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4 August 2020
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announces more than $400,000 awarded to provide housing and assistance to victims of human trafficking in Northern OhioRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced today that the Jordan Community Resource Center in Cleveland Heights has been awarded $497,661 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking in Northern Ohio.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
“In addition to combating the threat and harm posed by human trafficking, the Justice Department is committed to providing much-needed resources and assistance to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “These funds announced today will help our partners provide victims with necessities such as housing and utilities assistance, occupational training and counseling."
The grant, awarded to the Jordan Community Resource Center, will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grant will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. The Jordan Community Resource Center is one of 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
The Office for Victims of Crime, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including, confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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 Herdman announces MOU with Special Inspector General for Pandemic RecoveryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Justin Herdman and Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Brian D. Miller announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR).
“This partnership will help our office move quickly to identify and prosecute scammers and fraudsters attempting to use this pandemic to exploit others,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “I’m grateful for the work of SIGPR in the Northern District of Ohio and look forward to continued success through this partnership.”
The purpose and mission of the MOU is to develop a cooperative effort to investigate and prosecute matters involving the making, purchase, management, and sale of loans, loan guarantees, and other investments made by the Secretary of the Treasury under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, and the management by the Secretary of the Treasury of any program established under the CARES Act, in order to achieve just results while using all criminal and civil resources most efficiently.
“I look forward to working with United States Attorney Justin Herdman and his team in the Northern District of Ohio to identify fraud, waste and abuse of the money provided under the CARES Act,” said Brian D. Miller, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. “We will bring to justice those who would steal CARES Act money, and recover money for the taxpayers. Taxpayers should expect nothing less.”
The MOU outlines four objectives: 1) To provide a coordinated response to CARES Act funding fraud, with an emphasis on organized criminal activity, as well as criminal and civil fraud affecting federal money, vulnerable victims, and fraud recidivists; 2) To facilitate legal process, case intake, and swift prosecution of CARES Act-related fraud; 3) To link and associate isolated CARES Act-related complaints with larger schemes and related unlawful activity; and 4) To deter future CARES Act funding fraud through an enhanced awareness of successful criminal prosecution and civil enforcement against individuals and companies involved in CARES-related financial fraud.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford will serve as liaison to the NDOH-SIGPR partnership and will be assigned specifically to SIGPR investigations and prosecutions.
The MOU also calls for the Northern District to create a streamlined, accelerated process for SIGPR investigations to obtain needed preliminary legal processes, including grand jury subpoenas and court orders, subpoenas, and civil investigative demands.
U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the ConstitutionRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution on Tuesday, Aug. 4. You can watch the full hearing -- entitled "The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble: Protecting Free Speech by Stopping Anarchist Violence" -- here.
Below is the U.S. Attorney's prepared opening statement for the subcommittee:
Good afternoon Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Hirono, and members of the Subcommittee. I’m Erin Nealy Cox, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas and Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.
Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the Justice Department’s efforts to counter violent anti-government extremism. For me, it’s a topic that hits close to home.
A little over a year ago, in June, a gunman clad in military gear and carrying an AR-15 style rifle opened fire on the federal courthouse in Dallas, which houses not only the federal judiciary, but also the United States Attorney’s Office and many other offices. The sudden violence ripped through the morning, just as we were arriving for work that day. Several of my prosecutors and others were caught in the midst of the attack. They resorted to hiding behind a cars in parking lot and one was pushed into the doorway by a FPS officer just as the bullets whizzed past them both.
Our office will be forever grateful to the FPS officers who engaged the shooter, ending the attack before innocent lives were lost. But to this day, we remain rattled by the gunman’s anti-government motives. He chose his location for a reason: A courthouse is one of the essential nodes within the body politics. It’s where laws are upheld, where justice is meted out. To target a courthouse, and those who work there, is to target the core of our lawful society.
And Dallas is no stranger to assaults on the rule of law. Three years prior – just blocks from the federal courthouse – a gunman, targeting law enforcement, ambushed police during a Black Lives Matter protest. Five officers were killed. Eleven others were injured, including nine officers. This was deadliest single incident for law enforcement in the United States since 9/11.
That day in July 2016 is certainly something etched in our memory. Just as the bullet holes still etched into the federal courthouse remind us daily: Anti-government fanaticism didn’t emerge with the 2020 protests.
But as our citizens have organized lawful demonstrations across this country following the tragic events in Minneapolis, anarchists have continue to exploit this lawful First Amendment activity as a shield for their violent behavior. Somehow, the notion of committing violence in the name of an anti-government dogma – be it Antifa, Boogaloo, or any of the other espoused ideologies – has been gaining traction at an alarming rate.
Unlike the lawful protestors whose demonstrations they undermine, these anti-government extremists aim to tear down the rule of law in America, not improve it. In fact, in resorting to violence, they are drowning out the voices of the protesters that this country wants to hear.
We’ve seen the anti-government violence making headlines across the nation. Just a few examples:
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In Seattle, during the anarchist occupation of the Capitol Hill area, an individual allegedly set fire to a Police Precinct. Thankfully, protesters rushed in to extinguish the blaze.
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In Portland, a would-be anarchist outside the Federal Courthouse allegedly attacked a Deputy U.S. Marshal with a large hammer, landing blows on the officer’s neck and shouting expletives and as other deputies pulled him off. On the courthouse barricade were scribbled the letters, A.C.A.B. – an acronym for “all cops are bastards.”
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In Oakland, a violent extremist allegedly used a peaceful protest as cover to murder an FPS Officer stationed at the Federal Courthouse, firing at the officer and his partner before taking off.
In response to this type of violence, Attorney General Barr directed U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito in the District of New Jersey and me to stand up a Task Force to Combat Violent Anti-Government Extremism.Working in close collaboration with the FBI, the Task Force aims to investigate, prosecute extremists of all persuasions.
We will follow where the evidence leads us, investigating any person or group who plans to commit or commits violence in the name of anarchist ideology.
Our goal is to focus on cases where violent extremists commit federal crimes and to seek ways to disrupt these criminal acts before they harm Americans.
Of course, let me be very clear with this final point — adhering to repugnant ideologies is not a crime, nor is expressing those beliefs. The right to freedom of speech is enshrined in our First Amendment. But committing violence or inciting violence in order to further that dogma is a criminal act, and it’s one that we should all take very seriously.
Extremist violence endangers our community. It endangers law enforcement. But as importantly, it also interferes with citizens’ right to speak freely and assemble peaceably.
I look forward to taking your questions.
In addition to servinga as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox chairs the Attorney General's Advisory Committee and was recently tapped to stand up his Taskforce on Violent Anti-Government Extremists.
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U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald Announces Nearly $1.5 Million in Funds to Support Victims of Human Trafficking in MinnesotaRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald today announced that the state of Minnesota received nearly $1.5 million from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
“Safe and stable housing is an integral step in the healing process and the path towards independence and a future free from exploitation,” said United States Attorney Erica MacDonald. “These grants awarded today will provide much needed funding for housing and related expenses for victims of all forms of human trafficking throughout Minnesota.”
The grants, awarded to the Link, Face to Face Health and Counseling Service Inc., and to Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for all forms of human trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. Funds will also provide for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. These recipients are among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
Grantee
Amount Awarded
The Link
$500,000
Face to Face Health and Counseling Service, Inc.
$499,998
Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota
$472,794
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of OJP, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
OVC, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
U.S. Attorney MacDonald’s public service announcement aimed at raising awareness and reaching victims is available here.
For a complete list of the individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
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U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran announces nearly $1.5 million in grants to provide housing to human trafficking victims in Western WashingtonRead the Press Release
(Seattle)–U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran of the Western District of Washington today announced that three Western Washington non-profit organizations received nearly $1.5 million from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
“The Western District of Washington is a leader in investigating and prosecuting human trafficking, due to key partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Moran. “Our relationships with non-profit organizations who provide support to human trafficking victims is key to rescuing victims from this modern day slavery.”
The three grants, awarded to YouthCare, The YMCA of Greater Seattle, and the International Rescue Committee Inc., will provide 6 to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities, or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grant will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. YouthCare and the YMCA each are receiving $500,000. The International Rescue Committee Inc., is receiving $499,996. The three non-profits are among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathrine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
The Office for Victims of Crime, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients, including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
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The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims, and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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 Announces $1 Million Award to Provide Housing to Victims of Human Trafficking in AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder today announced that the state of Alaska received $1 million from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Combatting human trafficking is a top priority, and so is restoring the lives of survivors who endured such cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Schroder. “While no amount of money will erase the trauma, the funds announced today will help survivors of human trafficking transition to a new life of independence with safe housing, a crucial step in the recovery process.”
The grants, awarded to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) and Covenant House Alaska, will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. AHFC and Covenant House Alaska are among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
Awardee State
Awardee
Amount Awarded
Alaska
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
$500,000
Alaska
Covenant House Alaska
$500,000
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of OJP, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
OVC, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Three Family Members Charged in Child Labor Trafficking Conspiracy in Chicago SuburbsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Three family members have been indicted on a labor trafficking conspiracy charge for allegedly forcing two undocumented West African teenagers to work in the Chicago suburbs.
NAWOMI AWOGA, 71, of Hazel Crest, and her two daughters, MARINA OKE, also known as Marina Fandohan, 34, of Country Club Hills, and ASSIBA LEA FANDOHAN, 31, of Hazel Crest, are charged with conspiracy to conceal, harbor, and shield from detection two children from the West African country of Benin, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The indictment also charges the defendants with forcing labor through threats of serious harm to a victim or another person.
The defendants were arrested Monday. Awoga is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Aug. 5, 2020, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim, while Oke and Fandohan will appear before Judge Kim for detention hearings on Aug. 6, 2020, at noon.
The indictment and arrests were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Patrick S. Mills, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Chicago Field Office. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Chicago Police Department, and the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou, Benin. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Tiffany Ardam.
According to the charges, Awoga coached the victims, then age 14 and 12, in Benin to lie to U.S. immigration authorities about their family relationships in order to obtain tourist visas, and then accompanied them into the United States. Once in the U.S., the defendants harbored the victims in residences in the Chicago suburbs of Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest while the victims were forced to provide labor and services for the defendants’ financial gain, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Texas Entrepreneur Charged with Spending COVID Relief Funds on Improper Expenses Including Lamborghini and Strip ClubRead the Press Release
A Houston, Texas man has been taken into custody on allegations he fraudulently obtained more than $1.6 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas.
Lee Price III, 29, spent the money on luxury items, real estate and personal entertainment, according to the complaint unsealed today upon his arrest. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon in Houston today.
Price is charged with making false statements to a financial institution, wire fraud, bank fraud and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
The complaint alleges Price was involved in a scheme to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications to federally insured banks and other lenders. The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees the loans for COVID-19 relief through the PPP under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Two fraudulent applications received funding, according to the complaint. Price Enterprises Holdings allegedly received more than $900,000, while a loan application listing 713 Construction was approved for over $700,000. The loan applications allegedly asserted both entities each had numerous employees and significant payroll expenses. According to the charges, however, neither entity has employees nor pays wages consistent with the amounts claimed in the loan applications. Further, the individual listed as CEO on the 713 Construction loan application died in April 2020, a month before the application was submitted, according to the complaint.
Price allegedly used the loan proceeds not for payroll expenses, but for lavish personal purchases, such as expending the loan money on a Lamborghini Urus, a Rolex watch and real estate transactions. He also allegedly spent thousands at strip clubs and other Houston night clubs. The complaint further alleges Price used a portion of the loan money to buy a 2020 Ford F-350 pickup truck.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief the CARES Act provides is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (OIG), SBA-OIG and U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Houston Division conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Timothy A. Duree, Senior Attorney Advisor James Alexander and Matthew Grisier are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney James McAlister.
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.
Sylmar Man Indicted on Arson Charge Alleging He Set Hollywood Pizza Restaurant Ablaze During Civil Disturbances in MayRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Sylmar man was charged today in a federal grand jury indictment alleging that he deliberately set Hollywood’s Pizzeria Mozza restaurant on fire during the civil disturbances that struck the city in late May.
Mario Ernesto Alvarado, 42, is charged with one count of arson. His arraignment is scheduled for August 10 in United States District Court. Alvarado was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in this case on July 16. He is free on $25,000 bond.
During the civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles on May 30, Alvarado allegedly walked into a commercial building in Hollywood that housed Pizzeria Mozza and its related business, Mozza2Go. Once inside the building, Alvarado maliciously poured a flammable liquid on the restaurant floor and set it on fire, according to the indictment. Arson investigators determined that the fire caused $500,000 in structural damage to the shop, with an additional $50,000 in fire damage to restaurant merchandise and property, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case. At the time of the fire, the restaurant and shop were closed due to a curfew order.
On June 29, the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department posted a press release seeking information leading to the arrest of several alleged arsonists suspected of starting fires across Los Angeles during May’s civil disturbances. Alvarado was identified by a member of the public as one of the alleged arsonists, according to court documents.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Alvarado would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the SAFE LA Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Santa Monica Police Department, the Beverly Hills Police Department and the Long Beach Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce K. Riordan of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for downloading and distributing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography over the internet.
Rusty J. Rose, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Rose to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $12,000 in restitution to his victims.
On Nov. 20, 2019, Rose pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography.
On July 24, 2018, law enforcement received a Cybertipline Report of a video of child pornography uploaded to Rose’s Google account. While officers were investigating the report, Rose assaulted a 14-year-old girl by grabbing her buttocks in a Kum & Go gas station in Springfield on Aug. 13, 2018.
On Sept. 27, 2018, law enforcement received another Cybertipline Report of images of child pornography uploaded to Rose’s Tumblr account. On the same day, law enforcement received additional Cybertipline Reports of child pornography videos uploaded to Rose’s Sendvid account and distributed to other users.
On Nov. 21, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rose’s residence. Officers seized Rose’s cell phone and a Samsung tablet they found under the sink in the bathroom. During a forensic examination of Rose’s tablet investigators found 95 images and eight video files of child pornography, 633 image and 73 video files containing material that is sexually exploitative of children, and one image and one video file containing bestiality. On Rose’s cell phone, investigators found 35 images of child pornography, 590 images of children being sexually exploited, and one image and 11 video files of bestiality. In Rose’s Mega account, which was accessed through his cell telephone, investigators found 593 images and 680 videos of child pornography, 1,070 images and 297 videos of children being sexually exploited, and one image and 11 videos of rape and/or bondage.
Also found in Rose’s Mega account was a folder titled “neighbor yng girls.” That folder contained images and videos of children in Rose’s neighborhood, which appear to have been created from Rose’s garage or behind a parked vehicle in his driveway. In another folder titled “pool,” there were images and videos of children at Rose’s neighborhood pool.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by Prohibited Person was sentenced on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Derrick Keith Clay, age 35, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal custody, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Clay was indicted for Possession of Firearm by Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury on September 4, 2019. He pled guilty on May 14, 2020.
On or about June 10, 2019, in the District of South Dakota, Clay, knowing he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a firearm, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara P. Nash prosecuted the case.
Clay was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rochester Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of CHARLES ANTONIO GAYLES, 38, to 180 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. GAYLES, who pleaded guilty on November 20, 2019, was sentenced earlier today before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing our efforts on taking armed criminals off the streets, in the Twin Cities and in greater Minnesota, said United States Attorney Erica MacDonald. “Mr. Gayles’s long and violent criminal history in Olmstead County warranted this significant sentence and I applaud our federal and local law enforcement partners for their work in bringing him to justice.”
“As an armed career criminal, this individual’s criminal conduct has plagued the Rochester community for far too long,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge William Henderson, of the St. Paul Field Division. “We are pleased to see that justice has been served. We appreciate the hard work from Rochester Police Department in this case.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on May 7, 2019, an officer with the Rochester Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a black Audi A6 for expired registration and unlawful tint. As the officer approached the vehicle he could smell marijuana and observed a sandwich bag containing just over eight grams of marijuana in the center console area. GAYLES, who was driving the vehicle, gave the bag of marijuana to the officer. When the officer asked GAYLES to turn off the vehicle, GAYLES sped off but shortly thereafter crashed the vehicle and then continued to flee on foot. The two passengers who were in the vehicle told the officer that GAYLES pulled out a black handgun from under the driver’s seat before fleeing on foot. Another officer saw GAYLES toss a black firearm into a nearby bush. Officers recovered from the bush a loaded Sig Sauer, model P320, 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol. After a search of the area, officers located GAYLES a few blocks away hiding inside a trashcan; the keys for the Audi A6 were located in his pocket. After conducting a search of the vehicle GAYLES was driving, officers recovered an additional 27.34 grams of marijuana, two loaded 9mm handgun magazines, one a large-capacity 32-round magazine, and a Sig Sauer 9mm holster. Because he has multiple prior felony convictions, GAYLES is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rochester Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat violent crime. This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
CHARLES ANTONIO GAYLES, 38
Rochester, Minn.
Convicted:
- Felon in possession of a firearm - armed career criminal, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 180 months in prison
- Five years of supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Enticement, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A Roanoke man who used an online chat website to engage in sexually explicit conversations with a 12-year-old minor female and later induced the victim to engage in sexually explicit behavior over video chat, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Virginia to a pair of federal charges, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen for the Western District of Virginia.
Roger Allen Bellini, 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of coercion and enticement and one count of possession of child pornography. He will be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2021.
According to court documents, Bellini admitted to using an online chat website to communicate with minor females. The defendant admitted the communications were sexual in nature. Specifically, Bellini admitted to communicating with a minor via video chat, beginning when she was 12 years old. He used screen capture software to record his computer screen while he engaged in video chats with the minor. In these video chats, Bellini induced the minor to expose herself and perform sexually explicit acts.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Trial Attorney Leslie Fisher of the Criminal Division’s Child and Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Swartz prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Prolific Southern Oregon Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—The leader of a southern Oregon drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin in and around Klamath Falls, Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today, announced Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Rogelio Gomez-Arias, 24, of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in May 2018, southern Oregon law enforcement began investigating Gomez-Arias’ trafficking organization. Investigators learned than an individual in Mexico supplied the organization with methamphetamine in exchange for cash and firearms, and instructed it to transport narcotics to other west coast cities and beyond.
In August 2019, investigators conducted three controlled buys with Gomez-Arias, purchasing a total of three pounds of methamphetamine. During these purchases, Gomez-Arias directed other members of his organization and openly explained his history of drug dealing. He explained in detail how he started selling small quantities of drugs and then moved up to ounces and, later, pounds. He bragged of making $500,000 in a single week and transporting drugs to other cities, including Seattle and New York. This information was corroborated when a co-conspirator was stopped on his way to New York with more than 700 grams of fentanyl.
On October 9, 2019, a coordinated, multi-agency law enforcement operation was conducted to dismantle Gomez-Arias’ drug trafficking organization. Four federal search warrants were executed in Klamath Falls and Dorris, California. Investigators seized more than 37 pounds of methamphetamine, 440 grams of heroin, 14 firearms, and nearly $50,000 in cash and arrested five co-conspirators, including Gomez-Arias.
On October 2, 2019, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a six-count indictment charging Gomez-Arias and three co-conspirators with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and distribution of a controlled substance. A fourth co-conspirator was charged by criminal complaint.
On July 30, 2020, Gomez-Arias pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Three of Gomez-Arias’ co-conspirators—Alexis Chavez-Franco, 23; Domingo Matias-Hernandez, 36; and Juan Rodriguez-Ramirez, 62—remain in custody pending trial. A fourth co-conspirator, Irving Beas Ceballos, 35, is on pre-trial release.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane ordered Gomez-Arias to forfeit the U.S. currency seized and the firearms used to facilitate his crimes.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET) and the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigation Team (SUMIT). It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the department’s strategy for reducing the availability of drugs in the U.S. OCDETF was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack on drug trafficking by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in coordination with state and local law enforcement.
Pocatello Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Carlos Brewer, 42, of Pocatello, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 235 months in federal prison for receiving sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior Ninth Circuit Judge N. Randy Smith, sitting as a U.S. District Court judge, also ordered Brewer serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Brewer pleaded guilty to the charge on January 6, 2020.
According to court records, in August 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Brewer’s Pocatello home. Officers previously received information that Brewer possessed a thumb drive containing child pornography. At the home, Brewer informed officers that the thumb drive was located in his messenger bag and he admitted that he previously transferred child pornography to the thumb drive from images on his computer. During a forensic search of Brewer’s devices, officers found hundreds of images of child pornography. Brewer admitted in court that he received the child pornography by downloading it to his computer.
At sentencing, Judge Smith also ordered Brewer to forfeit the computer and thumb drive used in the commission of the offense. As a result of his conviction, Brewer will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Plains Man Admits Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Plains man accused of making and transporting child pornography videos pleaded guilty to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
David Paul Farrar, 58, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography. Farrar faces a minimum mandatory 15 years to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a minimum mandatory five years to life of supervised release on the sexual exploitation count and a minimum mandatory five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to life of supervised release on the transportation of child pornography count.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing has been set for November 20, 2020 in Missoula. Farrar is s detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said that while Farrar was away in Idaho in June 2019, he allowed a friend to stay at his home in Plains. The friend viewed electronic storage cards found in Farrar's house and saw that they contained sexually explicit photographs of a female child. The friend reported her findings to law enforcement.
An agent with Homeland Security Investigations obtained a search warrant for Farrar's residence and seized multiple computers and electronic storage devices. An analysis of the items seized determined they contained video files of the victim and were created sometime in 2013 or 2014. The videos were created using a cell phone or digital camera and contained lewd and lascivious images of the victim. Agents determined Farrar created the videos because the viewer can see his hand and hear his voice. Farrar also admitted to agents that he created the videos of the victim.
Agents also found a video of two other minor girls that contain lewd and lascivious images. The investigation determined that Farrar electronically transferred that video to a file on one of his computers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by HSI.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Participating in South Side Gang’s Drug ActivityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed sentence on Deandre Gordon, 24.
According to information presented to the Court, in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and 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.
Intercepted communications revealed that Deandre Gordon purchased distribution-level quantities of heroin and fentanyl from his co-conspirator, Jarrell Dawson, and re-sold the drugs to other customers. The court was further informed that the defendant accepted responsibility for the distribution of 33 grams of heroin and fentanyl and that he would forfeit $3,286 in United States currency, two firearms and ammunition seized in conjunction with his arrest on June 20, 2019 under the terms of his plea agreement.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand and Brendan McKenna prosecuted 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.
Philadelphia Area Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 26 Years in Prison After Being Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Vontez Scales, 29, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 320 months in prison, ten years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney for his leadership role in a large scale drug trafficking ring.
Following a lengthy investigation in 2018, including a series of court-ordered wiretaps, the defendant and his co-conspirators were charged by Indictment with multiple drug offenses, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. Scales was a member of the “Skipworth” drug trafficking organization, which sold bulk quantities of crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine worth millions of dollars in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburban counties. Scales’ co-conspirators, Damir Skipworth (the group’s ring leader), Jarrett Cobb, and Tyrone Smith all previously pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in this case and received significant prison sentences: Skipworth more than eight years, Cobb more than five years, and Smith more than three years.
In December 2019, Scales was convicted at trial of possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, arising from his sales and purchases of large quantities of drugs to and from co-conspirators. The defendant bought crystal methamphetamine in pound quantities from a co-conspirator, with the intention to sell it, and in turn sold large quantities of heroin laced with fentanyl back to the co-conspirator to distribute to other members of the group. Scales used the cash proceeds from his illegal drug dealing for things like car rentals, hotels and luxury clothing, including purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue of over $28,000. Scales was previously convicted twice of drug trafficking, and each time received a lengthy prison term.
“Scales and his co-conspirators pumped huge quantities of deadly, addictive drugs into Philadelphia and its suburbs,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Drug trafficking is an extremely dangerous business for those engaged in it and for everyone else around them. Our Office is determined to protect the communities impacted by drug trafficking by investigating and convicting criminals like those in the Skipworth organization.”
“By conducting millions of dollars of business in meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, the Skipworth drug trafficking organization was a blight on all of southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the DEA and the Bucks County Drug Strike Force, this criminal organization’s doors have been shut for good.”
The case was investigated by the Bucks County Detective Bureau and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Parisi and Andrea Foulkes.
Pasadena Man Indicted by Grand Jury in Cyberstalking Case Alleging Online and Mailed Threats to Injure, Rape and Kill 10 VictimsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury this afternoon returned a 26-count indictment that charges a Pasadena man with making a series of detailed threats to harm, rape and kill 10 victims he met in various social and business settings.
Samuel Trelawney Hughes, 31, who is a citizen of the United Kingdom, was charged with seven counts of stalking, nine counts of making online threats, three counts of mailing threatening communications, and seven counts of witness tampering.
The indictment alleges that Hughes – sometimes using his real name, and other times using aliases or social media accounts designed to conceal his true identity – sent his victims communications in which he expressed hope they would die or in which he made specific threats to harm them. For example, in October 2019, after one victim reported prior threats from Hughes to law enforcement authorities, Hughes allegedly sent the victim an email stating in part: “someone I can guarantee will come out and first bash you head in, rape you slash your throat and burn your car and house.” Hughes allegedly sent another threat that read in part: “I will rip your f****** throat out and stab you in the eyes and put gasoline over your half mutilated body.”
Court documents state that Hughes used online aliases and handles that included xavier.herrera666, parsonstheo38, theoparsons4, tony.hawk.exskater, tony.flavelle450, byword.photography, julius.caesar411, charlotte.massey400, and a.total.wanker400.
The FBI began investigating Hughes in May 2019 after one victim filed a complaint with the Internet Crimes Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). “After being contacted by both the FBI and state law enforcement officers on multiple occasions regarding the threatening communications, Hughes continued to send electronic communications and letters threatening to injure, rape, or kill at least three of the victims who had reported his threats to the police,” according to a criminal complaint previously filed in this case. “In his communications to some victims, Hughes threatened that contacting the police would lead to the injury or death of the victim or the victims’ loved ones.”
As a result of separate investigations, Hughes was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Pasadena Police Department on two occasions in June, which resulted in charges being filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Pasadena City Attorney’s Office. Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Hughes on July 10, and he was taken into custody from state authorities on July 24. Hughes has been in federal custody since that time.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The stalking counts and the charges stemming from the alleged threats all carry a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The witness tampering counts each carry a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison.
Hughes is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment in United States District Court on August 13.
The FBI is investigating this case. Anyone who thinks they may have received threats from Hughes is encouraged to call the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Restrepo of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
North Dakota Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Yates, North Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender was sentenced on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Vincent Carry Moccasin, Jr., age 53, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Carry Moccasin was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2019. He pled guilty on April 16, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on August 3, 2019, in McLaughlin, when Carry Moccasin assaulted his fiancé. At the time of the assault, Carry Moccasin had a final conviction on at least two separate prior occasions of assaulting a spouse or intimate partner.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Jasper prosecuted the case.
Carry Moccasin was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
North County Lifeline Awarded $500,000 to Assist Victims of Human Trafficking in San DiegoRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 4, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Today, Attorney General William P. Barr and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump announced that the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), has awarded $35,104,338 in grant funding to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking. U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer revealed that San Diego’s North County Lifeline, Inc. was selected as one of 73 grant awardees in 34 states. The organization will receive $500,000 in grant funds to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. This is the largest federal investment of its kind.
“Eradicating the horrific crime of human trafficking and helping its victims are top priorities for the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We are working relentlessly to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors, who often have nowhere to go once they are freed from trafficking. We cannot allow the trauma of trafficking to give way to new dangers caused by homelessness, which often leads to re-victimization by predators. These funds will provide San Diego victims the shelter and support they need to turn the corner and begin a new life.”
North County Lifeline, Inc., a 24 hour on-call victim services organization, works in collaboration with San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force to ensure that every victim of human trafficking is provided with individualized resources and services. Lifeline’s transitional housing program utilizes a Housing First model, which ensures that factors that often preclude trafficking victims from qualifying for long-term housing programs (substance use/abuse, untreated mental health issues, prior criminal record) are not an issue. According to the DOJ award, this type of unrestricted housing for trafficking victims, in addition to being in short supply in San Diego, is considered most conducive to providing trafficking victims with the safety and stability they need to shift out of a crisis mindset and begin working toward self-sufficiency. Lifeline plans to serve approximately 75 trafficking victims over the project period. In addition to housing, clients may elect to participate in supportive services including, but not limited to, ongoing case management, medical and dental care, (limited) legal assistance, literacy/GED/education assistance, LGBTQ services, substance abuse treatment, trauma counseling, life skills training, and employment and financial coaching.
The grant funds announced today will support multiple forms of short-term housing assistance, including helping survivors make rent payments, cover utility bills or security deposits, or pay moving expenses. The grants are the first-ever federal program dedicated exclusively to providing housing for survivors of human trafficking. It represents part of approximately 100 million dollars in total grants that the Department of Justice anticipates awarding this year to combat human trafficking.
“In addition to the considerable financial support announced today, the Department of Justice and this office will continue to use the full force of our law enforcement resources to investigate, prosecute, and punish the people behind the cruel crime of human trafficking,” Brewer added.
Neopit Man Receives Prison Sentence for Illegal Firearm Possession on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that an individual received a 15-month sentence following a conviction for illegal firearm possession on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The man, Ryan M. Hill (age: 26), formerly lived in Neopit, which is a community on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The sentence, imposed on August 3, 2020, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on February 7, 2020. Hill pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Griesbach imposed 36 months of supervised release.
The investigation revealed that on September 13, 2019, Hill brandished a small-caliber semiautomatic handgun while at a business in Neopit on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Hill later admitted he possessed the handgun.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime the defendant committed. Judge Griesbach also remarked upon the need to enforce law related to firearm possession and to deter those would might consider similar actions.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted.
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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For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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Nashville Woman Is Second to Face Federal Arson Charges in Connection with Metro Courthouse FireRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – August 4, 2020 - A criminal complaint unsealed today charged Shelby Ligons, 22, of Nashville Tennessee, with malicious destruction of property using fire or explosives, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.
Wesley Somers, 25, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, was previously charged on June 3, 2020, and his case is pending in U.S. District Court.
The criminal complaint alleges that on the afternoon of May 30, 2020, protesters gathered in downtown Nashville following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Later in the evening, a number of persons gathered in front of the Nashville City Hall, also known as the Metro Courthouse. Using various tools, including crowbars and other objects, they began smashing the windows of the premises and spraying graffiti on the Courthouse facade. One or more fires were also set inside of the Courthouse at this time.
Numerous video clips and photographs of the destruction at City Hall were posted on social media websites, on the websites for news outlets, and on other Internet sites. Ligons is depicted in video clips and photographs from that afternoon and evening wearing blue jeans, a black-colored shirt, a medical mask, and a white-colored bandana on her head. In those video clips and photographs, Ligons is depicted holding a white-colored poster board with the words “F--k The Police” and “We Will Not Be Silent” written on it. In several video clips, Ligons is depicted setting fire to the poster and placing it inside a window located on the exterior structure of City Hall.
Ligons was arrested this morning by FBI agents and will make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later this afternoon.
If convicted, Ligons faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI; the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; and the Nashville Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Schrader and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Minneapolis Man Charged with Armed Robbery Spree of Twin Cities BusinessesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a criminal complaint charging DERRICK LEE SPILLMAN, 39, with four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. SPILLMAN will make his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, on July 30, 2020, between 6:56 a.m. and 3:53 p.m., SPILLMAN used force, violence, and fear of injury to commit four armed robberies of businesses located throughout the Twin Cities, including two Holiday gas stations, a Speedway store, and a Subway store. At all four robbery locations SPILLMAN brandished a firearm to compel employees to relinquish cash belonging to the business. After reviewing surveillance video footage from all four businesses, investigators were able to identify SPILLMAN based on distinctive tattoos.
The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, allows federal prosecutors to prosecute individuals who commit armed robberies of businesses engaged in interstate commerce.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Fridley Police Department, the Brooklyn Center Police Department, the New Hope Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department. This case was brought as part of the Twin Cities Violent Crime Task Force, a multi-agency effort that brings together additional federal and state resources to assist local law enforcement to investigate, arrest, and prosecute individuals responsible for gun violence in the Twin Cities. For more information about the Twin Cities Violent Crime Task Force, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/united-states-attorney-announces-new-twin-cities-violent-crime-task-force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin A. Wesley is prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
DERRICK LEE SPILLMAN, 39
Minneapolis, Minn.
Charges:
- Hobbs Act robbery, 4 counts
- Using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robberies and Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced on August 3, 2020 that Rickey Austin of Milwaukee, after having served approximately 18 months since his arrest, was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Lynn Adelman to an additional 246 months’ imprisonment for armed robberies and unlawful possession of firearms.
Austin had previously pleaded guilty to committing armed robberies at two banks and a convenience store in Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, and Fox Point between December 3, 2018, and January 15, 2019. On each occasion, Austin brandished handguns and placed others in fear for their lives. Austin, 65, has previously served 26 years in state prison as a result of 1989 convictions for a series of armed robberies and felony murder.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crime Task Force, Milwaukee Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, and Fox Point Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farris Martini and Elizabeth Monfils.
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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For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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Middle District of Florida Receives Nearly $1 Million to Provide Housing to Human Trafficking VictimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez today announced that the Middle District of Florida received $998,000 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
“Our Office is committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those who commit these heinous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “We are equally determined to the rescue, recovery, and assistance of those who have been traumatized by these unspeakable experiences. The awards announced today will provide our partners with much needed resources that will place trafficking victims on the road to restoration and hope.
The grant, awarded to the United Way of Pasco County, Inc. and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. will provide 6 to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grant will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. The above grant recipients are among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
The Office for Victims of Crime, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Mexican man charged with attempting to illegally export 92 gun magazines at Laredo bridgeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 68-year-old Mexican man for smuggling goods from the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Juan Jose Jimenez-Guerra is charged with attempting to smuggle a total of 92 firearm magazines into Mexico, 48 of which were 7.62 caliber designed for an AK-47 type rifle. The remaining magazines were 5.56 caliber for an AR-15 rifle.
He was originally charged by criminal complaint and has remained in custody pending further proceedings. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
On July 3, Jimenez-Guerra was attempting to leave the United States at the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry Bridge in Laredo, according to the allegations. There, authorities allegedly observed two firearm magazines fall from his pickup truck. They conducted a more thorough inspection of his vehicle and discovered the nearly 100 magazines located in the bed of the truck, according to the charges.
If convicted, Jimenez-Guerra face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months for Timeshare Telemarketing ScamRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS –JESUS ADRIAN LEDESMA BERNAL, a/k/a JSS, age 32, a resident and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 18 months in the Bureau of Prisons after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo of the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
As detailed in the factual basis and superseding bill of information, the defendants, from at least January 1, 2016, to the present, conspired together and with others to commit wire fraud in connection with a telemarketing scheme that targeted and victimized persons in the United States, Canada and South America. As part of the elaborate scheme, the conspirators made unsolicited phone calls to owners of resort timeshare properties to induce them into paying fees associated with the bogus sale of their property. The defendants misrepresented the existence of a buyer for their timeshare and solicited money from the victims to facilitate the sale. They solicited the timeshare owners to enter into agreements to sell their timeshares and pay for alleged “closing costs” with electronic wire transfers from banking institutions within the United States to Mexican banks. There were no interested buyers, the closings did not occur, and the timeshares were not resold. Instead, the conspirators simply pocketed the advanced fees. Of the U.S. victims, 40 were age 60 and older and the total estimated loss is at least $10,000,000.
The defendants, who are all based in Mexico, operated under the business names Planet Travel and Newport International Investments, and at other times used the following business names: Advance Travel INC, All American Real Estate, American International Investment Group, Bear Claw Travel, Best Investment Services, Champion Properties, Closing Source LLC, Equity Closing Services Group, Global Offshore Services, NSC Holding, Peach Title, Sandia Title, Travel and Acquisitions, Travel Innovations, Travel Plus Acquisitions, Travel Right, and World Travelers, Inc. All of these domain websites have been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice.
BERNAL, who worked as a telemarketer, was ordered to pay restitution of $127,000 USD, a fee of $100.00, and he is subject to deportation after serving 18 months.
This case is the product of an extensive and ongoing investigation by special agents of Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Paige O’Hale are prosecuting the case.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website at www.elderjustice.gov.
Mescalero Apache man sentenced on federal child sexual abuse chargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Pasqual Francis Ortega, 35, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, yesterday in a case involving sexual abuse of a minor.
Ortega was arrested on Aug. 14, 2019, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexual abuse of a minor, to which he pled guilty on November 25, 2019. In entering the guilty plea, Ortega admitted that on July 6, 2019, when he was 34 years old, he knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a child who was 13 years old, and that he committed the crime on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
Ortega has been sentenced to 41 months in prison with 5 years of supervised release. Ortega will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Las Cruces Resident Agency with assistance from the Mescalero Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services. The Case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearmin Furtherance of Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jason Smith, 36, has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on November 5, 2017, homicide officers followed up on a Crime Stoppers tip regarding a Memphis Police Department homicide investigation involving Jason Smith. Officers went to a residence on Douglas Avenue where they saw Smith standing by and bending down near the rear passenger side of a silver Volvo. Smith then walked away from the officers who saw him toss something small behind a nearby house. Officers detained Smith and recovered a gun from under the vehicle where they had observed him bend down. A bag with 5.6 grams of crack was located which Smith had thrown and large amounts of cash from his pockets. Smith told officers that the gun belonged to his girlfriend but she was not there, and that he threw marijuana, not crack.
Later, homicide officers interviewed Smith’s girlfriend who said the gun was hers, but struggled to describe the weapon. The girlfriend could not tell officers the type or caliber of gun. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an interstate nexus search on the multi-caliber Diamondback pistol and verified that the firearm was manufactured outside of the State of Tennessee.
Prior to the November 5, 2017 arrest, the defendant had been convicted of felony drug and gun offenses. As a result, he is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition. On September 26, 2019, a federal grand jury in Memphis indicted Smith for possession for a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony; and possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute.
On July 28, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Smith to 60 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This offender presented a triple threat of serious bodily injury and death: a prior convicted felon in possession of a loaded firearm while distributing a highly addictive substance on the streets. Felon+gun+drugs=a federal prison sentence that protects the community by incapacitating a repeat dangerous offender, and achieves justice by providing proper punishment without the sanctuary of parole."
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force. The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative is 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. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Oldham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Man faces federal charges after allegedly trying to smuggle meth inside shoesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned a two-count indictment against a 20-year-old Haltom City man for conspiring with others to import approximately 438.99 grams of meth from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Cesar Augusto Berlanga Jr. is charged with importing meth into the United States and one count of conspiracy. Originally charged by criminal complaint, he has remained in custody pending further criminal proceedings. He is expected to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge on the indictment in the near future.
On July 9, Berlanga applied for admission as a pedestrian into the United States from Mexico at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge in Laredo, according to the charges. During primary inspection, an officer allegedly noticed Berlanga’s shoes appeared to be larger than normal. The charges allege that while being escorted for further inspection, Berlanga ran towards the streets of Laredo. Authorities quickly apprehended him approximately two blocks away after a brief foot chase, according to the allegations.
An inspection of Berlanga’s shoes allegedly revealed two plastic bags containing a substance that field tested positive for meth. The drugs weighed approximately 438.99 grams and have an estimated street value of $3073, according to the charges.
If convicted, Berlanga face a minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yoona Lim is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that RONALD EUGENE MOSLEY, age 46, was charged on July 31, 2020 in a one-count bill of information with bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2113(a).
According to the bill of information, on July 6, 2020, MOSLEY robbed First Bank & Trust in New Orleans and obtained $10,850.00. Mosley handed the bank teller a note demanding money. He did not have a weapon.
If convicted, MOSLEY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, five years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
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Madison Business Owner and Company Plead Guilty to Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Rui Ping Lin, and his company, Red Samurai Sushi, Inc., of Madison, Mississippi, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David M. Bramlette III to harboring illegal aliens at the Red Samurai restaurant, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Gilbert Trill and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Rafiq Ahmad. As part of its guilty plea, Red Samurai agreed to two years' probation and an immigration compliance program, in addition to forfeiture and a $100,000 fine.
The Defendants will be sentenced by Judge Bramlette on October 27, 2020 at 10 a.m.
From March 2014 through February 2017, Rui Ping Lin was the owner of a restaurant in Madison named Red Samurai Sushi, Inc. During this time, the Defendant hired and employed illegal aliens, whose initials were “A.D.S.,” “D.G.P.,” “J.C.P.,” “J.S.L.,” knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that these illegal aliens had come to, entered and remained in the United States in violation of law.
On February 22, 2017, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Red Samurai and encountered these illegal aliens. The investigation revealed that none of these illegal aliens had been required to complete any paperwork or show any documents or identification when they were hired as employees, nor had they been asked about their immigration status. The investigation further revealed that Defendant managed the restaurant, hired these employees without valid documentation, housed many of the illegal alien employees at a home in Madison, made the schedules for these illegal alien employees, and transported these illegal alien employees to and from the restaurant. When interviewed by HSI agents, Defendant admitted to paying these employees in cash. The Defendants also failed to withhold and pay federal income taxes on these illegal aliens, failed to prepare I-9 Forms, and failed to report wages to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security or the Internal Revenue Service.
By not requiring such illegal alien employees to fill out employment applications, not requiring illegal alien employees to submit valid identification, not paying illegal alien employees via check, not withholding taxes from such gross income, allowing illegal alien employees to live in company-provided housing, and transporting illegal alien employees to and from the restaurant, the Defendants harbored these illegal aliens and substantially facilitated their remaining in the U.S. illegally.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Dave Fulcher and United States Attorney Mike Hurst.
Local organizations receive combined $1 million to assist trafficking victimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Santa Maria Hostel and Family Time Crisis Center have been awarded $500,000 each to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
“Human trafficking is a scourge,” said Patrick. “Prosecuting the pimps and enablers is sometimes not the hardest part. The support services for the victims can be difficult to find, fund and maintain. Grants like these take care of the victims with a safe space where they can begin to put their life back together.”
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), have issued the grants to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims. This includes rental, utilities or related expenses such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and occupational training and counseling. Family Time in Humble and Santa Maria Hostel in Houston are among 73 organizations receiving more than a combined $35 million to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflects. The National Institute of Justice issued a new report that found the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
OVC hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
A complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding is located HERE.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan directs OJP which provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at 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.
Local man sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing firearm as convicted felonRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Huber Heights man was sentenced in federal court to the statutory maximum 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
William Prigmore, 37, was convicted by a jury in July 2019 of one count of illegally possessing a firearm and two counts of illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, law enforcement throughout Ohio and in West Virginia encountered Prigmore throughout 2016 and 2017 at various incidents involving controlled substances and firearms.
Law enforcement responded to a complaint on Deer Creek Drive in Xenia in October 2017, where Prigmore was located in a vehicle with a handgun. The handgun was loaded with seven rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.
Due to multiple past drug convictions, Prigmore is prohibited from possessing firearms. Prigmore was on parole with the State of Ohio when he committed the federal offense.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Xenia Police Chief Donald R. Person announced the sentence imposed on July 31 by U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorneys Brent G. Tabacchi and Rob Painter represented the United States in this case.
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KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm After Being Involved in ShootoutRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Missouri, man who was involved in a shoot-out on Troost Avenue and subsequently convicted in a separate murder case was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Malliek D. Haynes, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to five years in federal prison without parole. The court ordered today’s federal sentence to be served consecutively to his 22-year sentence on an unrelated Jackson County, Mo., conviction for murder and armed criminal action for fatally stabbing a victim without provocation on the street in front of numerous witnesses.
On Feb. 11, 2020, Haynes pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Haynes admitted that he possessed a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol when he engaged in a shootout on Troost Avenue on April 2, 2017.
According to court documents, Haynes was the instigator of the incident that began with a verbal altercation between Haynes and a group of people at the Troost Market, 8001 Troost Avenue in Kansas City. Haynes loudly proclaimed that he was “a gangster” and lifted up his shirt in a threatening manner, exposing the firearm in his waistband. After the group left the store, Haynes continued to make loud comments to other patrons and again lifted his shirt to show that he was carrying the firearm.
When Haynes left the store and walked to his car, he again engaged in a verbal altercation with the same group of individuals from before, who were now in their vehicles across the gas station parking lot. He took the firearm out of his waistband and they began to shoot at Haynes from their vehicle. Haynes began to wildly return fire, falling to the ground. During the shootout, Haynes was shot in the upper thigh.
The group drove away; Haynes got into the passenger side of his vehicle and a female companion drove him to the hospital. Officers seized the firearm from his vehicle.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Haynes has prior felony convictions for robbery and unlawful use of a weapon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Judge Sentences Pittsburgh Cocaine Dealer and Money Launderer to Prison for 12 YearsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years' imprisonment and five years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws and money laundering conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Garfield Campbell, also known as "Sean Grant", age 45.
According to information presented to the court, Campbell participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance from in and April 2017, and continuing thereafter to in and around April 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Campbell also pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering, from in and April 2017, and continuing thereafter to in and around April 2019. Specifically, Campbell was part of a conspiracy in which individuals, many of whom were born in Jamaica, mailed kilograms of cocaine from California to individuals in the Western District of Pennsylvania, including Campbell, who then arranged for its further distribution. The conspiracy also involved Campbell and others mailing packages containing currency back to the California cocaine suppliers, also through the mail. Federal agents obtained Court authorization and intercepted the communications of members of the conspiracy, including Campbell, and they also executed numerous search warrants. As part of his guilty plea, Campbell acknowledged that he was responsible for between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Marnie Sheehan-Balcon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Campbell. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. In this case, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force and the New Castle Police Department also participated in the investigation.
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.
Jamestown Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling MethRead 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 Tracey Wynn, 38, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between September 2018 and January 2019, the defendant was a drug trafficking associate of Douglas Beardsley and sold methamphetamine supplied by Beardsley. Wynn typically received methamphetamine from Beardsley to sell two or three times a week. During the conspiracy, the defendant and Beardsley would communicate often about the operation, including through their Facebook accounts.
On four separate occasions, Wynn sold methamphetamine to an individual working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. On August 7, 2017, investigators executed a New York search warrant at the defendant’s residence and recovered a quantity of methamphetamine, approximately $347 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and mail. Also inside the residence, investigators identified items indicating children lived at the residence.
On October 23, 2019, Wynn committed a moving traffic violation and was stopped by a Jamestown Police officer. During the stop, the officer asked the defendant exit the vehicle. A search of the driver side area yielded two digital scales, one of which had crystal methamphetamine on it. Wynn was arrested at the scene for driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia. At the jail, a bag of marijuana was found in the defendant’s sweatshirt pocket, and plastic bags of methamphetamine were found on her person.
Charges remain pending against Douglas Beardsley. 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.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.# # # #
International Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Vladimir Volgaev (69, Sarasota) to two years and nine months in federal prison for theft of government property and smuggling goods from the United States, in violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The court also ordered Volgaev to forfeit $6,835, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense.
Volgaev had pleaded guilty on August 19, 2019.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, between 2011 and 2018, Volgaev shipped more than 1,600 firearm components—including barrels, slides, receivers, and frames—from the United States to Ukraine. These components were used to construct fully functional firearms, including handguns and rifles. While engaged in this conduct, Volgaev lived in housing subsidized by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). In periodic renewal applications, Volgaev lied to HUD about his personal finances, including the income he had gained from illicit firearm trafficking.
“Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents are committed to combating the illegal smuggling of firearm parts that fuel violence both domestically and abroad,” said HSI Tampa acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Indictment Charges Former Kankakee Wastewater Utilities' Official of $2 Million FraudRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment that charges Richard G. Simms, 73, currently of Marietta, Ohio, with defrauding Kankakee’s wastewater utilities, Kankakee River Metropolitan Agency (KRMA) and the city’s Environmental Service Utility (ESU), of more than $2 million.
According to the indictment, during the time of the alleged fraud, from 2014 through 2018, Simms served as executive director of KRMA, which was responsible for treating wastewater from its member municipalities, namely, Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Aroma Park, Ill. KRMA also treated wastewater from Manteno and Chebanse, Ill., by intergovernmental agreement. During this period, Simms was also the Superintendent of ESU that serves as Kankakee’s public works and sewer system. At the same time, Simms owned and operated Simms Engineering, LTD.
From 2014 through 2018, Simms received more than $2.5 million in salary and legitimate payments: approximately $1,124,288 from KRMA and approximately $1,594,585 from ESU. In addition, and independent of his salary and payments, the indictment alleges that Simms fraudulently received approximately $2.2 million - $768,000 from KRMA and $1,257,000 from ESU - as payment to Simms Engineering for software development by Plum Flower International. Simms and his daughter registered Plum Flower International with the State of Illinois in March 2014 purportedly to develop a software application for medical companies to track medical records.
The indictment alleges that although Simms did not have board approval or contracts with his engineering firm to develop software, he submitted fraudulent and inflated invoices to KRMA and ESU for software development. Simms allegedly circumvented KRMA’s invoice payment procedure by submitting invoices directly to its accounting firm. As a result, KRMA’s superintendent and administrative assistant did not approve and were unaware of the invoices.
From May 2014 through September 2018, Simms Engineering allegedly transferred more than $2 million to Plum Flower International, which represented more than 95% of its revenue during this time frame. Plum Flower International allegedly used approximately $161,000 of the funds to pay another company to create a software application which they attempted to sell on the open market. The remaining funds were allegedly used for the personal benefit of Simms and his daughter, the owners of Plum Flower International.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller is representing the government in the case prosecution.
The U.S. Clerk of the Court will set the date for Simms to appear in federal court in Urbana for arraignment.
If convicted, the offense of federal program fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Indian National Sentenced for International Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Indian national was sentenced today to over a year in prison for his role in defrauding hundreds of people of at least $150,000.
“Anikkhan Yusufkhan Pathan participated in an international fraud scheme that victimized 200 hard-working Americans,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Pathan’s conspirators located in India exploited victims who were trying to pay mortgages and apply for loans. Individuals should not have to be worried about being scammed when trying to complete basic, and essential, financial tasks. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those individuals who commit fraud and seek to profit from the financial hardship they cause their victims.”
According to court documents, Pathan, 29, while in this country on a student visa, conspired with individuals in India to defraud approximately 200 people located throughout the United States. In many cases, the conspirators identified people who had recently applied for a loan from a bank. In other cases, the conspirators learned which mortgage company held the deed to a victim’s home or claimed to represent a company the victim had recently done business with. In every case, the conspirators then tricked their victims into sending money to fictitious identities using money transfer services like MoneyGram and Western Union. Pathan used at least 67 fake IDs, each bearing the name of a different fictitious identity and his photograph, to collect the victim’s money from money transfer services throughout northern Virginia.
“The Office of the Inspector General continues its commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate criminal schemes aimed at taking advantage of American Taxpayers,” said Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
As part of the scheme, Pathan kept a portion of the victim’s money for himself and deposited the balance into bank accounts of unknown individuals or wire transferred the money to conspirators located in India. From April to September 2017, during the course of over 200 transactions, Pathan collected $150,000 sent by hundreds of victims located around the country.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick 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-20.
Imperial Pacific International and MCC International Saipan Executives Indicted on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Three executives from Imperial Pacific International (IPI) and MCC International Saipan have been indicted on federal criminal charges, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy, harboring illegal aliens, unlawful employment of aliens, and international promotional money laundering announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
On Aug. 1, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a 71-count superseding indictment against Liwen Wu, aka Peter Wu, Jianmin Xu, and Yan Shi. The charges were unsealed today. The indictment alleges that these individuals committed criminal acts while holding executive positions with IPI and MCC International Saipan. The defendants are accused of utilizing criminal labor practices during ongoing construction of the Grand Mariana Casino Hotel and Resort on the island of Saipan. The defendants are further alleged to have transferred over $24 million into the United States to promote their illegal activity.
All three defendants are foreign nationals who currently reside outside of the United States. Upon returning to the United States, the individuals will be arrested, arraigned, and brought to trial in federal court.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Wage & Hour Division. Leshia Lee-Dixon of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyone with further information regarding this matter is urged to call the FBI’s Saipan Office at 670-322-6934.
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.
Houston man indicted for exploiting toddlerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old resident of Houston is in custody for charges relating to sexual exploitation of a child, otherwise known as producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment against Richard Reyes Trigo today for sexual exploitation of children as well as distribution and possession of child pornography. He is expected to make an appearance on the indictment in the near future.
He was originally charged by criminal complaint following suspicion he actively engaged in the sexual exploitation of a minor female under the age of two. He was taken into federal custody July 15 and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray, at which time he was ordered detained pending further criminal proceedings.
The charges allege Trigo engaged in conversations via a social media forum that individuals who have a sexual interest in children allegedly frequent. Trigo saw a post that contained terms commonly associated with the sexual exploitation of children and responded, according to the charges. During the course of the chats, Trigo allegedly claimed he was sexually active with a minor female and claimed he performed sexual acts on her. Trigo later sent four images he claimed were of the minor, some of which focused on her vagina, according to the charges.
If convicted of producing child pornography, Trigo faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison, while the distribution and possession charges carry additional penalties up to 20 and 10 years, respectively. Each charge also carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Sherin Daniel are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood(PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Houston entrepreneur charged with spending COVID relief funds on improper expenses including Lamborghini and strip clubRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Houston man has been taken into custody on allegations he fraudulently obtained more than $1.6 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Lee Price III, 29, spent the money on luxury items, real estate and personal entertainment, according to the complaint unsealed today upon his arrest. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon in Houston at 2:00 p.m. today.
Price is charged with making false statements to a financial institution, wire fraud, bank fraud and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
The complaint alleges Price was involved in a scheme to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications to federally insured banks and other lenders. The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees the loans for COVID-19 relief through the PPP under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Two fraudulent applications received funding, according to the complaint. Price Enterprises Holdings allegedly received more than $900,000, while a loan application listing 713 Construction was approved for over $700,000. The loan applications allegedly asserted both entities each had numerous employees and significant payroll expenses. According to the charges, however, neither entity has employees nor pays wages consistent with the amounts claimed in the loan applications. Further, the individual listed as CEO on the 713 Construction loan application died in April 2020, a month before the application was submitted, according to the complaint.
Price allegedly used the loan proceeds not for payroll expenses, but for lavish personal purchases, such as loan money on a Lamborghini Urus, a Rolex watch and real estate transactions. He also allegedly spent thousands at strip clubs and other Houston night clubs. The complaint further alleges Price used a portion of the loan money to buy a 2020 Ford F-350 pickup truck.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief the CARES Act provides is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (OIG), SBA-OIG and U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Houston Division conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Timothy A. Duree, James Alexander and Matthew Grisier are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney James McAlister.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Half-Million Dollar Grant to Provide Housing for Victims of Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE –U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman today announced that the state of Rhode Island received $499,998 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman added, “Protecting and empowering human trafficking victims is among the most important societal responsibilities. With this substantial award-grant to Sojourner House, a true leader in the fight to end domestic and sexual violence, Rhode Island’s battle to end the scourge of human trafficking will be aided immeasurably.”
The grant, awarded to the Sojourner House, will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grant will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. The Sojourner House is among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathrine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
The Office for Victims of Crime, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.
For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf
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The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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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Grand Jury Charges Ed Buck with Four Additional Felonies, Including that He Enticed Victims to Travel Interstate to Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging Edward Buck with four additional felonies, including that he allegedly enticed victims – including a man who died at his West Hollywood apartment after he administered drugs to him – to travel interstate to engage in prostitution.
Buck, 65, was arrested in September 2019 after being charged in United States District Court with providing methamphetamine to a man who died after receiving the drug intravenously. Since that time, federal authorities have continued to investigate Buck for additional crimes.
The four additional counts charged today – bringing the total number of charges in this case to nine counts – include one count alleging that Buck knowingly enticed 26-year-old Gemmel Moore to travel to the Los Angeles area to engage in prostitution. Buck allegedly provided methamphetamine to Moore, who overdosed on the drug and died on July 27, 2017.
Buck also is charged with another count of enticing another man to travel with the intent of engaging in prostitution.
The superseding indictment also charges Buck with one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing methamphetamine, and one count of using his residence for the purpose of distributing narcotics such as methamphetamine, and the sedatives gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and clonazepam.
Last year, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging that Buck “engaged in a pattern of soliciting men to consume drugs that Buck provided and perform sexual acts at Buck’s apartment,” which is a practice described as “party and play.” Buck allegedly solicited victims on social media platforms, including a gay dating website, and used a recruiter to scout and proposition men.
Once the men were at his apartment, Buck allegedly prepared syringes containing methamphetamine, sometimes personally injecting the victims with or without their consent, according to the indictment. Buck also allegedly injected victims with more narcotics than they expected and sometimes injected victims while they were unconscious.
Another victim, Timothy Dean also suffered a fatal overdose in Buck’s apartment, on January 7, 2019, the indictment alleges.
Buck is scheduled to go to trial in this matter on January 19, 2021. His arraignment on the first superseding indictment is expected in the coming weeks.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.
Each of the charges alleging the distribution of narcotics resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life without parole. The four new charges carry a statutory maximum sentence of 60 years in federal prison.
Buck also faces charges, including operating a drug house, that were filed last year by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Buck is currently being held in federal custody without bond, and the federal case is expected to proceed first.
The federal case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. The investigation is being conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell and Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
Georgia Man Caught with Drugs Who Absconded from the Territory Sentenced for Illegally Bringing Marijuana Through the Cyril E. King AirportRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Keenan Powell-Ryder, 24, was sentenced today following his guilty plea for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy, sentenced Powell-Ryder to 21 months incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $100 as a special assessment.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2016, Powell-Ryder travelled on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to St. Thomas with secreted bundles of marijuana in his checked luggage. After the flight landed at the Cyril E. King Airport, a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to a bag belonging to Powell-Ryder. Officers opened the bag and discovered approximately 15 kilograms of marijuana wrapped in cellophane plastic. Powell-Ryder ultimately admitted to transporting the marijuana.
The Court released Powell-Ryder pending a November 3, 2016 sentencing hearing. Powell-Ryder absconded, and the Court issued a warrant for his arrest. The United States Marshals Service located Powell-Ryder in Detroit, Michigan in December of 2019, and returned him to the Virgin Islands for sentencing.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
Four admit to conspiracy involving 31 kilograms of cocaineRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Three Mexican men and one U.S. citizen have entered guilty pleas for their part in a conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to deliver a large amount of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Aaron Hervey Esparza Villarreal, 27, of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, pleaded guilty today, admitting he was part of a conspiracy that involved smuggling cocaine hidden in a semi-truck. Mexican citizens Jose Contreras Rodriguez, 58, and Ernesto Yadir Martinez Campos, 39, and, Viviano Hernandez, 41, a U.S. citizen residing in Mexico, pleaded guilty last month.
On Jan. 17, law enforcement observed two men, later identified as Rodriguez and Hernandez, working on the vehicle. They then got into a sedan, left the area and met up with an SUV. At that time, Hernandez handed over trash bags to Villarreal in the SUV.
Authorities attempted to stop the SUV, but Villarreal led them on a high-speed pursuit before crashing into the Evelyn Motel on San Bernardo Avenue. Inside the vehicle were 31 kilograms of cocaine in the trash bags.
Law enforcement also apprehended Hernandez and Rodriguez as they attempted to enter Mexico.
Campos was the driver of the semi and brought the drugs into the United States from Mexico. He was also taken into custody.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing for Rodriguez, Hernandez and Campos Oct. 28, while Villarreal is set for Dec. 1. At the time of their sentencing hearings, all men face up to life in prison. They have been and will remain in custody.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett is prosecuting the case.
Four More Arrested in Connection with Nationwide Gas Station Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Four more people have been arrested in Florida and Pennsylvania in connection with an access device fraud and money laundering scheme, for stealing credit and debit card numbers of gas station customers across the country, including in Albany, Broome and Montgomery Counties in the Northern District of New York.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Inspector in Charge Joseph Cronin, Boston Division, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The four defendants arrested today are:
- Yudiel Ceballos, age 33, of Miami, Florida, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud;
- Arley Gonzalez, age 34, of Miami, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud;
- Marlon Palacios, age 36, of Miami and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft; and
- Yuny Hurtado Rodriguez, age 33, of Miami, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
An initial indictment in this case, unsealed in October 2019, resulted in the arrests of:
- Joan Jesus Manso Dieguez, age 33, of Miami, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and money laundering;
- Atnetys Ferreira, age 40, of Miami, charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering; and
- Hugo Hernandez, age 32, of Miami Lakes, Florida, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and money laundering.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to the indictment, from April 2016 through approximately December 2018, certain defendants – those charged with conspiring to commit access device fraud – built gas station skimming devices and installed those devices inside gas pumps so that they could steal credit and debit card data of customers who used the “pay at the pump” function to purchase gasoline. The defendants then used that data to create fraudulent debit and credit cards, which they or co-conspirators used to obtain money orders, gift cards, cash, and other merchandise. The indictment also alleges that certain defendants – those charged with conspiring to launder money – engaged in financial transactions with money orders and gift cards obtained through the scheme, to conceal the source of the funds and transfer money to bank accounts controlled by the members of the conspiracy.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office and USPIS Boston Division, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Miami and Pittsburgh, the USPIS Miami Division, and the United States Secret Service Miami Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Emily C. Powers.
Four Individuals Indicted for Smuggling Contraband into Dauphin County PrisonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on July 31, 2020, Danny Cruz, age 42 of Harrisburg, PA, Aida Rosado, age 60 of Harrisburg, and Lizarah Matthews, age 28 of York, PA, were indicted for their role in smuggling cellular telephones and contraband into Dauphin County Prison (DCP) in late 2015 and early 2016. At the time, Cruz was an inmate in the prison. Matthews was a paramour of another inmate in the prison.
Separately, Alice Martinez, age 41, of Chambersburg, was also indicted by a federal grand jury for her role in a conspiracy to smuggle cellular telephones and contraband into Dauphin County Prison in 2015. Her brother was an inmate in the prison facing federal charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictments allege that Cruz and other inmates bribed corrections officers and staff to smuggle cellular telephones into the prison. They arranged for people outside of the prison to get the phones and pay the bribes to DCP staff. Lizarah Matthews was the girlfriend of an inmate in the prison. Aida Rosado is the mother of Cruz. Alice Martinez is the sister of an inmate at the prison. The bribe payments and smuggling were facilitated by transferring money through Western Union and MoneyGram.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of Dauphin County Prison and the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Consiglio and Chelsea Schinnour are 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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