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21 October 2020
Former Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL –Travis Ryan Pritchard (37, Green Cove Springs) today pleaded guilty to one count of producing an image of a child being sexually abused and one count of possessing an image of a prepubescent child being sexually abused. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison, as well as a life term of supervised release.
Pritchard was indicted on May 20, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offenses, Pritchard was employed as a deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to the DUI unit. From December 2019 through May 2, 2020, Pritchard used an online chat application to communicate in a sexual manner with a 15-year-old child. Beginning on April 29, 2020, an undercover detective from the Green Cove Springs Police Department assumed the child’s identity and continued chatting with Pritchard using the online chat application. Late in the night of May 1, 2020, and into the early morning hours of the next day, Pritchard encouraged the “child” to sneak out of the child’s home to meet with him for a “quickie.” In anticipation of their meeting, he sent the “child” a photograph of himself from the waist down, wearing only boxer shorts. At approximately 2:00 a.m. on May 2, 2020, Pritchard arrived near the child’s home in his patrol vehicle, and sent the “child” a message saying, “I’m here.” A short time later, Pritchard was arrested by officers from the Green Cove Springs Police Department.
A forensic review of Pritchard’s cellphone yielded multiple conversations between the child and Pritchard, as well as an encrypted secure digital folder that contained multiple depictions of child sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by the Green Cove Springs Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former City of Boston Employee Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former employee of the City of Boston was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison for distributing cocaine and fentanyl.
Gary “Jamal” Webster, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to eight months in prison and two years of supervised release. The government sought a sentence of 30 months of incarceration.
In November 2019, Webster pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
In September and October 2016, a cooperating witness made four controlled purchases of cocaine and one purchase of fentanyl from Webster, who was then the Director of Constituent Services for a Boston City Councilor. In total, Webster sold over 300 grams (two-thirds of one pound) of cocaine and 49 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness during the two-month period.
This case was part of Operation Landshark, a federal investigation that targeted impact players and repeat offenders in Brockton and Boston, many of whom had prior convictions for acts of violence, firearm offenses and/or drug trafficking.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and Southeastern Massachusetts Gang Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Plymouth and Essex County Sheriff’s Offices; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; U.S. Parole Commission; U.S. Postal Inspection Services; and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Operation Landshark was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. DOJ 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.
Former Blue Bell Creameries President Charged in Connection with 2015 Ice Cream Listeria ContaminationRead the Press Release
A Texas grand jury charged the former president of ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries L.P. with wire fraud and conspiracy in connection with an alleged scheme to cover up the company’s sales of Listeria-tainted ice cream in 2015, the Justice Department announced today.
In an indictment filed in federal court in Austin, Texas, former Blue Bell president Paul Kruse was charged with seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to his alleged efforts to conceal from customers what the company knew about Listeria contamination in certain Blue Bell products. According to the indictment, Texas state officials notified Blue Bell in February 2015 that two ice cream products from the company’s Brenham, Texas, factory tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous pathogen that can lead to serious illness or death in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Kruse allegedly orchestrated a scheme to deceive certain Blue Bell customers, including by directing employees to remove potentially contaminated products from store freezers without notifying retailers or consumers about the real reason for the withdrawal. The indictment alleges that Kruse directed employees to tell customers who asked about the removal that there was an unspecified issue with a manufacturing machine. The company did not immediately recall the products or issue any formal communication to inform customers about the potential Listeria contamination.
“American consumers trust that the individuals who lead food manufacturing companies will put the public safety before profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will take appropriate action against those who ship contaminated products and choose not to tell consumers about known risks.”
“U.S. consumers rely on food producers and suppliers to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply. The charges announced today show that if an individual violates food safety rules or conceals relevant information, we will seek to hold them accountable,” said Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D., Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize public health.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service's number one priority is the safety and well-being of America's warfighters and their families," said Michael Mentavlos, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. “The results of this investigation are an example of DCIS' determination to enforce food safety standards, as required by Defense Department contracts. These standards not only protect individuals, but are paramount to military readiness.”
The indictment, returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, further alleges that March 2015 tests conducted by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked the strain of Listeria in one of the Blue Bell ice cream products to a strain that sickened five patients at a Kansas hospital with listeriosis, the severe illness caused by ingestion of Listeria-contaminated food. The FDA, CDC, and Blue Bell issued public recall notifications on March 13, 2015. Subsequent tests confirmed Listeria contamination in a product made at another Blue Bell facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, which resulted in a second recall announcement on March 23, 2015. Additional positive test results ultimately led Blue Bell to recall all ice cream products in April 2015.
Blue Bell pleaded guilty in a related case in May to two counts of distributing adulterated food products in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. On Sept. 17, 2020, the court sentenced the company to pay criminal penalties totaling $17.25 million. Blue Bell also agreed to pay an additional $2.1 million to resolve civil False Claims Act allegations regarding ice cream products manufactured under insanitary conditions and sold to federal facilities, including the military. The total $19.35 million in fine, forfeiture, and civil settlement payments constitutes the second largest-ever amount paid in resolution of a food safety matter.
Blue Bell temporarily closed all of its plants in late April 2015 to clean and update its facilities. Since re-opening its facilities in late 2015, Blue Bell has taken significant steps to enhance sanitation processes and enact a program to test products for Listeria prior to shipment.
Kruse was previously charged by criminal information on May 1, 2020, during the temporary closure of grand juries in the Western District of Texas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That criminal information later was dismissed without opposition from the government, and the new indictment returned by the grand jury, which has resumed operations, now sets out the charges against Kruse.
The indictment filed against Kruse merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Patrick Hearn and Matt Lash of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case with assistance from Shannon Singleton of the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The criminal investigation was conducted by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the DCIS.
For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch, visit their website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Former Biologist Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from San Diego ZooRead the Press Release
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill (619) 546-7924
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 21, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Former San Diego Zoo biologist Matthew John Anderson was sentenced in federal court today to six months in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the San Diego Zoo.
In March, Anderson pleaded guilty to a theft charge, admitting that he created dozens of fake invoices, often in the names of fictitious vendors, and submitted them to the zoo for payment for products never purchased or received. Anderson also submitted invoices for personal expenses. The zoo paid these invoices by, in some cases, sending money to accounts controlled by Anderson, and in others by sending payments to third parties who kicked back the bulk of the payments to Anderson. Over the course of eight years of fraud, Anderson caused the zoo to suffer a total loss of $236,682.86.
In imposing sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns noted that Mr. Anderson not only abused a position of trust, but that he did so “over the long haul” and that this was not a case of one discreet lapse of judgment. Anderson, 50, appeared for his sentencing hearing having tendered full restitution to the zoo. In imposing a custodial term, Chief Judge Burns noted that “you cannot systematically steal over a period and just say that you will pay it back.” The judge then remanded Mr. Anderson into custody to serve his term.
Anderson worked for the zoo for more than 17 years, starting as a research fellow and ultimately serving as the Director of Behavioral Biology for the zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research until the zoo terminated his employment in late 2017. A citizen of the United Kingdom, Anderson faces likely deportation as a consequence of his sentence.
“For years, this defendant took advantage of the trust of one of our city’s most beloved institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “His theft compromised the San Diego Zoo’s world-renowned conservation work, made possible by government grants, charitable donations and the work of thousands of unpaid volunteers.” Brewer praised the excellent work of prosecutor Jeffrey Hill and FBI agents.
“The FBI unraveled a years-long plot to steal money from San Diego's prized institution by a trusted employee,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner. “Today, the zoo has been made whole again through payment of full restitution and Mr. Anderson was forced to face justice for his fraudulent actions through his prison sentence.”
DEFENDANT Case No. 20-CR-0812-LAB
Matthew John Anderson Ramona, California Age: 50
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Theft or conversion concerning programs receiving federal funds – 18 U.S.C. § 666
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Ex-law enforcement officer admits to transporting drug moneyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former deputy constable and her husband have entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Betty Jean Molina, 57, pleaded guilty today, while her husband - Henry Molina, 60 – entered his plea July 28. Both reside in Houston. The couple admitted to transporting what they believed to be approximately a half-million dollars in drug proceeds on multiple occasions. They had also agreed to transport heroin.
At the time of the offense, Betty Molina was a deputy constable with Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, but she is no longer employed there. As part of her plea, she admitted to using her law enforcement credentials when stopped for speeding on one of their trips.
As part of the pleas, the couple admitted to obtaining several thousand dollars of what they believed to be drug proceeds and brought it back to Houston. On at least one occasion, they also transported a significant amount of narcotics.
In return, they received approximately $30,000 combined for all of their criminal actions.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. accepted both pleas and set sentencing for Jan. 26, 2021. At that time, they each face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine.
The couple was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alamdar S. Hamdani and Arthur R. Jones are prosecuting the case.
Emporia Man Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing 5 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Emporia man was sentenced today to one year prison for lying on ATF forms in the course of straw purchasing five firearms.
According to court documents, following the recovery of a firearm from a convicted felon by the Metropolitan Police Department, ATF agents reviewed firearm transaction records and determined that Shatez Damauri-Quadre Franklin, 23, had purchased the firearm and numerous others less than three months prior from a sporting goods store in Colonial Heights. In making the purchases, Franklin represented himself as the true buyer of the firearms. However, immediately after he received the firearms, Franklin transferred them to another individual who was going to resell them in Washington, D.C. Franklin was paid by the individual for making the purchases.
This case is 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker 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. 1:20-cr-125.
Eleven indicted in illegal marijuana trafficking investigationRead the Press Release
Seattle - Eleven defendants were indicted in three separate indictments for their parts in manufacturing, distributing, and profiting from the production and distribution of illegal marijuana across the country and in the Puget Sound region, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. Some of the defendants were arrested today in coordinated searches of 27 locations in the Puget Sound region and additional searches in New York. Many of the locations in Washington were illegal grow houses, and others were businesses that allegedly served as front companies. Those arrested before noon today will make their appearance at 1:00 in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
“This criminal group operated outside Washington State’s regulatory scheme for marijuana, distributing thousands of pounds of marijuana to states where marijuana was, or remains, illegal, making huge sums of money,” said U.S. Attorney Moran. “Members of the group turned homes in the Seattle area into illegal grow houses, damaging neighborhoods, and competing unfairly with honest buyers who are just trying to afford their first home.”
“This type of organized crime has a negative impact on the safety and the quality of life in our local neighborhoods. It cannot be tolerated” said King County Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht. “I am very thankful for the hard work and long hours our detectives have put in to make this investigation a success.”
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined marijuana was being shipped to Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, and Missouri. Today, search teams led by investigators and agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation executed search warrants at locations in Skyway, Renton, Kent, Lake Tapps, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Covington, SeaTac, and Snohomish.
In the first indictment, RAYMOND NG, 49, and QIFANG CHEN, 32, are charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. NG operates Skyway General Contractors, and the couple is involved in the purchase of multiple properties that have been used as marijuana grows.
The second indictment charges WEI QUAN WU, 46, and DA BIAO WU, 52, with seven federal counts involving conspiracy, manufacturing, and possessing marijuana for distribution at different locations throughout the Puget Sound region.
Finally, the third indictment charges WOBIAO LEI, 35, XINMING WU, 35, YI JUN CHEN, 33, GUO GUI YU, 39, CHEE CHOONG NG, 52, GUOLONG LEE, 31, and LINGFENG LEI, 26, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, as well as possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and manufacturing marijuana with intent to distribute. CHEE CHOONG NG was arrested by Postal Inspection agents today in Brooklyn, New York.
In each of the indictments, the government has filed for forfeiture of properties associated with the conspiracy and other proceeds of the crimes. Due to the amount of illegal marijuana involved, if convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum ten years in prison.
“It's clear the leaders of this organization contributed widely to the illegal marijuana drug trade in the Pacific Northwest,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “Illegal grow operations such as these, with their extensive networks, have a wide reaching and destructive impact to the communities they inhabit. With these arrests and seizures of illegal marijuana grow operations, we bring down one of the largest networks in the region. This should serve as a reminder to the community that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our local, state, and federal partners, continues working diligently to keep any and all prohibited substances out of the US Mail.”
“The alleged members of this interstate drug trafficking organization will be held accountable for their conduct,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. “Criminal organizations that willfully ignore state marijuana regulations for their own enrichment will be investigated and prosecuted by IRS-CI and our partners.”
The charges contained in the indictments are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the King County Sheriff’s Office. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) assisted with the search warrants.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Manheim and Stephen Hobbs.
lei_et_al_indictment.pdf ng_chen_indictment.pdf wu_indictment.pdfElection Officers Designated in Central District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser announced today the appointment of District Election Officers in the Central District of Illinois in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. Assistant U.S. Attorneys appointed to serve as election officers in each of the district’s four divisions include: Gregory M. Gilmore in the Springfield headquarters office; David H. Hoff in the Urbana branch office; Darilynn J. Knauss in Peoria; and, John K. Mehochko in Rock Island. District election officers are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.
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 on 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.
Designated election officers will be available in each of the district’s four offices on Nov. 3, to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses, and to ensure such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities. Election officers may be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers:
Springfield: Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore, 217-492-4450;
Urbana: Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Hoff, 217-373-5875;
Peoria: Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss, 309-671-7050; and,
Rock Island: Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko, 309-793-5884.
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 office in the Central District of Illinois can be reached by the public at 217-522-9675.
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 1-800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, individuals should call 911 immediately and prior to contacting federal authorities as state and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places.
Drug Enforcement Administration to Hold 19th Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan wants to ensure that everyone knows how to rid their homes of unused and unwanted medications.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, at locations across the country. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
“Many people don’t know how to properly clean out their medicine cabinets. Failing to safely dispose of old medications, especially opioids, all too often leads to dangerous drugs ending up in the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Deegan. “The DEA is providing an important public service by providing an easy way to dispose of unneeded medications. I encourage everyone to get rid of their old and unused prescription medicine in the proper way. Doing so will make our communities safer.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year. For more information, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off.
This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com.
Department of Justice Releases Report on its Efforts to Disrupt, Dismantle, and Destroy MS-13Read the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice released “Full Scale Response: A Report on the Department’s Efforts to Combat MS-13 from 2016-2020.” This report describes the Department’s work to dismantle La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) in the United States and abroad. The data show that since 2016, the Department has prosecuted approximately 749 MS-13 gang members. So far, more than 500 of these MS-13 gang members have been convicted, including 37 who received life sentences. Department prosecutors are using more than 20 federal criminal statutes to prosecute MS-13 members, including, for the first time, filing terrorism charges against MS-13’s leadership. The data also show that for decades MS-13 has exploited weaknesses in border enforcement policies, as approximately 74 percent of the defendants prosecuted were unlawfully present in the United States. The report also describes the Department’s efforts to combat MS-13 internationally through increased partnerships with law enforcement in Mexico and Central America. Through international cooperation, hundreds of MS-13 members have been arrested abroad and more than 50 MS-13 members have been extradited to the United States.
Combating MS-13 has been a top priority for the Department of Justice. On February 9, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13773, directing the whole-of-government to develop and execute a comprehensive approach to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) such as MS-13 and restore safety for the American people. In doing so, the President recognized that these organizations put the safety of the American people at risk through widespread illegal conduct, including acts of violence and abuse that exhibit a wanton disregard for human life. The President directed the Department to support and improve the coordination of federal agencies’ efforts to identify, interdict, investigate, prosecute, and dismantle TCOs and subsidiary organizations within and beyond the United States. Pursuant to the President’s Executive Order, on October 15, 2018, Attorney General Sessions created the Transnational Organized Crime Task Force to focus on the disruption and dismantlement of TCOs such as MS-13.
On August 16, 2019, Attorney General Barr created Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) to coordinate and lead the efforts of the Department and U.S. law enforcement agencies against MS-13 in order to eradicate the group. JTFV has successfully increased coordination and collaboration with international law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala; prioritized prosecutions against MS-13 cliques and leaders; and coordinated significant MS-13 indictments in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country.
“In 2017, the President directed the Department of Justice to go to war against MS-13, and we did just that,” said Attorney General Barr. “In coordination with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department’s law enforcement components have successfully investigated, charged, and arrested command and control elements of MS-13 responsible for particularly heinous crimes against our communities. Joint Task Force Vulcan’s operations have significantly degraded MS-13 capabilities. While there is still work to be done, the Department of Justice remains steadfastly committed to protecting Americans from MS-13, and we will not rest until we have successfully eradicated this violent gang.”
Federal prosecutors from the Department’s National Security Division, the Criminal Division, and 10 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have been assigned full-time to JTFV. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices represented include: the Eastern District of New York, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Nevada, the Southern District of California, the District of Massachusetts, the Northern District of Ohio, the District of New Jersey, the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Utah, and the District of Columbia. In addition, the Department’s law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Prisons. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has also played a critical role in JTFV.
In addition, components of the Department’s Criminal Division are involved in efforts to dismantle MS-13. The Organized Crime and Gang Section, together with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has indicted and tried complex RICO prosecutions against significant MS-13 leaders, members, and associates across the country. The Office of International Affairs has worked to pursue the extradition of high-level MS-13 targets and obtain crucial foreign evidence for MS-13 cases. The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training has coordinated with counterparts in Central America on joint operations that have resulted in significant indictments of gang members and seizures of firearms and money. And the Office of Enforcement Operations has provided critical support and assistance to MS-13 investigations.
Information Regarding the Immigration Status of MS-13 Defendants
The vast majority of the MS-13 members that the Department has prosecuted from 2016 through 2020 were unlawfully present in the United States. The approximate immigration status makeup of the defendants is as follows:
- 74 percent were unlawfully present in the United States;
- 15 percent had an immigration status that could not be determined;
- 8 percent were U.S. Citizens;
- 3 percent had lawful status in the United States.
Information Regarding the Department’s International Efforts to Combat MS-13
The Department and its federal law enforcement partners have assisted law enforcement in Central America and Mexico through training, operational support, the deployment of specialized technology, and intelligence sharing. As part of these efforts, FBI special agents and analytical staff are embedded with their international law enforcement partners through Transnational Anti-Gang Units (TAG) where they jointly investigate MS-13 and other gangs found in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. HSI has specially trained Central American law enforcement officers to target MS-13 in Central America through its Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIUs) program. TAGs and TCIUs have arrested hundreds of MS-13 members in Central America.
Federal law enforcement agencies have also provided technical support and intelligence to law enforcement in Central America. After MS-13 and other gangs targeted Salvadoran law enforcement with a series of bombings, ATF assisted Salvadoran authorities in its investigation into the bombings. The USMS has regularly shared intelligence with their international counterparts to locate MS-13 fugitives in the United States and El Salvador. The increased cooperation has led to the arrest of MS-13 fugitives in Central America and the United States. More than 50 MS-13 members have been extradited to the United States as a result of these partnerships.
DHS has deployed technology to Mexico and Central America to identify and track dangerous MS-13 members in order to stop them before they enter the United States. DHS deployed the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) in Central America. The BITMAP system stores biometric data for individuals enrolled in the system and shares it with law enforcement and immigration authorities in Central America and the United States. By enrolling MS-13 gang members into BITMAP, HSI is able to ensure that these dangerous individuals are identified if they attempt to enter the United States. Most MS-13 members who are illegally present in the United States enter via Mexico. Working with its partners in Mexico, DHS deployed its DHS Biometric Encounter Analysis and Screening Team to Migration Centers in Mexico so that MS-13 members can be detected before they reach the United States.
Department of Justice Highlights Work Combating Anti-Semitic ActsRead the Press Release
Today, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen presented remarks highlighting the Department of Justice’s work combating anti-Semitic acts at a virtual conference hosted by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo entitled “Ancient Hatred, Modern Medium”—the first ever government-sponsored event focused on online anti-Semitism. Deputy Attorney General Rosen described just a few of the Department of Justice’s many recent accomplishments in combating anti-Semitism, focusing on social media and the internet. His remarks as prepared for delivery are available here, and the full State Department conference may be viewed here.
Attorney General William Barr has emphasized that anti-Semitic acts, like other acts of violence motivated by hatred or bias, “violate the personal security of individuals, threaten the freedom of communities to pursue their faith and way of life, and disregard the common ties that bind our Nation together.” The Department is committed to combating anti-Jewish hatred on multiple fronts and in a multi-faceted approach, using both criminal and civil statutes. In this effort, federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state law enforcement, local officials, and religious communities. In the last three years, the Department of Justice has worked to protect the rights of the Jewish community, and of all faith communities, through a variety of initiatives and engagements. In addition to those set out in today’s remarks at the State Department conference, those include the following:
Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism
On July 15, 2019, at its headquarters, the Department of Justice held a Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism. The Summit brought together 150 leading members of the Jewish community and featured speeches by Attorney General Barr, Deputy Attorney General Rosen, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Education Secretary Betsy Devos, Assistant Attorney General Beth Williams, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, and Special Envoy Elan Carr, as well as prosecutors, academics, and community activists. Speakers addressed the increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campuses, the balance between fighting anti-Semitic rhetoric while respecting First Amendment freedoms, and the Department’s record in prosecuting hate crimes against Jews.
Attorney General’s Meeting with Religious Leaders in Brooklyn, New York
Attorney General Barr traveled to Brooklyn, New York on January 28, 2020 to meet with the heads of local Jewish community councils in areas of Brooklyn suffering from a spike in hate crimes against Jews, as well as heads of major Jewish organizations in the city. The Attorney General personally heard stories of how the Jewish community was affected by the hate crimes and exchanged ideas on how the Department could assist the community in responding to the spike. At the meeting, the Attorney General announced that in recognition of an increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes across the country, the Department would prioritize investigating and federally prosecuting these crimes, even those that would typically be prosecuted at the local level.
Attorney General’s Memorandum on Combating Anti-Semitism
In conjunction with his Brooklyn visit, Attorney General Barr issued a directive to all United States Attorneys directing them to initiate or reinvigorate contacts with the Jewish community in their respective districts to reassure the Jewish community of the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting Jewish citizens. The memo directed the United States Attorneys to establish a point of contact in each of their offices for the Jewish community to report hate crimes or other discrimination. During the spring of 2020, United States Attorneys across the country met with Jewish clergy, local non-profits, and branches of national Jewish organizations.
Prosecutions of Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes
Since January 2017, the Department has charged more than 80 defendants with anti-Semitic hate crimes and related conduct, and has obtained convictions of more than 65 defendants for the same.
The Department, through the diligent work of its Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, has obtained convictions in a number of high-profile hate crime prosecutions affecting the Jewish community:
- U.S. v. James Fields—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia indicted James Fields for his August 12, 2017 deadly car attack at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which killed Heather Heyer and injured several other individuals. The defendant pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crime charges and the Court sentenced him to 29 sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, along with restitution.
- U.S. v. Chadwick Grubbs—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin charged the defendant with hate crimes for mailing letters to a Jewish community center threatening to attack the center with firearms and explosives. The defendant pleaded guilty to three federal hate crime charges and the Court sentenced him to 36 months’ imprisonment along with supervised release and fines.
- U.S. v. Nolan Brewer—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana charged the defendant for conspiring to attack an Indiana synagogue. The defendant pleaded guilty and the Court sentenced him to 36 months’ imprisonment.
Active cases the Department is currently prosecuting include the following:
- U.S. v. Grafton Thomas—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York indicted Grafton Thomas for hate crimes after his December 28, 2019 machete attack against a rabbi and five others celebrating Hanukkah at the rabbi’s home.
- U.S. v. Robert Bowers—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania indicted Robert Bowers for his October 27, 2018 armed massacre of 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- U.S. v. John Earnest—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California indicted John Earnest for his April 27, 2019 fatal shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue and for his attempted arson of a California mosque.
- U.S. v. Tiffany Harris—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York indicted Tiffany Harris for assaulting three Orthodox Jewish women during Hanukkah in December 2019 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
- U.S. v. Ethan Melzer—The Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division, along with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, indicted U.S. Army soldier Ethan Melzer for providing sensitive classified information about his unit to members of a Neo-Nazi group (whose core tenets include Holocaust denial), and urging them to disseminate the information to terrorists so that they could attack his fellow service members in Turkey.
- Atomwaffen prosecutions—The United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, and District of Arizona, in coordination with the National Security Division, arrested multiple members of the white supremacist group Atomwaffen for making threats against African-American and Jewish journalists.
Supporting Religious Freedom including through the Place to Worship Initiative
On June 13, 2018, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on protecting the rights of religious individuals and communities to build, expand, buy, or rent houses of worship and other religious facilities as guaranteed by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Since launching the initiative in 2018, the Civil Rights Division doubled the number of RLUIPA investigations to 15, up from an average seven a year since 2010. Cases involving the Jewish community include:
- U.S. v. Borough of Woodcliff Lake—The Department filed a lawsuit alleging that the Borough of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey violated RLUIPA when its zoning board denied zoning approval for the Valley Chabad to build a new place of worship on its land. This case was resolved in a settlement announced September 15, 2020, which will allow the congregation to build its facility.
- U.S. v. Township of Jackson—The Department filed a lawsuit alleging that the Township of Jackson, New Jersey had taken various actions to stop yeshivas from locating in the Township.
Defending Constitutional Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic
On April 27, 2020, Attorney General Barr directed the Department, including the Civil Rights Division and all United States Attorney’s Offices, to review state and local policies to ensure that civil liberties are protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- On June 19, 2020, pursuant to this initiative, the Department sent a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio alerting him that the city’s response to COVID-19 must respect the First Amendment’s protection of religious exercise. The Department urged Mayor de Blasio to reconsider his posture toward religious gatherings in the Jewish community and expressed concern over reports that the city “sent police officers to break up numerous gatherings of the Jewish community in New York, including outdoor gatherings for funerals.”
- The Department continues to work to protect all communities of faith and will continue to take action when the constitutional rights of the Jewish community are infringed.
As Deputy Attorney General Rosen stated in his remarks at today’s conference, “the United States Department of Justice stands firmly and unequivocally against anti-Semitism. We will not hesitate to take action where anti-Semitic conduct rises to the level of a federal crime. That is as true online as it is offline. We have no tolerance for that behavior and will continue to prosecute such conduct as appropriate. Most importantly, we will continue to uphold the rule of law for all Americans.”
Department of Labor Agent Charged with Theft of Government Funds and False DocumentsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Thomas Hartley, age 47, of Henryville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 20, 2020, by a federal grand jury for theft of government funds, making false claims against the United States, and making false statements.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that while on leave from his position with the Department of Labor and serving with the New Jersey National Guard, Hartley submitted false documents to the Department of the Army and thereby obtained approximately $23,580 in housing allowance funds to which he was not entitled.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Special Investigations and the United States Army, Criminal Investigation Command. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under federal law, the charge of Theft of Government Funds carries up to a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The charges of False Claims against the United States and False Statements each carry up to a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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DS44 Gang Member Admits Selling Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of McKees Rocks, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Lamont Benton, age 24, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through June of 2019.
Benton was identified as a member of DS44 and a mid-level distributor, and in connection with his guilty plea, he accepted responsibility for distributing 39 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin. Mr. Benton is one of 40 defendants charged in the case.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than twenty years in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Benton be detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. OCDETF was established in 1982 to support comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. It is the keystone of the drug reduction strategy of the Department of Justice. By combining the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners, OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations.
DEA taking back unused prescription drugs Oct. 24, 2020Read the Press Release
BILLINGS – U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme will join the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24. The biannual event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at sites across Montana. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
To keep everyone safe, collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations.
"Getting rid of unneeded and expired prescription drugs is an important step Montanans can take to stop opioid abuse and addiction. The primary way opioid abusers first get pills is from family and friends. The DEA Take Back event is a great way to safely clean out medicine cabinets," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
"We encourage all Montanans to drop off their unused prescriptions to the National Take Back sites in their communities. Individuals can drive up and drop off their prescriptions without getting out of their cars," said DEA Montana Resident Agent in Charge Stacy Zinn-Brittain.
Last fall, Americans across the country turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010, DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 6,350 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications.
During the October 2019 event, Montanans turned in 1,720 pounds of prescription drugs at 26 collection sites.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drugs abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 24 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.
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Crack Cocaine Trafficker Receives 85 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced yesterday to 85 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Blake Greenfield, 38, was involved in the importation and distribution of Crack Cocaine into Wilmington from July through September 2019. On September 23, 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with the Wilmington Police Department arranged a controlled delivery of 2 ounces of crack cocaine from Greenfield at a location in Wilmington. Greenfield fled when law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Greenfield was found in possession of approximately 2 ounces of crack cocaine and more than $3,000 dollars. Law Enforcement searched his residence and found additional cocaine and more than $2,500 dollars and information for a storage unit in Louisburg, North Carolina. Law enforcement searched the unit and found two handguns. Greenfield had been previously convicted of trafficking in cocaine and was prohibited from possessing a handgun. The investigation revealed that Greenfield had been involved in the distribution of more than a kilogram of crack cocaine.
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 ATF, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case. This case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation “Round Tree Hill” focusing on an armed drug trafficking organization involved in the importation of heroin and crack cocaine into Eastern North Carolina.
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-00071-M-1
Coralville Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa — On October 20, 2020, United States District Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Carlos Sanchez Varela, age 48, of Coralville, to 30 months in prison for illegal reentry after deportation as an aggravated felon and false representation of a social security number announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Sanchez Varela was ordered to pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. The sentence was an upward variance from the recommended United States Sentencing Guidelines.
On June 11, 2020, Sanchez Varela pleaded guilty to two counts of a four-count indictment. The investigation began in December 2019, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received information about Sanchez Varela’s whereabouts. ICE investigated and obtained Sanchez Varela’s employment records, which revealed his use of two false identities, including false social security numbers and immigration documents. Sanchez Varela provided these fraudulent documents to two different businesses in order to obtain employment. Further investigation revealed that Sanchez Varela had previous encounters with law enforcement and had been previously removed from the United States on July 22, 2011.
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Coordinated Opioid Fentanyl Outreach Initiative for the Greater Spokane Community AnnouncedRead the Press Release
Spokane, Wash., - Today, United States Attorney William Hyslop and DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis announced a coordinated Opioid Fentanyl Outreach initiative by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, community leaders, prevention specialists and school superintendents. They were joined at the announcement by Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and Spokane Chief of Police Craig Meidl.
The Opioid Fentanyl Outreach Project addresses the public safety and public health threats caused by the increasing influx of deadly fentanyl into Spokane and throughout Eastern District of Washington. This initiative has a multi-pronged approach with the focus on educating our communities and directing resources through community outreach and prevention efforts.
United States Attorney Hyslop stated, “Our communities, our residents, our parents, and our youth are all faced with the growing and continued influx of deadly fentanyl into Eastern Washington. Very small amounts in a fentanyl-laced pill can kill a person. We are now seeing it here in Spokane, and sadly, we are now witnessing deaths in our high school and young adult populations. Dangerous counterfeit pills killing Americans are manufactured in mass quantities by drug trafficking organizations based in Mexico. In response, law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels have increased efforts to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking groups for importing and distributing this lethal narcotic in the Spokane, Yakima and Tri-Cities areas. However, this is much greater than just a law enforcement issue; it is now a critical community issue that everyone must address.”
Keith Weis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration stated, “Now, it is more important than ever that we all come together as a call for action to save lives. Per the CDC, in 2019 more than 71,000 lives were lost in the United States as a result of drug overdoses. Of this number, approximately 51% of the deaths can be attributed to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Alarmingly, DEA seizures of fentanyl in Eastern Washington have increased almost 200% over the 2019 to 2020 time period. A lethal dose of fentanyl is estimated to be about two milligrams, but can vary based on an individual’s body size, tolerance, amount of previous usage and other factors. Additionally, fentanyl can be lethal when it is airborne or even when touched and absorbed through the skin.”
As part of the Opioid Fentanyl Outreach Project, community, law enforcement, and educational leaders have come together in Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Yakima to address this issue. Plans are underway with media engagement pieces, town halls and presentations. On October 7th, 2020, DEA Diversion in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services held a virtual conference with hundreds of health care professionals in Washington providing information and support during the pandemic and raising awareness on the ongoing opioid crisis.
On October 12, 2020, a 12 week media awareness campaign was launched in the Eastern District of Washington, “You Can Save Lives” knowing the warning signs of counterfeit fentanyl pills keeps your loved ones and the community safe. Viewers can obtain a variety of resources at
https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/ https://vimeo.com/user96937699/dl/469641512/a59c2c8768
Community forums and parent discussions are being organized. School Superintendents throughout the region are collaborating on educational lessons and presentations, with a focus on student involvement to spread the message. A special video about the fentanyl problem is being produced and will be available.
Another resource available to educators and the community is DEA Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program. Red Ribbon Week is celebrated annually October 23-31. This year’s theme is “Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Drug Free.” You can learn more about DEA Red Ribbon and ways to get involved through programs and contests by visiting https://www.dea.gov/redribbon Other outreach efforts are being added as they are planned.
This Saturday, October 24, 2020, National Drug Take Back Day will be recognized. The United States Attorney’s Office is sponsoring a socially distanced “Drug Take Back” site from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the drive-through parking lot of the Boy Scouts of America, Inland Northwest Council, 411 Boy Scout Way in Spokane. More information about Drug Take Back Day is available at deatakeback.com
The Opioid Fentanyl Outreach Strategy Committee Greater Spokane and Spokane County Members includes:
William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney
Keith Weis, DEA Special Agent in Charge
Mark Haigh, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge
Laci Larson, DEA Group Supervisor – Spokane District Office
Stephanie Van Marter, Assistant United States Attorney
Honorable Nadine Woodward, Mayor – City of Spokane
Chief Craig Meidl, Spokane Police Department
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Chief Dave Ellis, Spokane Valley Police Department
Christian Parker, FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent – Spokane Resident Agency
Larry Haskell, Spokane County Prosecutor
Dr. Bob Lutz, Spokane Regional Health District
Dr. Nicole Rodin, Clinical Assistant Professor – Washington State University College of
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Michal Dunn, Superintendent ESD 101
Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent – Spokane Public Schools
Shawn Woodward, Superintendent – Mead School District 354
Ben Small, Superintendent – Central Valley School District
Kyle Rydell, Superintendent – West Valley School District #363
Kelly Shea, Superintendent – East Valley School District #361
Robert Roettger, Superintendent – Cheney Public Schools
Convicted Felon Who Began Selling Cocaine Immediately Following His Release from Federal Prison Is Going Back to Prison for 11 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that John E. Kidd, 37, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams or more of cocaine, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and violating supervised release, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that on April 25, 2017, the defendant was released from federal prison after serving 72 months on a cocaine conviction. Following his release, Kidd started selling cocaine and marijuana to customers in and outside of the City of Buffalo. On October 24, 2017, the defendant agreed to sell two and a half ounces of cocaine to an individual. Law enforcement officers approached Kidd as he was entering his vehicle to meet the individual to conduct the sale. He possessed approximately 101 grams of cocaine and 61 grams of marijuana.
The United States Probation Office, assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, then conducted a search of the defendant’s St. Joseph Street residence in Buffalo. During the search, they recovered packaging materials, rubber gloves, baking powder, a metal plate with suspected cocaine residue, scales, a money counter, and small amounts of suspected cocaine and marijuana. Also recovered were four rounds of 12 gauge ammunition. As a result of prior felony convictions, Kidd is prohibited from possessing ammunition. In addition, investigators seized $402,206 in U.S. currency hidden in the dry wall of the defendant’s residence, which represents the proceeds of cocaine and marijuana trafficking.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by and the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
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Columbus Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Joshua Bates, age 38, of Columbus, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Bates to 120 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bates’s release from prison, he will begin a 15-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
On October 11, 2019, police officers executed a search warrant at Bates’s residence in Columbus. Officers obtained Bates’s laptop computer. Computer forensics later showed that there were about 273 images of child pornography, including videos, saved on the laptop. Bates knew that the images of child pornography were saved on his laptop. Prior to October 11, 2019, Bates had previously been convicted of child pornography offenses in Nebraska. On May 9, 2008, Bates was convicted in Douglas County, Nebraska, for eight (8) counts of child pornography offenses.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department.
Columbia County woman sentenced to federal prison for role in meth-trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Columbia County woman has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for her role in a scheme that distributed methamphetamine in the Augusta area.
Bridget Lydell Biggam, 36, of Appling, Ga., was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She also was fined $1,500 and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Methamphetamine is a deadly, horribly addictive drug that destroys users and endangers communities, and we will relentlessly pursue and shut down those who would distribute this poison in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.
Biggam was among four defendants named in an eight-count indictment returned by a U.S. District Court grand jury in January 2020, identifying a conspiracy dating back at least to February 2018 that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine throughout the Augusta area.
The investigation, which included controlled purchases and federal search warrants, seized large quantities of methamphetamine, 15 firearms and more than $44,000 in cash.
“The cocktail of deadly chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine are a recipe for disaster,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “These substances are not only volatile and toxic, but they also destroy families, communities and lives. DEA is committed to protecting our communities from dangerous drugs like meth, and this defendant will spend well-deserved time in prison."
Of the three indicted co-defendants – Christopher Allen Marshall, 33, of Augusta; Bjorn Michael Wiley, 42, of Martinez, Ga.; and John Tillman Durst, 29, of Waynesboro, Ga. – Wiley has entered a guilty plea to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and is awaiting sentencing, while Marshall and Durst are awaiting trial. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the DEA and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.
Cheektowaga Man Arrested, Charged with Possessing Child Pornography, Growing Marijuana, and Illegally Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that John Stuart, 32, of Cheektowaga, NY, was arrested and charged by complaint with possession of child pornography, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and manufacturing of marijuana plants. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on October 19, 2020, members of the FBI Buffalo Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Cheektowaga Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Cleveland Drive in Cheektowaga, looking for evidence of the possession of child pornography. During the search, investigators seized two laptop computers, a cellphone, two hard drives, and a desktop computer tower from the residence. During the search, investigators also discovered a bedroom that was transformed into a marijuana growing operation. The room consisted of a tent housing approximately five mature marijuana plants, and four smaller plants, being grown hydroponically. Approximately one pound of dried marijuana ready for use, approximately six pounds of wet marijuana, and a quantity of psilocybin mushrooms were also seized. Three firearms, including one loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, were also found in the residence.
A preliminary examination of the cellphone recovered three videos of child pornography.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Sliwinski.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Defrauding InvestorsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stanley Choate Eaves Sr., 82, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud, for defrauding eight victims of more than $350,000, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed documents and as Eaves admitted in court today, from 2015 to 2020, Eaves executed a scheme to defraud at least eight victim-investors in North and South Carolina, some of whom were elderly, of over $350,000, by inducing them to invest money in his purported vehicle resale business. Court documents show that Eaves presented himself to his victims as the owner of a business that dealt in the resale of vehicles, primarily cars and trucks, and occasionally golf carts and farm equipment. Eaves also falsely represented that he had a partner in his business.
According to court documents, to induce victim-investors to loan him their money, Eaves represented to potential victim-investors that he had a business and/or business opportunity to buy vehicles, sometimes through auctions or estate sales, and then to resell those vehicles for a profit. Victim-investors would agree to invest or loan money to Eaves (investment-loans), often in intervals of $5,000 or $10,000, tied to what the victim-investors thought were particular vehicle buying opportunities. In exchange, Eaves would agree to repay the investment-loans at a certain point in the future, and to pay returns or dividends to the victim-investors, sometimes monthly and other times a certain amount tied to the resale of each vehicle. Court records show that Eaves would then take the victim-investors’ money and use it for various personal expenses and/or to make Ponzi-style payments to earlier victim-investors who had been promised dividends or returns for existing investment-loans.
According to filed court documents, to add an air of legitimacy to these fraudulent deals, Eaves often presented his victim-investors with a “Promissory Note”, sometimes falsely representing that the note had been prepared by his attorney. While Eaves was still making payments to the victim-investors pursuant to the initial agreements and investments, he would often fraudulently induce the victim-investors to enter into additional deals and/or agreements, in close succession, obtaining tens of thousands of dollars of additional investments. As Eaves admitted in court today, he would eventually stop making the purported return or dividend payments to the victim-investors. When the victim-investors demanded their dividends or other payments and/or the return of their investment-loans, Eaves made up various excuses as to why the payments could not be made and/or the investment-loans returned, including that the IRS or FBI had put a hold on, or frozen, his account, that the money was overseas and Eaves could not access the accounts, or that Eaves needed his business partner’s signature on the checks and that his business partner was out of town.
Eaves was released on bond following his guilty plea. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date for Eaves has not been set.
The FBI led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Maria Vento, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.
In March 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s for the Western District of North Carolina announced the Office’s Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information please visit:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiative
Charleroi Felon Indicted on Federal Firearms Law OffenseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Devon Johnson-Brown, age 31, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on October 16, 2020, Johnson-Brown possessed a firearm, specifically a Remington semi-automatic pistol, knowing he had been previously convicted of a crime with punishment exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits felons from possessing firearms.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. However, if it is determined that the defendant has three previous convictions for a violent felony or a serious drug offense, or both, then the term of imprisonment is not less than 15 years to a maximum of life imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
California Man Convicted at Trial for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury sitting in Statesville has convicted David Alexander Moralez, Jr., 37, of Fresno, California, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and money laundering conspiracy following a three-day trial, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, Moralez worked at a shipping company in California as a mail clerk. As trial evidence established, from 2018 to September 2019, Moralez was involved in a conspiracy to traffic narcotics from California to the East Coast. The evidence at trial demonstrated that Moralez conspired with other drug traffickers to send numerous parcels – each filled with multiple pounds of methamphetamine – via the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx from Fresno, California, to various locations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. According to evidence presented at trial, on December 18 and 19, 2018, law enforcement in Newton, N.C. and Hickory, N.C., seized two pounds of methamphetamine during controlled buys. In addition to trafficking narcotics, co-conspirators on the East Coast sent drug proceeds back to California via Walmart-to-Walmart transfers and bank deposits, to pay for, among other things, Moralez’s fees and expenses.
Moralez was ordered detained pending sentencing, at which time he faces 10 years to life in prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy and each of the distribution charges, and up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy charge. A sentencing date has not been set.
Moralez was convicted as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation codenamed “Dixie Crystal.” According to court documents, since 2015, more than 200 individuals have been prosecuted and law enforcement has seized far in excess of 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, $1,000,000 in U.S. currency and other assets, and dozens of firearms. OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the following agencies for their investigative efforts which led to the prosecution of this case: ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte; HSI in Greenville and Nashville; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Charlotte Field Office; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Charlotte; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office; the Boone Police Department; the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Davie County Sheriff’s Office; the Gaston County Police Department; the Gastonia Police Department; the Huntersville Police Department; the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; the Hickory Police Department; the Johnson County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office; the Mooresville Police Department; the Newton Police Department; the Longview Police Department; the Morganton Department of Public Safety; the Rutherford County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office; and the Troutman Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Bracken County Woman Sentenced to 36 Months for Theft by a Bank Employee and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.- A Brooksville, Ky., woman, Rebecca Teegarden, 58, was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday, to 36 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for theft by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft.
According to her plea agreement, Teegarden was a bank teller at the First National Bank of Brooksville. Between 2013 and 2019, Teegarden admitted to repeatedly using customers’ names and account numbers to make miscellaneous debit cash withdrawals from the customers’ bank accounts, without the customers’ consent. Teegarden held the cash in her teller drawer and later converted the money to her own use, by depositing it into her or her mother’s bank accounts.
In total, Teegarden admitted that she stole $79,086.00 from victims who were customers at the Bank. She further admitted that she selected the accounts of her victims because those customers were elderly and did not regularly monitor their accounts.
Teegarden pleaded guilty in July 2020.
Under federal law, Teegarden must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon her release, Teegarden 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, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office, made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Harris.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission, focusing on identifying and prosecuting those who facilitate elder financial exploitation. The initiative is carried out locally through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. Anyone who knows of someone who may be a victim of elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement.
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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Bank robber sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: An Augusta man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing two Augusta banks.
Ronnie Dean Brown, a/k/a “Man,” 28, of Augusta, was sentenced to 252 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to two counts of Bank Robbery, and one count each of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison sentence, Brown must serve five years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Ronnie Brown is a violent, unrepentant serial criminal who needlessly threatened the lives of bank employees and customers,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “He’s now learned that in federal court, gun crime earns serious prison time – and our community is safer as a result.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Brown carried an AR-15-style rifle on Dec. 30, 2017, when he threatened a teller at the Fifth Third Bank at 2756 Peach Orchard Road in Augusta and received cash before fleeing in an SUV. Then, on Jan. 16, 2018, Brown and Trivar Marquette Scriven, 35, of Augusta, wielded pistols to rob the Fifth Third Bank at 3007 Pine Needle Road in Augusta before driving away in a sedan.
After the second robbery, a customer who spotted the men leaving the bank followed their vehicle and called 911. Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputies later located the empty vehicle and found the firearms used in the robbery, along with information linked to Scriven.
Scriven was arrested Feb. 1, 2018 in Massachusetts, and Brown was arrested Feb. 14, 2018 in Atlanta. Scriven previously was sentenced to 106 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Bank Robbery, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
A related defendant in the case, Bennelle Marquette Evans, 34, of Augusta, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony for having knowledge of the robberies after the fact.
“Carrying weapons into peaceful places of business and terrorizing hard-working citizens is something the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make every effort to prosecute and punish,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “More than 20 years in prison should be a teaching moment for Brown, and some sense of comfort for the victims he terrorized.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV.
Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announce update on Operation LegendRead the Press Release
During a visit with law enforcement in Memphis today, Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced updates on Operation Legend, which was expanded to Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020.
Since Operation Legend’s launch in July 2020, nearly 5,500 arrests – including approximately 276 for homicide, 66 of which occurred in Memphis – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 28 kilos of heroin, nearly 16 kilos of fentanyl, more than 200 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 30 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.
Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 602 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 441 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.
In Cleveland, 101 defendants have been charged with federal crimes, including 59 defendants charged with narcotics-related offenses, 38 charged with firearms-related offenses and 4 with other violent crimes. U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman released the following statement:
“Thanks to the hard work of all those involved in our collaborative law enforcement partnership, we have now charged over 100 defendants in Cleveland under Operation Legend,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Among those charged are career criminals, heroin and fentanyl traffickers, felons with rifles and other high-powered weapons, carjackers, bank robbers and many more. We will continue to pursue these violent criminals and drug traffickers until everyone in Cleveland can live safely and peacefully."
The Attorney General launched Operation Legend on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City.
Launched in Kansas City, MO. on July 8, 2020, the operation expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district can be found here.
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend in MemphisRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend, which was expanded to Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020.
Since Operation Legend’s launch in July 2020, nearly 5,500 arrests – including approximately 276 for homicide, 66 of which occurred in Memphis – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 28 kilos of heroin, nearly 16 kilos of fentanyl, more than 200 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 30 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.
Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 602 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 441 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.
The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.
Breakdown of Operation Legend charges:
The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.
Milwaukee, WI.
57 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 25 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 27 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 5 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.
Kansas City, MO.
174 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 67 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 94 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Chicago, Ill.
176 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 40 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 130 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Albuquerque, NM.
126 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 52 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 10 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Cleveland, OH.
101 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 59 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 38 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Detroit, MI.
100 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.
- 33 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
St. Louis, MO.
274 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.
- 125 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 125 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 24 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Memphis, Tenn.
51 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.
- 30 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 14 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 7 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Indianapolis, Indiana
65 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 9 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
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.
# # #
For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation LeGend in MemphisRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN –During a visit with law enforcement in Memphis today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation LeGend, which was expanded to Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020.
Since Operation LeGend’s launch in July 2020, nearly 5,500 arrests – including approximately 276 for homicide, 66 of which occurred in Memphis – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 28 kilos of heroin, nearly 16 kilos of fentanyl, more than 200 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 30 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.
Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 602 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 441 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.
The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.
Breakdown of Operation LeGend charges:
The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.
Kansas City, MO
174 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
• 67 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 94 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Chicago, IL
176 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
• 40 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 130 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Albuquerque, NM
126 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
• 52 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 10 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Cleveland, OH
101 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
• 59 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 38 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Detroit, MI
100 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.
• 33 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Milwaukee, WI
57 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
• 25 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 27 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 5 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.
St. Louis, MO
274 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.
• 125 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 125 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 24 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Memphis, TN
64 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.
• 35 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 16 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Indianapolis, IN
65 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
• 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 9 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
###
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.
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend in MemphisRead the Press Release
During a visit with law enforcement in Memphis today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend, which was expanded to Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020.
Since Operation Legend’s launch in July 2020, nearly 5,500 arrests – including approximately 276 for homicide, 66 of which occurred in Memphis – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 28 kilos of heroin, nearly 16 kilos of fentanyl, more than 200 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 30 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.
Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 602 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 441 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.
The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.
Breakdown of Operation Legend charges:
The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.
Kansas City, MO
174 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 67 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 94 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Chicago, IL
176 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 40 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 130 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Albuquerque, NM
126 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 52 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 10 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Cleveland, OH
101 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 59 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 38 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Detroit, MI
100 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.
- 33 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Milwaukee, WI
57 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 25 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 27 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 5 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.
St. Louis, MO
274 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.
- 125 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 125 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 24 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Memphis, TN
64 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.
- 35 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 16 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Indianapolis, IN
65 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.
- 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
- 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
- 9 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.
Arlington Man Pleads Guilty to $3.5M Healthcare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arlington man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud that resulted in losses of over $3.5 million.
According to court documents, Onkur Lal, 29, worked in various roles at MedEx Pharmacy, MedEx Health Pharmacy, and Royal Care Pharmacy, which were all owned and operated by the same individual. From around 2014 to around 2019, Lal conspired with the owner and others in a number of different fraudulent schemes to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, Medicare, Virginia Medicaid, and Maryland Medicaid. Lal took part in a number of fraudulent schemes, including generating false prescriptions, billing health insurance companies for prescriptions that were never filled, and billing patients’ health care benefit programs for numerous high cost medications that he and his co-conspirators knew were not prescribed and/or never received.
Lal and his conspirators also submitted false invoices under the names of other pharmacies, in an attempt to circumvent audits. Further, Lal and another co-conspirator fraudulently posed as pharmacists by elevating their title and credentials within the pharmacy’s prescription software system. Lal and his co-conspirator then used these elevated titles to verify prescriptions, which they then submitted to health care benefit programs and pharmaceutical suppliers for payment. The various schemes resulted in health care benefit programs losing more than $3.5 million.
Lal is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 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; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Christopher Dillard, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service's Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monika Moore, Carina A. Cuellar, and Jamar K. Walker 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. 1:20-cr-237.
Alleged shooter faces federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The 51-year-old El Salvadorian national who is suspected of killing a Houston police officer has been charged in federal court with being a felon and an alien unlawfully in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Elmer Rolando Manzano resided in Houston but has no legal status in the United States, according to the charges.
According to the criminal complaint filed today, two law enforcement officers had arrived at a Southwest Houston condominium and met with a woman and her son who wanted to retrieve some belongings from the location. Manzano, the woman’s estranged husband, resided in the apartment but refused to open the door when the officers attempted entry, according to the charges.
The son allegedly had a key which was used to gain entry. Shortly thereafter, Manzano allegedly fired shots from inside the residence. At least one of the officers returned fire, according to the complaint.
One of the officers died at the scene. The other officer and the woman’s son were also injured.
According to the charges, the woman had allegedly called authorities on Oct. 17 and 18, reporting Manzano had been acting aggressively and been verbally abusive towards her. The complaint further alleges she reported Manzano had a weapon, and she was in fear for her life.
According to the charges, authorities conducted a search of the residence and found two firearms – A Ruger P89, 9mm handgun and a Colt .38 caliber revolver
Manzano allegedly has a felony conviction and is, therefore, prohibited by federal law of possessing a firearm or ammunition. As an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, he is also prohibited of such.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Alleged Drug Traffickers Charged with Murder-for-Hire in NorfolkRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Six members of a North Carolina-based drug-trafficking organization were arrested today on charges of the murder-for-hire of Norfolk resident Lillian Bond, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and narcotics conspiracy, murder while engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise, murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense, use of a firearm resulting in death, and distribution of cocaine, among other charges.
According to the indictment unsealed today, the defendants were charged for their roles in a long-running drug conspiracy allegedly led by Jaquate Simpson and based in the Greensboro, North Carolina, area. The indictment alleges that during the conspiracy, a Norfolk-based drug dealer who had been buying cocaine from the conspiracy failed to pay for a multi-kilogram delivery. The indictment alleges that, as payback, Simpson and his right-hand man, Landis Jackson, hired Kalub Shipman and Nelson Evans to murder someone associated with the Norfolk drug dealer, and that on April 19, 2016, Shipman and Evans shot Lillian Bond to death outside her residence on Trice Terrace in Norfolk.
Six of the defendants were arrested in the Greensboro and Charlotte areas today. The remaining two defendants, Jaquate Simpson and Kalub Shipman, are in state custody and will make their initial appearances in federal court at a later date.
The defendants and charges are listed below:
Name
Age
Charges
Jaquate Simpson, aka
“Quay,” “J,” “Stacks,” “Predator”36
Continuing criminal enterprise; murder while engaged in continuing criminal enterprise; narcotics conspiracy; murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense; distribution of cocaine; use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire
Landis Jackson, aka “Juve,” “Juvie”
36
Continuing criminal enterprise; murder while engaged in continuing criminal enterprise; narcotics conspiracy; murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense; distribution of cocaine; use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire
Kalub Shipman, aka “Kato,” “Baydo”
32
Murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense; use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire; felon in possession of a firearm
Nelson Evans
30
Use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire; felon in possession of a firearm
Patrice Farland, aka “Treece”
41
Narcotics conspiracy; distribution of cocaine
Brian Tate, aka
“B. Tate”35
Narcotics conspiracy
Mario Love, aka “O”
36
Narcotics conspiracy
Shafter Manuel, aka “Pete”
37
Narcotics conspiracy
If convicted, the charged defendants face mandatory minimum sentences ranging from 10 years in prison to life. 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.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation CARDINAL SIN. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement after the indictment was unsealed.
The Greensboro (NC) Police Department and DEA provided assistance with this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph DePadilla, Andrew Bosse, and John F. Butler, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bird, 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. 2:20-cr-90.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
5th Annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Community Event Invites Hundreds of Community and Law Enforcement LeadersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Hundreds of law enforcement officials and community members from throughout the tri-county area are coming together for the fifth-annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event on October 22, 2020, via ZOOM hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust (MET) in Tigard, Oregon.
A video of last year’s event is available here.
This year’s theme is “Redefining Community and Public Safety Relationships”. Criminal justice and community leaders share perspectives in moderated panel discussions and engage with community members with comments and questions.
A panel of diverse community and law enforcement perspectives will delve into the topic of “Defunding Police and Reimaging Public Safety”. Public Safety leaders will lay out their goals for accountability, transparency and community engagement to build community trust. The audience will be provided the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments to all panelists.
Presenters include community leaders from Word is Bond, Coalition of Communities of Color, Reimagine Oregon, Latino Network, Muslim Educational Trust, and public safety leaders from the tri-county area including Chiefs, Sheriffs, District Attorneys, the U.S. Attorney and the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge.
For the last five years, leaders from public safety and civil society organizations have come together to build and strengthen trust with one another and to cultivate that trust within the communities served. The annual event has been held at MET since its inception in the fall of 2016.
The Building Bridges event series is sponsored by Washington County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Washington County Administration, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, City of Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego Respond to Racism, Concerned Citizens of West Linn, Latino Network, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, IRCO, Muslim Community Center of Portland, Tigard Police Department, Portland Office of Civic Life, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland Police Bureau, New Portlanders Foundation, Portland’s New Portlanders Policy Commission, Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center of Corvallis, Multnomah County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Urban League of Portland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
If you have media inquiries or would like to book interviews with steering committee members, please contact Stephen Mayer of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office: [email protected], 971-708-8219.
Media outlets are also welcome to contact the following steering committee members:
- Wajdi Said; Muslim Educational Trust; [email protected]
- J.W. Matt Hennessee; Pastor Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church; [email protected]
- Jack Hanna; New Portlanders Foundation; [email protected]
- Linda Castillo; Commissioner for Hispanic Affairs and DEI Manager at IRCO; [email protected]
- Kezia Wanner; Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office; [email protected]
- Kevin Barton; Washington County DA; [email protected]
36 Members, Associates and Co-Conspirators of the Bully Gang Charged with Narcotics Conspiracy, Firearms Offenses and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A 21-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 36 defendants—including members, associates and co-conspirators of the New York City-based street gang known as the “Bully Gang”—with conspiring to distribute drugs, firearms trafficking and money laundering, among other crimes. Twelve defendants were arrested today in the New York area and will be arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom. Four defendants will be arraigned this afternoon in the District of Maine, and one each in the Northern District of New York and the Northern District of Georgia. Three defendants were in custody in Maine and will be arraigned at a later date. Several members of the conspiracy were previously arrested and charged in June 2020. Two defendants are expected to report to Brooklyn for arraignment next week, and three additional defendants remain at large.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York (ATF), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“This violent drug organization endangered communities across the northeast, trafficking crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl into towns in Maine and guns from Maine onto the streets of New York City,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “The superseding indictment and today’s arrests are the result of our continuing efforts alongside our great partners in the ATF and NYPD to dismantle and disarm violent gangs.”
“These defendants, as alleged, not only poisoned communities throughout the east coast with dangerous narcotics, but trafficked firearms from Maine to New York City, fueling gang violence on our streets. Today’s arrests reaffirm ATF’s commitment to public safety and end the reign of a violent, multi-state, criminal organization,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito.
“These alleged gang members, as outlined in the federal indictment, left a trail of crimes from Brooklyn to Maine. But working closely, our NYPD investigators and federal partners were relentless in making sure they would be brought to justice,” stated NYPD Commissioner Shea.
As set for in the superseding indictment and other court filings, the defendants were members of a drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for trafficking large quantities of cocaine base (“crack”), heroin and fentanyl through New York to Maine and elsewhere. Multiple Bully Gang members and associates from Brooklyn were sent from New York to Maine to operate “stash” houses that were used to store and sell narcotics. The organization’s drug proceeds were collected on a regular basis by runners who used vehicles with hidden “trap” compartments to conceal narcotics and drug proceeds. The proceeds were then laundered through direct cash deposits and wire transfers to co-conspirators, through intermediary bank accounts and the purchase of luxury vehicles.
Several co-conspirators allegedly purchased illegal firearms to protect the organization and its members. Facebook communications reveal that in August 2017, defendant Nicolette Tompkins purchased a Ruger firearm for co-conspirator Bermon Clarke, which was later seized by law enforcement in Brooklyn. Defendants Clarke, Keon Grant, Nadine Heath and Joanne Lydem participated in the August 2019 purchase of an illegal firearm. As part of that transaction, Grant informed Clarke that Lydem would “get the grip”—meaning purchase the firearm. Subsequently, when asked whether Lydem brought “the case the grip was in,” Grant sent Clarke a photograph of a gun box for a Glock pistol, confirming the purchase.
During the government’s investigation, stash houses and vehicles used by the defendants were searched in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine. Law enforcement seized more than $380,000 in cash, more than 15 illegal firearms, six kilograms of cocaine, 600 grams of fentanyl, four vehicles with concealed “trap” compartments and luxury watches.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Drew G. Rolle, Nicholas J. Moscow and Lindsey R. Oken are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JESSICA ALMEIDA
Age: 33
Detroit, MaineTYRONE BANKS (also known as “Ty Hitta”)
Age: 23
Brooklyn, New YorkJANET BLOOD
Age: 47
Troy, MaineDAYVON BOSTICK-SAMUELS (also known as “Daytoe”)
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkMIKE GUSTAVO CONNOR (also known as “Gus”)
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New YorkRASHAAD CRAIG (also known as “Skeeno”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkQUENTIN DELVALLE (also known as “Q”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkELIZABETH DUECASTER
Age: 35
Searsport, MaineCHRISTINA ESTEVEZ
Age: 31
Queens, New YorkERICA FAGGIOLE
Age: 44
MaineANTONIO FULTON (also known as “Tone”)
Age: 23
Staten Island, New YorkROMEO GONZALES
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkKEON GRANT (also known as “Keys”)
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkNADINE HEATH
Age: 54
Troy, MaineTYQUAWN LANE (also known as “Bicks” and “Tah Tah”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkJOANNE LYDEM
Age: 49
Garland, MaineTANEJIA MOORE
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkCHRISHAWN PENN (also known as “Prince”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkMICHAEL PEREZ (also known as “White Mike”)
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkJOELLE POCHE (also known as “Rico”)
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New YorkMICHAEL REID (also known as “Half”)
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkISAIAH TERRY SANDIFORD
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New YorkCHINASA STRACHAN
Age: 33
Brooklyn, New YorkNICOLETTE TOMPKINS
Age: 22
Westfield, MaineDANIELLE WHITE
Age: 47
Swanville, MaineDEVIN-JOHN JASON WILLIAMS (also known as “Pun” and “Fat Boy”)
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Previously Indicted:
DERRICK AYERS (also known as “Dee” and “Mel”)
Age: 34
Rahway, New JerseyBERMON CLARKE (also known as “G” and “Blue”)
Age: 28
Rahway, New JerseyFRANKLIN GILLESPIE (also known as “Spazz” and “Frankie Gino”)
Age: 30
Newark, New JerseyNIA GOVAN (also known as “Cam” and “V”)
Age: 29
Boston, MassachusettsAMANDA HUARD
Age: 38
Raymond, MaineANTHONY KENNEDY (also known as “Biggie”)
Age: 34
Queens, New YorkJESSICA PELKEY
Age: 26
Presque Isle, MaineAMY SONNENBLICK
Age: 48
Brooklyn, New YorkAMANDA WALTON (also known as “A”)
Age: 32
Portland, MaineDEMETTRIUS WRIGHT (also known as “Clean” and “Meexhi Brim”)
Age: 23
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-239 (S-2) (BMC)
19th Annual National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – DEA is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 at locations in Rhode Island and across the country. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”
“Our take-back events highlight the problems associated to prescription drug abuse and gives our citizens an opportunity to contribute to the solution,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “These efforts help remove unwanted, expired and unused prescription pills that can be abused, stolen or resold which helps our continued dedication to combat the prescription pill, fentanyl and heroin epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.”
“An important component in our collective effort to eliminate the scourge of substance abuse and addiction is the elimination, from our homes, of unneeded prescription medications,” noted United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “ I commend the DEA for their continued “take-back” events and promotions, and urge all Rhode Islanders to participate in this most worthwhile endeavor.”
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year. For more information, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1.
DEA also encourages the public to reach out to their local law enforcement to find out if they have any permanent drug disposal locations throughout their local community.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com.
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20 October 2020
Wetzel County woman admits to heroin chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Tina Rose Yoho, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Yoho, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin.” Yoho admitted to selling heroin in June 2019 in Wetzel County.
Yoho faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
West Virginia and Virginia residents indicted for a drug trafficking operation in Berkeley and Jefferson CountiesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Seven people are facing charges in drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Those named in the 16-count indictment are facing charges of distributing controlled substances in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties from October 2019 to April 2020. Those charged are:
Michael Pierre Christian, 43, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
Misty Rose Jackson, 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
Stephon Robert Christian, 26, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
Charles Jackson, 52, of Winchester, Virginia
Jaime Renee Coddington, 34, of Falling Waters, West Virginia
Justin Clinton, 25, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
Shane Lee Dirting, 54, of Martinsburg, West VirginiaAssistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Washington Man Sentenced for Assaulting Secret Service AgentsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Joshua Wills, 31, of Bremerton, Washington, was sentenced to 23 months already served for assaulting two special agents with the United States Secret Service. Wills has remained in custody since his arrest on November 19, 2018.
“I am proud to be a champion of our law enforcement heroes. They are brave, courageous warriors for our citizens. Federal, state and local law enforcement put themselves in harm’s way to protect each and every one of us,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Assaults on our Guardians of Justice will always be prosecuted by this U.S. Attorney.”
Wills previously pled guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. He admitted that he intended to drive from the state of Washington to Washington, D.C. to meet the President of the United States. The U.S. Secret Service began investigating Wills after they had received reports that Wills was traveling to see the President while possessing a dangerous weapon. Two special agents with the U.S. Secret Service located Wills in a campground in St. Albans and approached him for questioning. Officers with the St. Albans Police Department arrived at the campground for assistance. Wills admitted that he became agitated by the presence of the law enforcement officers and a standoff ensued for approximately 20 minutes. When Wills was told that he was going to be taken into custody for disorderly conduct, he unsheathed and raised a three-foot long Katana sword as a show of force. After further resisting law enforcement commands, Wills was disabled by a non-lethal beanbag gun possessed by a St. Albans police officer and taken into custody.
The U.S. Secret Service and the St. Albans Police Department conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Tessman handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-00289.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona September 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
318 individuals were charged in September with illegal reentry
A. 194 of those 318 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 194 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 32 had violent crime convictions, including:
0 individuals had homicide convictions
3 individuals had sex offense convictions
12 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 7 had property crime convictions
3. 38 had DUI convictions
4. 102 had drug crime convictions
B. 146 of those 318 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
25 individuals were charged in September with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in September with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information is based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-089_September Immigration and Border Crimes Report
# # #
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.U.S. Attorney and FBI prepare for election dayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Stephen D. Warner will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Warner has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of West Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
Powell said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Powell stated that AUSA/DEO Warner will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 304-907-3525.
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 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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.
Powell 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.”
U.S. Attorney and FBI Special Agent in Charge Announce Election Day Program for Southern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. – Today, United States Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro jointly announced their District’s 2020 Election Day Program, including the appointment of a District Election Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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.
“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 United States Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
“As Americans get ready to vote, the FBI is asking each citizen to remain vigilant and report any suspected criminal scheme targeting voters to the FBI immediately,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro.
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).
Contact Information
The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the right to vote exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Fajardo Orshan stated that Counselor to the U.S. Attorney and District Elections Officer Harry Wallace will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 786-439-3288.
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 Miami.fbi.gov or (754) 703-2000.
To learn more about the FBI’s role investigating election crime, visit https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-warns-voters-about-election-crimes-ahead-of-the-november-2020-election
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 Fajardo Orshan 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 Trent Shores Announces $3.7 Million in Justice Department Grants to Combat Addiction Crisis in OklahomaRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores today announced awards of nearly $3.7 million in Department of Justice grants to fight drug abuse and addiction in Oklahoma. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.
“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”
Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.
“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”
“Drug addiction fuels criminal behavior and often devastates families, particularly affecting children whose parents abuse illicit and prescription drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Intervention programs are crucial to those struggling, whether in the criminal justice system or in our communities. The nearly $3.7 million in Justice Department grants will help fund important drug intervention programs that are a lifeline to Oklahomans suffering from addiction.”
Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The following organizations in Oklahoma received funding:
Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Grants
- Tulsa County District Court, Fourteenth Judicial District: $431,618
- Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services: $731,740
- Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services: $547,533
Mentoring Opportunities For Youth Initiative
-Rogers County Volunteers for Youth, Inc.: $598,792 (previously announced in a press release on Oct. 9, 2020)
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program
-Oklahoma District Attorneys Council: $563,665
Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime
-Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences: $587,219
Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program
-Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma: $200,000
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.
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 Thomas L. Kirsch II Appoints Jacky Jacobs as A District Election Officer for the Northern District of IndianaRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II announced today that Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jacky Jacobs will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. Supervisory AUSA Jacobs has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Indiana, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Kirsch stated that AUSA/DEO Jacky Jacobs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: main line 219-937-5500 or direct 219-937-5634.
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 317-595-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
United States Attorney Kirsch 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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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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U.S. Attorney Pak appoints Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Gray District Election OfficerRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Brent Gray will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Gray has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Georgia and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every American citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination. And as they cast their votes, Americans need to feel confident that their votes will be counted without any threat of being fraudulently stolen,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “It is imperative that anyone who has specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division. 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, U.S. Attorney Pak stated that AUSA/DEO Gray will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (404) 581-6001.
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 (770) 216-3000.
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.
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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart Appoints Election Officer for the Southern District of West VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Erik Goes will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general election on November 3, 2020. AUSA Goes has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of West Virginia (SDWV), and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Stuart said, “Every legitimate vote should be counted and every counted vote should be legitimate. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen. The Department of Justice will act to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Stuart stated that AUSA/DEO Goes will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 1-800-659-8726 (800-659-USAO) or 304-345-2200, ext. 12395.
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 1-800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324).
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 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 Stuart 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.”
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces over $3 Million to Advance Forensic Science in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey today announced over $3 million in Department of Justice grants to Arizona to fund crime laboratories, decrease DNA backlogs, support basic and applied forensic research, and help law enforcement identify missing persons. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of $192 million in funding to advance forensic science nationwide.
“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”
Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
The following organizations in Arizona received funding:
- City of Tucson - $252,900
- City of Mesa - $250,025
- Arizona Department of Public Safety - $754,606
- City of Phoenix Police Department (2 awards) - $576,697; $74,413
- Scottsdale Police Department Crime Laboratory - $250,025
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission - $392,583
- Mayo Clinic Arizona - $462,240
- Arizona State University - $150,000
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.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-090_Forensic 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/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.U.S. Attorney McCoy Appoints Election Officers for the District of South CarolinaRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) John Potterfield and Robert Sneed will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election.
AUSAs Potterfield and Sneed have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of South Carolina and in that capacity they 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 McCoy. “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, U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. stated that AUSAs/DEOs Potterfield and Sneed will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: for AUSA Potterfield, (803) 929-3092 or (803) 569-7238; and for AUSA Sneed, (864) 282-2100 or (803) 331-2678.
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 (803) 551-4200.
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.
"Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney McCoy. “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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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 Matthew Schneider Appoints Dawn Ison as District Election OfficerRead the Press Release
DETROIT – United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Dawn Ison will lead the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election.
AUSA Ison has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Michigan, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
Ison will work alongside Assistant United States Attorney Michael Martin, who serves as Chief of the office’s National Security Unit, and Susan DeClercq, the Chief of the office’s Civil Rights Division.
United States Attorney Schneider said, “For over a year, our office has significantly increased our focus on making sure the election is safe and secure. We are on the lookout for both local intimidation of voters and foreign interference in our election. Every Michigan citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and Michiganders have the right to have their votes counted and not stolen.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Schneider stated that AUSA/DEO Ison will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (313) 226-9567.
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 (313) 965-2323.
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.
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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.
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U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox Announces Northern District of Texas’ 2020 Election OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erin Nealy Cox announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Damien Diggs will lead the Northern District of Texas’ Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020 general election. AUSA Diggs is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Free and fair elections are vital to our American democracy. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination. The Department of Justice will always act to protect the integrity of the election process. If you have specific information about discrimination or election fraud, I urge you to report it to my Office, the Civil Rights Division, or the FBI,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Erin Nealy Cox stated that AUSA/DEO Diggs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. The public can reach him at 214-659-8600.
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 public can reach the local FBI field office at 972-559-5000.
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.