intelligence Center will help them to further strengthen their efforts and to know how guns are being used or by who. And funds for the Gang Investigation Association add resources to an organization that is laser focused on one of our most wide-spread crime problems and illegal gang activity.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received funding:
- Henderson Police Department $215,919 FY 20 Crime Gun Intelligence Center
- North Carolina Gang Investigators Association $188,053 FY20 Project Safe Neighborhoods EDNC
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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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.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Announces Latest Results of Operation False Haven: Convicted Child Molester Arrested in Fayetteville on Naturalization Fraud, Document Fraud and False Statement ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man arrested on charges of naturalization fraud, document fraud, and making false statements in naturalization proceedings had an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Abdelfatah Khadir, age 44, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in Morocco, residing in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with naturalization fraud, document fraud, and making false statements in naturalization proceedings.
According to the indictment, Khadir knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed the crime of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. Khadir was thereafter naturalized as a United States citizen on March 25, 2016.
Khadir is charged in a six-count indictment with naturalization fraud, document fraud, and making false statements in naturalization proceedings. If convicted of naturalization and document fraud, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 25 years per count, a $250,000 fine per count, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. A conviction for naturalization fraud also carries an automatic revocation of United States citizenship. If convicted of false statements in naturalization proceedings, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 5 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry states in its public website that Khadir was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a 9 year old victim on March 25, 2019. Khadir, according to the Registry, committed the offense on April 9, 2017, was sentenced to a suspended term of imprisonment of 19 to 32 months and placed on probation for 60 months.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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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.
U.S. Attorney Patrick names election officersRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Civil Chief Daniel Hu has been appointed to serve as the election officer for civil matters, while Deputy Criminal Chief Sharad Khandelwal will act as the criminal election officer. In their capacities, both are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.
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 Department of Justice (DOJ) has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. DOJ’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 for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
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 Nov. 3, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs Khandelwal and Hu will be on duty in this district while the polls are open and can be reached at 713-567-9345 and 713-567-9518, respectively.
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.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form here.
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.
U.S. Attorney Overbey Announces $700,000 in Justice Grants to Combat Violent Crime CrisisRead the Press Release
Awards Are Part of More than $458 Million in Justice Department Funding Announced by Attorney General Barr
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey announced $700,000 in Department of Justice grants to the City of Chattanooga to fight and prevent violent crime in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state and local law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of states, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
“Our office has been a leader in fighting to reduce violent crime in Chattanooga for many years, and in fact, our office works daily with a city-funded Special Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to us for the sole purpose of charging Chattanooga’s most violent offenders federally,” said U. S. Attorney Overbey. “This grant will certainly enhance the Chattanooga Police Department’s efforts as we move forward in this battle.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation. OJP’s office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces More Than $2.6 Million to Combat Violent Crime in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Michael Bailey today announced more than $2.6 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Arizona. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations in the District of Arizona received funding:
- Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of ASU - $203,939
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (2 Awards) - $675,614; $1,810,569
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-094_Violent Crime Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ the
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of ASU - $203,939
U.S. Attorney McAllister Announces $2.7 Million to Fight Violent Crime in KansasRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - Law enforcement agencies in Kansas will receive a total of $2.7 million in federal grants to fight violent crime, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
The grants include:
- $1 million to the City of Wichita from the Community Based Crime Reduction program for enforcement focused on crime hotspots in the city.
- $999,958 to Wyandotte County from the Community Based Crime Reduction program for enforcement focused on crime hotspots.
- $782,324 to the Executive Office of the State of Kansas for improvements to the electronic record system for criminal justice and background checks.
The awards are part of $458 million in Justice Department funding announced today by Attorney General William P. Barr.
“The safety of Kansas communities is at the top of our priorities,” McAllister said. “These resources will help support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing increases in crime. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components is available at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces $2.8 Million in Justice Department Grants to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced $2,870,008 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“Violence has absolutely no place in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the public, and our office continues to partner with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to make our District safer for all of our citizens. I’m pleased to announce that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was awarded almost $3 million to improve the systems of record we rely upon to fully assess and appropriately address potentially violent situations.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received funding for the following programs:
- National Criminal History Improvement Program - $668,501
- National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) - $2,201,507
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - DOJ Violent Crime GrantsU.S. Attorney Garrison Announces $7.7 Million in Dept. of Justice Grants to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison today announced more than $7.7 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. The local grants are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“The Department of Justice grants announced today address a wide range of issues related to dispensing justice, from law enforcement to prosecutors to courts,” Garrison said. “This federal grant funding bolsters our efforts, and the efforts of our state and local partners, to reduce crime and improve public safety in the Western District of Missouri.”
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The following organizations received a total of $7,783,383 in federal grant funding:
• The Kansas City, Mo., Police Department received $1,428,571 under Operation Relentless Pursuit. This initiative infuses federal law enforcement resources into seven cities with violent crime levels several times the national average. Federal funds support efforts such as hiring prosecutors, overtime expenses for task force members, multi-agency investigations, technology, and strategic planning.
• The Missouri Attorney General’s Office received $397,020 and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office received $247,236 under Project Guardian. This initiative reduces gun violence and enforces federal firearms laws. Funds will enable jurisdictions to hire prosecutors within local U.S. Attorney’s Offices who are cross-designated to bring firearms cases to federal court.
• The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office received $340,000 under Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime. This program provides state, local, and tribal prosecutors with resources, training, and technical assistance to implement technology and develop strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime.
• The Kansas City, Mo., Police Department received $998,478 under Operation LeGend. This is an ongoing, systematic, and coordinated law enforcement initiative across all federal law enforcement agencies. It enables them to work with state and local law enforcement officials to fight the current surge of violent crime in American cities.
• The Kansas City, Mo., Municipal Court received $1 million and the Judiciary Courts of the State of Missouri received $996,466 under the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. This provides funding for innovative and research-based responses that address a range of problems within the criminal justice system. The Justice Reinvestment approach recognizes that every justice agency has a role to play in preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, ensuring efficient and effective court and pretrial decision-making, facilitating appropriate sentencing and treatment and protecting community security.
• The Missouri State Highway Patrol received $1,009,423 under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. This provides financial and technical assistance to states and tribes to improve the completeness, automation, and transmittal of records to state and federal systems used by the NICS.
• The Missouri State Highway Patrol received $1,366,189 under the National Criminal History Improvement Program. This enhances the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information to state, territory and federal systems used by the NICS and ensures the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant Announces over $2 Million to Combat Violent Crime in MemphisRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN –U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant today announced more than $2 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the Western District of Tennessee. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
"One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans."
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
"Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime."
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Under Operation LeGend, we have intensified our focus on removing firearms from the hands of prohibited persons, and removing violent offenders from our streets. We are thankful to Attorney General Barr for providing these additional OJP grant resources to combat violent gun crime in Memphis, and we will continue to coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to use these resources to effectively target the real crime drivers in Memphis and Shelby County: gangs, guns, and drugs."
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received funding:
• Operation Relentless Pursuit
Shelby County
$1,428,571• Project Guardian
District Attorney General, 30th Judicial District
$398,864• Operation LeGend
Shelby County
$200,000For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney DeVillers announces $1.7M to combat violent crime in Hamilton CountyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers today announced $1.7 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Hamilton County. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
Hamilton County was awarded $1 million through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Community-Based Crime Reduction grant. The grant leverages community knowledge and expertise to focus enforcement efforts on crime “hot spots” – neighborhoods where crime is concentrated – to generate long-term impacts.
Hamilton County was also awarded $700,000 through BJA’s Strategies for Policing Innovation grant. The aim of this funding is for state and local law enforcement agencies to work with researchers to identify innovative and evidence-based strategies to tackle chronic crime.
“Today’s grants will bolster the work we already have underway in Cincinnati to hold armed and violent offenders accountable,” U.S. Attorney DeVillers said.
Other grant award recipients in the Southern District of Ohio include the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, who was awarded more than $1.1 million to enhance the quality, completeness and accessibility of criminal history record information through the National Criminal History Improvement Program. This funding ensures the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems.
Licking County was awarded $339,000 from the Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime program. The program is designed to provide local prosecutors with training and strategies for prosecuting violent offenders.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources. More information about OJP and its components can be found at https://www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney Daniel Bubar Announces $488,595 to the City of Danville to Combat Violent Crime through Anti-Gang Programs for YouthRead the Press Release
DANVILLE, Va.- Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar today announced more than $488,000 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the Western District of Virginia. Specifically, this grant has been awarded to the City of Danville as a part of its gang prevention, intervention and suppression efforts. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
“We cannot simply prosecute our way out of the gang violence problem that persists in Danville and other communities in the Western District of Virginia,” United States Attorney Bubar said today. “These funds will allow the City of Danville to provide critical programming for young people who may be tempted to enter the destructive gang lifestyle. Danville has made great strides in reducing violent crime brought on by gangs and I hope this grant helps expand that important work.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received funding:
• The City of Danville received $488,595 in OJJDP Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression funding. These programs providing funding for communities to develop youth gang intervention and suppression programs that aim to reduce violence.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney Carpenito Announces $2.9 Million in Grants to Combat Violent Crime in District of New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. –U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito today announced more than $2.9 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the District of New Jersey. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
“Combatting violent crime has been a top priority of our office,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “It’s a job that requires resources and cooperation among all levels of law enforcement. We have worked incredibly hard to develop strategies that allow us to combine the efforts of our local, state and federal partners to keep our citizens safe. The grants announced today will provide us with additional tools in that effort.”
The funding announced today continues the Justice Department’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received funding:
BJA Community-Based Crime Reduction
CBCR leverages community knowledge and expertise to focus enforcement efforts on
crime “hot spots” ‒ neighborhoods where crime is concentrated. To generate long-term impacts, the program addresses a range of challenges.
- Newark Community Street Team, $915,000
BJA Strategies for Policing Innovation
Through SPI, BJA works with state and local law enforcement agencies and researchers to identify innovative and evidence-based strategies to tackle chronic crime in their jurisdictions.
- City of Atlantic City, $699,990
BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime
The program provides state, local and tribal prosecutors with resources, training and technical assistance to implement technology and develop strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime.
- Cumberland County, $135,000
OJJDP Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression
More than $10 million was awarded to 24 jurisdictions under OJJDP’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Programs for Youth. These programs provide funding for communities to develop youth gang intervention or suppression programs that aim to reduce violence.
Category I: Intervention
- Cumberland County, $499,791
National Criminal History Improvement Program
NCHIP enhances the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information to state, territory and federal systems used by the NICS and ensures the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems.
- N.J. Department of Law and Public Safety, $666,616
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov
U.s. Attorney Kurt Alme Announces $2.23 Million to Combat Violent Crime in MontanaRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme today announced more than $2.23 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the District of Montana. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to fight and prevent violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
“In 2019, Montana saw an 8.1 percent increase in violent crime according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. These grants will help local, state and tribal law enforcement agencies combat it and protect our citizens and communities. I am pleased to announce these awards for Montana,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.3 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following Montana organizations received funding:
- BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, local and tribal: $344,743
- Cascade County/Great Falls, $31,610
- Lewis and Clark County, $12,446
- Helena, $26,658
- Missoula County, $12,403
- Missoula, $46,037
- Yellowstone County, $13,135
- Billings, $71,102
- Blackfeet Tribe, $15,461
- Bozeman, $16,839
- Butte-Silver Bow City and County, $18,949
- Chippewa-Cree Tribe, $11,499
- Flathead County, $24,720
- Gallatin County, $11,456
- Lake County, $11,585
- Kalispell, $10,120
- Roosevelt County, $10,723
- BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, state, Montana, $877,225
- BJA Project Neighborhoods: Montana, $92,945
- Project Guardian, Yellowstone County, $216,755
- National Criminal History Improvement Program, Montana Department of Corrections, Montana Board of Crime Control, $700,000
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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- BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, local and tribal: $344,743