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Tuesday 12 May 2020
U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. to Join State and Local Law Enforcement Officers for a Press Conference this Thursday in Mt. Pleasant at 3:00 p.m.Read the Press Release
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that a press conference will be held this Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 3 p.m., outside the Mount Pleasant Police Headquarters, 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464.
Represented at the press conference will be U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Peter M. McCoy, Jr., and representatives of the following law enforcement agencies: South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED); Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Charleston City Police Department; Charleston County Sheriff’s Office; Charleston County Aviation Authority; Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office; Mount Pleasant Police Department; and North Charleston Police Department.
WHEN: Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Outside the Mount Pleasant Police Headquarters
100 Ann Edwards Lane
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464
NOTE: Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Derek A. Shoemake, 843-813-0982. Members of the media wishing to attend the remarks should gather outside the Mount Pleasant Police Headquarters at 2:30 p.m., 30 minutes in advance.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
U.S. Attorney Overbey Recognizes Law Enforcement Service and Sacrifice During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
Knoxville, Tenn. - In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. The week will be observed Sunday, May 10 through Saturday, May 16, 2020.
“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives to ensure our safety. And they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not be taken for granted.”
“I am constantly amazed by the hard-working men and women who put on the uniform each day, choosing to risk their lives to serve their communities. These men and women put their lives on the line in situations none of us can fully comprehend or appreciate, all in the pursuit of justice and the protection of the law-abiding public. These men and woman on the front lines don’t back down, even in the face of unprecedented situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to personally thank each and every individual who strives to make our community safe with their continued support,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
Based on data collected and analyzed by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 89 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019, and four officers from the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing most of the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2019.
The names of the fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial will be read on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, during a Virtual Annual Candlelight Vigil. Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm (EDT). To register to view this free online event, please www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.
To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org.
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U.S. Attorney Lelling Honors Massachusetts Law Enforcement During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
BOSTON – United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling joins the Department of Justice in recognizing the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement during National Police Week, which is observed Sunday, May 10 through Saturday, May 16, 2020.
“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives in order to ensure our safety. And they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not be taken for granted.”
“It is an all too infrequent occasion that we thank those who keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Lelling. “To the law enforcement officers in this Commonwealth – today and every day – you have my deepest regard and admiration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office supports you and has the greatest appreciation for your dedication to protecting public safety, which, in the midst of a national pandemic, comes with even greater risks and challenges. Nonetheless, you honor the oath to protect and serve, and for that, the Commonwealth is a safer place.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts will mark National Police Week by honoring more than 130 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel who contributed to the success of federal cases during the 2019 calendar year. Each year the U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts holds a formal ceremony during National Police Week to honor award recipients, however due to ongoing pandemic, this year’s event has been postponed.
Based on data collected and analyzed by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 89 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019. The names of the fallen officers who have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial will be read on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, during a Virtual Annual Candlelight Vigil. Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 PM (EDT), and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF.
U.S. Attorney Keefe Recognizes Police Week, Honors Law Enforcement's Commitment to Serve and ProtectRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the
Northern District of Florida will join in recognizing the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and
local law enforcement. The weeklong observation runs from Sunday, May 10, through Saturday, May 16.“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William
P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives
to public service; they’ve taken an oath to give their lives in order to ensure our safety. And
they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the
rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health
pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal,
state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and
security will not be taken for granted.”“We are blessed that no law enforcement officers lost their lives in the line of duty within the
Northern District of Florida last year, but that does not diminish our heartache for those killed
elsewhere and our immeasurable respect and appreciation for the brave men and women sworn to serve
and protect every day,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Law enforcement is at the heart of our peaceful
society, and we hold them in the highest regard, this week and every week.”In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day
and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and
sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law
enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement
from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to
keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement
officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.Based on data collected and analyzed by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted
Program, a total of 89 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019.Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing most of the fatal
attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2019.The names of the fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law
Enforcement Memorial will be read on Wednesday, May 13, during a Virtual Annual Candlelight Vigil.
Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed
to the public at 8:00 pm (EDT). To register to view this free online event, please
www.LawMemorial.orgTo learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit
www.policeweek.org.The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that
serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access
available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office,
Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
St. Louis, Missouri — In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen would like to recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. The week will be observed Sunday, May 10 through Saturday, May 16, 2020.
“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives in order to ensure our safety. And they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not be taken for granted.”
“During Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment in keeping our communities safe. As the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, I want to acknowledge the work performed by federal, state, and local law enforcement, who often face uncertain and dangerous situations without question and without expectation of thanks. We want them to know they have our unwavering support and appreciation, we are proud to prosecute their cases,” stated United States Attorney Jeff Jensen.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
Based on data collected and analyzed by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 89 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019, including two officers here in the Eastern District of Missouri.
Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing most of the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2019.
The names of the fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial will be read on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, during a Virtual Annual Candlelight Vigil. Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm (EDT). The online event can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF.
U.S. Attorney Jensen announced the release of three video public service announcements (“PSA”) honoring the service of our law enforcement officers across the country.
Supporting Law Enforcement During Police Week 2020
https://youtu.be/3bHlVOi3NJI
Police Week 2020 – Honoring Law Enforcement for their Service and Selflessness
https://youtu.be/U2vnTUVCvHA
Honoring the Sacrifices of Law Enforcement during Police Week 2020
https://youtu.be/cFG52fcUIZc
U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald Appoints New Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons CoordinatorRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the appointment of Christopher Boeckers to serve as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Coordinator for the District of Minnesota. As the MMIP Coordinator Mr. Boeckers’s role will be to support investigations into missing and murdered persons, consult with tribal communities to assist in the creation and implementation of community action plans, coordinate with tribal, local, state, and federal law enforcement in the development of protocols and procedures for responding to and addressing MMIP cases, and promote improvement of data collection and analyses in a multi-jurisdictional district.
“Minnesota was selected to receive one of only 11 MMIP Coordinator positions in the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. “This critical resource will enhance collaboration between tribal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in our shared goal of putting an end to this staggering problem. Mr. Boeckers will play an important part in assisting with existing MMIP cases as well as working to prevent future ones.”
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Boeckers served as a Special Agent working Indian Country and violent crime matters with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 20 years.
On November 22, 2019, Attorney General William P. Barr launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. When establishing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative the Department of Justice made an initial investment of $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who require assistance. In addition to Minnesota, Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state were selected.
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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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
U.S. Attorney Brady Announces $676K Grant to Address COVID-19 Pandemic in the City of PittsburghRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady today announced that the Department of Justice has awarded the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, $676,895 in DOJ grants to purchase supplies that are essential for responding to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.
The grant awarded to Pittsburgh is available under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump. In addition, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency has been awarded $17.6 million in grants that can be distributed to eligible governmental agencies throughout Pennsylvania, including western Pennsylvania. The Justice Department is moving quickly, awarding grants on a rolling basis and aiming to have funds available for drawdown as soon as possible after receiving applications, which are not due until May 29, 2020.
From the moment these grants became available, U.S. Attorney Brady has dedicated staff to ensure that all eligible agencies in western Pennsylvania have the opportunity to apply and receive funds promptly. Since then, the Office has worked with eligible applicants to assist them in the grant process.
"The men and women on the front line of this pandemic deserve our deepest appreciation for answering the call to serve regardless of the danger," U.S. Attorney Brady said. "The public safety funds being made available through DOJ’s Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program can be used for the most pressing needs of our state and local partners, including new hiring and overtime pay, training, critical personal protective equipment and supplies, and the medical needs of prisoners."
"We'd like to thank the Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance for recognizing the hard work of our public safety personnel and Highly Infectious Disease Transport Team (ECHO) in EMS by awarding us this grant to cover the costs of extra measures taken to keep them safe during this pandemic," said Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. "Their safety and the safety of our neighbors continue to be our top priority."
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for the emergency funding. Local units of government and tribes will receive direct awards separately according to their jurisdictions’ allocations.
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.
U.S. Attorney Brady Announces $45K Grant to Address COVID-19 Pandemic in the Borough of IndianaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady today announced that the Borough of Indiana, Pennsylvania, received $45,845 in Department of Justice grants to respond to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.
The grant is available under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump. In addition, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency has been awarded $17.6 million in grants that can be distributed to eligible governmental agencies throughout Pennsylvania, including western Pennsylvania. The Justice Department is moving quickly, awarding grants on a rolling basis and aiming to have funds available for drawdown as soon as possible after receiving applications, which are not due until May 29, 2020.
From the moment these grants became available, U.S. Attorney Brady has dedicated staff to ensure that all eligible agencies in western Pennsylvania have the opportunity to apply and receive funds promptly. Since then, the Office has worked with eligible applicants to assist them in the grant process.
"The men and women on the front line of this pandemic deserve our deepest appreciation for answering the call to serve regardless of the danger," U.S. Attorney Brady said. "The public safety funds being made available through DOJ’s Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program can be used for the most pressing needs of our state and local partners, including new hiring and overtime pay, training, critical personal protective equipment and supplies, and the medical needs of prisoners."
"We are very appreciative of the opportunity to utilize the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding award to maximize our public safety efforts while best protecting community and workplace health," said Indiana Borough Police Chief Justin Schawl. "Navigating this unprecedented moment has been challenging and unexpected, but award funding enables us to maintain a strategy in support of community and workplace health and safety while continuing to be good stewards of Borough funds. We are grateful for the assistance and support of US. Attorney Scott Brady and staff as we navigated the grant application process."
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for the emergency funding. Local units of government and tribes will receive direct awards separately according to their jurisdictions’ allocations.
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.
Texas Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing a Child in Hundreds of Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
A man from Water Valley, Texas, was sentenced today to serve 60 years in prison for producing hundreds of videos and images of himself sexually abusing a child, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Douglas Stephen Groover, 37, was sentenced after pleading guilty in February 2020 to two counts of production of child pornography. The sentence, which was imposed by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas, also included a lifetime term of supervised release and a restitution award of $53,000.
According to court documents, in addition to the hundreds of videos and images he created of himself sexually abusing a minor, he also admitted to sexually abusing at least two additional minors. Groover also admitted to maintaining a large collection of child pornography, which included depictions of the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, sadism and bestiality.
The case was investigated by HSI’s San Angelo, Texas, office, and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit within the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag prosecuted the case along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell H. Lorfing.
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.
Texas Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing a Child in Hundreds of Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
A man from Water Valley, Texas, was sentenced today to serve 60 years in prison for producing hundreds of videos and images of himself sexually abusing a child.
Douglas Stephen Groover, 37, was sentenced after pleading guilty in February 2020 to two counts of production of child pornography. The sentence, which was imposed by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas, also included a lifetime term of supervised release and a restitution award of $53,000.
According to court documents, in addition to the hundreds of videos and images he created of himself sexually abusing a minor, he also admitted to sexually abusing at least two additional minors. Groover also admitted to maintaining a large collection of child pornography, which included depictions of the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, sadism and bestiality.
The case was investigated by HSI’s San Angelo, Texas, office, and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit within the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag prosecuted the case along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell H. Lorfing.
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.
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.
Tacoma Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Violating Domestic Violence No-Contact OrderRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Deshawn Everett Little Eagle, 31, of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for repeatedly and deliberately violating a domestic violence no-contact order.
According to court documents, in 2018, Little Eagle strangled and beat adult victim one (AV1) and her 4-year-old child in Tacoma, Washington. AV1’s parents reported suspicious bruising to the child, resulting in the issuance of a no-contact order by the Superior Court of Pierce County, Washington on October 30, 2018. The order, signed by Little Eagle, prohibited him from contacting, communicating with, or coming into physical proximity with AV1.
Between December 4, 2018 and January 7, 2019, Little Eagle called AV1 more than 100 times and, on January 9, 2019, admitted, in a text message with a relative of AV1, that he knew about the protective order. Later, on January 9, Little Eagle travelled from Tacoma to Celilo Village, Oregon where AV1 was staying with her parents. Over the next three days, Little Eagle argued with AV1, broke her phone, and damaged property at AV1’s parent’s home.
On January 12, 2019, neighbors observed AV1 crying as she and Little Eagle left Celilo Village to travel to Washington State. AV1 later told officers that during this trip, Little Eagle threatened to kill her and himself. On January 14, 2019, when Little Eagle returned AV1 to Celilo Village, a Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission Officer arrested him for violating the protective order. After his arrest, Little Eagle called AV1 from custody at least 50 times, again violating the protective order.
On March 6, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned two-count indictment charging Little Eagle with interstate violation of a protection order—travel or conduct of the offender and casuing travel of a victim. On March 20, 2020, Little Eagle pleaded guilty to one count of interstate violation of a protection order—travel or conduct of the offender.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown ordered a restitution hearing to be set in July, 2020.
This case was investigated by the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission Enforcement department and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Jennifer Martin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Domestic violence is a serious violent crime that includes both physical and emotional abuse. It is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members and communities.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have developed support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.
The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.
St. Louis City Man Sentenced for Stealing Bank Funds from an Elderly CoupleRead the Press Release
St. Louis – Ojay Smith, 33, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. who also ordered Smith to pay $22,327.80 in restitution to the victims.
According to court documents, Smith obtained the personal bank checking account number of the two victims, who were both above the age of 70. Between March 13, 2018 and September 20, 2018, Smith used the victims’ account number to electronically transmit funds from the victims’ account to pay his own creditors and the creditors of others. In exchange for paying the debts of others, the debtors paid Smith a percentage of the bill that was to be paid. More than $22,000 in fraudulent transactions were made or attempted to be made, from the victims’ bank account.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of the Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative.
The Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting financial crimes targeting older adults. The Eastern District of Missouri Identity Theft Task Force is a group of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to combat identity theft and its related crimes across the St. Louis Community.
Sixty one year old Polk County man who met teenage girls online indicted on multiple counts of producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Virgil “Bud” Jesse Dupree, Jr., has been arraigned on multiple counts of producing and possessing child pornography.
“We have zero tolerance for those who target and victimize children,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “This case is a reminder of the types of predators that lurk online, and that parents need to be vigilant in monitoring their children’s social media activity.”
“Our investigators are confronted every day with the reality that some people are intent on hurting and abusing our young children,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “That is why we are committed to protecting them and to prosecuting anyone who tries to harm them.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Since at least May 2016, Dupree communicated with teenage girls he met on an online messenger service. While chatting with these girls, Dupree allegedly induced at least four minor girls to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves over the Internet. During the execution of a search warrant at his residence in May 2019, agents recovered multiple electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos of child pornography. These images included sexually explicit images and videos of the girls that he met online.
Virgil “Bud” Jesse Dupree, Jr., 61, of Rockmart, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Walter E. Johnson. Dupree was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 10, 2020. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Anyone with information, or who may have been a victim in this case, please contact the FBI at 770-216-3000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case, with cooperation from the Polk County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on May 11, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Alex Geoffery Lang, age 25, was sentenced to 114 months in federal custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lang was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on January 7, 2020. He pled guilty on January 28, 2020.
Beginning at an unknown date and continuing until on or about January 7, 2020, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, Lang, knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, with others known and unknown, to knowingly and intentionally distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.
Lang was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
San Francisco-Based Building Contractor and Former Building Commission Member Charged with Bank FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Rodrigo Santos was charged in a criminal complaint with bank fraud in connection with a scheme to divert into his personal bank account funds that his clients intended to be paid to the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (“DBI”) and other city departments, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the complaint filed May 11, 2020, Santos, 61, of San Francisco, is the principal and co-founder of Santos and Urrutia Structural Engineers, Inc., a structural engineering company based in San Francisco. Santos has been involved with inspection work in the city both through his firm and through political appointments. For example, Santos was appointed to the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission in 2000 and as the Commission’s President in 2004 by then-Mayors Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom, respectively.
As evidence of bank fraud, the complaint alleges that between January 13, 2016, and March 18, 2019, Santos deposited a number of checks into his personal bank account that had been written to third-party departments, companies, and an individual. The complaint alleges that Santos fraudulently deposited into his personal account 261 checks totaling $478,377.83. Specifically, the complaint describes several examples of Santos’ alleged diversion of the funds of individual clients. In one example, Santos instructed joint owners of a residential project to write a blank check to DBI for the uncertain cost of obtaining a purported permit from the agency. After the owners wrote a check to DBI for an amount “not to exceed $3,000,” the check ultimately was deposited into Santos’s personal account with the hand-written endorsement “DBI” on the reverse of the check. In another example, the owners of a different residential project wrote several checks they believed would be submitted to DBI or San Francisco’s Department of Public Works for various permits. Santos caused four of the checks to be deposited into his personal bank account with “DPW” or “DBI” hand-written in the endorsement field on the reverse of the check. In yet another example, the homeowners wrote a check in the amount of $1,314.50 as pay to the order “DBI,” and Santos added letters changing “DBI” to “RoDBIgo SANTOS.” The check was deposited into Santos’s personal bank account.
Finally, the complaint alleges that, when confronted with this evidence, Santos submitted forged invoices to the FBI.
Santos is charged with bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344. If convicted, Santos faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Santos was arrested this morning and appeared before U.S Magistrate Judge Alex Tse. Magistrate Judge Tse ordered Santos released on a $100,000 bond. Santos’s next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu for identification of counsel.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is being investigated by the FBI. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera also alleged in a lawsuit unsealed in March 2020 that Santos engaged in check fraud.
Salvadoran National Sentenced to 12 Months for Preventing His Removal from the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser announced today that JOSE ARMANDO VILLALOBOS (“VILLALOBOS”), age 49, a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced on April 30, 2020 to serve (12) months in Federal Prison on a one-count indictment for preventing or hampering his departure from the United States after he was ordered removed by a U.S. Immigration Court in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1253(a)(1)(C).
According to the indictment, VILLALOBOS, who had an order of removal pending against him from a U.S. Immigration Court, hampered his removal when he fled immigration officers as they tried to arrest him on July 25, 2019. VILLALOBOS, faced a maximum term of imprisonment of four years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Rogers Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison on Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Martin Rosales-Rodriguez, age 20, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release on one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks, United States District Judge, presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in March 2018, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force identified an IP address that was using a file sharing network to obtain suspected child pornography files. The IP address was traced to Rosales-Rodriguez’s residence in Rogers, Arkansas. On April 16, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Rosales-Rodriguez’s residence. Law enforcement confiscated and later searched digital devices from the residence and discovered images of child pornography.
Rosales-Rodriguez was indicted in June of 2019 and entered a guilty plea in October of 2019.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver prosecuted the case for the United States.
Rochester Man Charged with Fraudulently Taking over, Draining Retirement AccountRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Isaiah Lopez, 29, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with financial institution fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendant fraudulently obtained control of the bank account belonging to a Rochester area victim that contained retirement funds. Lopez posed as the victim, prompting the bank to issue and send a replacement debit card and PIN number to a different address. The defendant then used the fraudulently-obtained card to withdraw approximately $188,000 from the victim’s account in late 2019 and early 2020.
Lopez made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was detained.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin, Boston Division; the Irondequoit Police Department, acting under the direction of Chief Richard Tantalo, and New York State Police, acting under the direction of Major Eric Laughton.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Rap Video Shoot Gets Gang Member 55 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 55 months in prison for a felon in possession of a firearm charge.
According to court documents, Officers with the Raleigh Police Department found Andrea Farrington, Jr., 23, a validated member of the G-Shine (Gangsta Killer) set of the United Blood Nation, with a semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine during a rap video shoot on May 3, 2019. This incident took place 2 days after Farrington pled guilty to his fourth felony possession of cocaine conviction in a Wake County District Court. At the time of his arrest, Farrington was under judicial supervision for 5 separate state criminal convictions, including 3 felony possession of cocaine convictions and two misdemeanor convictions for child abuse.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
This case is also 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Raceland Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Raceland, Kentucky, man, Gary Kendall, age 66, was sentenced in federal court on Monday, to 120 months in prison, by U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning, for possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Kentucky State Police began investigating Kendall based on a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to the tip, the electronic service provider Chatstep reported to NCMEC that it had information that, on or about January 6, 2017, a suspected image of child pornography had been uploaded by a user of its internet chat service. A search executed at Kendall’s residence revealed a hard drive with five images depicting sexual images of females who were under 12 years old. Kendall admitted that he used Chatstep and that he would go to the site, pretending that he was a little girl, to upload images. Kendall was already a lifetime registered sex offender at the time of the investigation. Kendall previously was convicted in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of West Virginia of receiving child pornography in March 2001.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Division; and Commissioner Rodney Brewer, Kentucky State Police, made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield.
Under federal law, Kendall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years, following his release.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.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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Prince George’s County Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Kenneth Donnell Hoffman, age 43, of District Heights, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including crack cocaine, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and for two counts of violating his federal supervised release related to convictions in 2004 and 2008. As stated in his plea agreement, Hoffman is also required to forfeit a loaded 9mm handgun and over $1,600 cash seized during a search of his home. The sentence was imposed on May 11, 2020.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to Hoffman’s plea agreement, on January 22, 2018, officers encountered Hoffman in his vehicle and saw what they believed to be crack cocaine in plain view. The officers ordered Hoffman out of the vehicle, but instead Hoffman drove away, crashing the car a short time later and continuing to flee on foot. While he ran away, Hoffman dropped a 9mm handgun, loaded with eight rounds of 9mm ammunition, which was subsequently recovered by police. A search of the vehicle recovered approximately 4.8 grams of crack cocaine packaged in small baggies for distribution.
On January 31, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hoffman’s residence and recovered powder and crack cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), drug paraphernalia, $1,617 cash, which were drug proceeds, 20 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with 12 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition. Due to his previous convictions, Hoffman was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Cunningham and Leah Grossi, who prosecuted the case.
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Philadelphia Man Arrested and Charged with Assaulting Federal Protective Service Security OfficersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that William K. Washington, 65, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by Criminal Complaint with assaulting and resisting two federal officers, a Class D felony. The Complaint alleges that Washington assaulted two Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS) security officers at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Philadelphia on May 8, 2020. The defendant appeared today via video teleconference before United States Magistrate Judge Linda K. Caracappa for his initial appearance and arraignment.
The Complaint alleges that Washington forced his way inside the SSA office at 701 East Chelten Avenue, after he was told by a FPS security officer that the office was closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic. Washington refused to leave even after he was ordered to do so; he then resisted as the officers physically removed him from the premises. The Complaint further alleges that Washington punched one of the officers multiple times and injured both officers during the encounter.
“The defendant allegedly barged into a closed federal office, refused to listen to repeated instructions to leave, and then escalated the encounter to the point that he injured two federal security officers who were simply doing their job,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Such behavior is intolerable and my Office will always take swift action to hold accountable anybody who assaults officers who protect and serve the public on federal property.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of eight years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Protective Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Glenn.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Pleads Guilty in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -A New York resident pleaded guilty in federal court to charges involving heroin and fentanyl trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Erick Alexander Martinez, age 33, of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer to Count One of an Indictment charging him with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on January 30, 2019, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at an apartment located in Pittsburgh, which was utilized by Martinez and his alleged coconspirators, Brandon Winters and Eduard Rijo. Upon entry into the apartment, case agents located Winters, Rijo, and Martinez, approximately 1,500 "bricks" (the equivalent of roughly 75,000 individual dosage units) containing mixtures of heroin and fentanyl. Additionally, case agents seized over $250,000 in U.S. Currency, which was found in and around Mr. Martinez and his alleged coconspirators.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for September 15, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome A. Moschetta and Tonya Sulia Goodman are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Martinez.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Purchasing Turtles in Violation of the Lacey ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that ROBERT GLENN HENNESSEY, age 67, a resident of New Jersey, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to exporting from Louisiana into New Jersey, 25 common box turtles, from May 19, 2017 to June 14, 2017. United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced HENNESSEY to twelve (12) months of probation and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine as well as a $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, United States Fish & Wildlife Service agents were conducting an investigation into the unlawful capture and interstate sale of various domestic turtle species. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a multilateral treaty signed in 1975, which was designed to ensure the survival of certain plants and animals. These plants and animals are listed within 3 appendices in CITES. Species listed on Appendix II of CITES may become threatened with extinction unless trade is strictly regulated. Since February 16, 1995, the common box turtle (Terrapene Carolina) has been listed on Appendix II of CITES. The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to import, export, sell, acquire, or purchase wildlife (listed in CITES) in interstate commerce, that is in violation of any state law. Louisiana has several statutes that prohibit threatened reptiles such as the common box turtle, from being sold or entered into commerce, without proper licensing.
During the course of the investigation, the agents developed evidence that Louisiana residents were involved in the capture and subsequent interstate sale of common box turtles to out of state purchasers. One of these sellers cooperated with agents and negotiated the sale of 25 common box turtles to the defendant. Agents then PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tagged the turtles, packaged and transported them to the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) for delivery. A USPIS agent then conducted a controlled delivery of the turtles to the defendant’s residence and later executed a search warrant, wherein many of the turtles were identified by their PIT tags. HENNESSEY ultimately admitted that he did not possess any permits for any of the turtles and knew that by purchasing them in interstate commerce, he was violating state law.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, in investigating this matter. He also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for their assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
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National Police Week 2020: NDTX Backs the BlueRead the Press Release
Even as the COVID-19 crisis disrupts our nation, law enforcement in North Texas has stepped up to keep our citizens safe.
In honor of National Police Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas partnered with District Attorney’s Office from across North Texas to thank the many officers and agents who have gone above and beynd the call of duty. You can watch the video on Twitter or Facebook.
United States Attorney Erin Nealy Cox: Even as a public health crisis disrupts our nation, law enforcement in North Texas has really stepped up.
Courtney Coker, Deputy Criminal Chief: They’ve been hard at work, patrolling our streets …
Laura Montes, Assistant U.S. Attorney: … arresting dangerous criminals …
Jeff Haag, West Texas Branch Chief: … conducting investigations …
Lillian Stewart, Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney: … and keeping our citizens safe.
Steve Fahey, Acting First Assistant U.S. Attorney: Our rank and file officers and agents are exceeding the call of duty, putting themselves at risk to maintain law and order.
Alex Lewis, Fort Worth Branch Chief: So from all of us here at the United States Attorney’s Office …
Felicia Kerney, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office: … and from local prosecutors in Dallas …
Tiffany Burks, Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office: … Tarrant County …
Eddie Wharff, Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office: … in Lubbock …
Robert Love, Randall County District Attorney’s Office: … the Panhandle …
Katherine Miller, Assistant U.S. Attorney: … and from all the citizens of the Northern District of Texas …
Steve Fahey: Thank you.
Laura Montes: Thank you.
Tiffany Burks: Thank you.
Alex Lewis: Thank you.
Robert Love: Thank you.
Felicia Kerney: Thank you.
Jeff Haag: Thank you.
Erin Nealy Cox: So to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we’re forever grateful for the way you’ve had our backs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We promise you one thing: We’ll always back the blue.
NDTX Roundup: Amarillo Grand JuryRead the Press Release
CHARGED – Lakee Ealey, Crystal Ealey & Rodrick McKinney *
On May 6, a federal grand jury in Amarillo indicted Lakee Donae Ealey, 38, Crystal Hernandez Ealey, 33, and Rodrick Rashad McKinney, 21, on one count each of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The defendants allegedly stole approximately $933,000 from an armored vehicle owned by Brinks, a security logistic company. They allegedly threatened the driver at gunpoint, then fled the scene, money in hand, in a pickup truck they later set on fire. The defendants face up to 47 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by AUSAs Joe Magliolo and Gary Tromblay of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Jesse Whitaker *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Jesse Navarro Whitaker, 45, on one count of assaulting a federal officer, one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The defendant allegedly used a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol to assault three Bureau of Prisons correctional officers at FCI Seagoville. Whitaker faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons and prosecuted by AUSA Gary Tromblay of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – 8 alleged drug traffickers *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Carrington Marshall Thomas, 27, Broderick Deshane Jones, 25, Roderick Dewayne Jones, 26, Dominique Rondrell Thompson, 21, Jonathan Taylor Singletary, 25, Adrian Trayvon Spears, 20, Zeric Queontrahl Moore, 23, and James Chadrick Robinson, 21, for conspiracy to knowingly possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. The defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by AUSA Shawn Smith of NDTX’s Fort Worth Office.
CHARGED – Manuel Chavez & Michelle Miranda *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Manuel Conception Chavez, 28, and Michelle Monique Miranda, 19, on charges of interference with commerce by robbery. On January 19, the pair allegedly used force and threats of violence to steal money from employees of a Family Dollar Store in Dallas. Both defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by AUSA Abe McGlothin of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Reginald Foster *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Reginald Santel Foster, 40, on two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, namely a Taurus revolver. Foster faces up to 30 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by AUSA Phelesa Guy of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Shane Burkett *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Shane Dwayne Burkett, 18, on one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment, as well as conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The defendant, who was already under indictment in Dallas County for burglary of a building, evading arrest, and unauthorized use of a vehicle, allegedly received a .40 caliber Glock. Burkett faces up to 30 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by Dallas Police Department and Texas DPS and prosecuted by AUSA P.J. Meitl of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Christopher Owens *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Christopher Darnell Owens, 34, for attempted child sex trafficking and obstruction of justice. If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison. The case was investigated by HSI and prosecuted by AUSA Becky Ricketts of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Hannah Edwards *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Hannah Nicole Edwards, 24, for sexual exploitation of a child. The defendant allegedly took lewd photos of a male toddler’s genitals on her iPhone. Edwards faces up to 30 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by AUSA Aisha Saleem of NDTX’s Fort Worth Office.
CHARGED – Tania Delarosa *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Tania Delarosa, 42, on an attempted bank robbery charge. On March 27, the defendant allegedly attempted to steal U.S. currency from a Bank of America in Dallas. Delarosa faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and FBI and prosecuted by AUSA Becky Ricketts of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Victor Martinez *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Victor Martinez, 40, on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and possession of an unregistered firearm. The drug-dealing defendant allegedly possessed a gun silencer that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration & Transfer Record. Martinez faces up to life in federal custody. The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by AUSA Rachel Jones of NDTX’s Dallas Office.
CHARGED – Franklin Watson *
On May 6, a federal grand jury indicted Franklin Delano Watson, 32, for possession with intent to distribute methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as ecstasy. Watson faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the ATF and Texas DPS and prosecuted by AUSA Rob Boudreau of NDTX’s Fort Worth Office.
*All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Montrose Woman Arrested for Witness Intimidation After Sharing Court Ordered Protected InformationRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Angelina Maestas, age 33, of Montrose, Colorado, who was free on bond after earlier being charged with drug possession and distribution, has now been charged with witness, victim or informant tampering. The Denver Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration joined in today’s announcement.
According to an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Maestas was wrongly in possession of discovery documents protected by court order, including Grand Jury and investigative materials from a case where she was charged with possession and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin. The material she possessed included the identity of at least one co-conspirator who she alleged was a person who cooperated with police. She shared the protected material with friends on her Facebook page in violation of a court order, potentially putting the targeted individual in danger.
“When courts seal grand jury and investigatory documents they do so for good reason, including the protection of law enforcement personnel and witnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Those who violate such orders risk lives and the ability of our courts to operate properly, and will prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
There is a separate investigation underway to determine how the defendant received the court ordered protected material. Maestas was arrested on May 5th for this criminal charge. On May 6, 2020, she made her initial appearance where she was advised of her rights and the charges pending against her. On May 11, 2020, she was ordered held without bond following a detention hearing.
Maestas was one of the thirteen defendants who conspired with each other and others known and unknown to the grand jury to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and less than 100 grams of heroin.
She faces not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison for the original case. She faces not more than 20 years for witness, victim or informant tampering.
Discovery is a pre-trial procedure in which each party obtains evidence from the other party.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A criminal complaint is a probable cause charging document. Any one charged by complaint has a Constitutional right to be indicted by a federal grand jury.
Mobridge Man Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mobridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on May 11, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Jeremy Wyatt Bearsheart, age 44, was sentenced to 5 years of probation, a $3,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bearsheart was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2019. He pled guilty on November 4, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy beginning on or about August 1, 2014, and continuing to on or about March 1, 2015, wherein Bearsheart knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine around Mobridge.
This case was investigated by the Mobridge Police Department and Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Indicted for Hate Crime and Arson ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, Missouri – A federal grand jury in Cape Girardeau, Missouri indicted Nicholas J. Proffitt, 42, for his conduct in connection with the April 24, 2020 fire at the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center. The indictment charges Proffitt with damaging religious property because of the property’s religious character, using fire to commit a federal felony, and damaging a building used in interstate commerce through the use of fire.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Missouri State Fire Marshal Office, the Perryville Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keith Sorrell of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, and Trial Attorney Janea Lamar of the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section.
Missouri Man Indicted for Hate Crime and Arson ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Cape Girardeau, Missouri indicted Nicholas J. Proffitt, 42, for his conduct in connection with the April 24, 2020 fire at the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center. The indictment charges Proffitt with damaging religious property because of the property’s religious character, using fire to commit a federal felony, and damaging a building used in interstate commerce through the use of fire.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Missouri State Fire Marshal Office, the Perryville Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keith Sorrell of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, and Trial Attorney Janea Lamar of the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section.
Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and Cudahy Receive $10.2 Million in Awards to Support Efforts to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Along with the Justice Department, Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance have awarded more than $61 million in grant funding to support the Attorney General’s Operation Relentless Pursuit (ORP) initiative.
Of that $61 million, the COPS Office awarded $9,712,096 to the Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”); $226,061 to the Wauwatosa Police Department; and $301,412 to the Cudahy Police Department. Those awards will fund a total of 32 police officers: 30 for MPD and one each for Wauwatosa and Cudahy, respectively.
Launched on Dec. 18, 2019, ORP aims to intensify federal law enforcement resources into seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average: Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee.
“While violent crime is down across the country as a whole, some communities remain caught in the grips of violent actors,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “That’s why I launched Operation Relentless Pursuit last December – an initiative to combat violent crime in seven cities where it remains stubbornly high. Today’s grant awards are critical to our mission. We cannot succeed in eradicating crime without resources – the most vital of which are the brave men and women who serve and protect our communities each day. These funds will boost the forces that need them most.”
“These awards represent an unprecedented commitment of federal resources to fight violent crime in the Milwaukee area,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “These resources could not be more needed: Milwaukee continues to experience unacceptable rates of homicides and gun violence, often linked to drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Through Operation Relentless Pursuit, law enforcement partners are united and focused on apprehending the most violent criminals in Milwaukee.”
The COPS Office, through its COPS Hiring Program (CHP), awarded a total of $51 million to be used to hire 214 sworn law enforcement officers for state and local law enforcement task forces. The recipients of the funding will deploy existing veteran officers to task force duties and use the CHP funding to hire new recruits to backfill those positions, as practical. Officers deployed to Operation Relentless Pursuit task forces as a result of CHP funding must be sworn, career law enforcement officers of the awarded agency, and their work on the task force must benefit their jurisdiction. In addition, they are required to work with their respective U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and relevant federal agencies to investigate and prosecute suspects involved in gangs, drug trafficking, and other violent crime-related issues.
“Successful strategies to target and reduce violent crime are extremely resource intensive,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “There is no greater resource than additional men and women on the front lines of relentless fight against gangs, drug traffickers and those that mean harm to our nation’s communities. The funding announced today is greatly needed for the Operation Relentless Pursuit jurisdictions and the COPS Office is honored to dedicate resources for this effort.”
For a breakdown of the awards, please click here. For more information on the COPS Hiring Program ORP grants, please visit: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/chp/FY20_Relentless_Pursuit_Fact_Sheet.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is making $10 million available to support Operation Relentless Pursuit. BJA funds will support efforts such as the hiring of additional prosecutors, overtime expenses for task force members, multi-agency investigations, mobile data terminals and modern technological platforms, and development of strategic plans to address gaps in combating violent crime. Of the $10 million, BJA will award over $1.4 million to further support efforts combatting violent crime in the City of Milwaukee.
“The responsibility for fighting crime and violence belongs to agencies at every level of government, and winning that fight turns on our ability to deploy our collective resources wisely and effectively,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are eager to make these funds available so that our federal, state and local partners can continue the vital and noble work of protecting America’s most dangerous communities.”
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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Mexican Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Entering U.S. after RemovalRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican citizen was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for entering the United States after removal, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
Following the acceptance of his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Victor Rios-Merlin, 41, to time served (over two months).
According to court records, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Rios-Merlin in Caribou on March 3, 2020, after they stopped the vehicle in which he was a passenger. Immigration records showed that he had been removed from the U.S. in November 2016.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Memphis and Shelby County receive More Than Eleven Million Dollars in Awards to Support Efforts to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Today, the Justice Department announced that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) have awarded more than $61 million in grant funding to support the Attorney General’s Operation Relentless Pursuit (ORP) initiative. Of that $61 million, the Memphis Police Department will receive over $9.8 million dollars to fund the hiring of 50 new officers, and Shelby County will receive over $1.4 million dollars to provide manpower, technology, equipment, and support for the sustained efforts of the Operation Relentless Pursuit Task Force to target and reduce violent crime in Memphis and Shelby County.
Launched on Dec. 18, 2019, ORP aims to intensify federal law enforcement resources into seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average - Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announces-launch-operation-relentless-pursuit
Of the seven selected ORP cities, the Memphis Police Department received the largest amount ($9,823,624) of COPS Hiring Program funds, to hire the most new officers (50).
"While violent crime is down across the country as a whole, some communities remain caught in the grips of violent actors," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "That’s why I launched Operation Relentless Pursuit last December – an initiative to combat violent crime in seven cities where it remains stubbornly high. Today’s grant awards are critical to our mission. We cannot succeed in eradicating crime without resources – the most vital of which are the brave men and women who serve and protect our communities each day. These funds will boost the forces that need them most."
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Good government is about priorities, and includes putting resources where they are needed most. As we observe National Police Week this week, I can think of no better way to support law enforcement than to direct these resources to help them in the fight against violent crime, the Department of Justice’s highest priority. Operation Relentless Pursuit reflects a coordinated team approach, and we applaud our law enforcement partners at the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for their commitment to this partnership and continued utilization of these resources. We are thankful to be selected by the Attorney General as one of the seven ORP cities for this targeted enforcement action, and we will put these grant dollars to good and immediate use to improve public safety."
The COPS Office, through its COPS Hiring Program (CHP), awarded a total of $51 million to be used to hire 214 sworn law enforcement officers for state and local law enforcement task forces. The recipients of the funding will deploy existing veteran officers to task force duties and use the CHP funding to hire new recruits to backfill those positions, as practical. Officers deployed to Operation Relentless Pursuit task forces as a result of CHP funding must be sworn, career law enforcement officers of the awarded agency, and their work on the task force must benefit their jurisdiction. In addition, they are required to work with their respective U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and relevant federal agencies to investigate and prosecute suspects involved in gangs, drug trafficking, and other violent crime related issues.
"Successful strategies to target and reduce violent crime are extremely resource intensive," said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. "There is no greater resource than additional men and women on the front lines of the relentless fight against gangs, drug traffickers and those that mean harm to our nation’s communities. The funding announced today is greatly needed for the Operation Relentless Pursuit jurisdictions and the COPS Office is honored to dedicate resources for this effort."
For a breakdown of the awards, please click here. For more information on the COPS Hiring Program ORP grants, please visit: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/chp/FY20_Relentless_Pursuit_Fact_Sheet.pdf.
Shelby County was also awarded $1,428,571 in grant resources by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), in order to support the strategic mission of the Operation Relentless Pursuit Task Force in Memphis and Shelby County. The BJA grant award will provide 1) overtime funding for Multi-Agency Gang Unit (and partner agency officers) officers to participate in ORP task force operations in addition to current commitments of officers to other task force operations such as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN); 2) a prosecutor for the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office to handle ORP arrests vertically through the state criminal justice system to ensure that ORP arrests are followed by strategic prosecution; 3) vehicles for MGU operations; and 4) technological solutions to enhance investigation and prosecution of violent offenders.
The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is making $10 million available to support Operation Relentless Pursuit. BJA funds will support efforts such as the hiring of additional prosecutors, overtime expenses for task force members, multi-agency investigations,
mobile data terminals and modern technological platforms, and development of strategic plans to address gaps in combating violent crime.
"The responsibility for fighting crime and violence belongs to agencies at every level of government, and winning that fight turns on our ability to deploy our collective resources wisely and effectively," said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "We are eager to make these funds available so that our federal, state and local partners can continue the vital and noble work of protecting America’s most dangerous communities."
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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Man arrested on cyberstalking charge for revenge porn and harassmentRead the Press Release
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Micah Austin Goodale, 26, was arrested today for cyberstalking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2261A(2). He will make an initial appearance in federal court in the District of Arizona.
U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the District of Hawaii announced that the criminal complaint charges Goodale with systematically harassing one of his former intimate partners by disseminating sexual videos and images of her on multiple websites and social media platforms. Along with these “revenge porn” posts, Goodale included the victim’s personal address, phone number, and other identifying information. Goodale also logged in to the victim’s social media accounts and distributed these sexual images and videos to her list of friends and family, and even threatened to send the materials to the victim’s employer. Goodale also sent the victim repeated death threats and degrading insults by email and text messages, and threatened her family members with harm.
“The troubling allegations in the complaint highlight an all-too-common form of criminal activity enabled by the increased connectivity we have through the Internet: cyber-stalking and cyber-harassment. My office will vigorously pursue for prosecution those who weaponize the Internet by using it to harass others,” stated U.S. Attorney Price.
"The FBI takes cyber crimes very seriously. Working alongside our fellow agents in Phoenix, no one is out of reach from the jurisdiction of the FBI. Today's arrest is a testament to the unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work of the men and women of the FBI," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda.
The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This prosecution was investigated by FBI in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Early.
Little Eagle Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on May 11, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Lucenda Layetta Bobtail Bear, age 38, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bobtail Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2019. She pled guilty on November 5, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy in 2018, wherein Bobtail Bear conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In exchange for drugs and money, Bobtail Bear allowed her home to be used for the distribution of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Mobridge Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Corson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Bobtail Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
KCK Police Department Receives $1.3 Million to Fight Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department will receive a $1.3 million federal grant for hiring police officers under the Justice Department’s Operation Relentless Pursuit initiative, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
The grant is part of more than $61 million the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance have awarded to support the Relentless Pursuit initiative
“This award will fund five new positions on the police department in Kansas City, Kan.,” U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. “That additional manpower is part of our plan to make metro Kansas City safer.”
Launched on Dec. 18, 2019, ORP aims to intensify federal law enforcement resources into seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average - Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee.
“While violent crime is down across the country as a whole, some communities remain caught in the grips of violent actors,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “That’s why I launched Operation Relentless Pursuit last December – an initiative to combat violent crime in seven cities where it remains stubbornly high. Today’s grant awards are critical to our mission. We cannot succeed in eradicating crime without resources – the most vital of which are the brave men and women who serve and protect our communities each day. These funds will boost the forces that need them most.”
The COPS Office, through its COPS Hiring Program (CHP), awarded a total of $51 million to be used to hire 214 sworn law enforcement officers for state and local law enforcement task forces. The recipients of the funding will deploy existing veteran officers to task force duties and use the CHP funding to hire new recruits to backfill those positions, as practical. Officers deployed to Operation Relentless Pursuit task forces as a result of CHP funding must be sworn, career law enforcement officers of the awarded agency, and their work on the task force must benefit their jurisdiction. In addition, they are required to work with their respective U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and relevant federal agencies to investigate and prosecute suspects involved in gangs, drug trafficking, and other violent crime– related issues.
“Successful strategies to target and reduce violent crime are extremely resource intensive,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “There is no greater resource than additional men and women on the front lines of relentless fight against gangs, drug traffickers and those that mean harm to our nation’s communities. The funding announced today is greatly needed for the Operation Relentless Pursuit jurisdictions and the COPS Office is honored to dedicate resources for this effort.”
For a breakdown of the awards, please see the attached spreadsheet. For more information on the COPS Hiring Program ORP grants, please visit: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/chp/FY20_Relentless_Pursuit_Fact_Sheet.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is making $10 million available to support Operation Relentless Pursuit. BJA funds will support efforts such as the hiring of additional prosecutors, overtime expenses for task force members, multi-agency investigations, mobile data terminals and modern technological platforms, and development of strategic plans to address gaps in combating violent crime.
“The responsibility for fighting crime and violence belongs to agencies at every level of government, and winning that fight turns on our ability to deploy our collective resources wisely and effectively,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are eager to make these funds available so that our federal, state and local partners can continue the vital and noble work of protecting America’s most dangerous communities.”
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.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Chicago Area Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States has filed a complaint seeking to bar a Chicago area tax return preparer from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced yesterday.
The civil complaint against Andreana Smith was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and alleges that Smith prepared federal income tax returns for over 100 Chicago-area taxpayers that significantly understated her customers’ tax liabilities. The suit alleges that Smith made up or exaggerated her customers’ business expenses, and fabricated residential energy credits and education credits.
According to the complaint, the Internal Revenue Service interviewed several of Smith’s customers, who allegedly stated that they did not incur the business expenses reported on their returns prepared by Smith on their behalf, and did not give Smith any reason to believe that such deductions were legitimate. The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, Smith has caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue.
“The Tax Division will work with its IRS partners to shut down return preparers who claim improper or illegal deductions and credits for their customers” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman. He added, “Taxpayers should be vigilant so they do not file tax returns claiming false deductions.”
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Requires Divestiture Following Historic Arbitration WinRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a proposed final judgment with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio requiring Novelis Inc. to divest Aleris Corporation’s entire aluminum automotive body sheet operations in North America to satisfy the Department’s competitive concerns with Novelis’s acquisition of Aleris.
The proposed final judgment follows the United States’ March 9, 2020 arbitration win. Prior to filing its civil antitrust lawsuit to block the merger, the Department’s Antitrust Division reached an agreement with Novelis and Aleris to refer the matter to binding arbitration if Novelis and Aleris were unable to resolve the United States’ competitive concerns with the transaction. Under the arbitration terms, Novelis agreed to divest Aleris’s aluminum automotive body sheet operations in North America if the United States prevailed in arbitration. The arbitrator ruled for the United States, holding that aluminum automotive body sheet constitutes a relevant antitrust product market. Today, the Department filed a proposed final judgment that, if approved by the court, would fully resolve the competitive harm alleged in the lawsuit.
“Today’s proposed divestiture preserves competition in the market for aluminum automotive body sheet and protects automakers and American consumers by requiring the full divestiture of Aleris’s North American aluminum automotive body sheet operations,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
Novelis is a Canadian corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It offers flat-rolled aluminum products in three segments: automotive, beverage can, and specialty products. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, Novelis’s revenues were approximately $12.3 billion. Novelis is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Ltd., an Indian company headquartered in Mumbai, India.
Prior to its acquisition by Novelis, Aleris was a Delaware corporation headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Aleris offers flat-rolled aluminum products to the automotive, aerospace, and building and construction industries, among others. In 2018, Aleris’s revenues were approximately $3.4 billion.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement during a 60-day comment period to Katrina Rouse, Chief, Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 8700, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
Related Materials:
The Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. § 571 et seq.
Antitrust Division guidance on the appropriate use of binding arbitration, Fed. Reg. Vol. 61, No. 136 at 36896 et seq.
Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim Delivers Remarks at the 7th Bill Kovacic Antitrust Salon, September 9, 2019
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Regarding Section 201 of the Voting Rights ActRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- The Department of Justice yesterday filed a Statement of Interest in a South Carolina federal court to promote the proper and uniform interpretation of the Voting Rights Act. The Statement of Interest is part of the Department of Justice’s continuing efforts around the country to enforce our nation’s federal voting rights laws.
The lawsuit in question, brought by private plaintiffs, involves constitutional and statutory challenges to South Carolina’s witness requirement for absentee ballots. Although private plaintiffs’ constitutional claims relate to the COVID-19 pandemic, plaintiffs have also asked the court to enjoin South Carolina’s witness requirement permanently as a violation of Section 201 of the Voting Rights Act.
The Statement of Interest explains that Section 201 prohibits denial of the right to vote to citizens who fail to prove their qualifications by the voucher of registered voters or members of any other class. However, South Carolina’s absentee witness requirement does not violate Section 201 because it neither requires witnesses to vouch for a voter’s qualifications nor limits the set of acceptable witnesses to registered voters or any other relevant class. The Statement of Interest also explains that a claim under Section 201 must be heard by a three-judge federal district court. The Statement of Interest does not take a position on any of the private plaintiffs’ other claims.
“The Voting Rights Act outlaws certain practices that deprive Americans of the right to vote because of race and other protected traits. The Voting Rights Act does not outlaw all voting-related requirements enacted by the States,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “Congress has entrusted the U.S. Department of Justice with enforcement of the Voting Rights Act and the other federal voting rights laws. These laws protect the right of Americans to vote for their preferred candidates. We will continue to enforce them fairly, including by explaining to courts the legal framework that governs challenges to the voting laws enacted by the States.”
“This office will always ensure that the people of South Carolina have their voices heard in the voting booth,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Peter M. McCoy, Jr. “This filing indicates that we take that duty seriously, and we will continue to do so.”
Section 201 of the Voting Rights Act is a permanent, nationwide prohibition on the use of tests and devices in our elections. These unlawful procedures include literacy tests, educational achievement or knowledge tests, good moral character requirements, and voucher requirements.
More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights laws is available on the Department of Justice website at https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws may be reported to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Jefferson Davis County Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Marves Fairley, 34, of Jefferson Davis County, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Fairley was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Fairley was previously convicted of felonious possession of a controlled substance. On October 16, 2019, while executing a search warrant at Fairley’s house, law enforcement found a firearm.
Fairley was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 19, 2019. He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on January 30, 2020.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison under Project EJECT for Armed Robbery of a Dollar GeneralRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Joshua Cowards, 29, of Jackson, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to serve 180 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after being convicted of robbing a Dollar General in Jackson and brandishing a firearm during the robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Violent crime will result in Federal time in this district. We will not stand for people being victimized and violence being perpetuated on our citizens. This is a great example of the team work by our partners on the Project EJECT Task Force. I sincerely appreciate the swift response by Jackson police officers, and all of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors. This violent criminal has now been ejected from our Capital City, and our citizens can rest a little easier knowing that justice has been served,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
On September 23, 2018, Cowards and Tyriek Lackey arrived at a Dollar General store in Jackson, Mississippi, armed with handguns. Cowards and Lackey held two store employees at gunpoint while demanding money from cash registers and from the store’s office. Jackson Police officers responded swiftly to the store, and were able to capture Lackey. However, Cowards avoided apprehension at that time.
On November 27, 2018, Cowards and Lackey were indicted by a federal grand jury for Hobbs Act Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Violent Crime. On December 20, 2019, after a five-day trial, Cowards was found guilty of both charges by a federal jury. Lackey pled guilty before Judge Wingate on October 7, 2019, to Hobbs Act Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Violent Crime. Lackey’s sentencing date is pending.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Candace Mayberry and Bert Carraway.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Indicted on Multiple Civil Rights ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, today returned a seven-count indictment charging Dr. Jonathan Yates, 51, with federal civil rights and abusive sexual contact offenses. Yates, a doctor of osteopathic medicine who formerly worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, is charged with five counts of depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and two counts of abusive sexual contact, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2244(b). He was previously charged in a criminal complaint with depriving a veteran of his civil rights under color of law.
The indictment alleges that between September 2018 and February 2019, while working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dr. Yates examined six male patients, identified in the indictment as Veterans One through Six, and sexually molested them during their appointments. The indictment alleges that Yates temporarily immobilized two of the veterans – one by cracking his neck, and the other with the use of acupuncture needles – and sexually molested them while they were incapacitated. The indictment also alleges that his abuses caused five of the veterans to suffer bodily injury. This conduct, performed while Dr. Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a federal employee at the VAMC, deprived Veterans One through Five of their constitutional right to bodily integrity. The indictment also alleges that Yates knowingly engaged in sexual contact with Veterans Two and Six without their consent.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5342).
An indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Yates faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband and U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McVey of the Southern District of West Virginia.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at http://www.wvsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.wvsd.uscourts.gov/.
Former Contractor Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that a former contractor was sentenced for an embezzlement scheme involving tribal funds, which he pleaded guilty to on September 23, 2019. Dustin Martin Kirk, age 48, of Sisseton, South Dakota, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay $384,289 in restitution and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Following his release from custody, Kirk will serve 3 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann presided over the sentencing hearing.
According to court documents, between August 2016 and December 2018, Kirk and his now-defunct business, Siouxland Lumber & Materials, LLC, embezzled, stole, and converted nearly $400,000 of monies, funds, credits, goods, assets, and other property belonging to Dakota Nation Development Corporation and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Housing Authority, both of which are entities of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe and Indian Tribal Organizations.
At times material to this case, the Dakota Nations Development Corporation (“DNDC”) and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Housing Authority (“SWHA”) were separate agencies of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe, a tribal government that received federal assistance in excess of $10,000 during each calendar year of 2016, 2017, and 2018. On behalf of the tribe, DNDC administered tax credit housing. DNDC was a legal entity and it filed the incorporating documents with the South Dakota Secretary of State. SWHA administered federal housing programs, and it is governed by a tribal board.
Kirk established Siouxland Lumber & Materials, LLC, on April 29, 2016. The company dissolved on May 4, 2018. Defendant was the sole owner of Siouxland Lumber, and he used his company and its bank account for personal expenses and to withdraw money for non-business related purchases, including gambling.
Kirk was ordered to self-report to the U.S. Marshal’s Service or Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his term of imprisonment on June 2, 2020.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
The case was brought pursuant to The Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspector Service; U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about The Guardians Project, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (605)330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
Former Boyd County Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. - A former Deputy Sheriff from Cattlesburg, Kentucky, Patrick Allen Adkins, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday, before U.S. District Court Judge David L. Bunning, admitting that he violated the rights of a woman to be free from unwanted sexual conduct.
Adkins admitted that, in 2013, he used his position as Deputy Sheriff at the Boyd County Sheriff’s Department to request that a female victim perform sexual acts on him, in exchange for assisting her with retrieving property that she had reported as taken. According to the plea agreement, Adkins also directed her to destroy evidence of his conduct, to keep her from reporting his conduct to other law enforcement.
Adkins was indicted in June 2018. The indictment record for this case was previously sealed in public record.
“The conduct in this case was particularly despicable,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The victim asked for the assistance of law enforcement; instead, she became the victim of abuse and her civil rights were violated. The defendant callously disregarded his oath to uphold the law and protect the public. Fortunately, his actions are not representative of the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers – individuals who serve with integrity, respect for the law, and compassion for victims. It is our hope that the defendant’s guilty plea and conviction can, in some way, mitigate the damage he has done.”
"The vast majority of law enforcement officers valiantly perform their duties. Officers like Adkins who act for their own self-interest do a disservice to all law enforcement and to the citizens of Kentucky,” said Special Agent in Charge James Robert Brown, Jr., FBI Louisville Field Office. “Police misconduct erodes public confidence and trust in law enforcement. For that reason, investigations into public corruption and the violation of civil rights are the FBI’s top criminal priorities. I hope Adkins’ guilty plea shows our commitment to honest law enforcement in the Commonwealth."
“This type of conduct undermines the core values of law enforcement officers everywhere,” said Commissioner Rodney Brewer, Kentucky State Police. “It smacks in the face of our oath of office to protect the weak against oppression and intimidation. I’m pleased that our investigative efforts contributed to placing this predator behind bars.”
United States Attorney Duncan, Special Agent in Charge Brown, KSP Commissioner Brewer, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hydee Hawkins and Dmitriy Slavin.
Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2020. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Department of Justice Grants More Than $12 Million to Help Maryland Public Safety Agencies Address COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BALTIMORE, Maryland – The Department of Justice has awarded more than $12.3 million to help public safety agencies in Maryland respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19, as part of the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program.
“Law enforcement and public safety officials are facing extraordinary challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “These resources will help support their efforts to promote public safety during this difficult time.”
The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has funded grants on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs, and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to January 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding. Of the 14 counties and nine municipalities in Maryland that were candidates for funding, four have already received grants—Baltimore County, Cumberland, Allegany County, and the City of Cambridge. In addition, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services has received a grant of more than $11 million to assist Maryland State agencies and other law enforcement entities that did not directly receive FY 2019 Byrne Grants. The Department is moving quickly to award the remaining $5.4 million in available grant funding in Maryland, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Halfway House EscapeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A convicted felon who escaped from a Macon halfway house in 2019 was sentenced to serve one year in federal prison, said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Aaron Scarborough, 38, of Columbus, Georgia pleaded guilty to one count of escape and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. There is no parole in the federal system.
Scarborough was previously sentenced to 125 months in prison on February 10, 2011 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He entered Dismas Charities in Macon, a transitional facility run by the Bureau of Prisons, on August 4, 2019. He was due to be released from custody on December 13, 2019. However, on September 27, 2019, Scarborough signed out for a home pass to his mother’s residence in Columbus, Georgia and did not return. It was later discovered that Scarborough went to a girlfriend’s home in Phenix City, Alabama, where he ultimately surrendered to deputies on October 3, 2019.
“Transitioning from federal prison to a halfway house is an important step in an inmate’s reentry into society. Escaping a halfway house is a serious offense, and we will seek appropriate punishment for felons who disregard the law, no matter how close they might be to their release,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank the U.S. Marshals Service for their excellent work investigating this case.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Criminal Division Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Solis prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
California Man Sentenced for Possessing Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
BOISE - Patrick Michael McHenry, 28, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered McHenry to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. McHenry pleaded guilty to the charge on September 18, 2019.
According to court records, McHenry’s semi-truck broke down while driving through Nampa, Idaho. Police contacted McHenry and a drug detection canine alerted on the cab of McHenry’s truck. Inside, officers located a sawed-off shotgun with an obliterated serial number, shotgun shells, methamphetamine, and a digital scale. McHenry admitted to possessing the firearm, which was later identified as a modified Harrington and Richardson, Model Topper 58, 20-gauge shotgun. The shotgun had a shortened barrel that measured 8.5 inches in length, with an overall length of 14 inches. The National Firearms Act requires such a shotgun to be registered if the barrel is less than eighteen inches in length.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Nampa Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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 visit: www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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Aviation maintenance student pleads guilty to bribing examiner to pass FAA mechanic’s examinationRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Aviation maintenance student Frank A. Jalion Amaro has pleaded guilty to bribing an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner in exchange for receiving a passing score on the FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant examination.
“The public trusts that the men and women who perform maintenance on commercial aircraft have the proper credentials and qualifications,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “By attempting to buy his certification, Amaro took the easy way out and could have put the safety of those citizens who fly in jeopardy.”
“This investigation demonstrates that ensuring the safety of the Nation’s air transportation system remains a high priority for both the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Department of Transportation (DOT),” said Todd A. Damiani, Regional Special Agent-in-Charge, DOT-OIG. “Thanks to the cooperation and dedicated efforts of the Federal Aviation Administration, its Designated Mechanic Examiner workforce, and our prosecutorial partners, we successfully prevented the aircraft maintenance certification of an unethical and ill-qualified individual.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation that is responsible for the regulation and oversight of civil aviation in the United States, including the operation and development of the National Airspace System and the management of commercial space transportation. The FAA’s primary mission is to ensure the safety of civil aviation.
As part of its responsibility to protect the integrity and safety of the American civil aviation system, the FAA requires mechanics and repairmen to obtain an Airframe and Powerplant Certificate to perform maintenance on aircraft and approve equipment for returns to service. To receive an Airframe and Powerplant Certificate, the FAA requires mechanics to complete 1900 hours of classroom and practical training and to pass several tests covering 43 technical subjects.
Amaro was a student at an aviation maintenance school in Las Vegas, Nevada. In late 2019, Amaro was preparing to take the examination to obtain an FAA Airframe and Powerplant Certificate. On November 19, 2019, Amaro contacted an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner (“FAA Examiner”) in the Atlanta-metropolitan area. As a Designated Mechanic Examiner, the FAA authorized the FAA Examiner to perform activities on its behalf, including administering the Airframe and Powerplant examination.
Beginning on November 19, 2019, Amaro (using an alias and fake phone number) contacted the FAA Examiner and offered to pay the FAA Examiner a bribe payment in exchange for receiving a passing score on the Airframe and Powerplant examination. The FAA Examiner immediately reported Amaro’s bribe solicitation and, thereafter, agreed to work with federal law enforcement authorities.
Over the next several weeks, Amaro and the FAA Examiner agreed that Amaro would take the Airframe and Powerplant examination in Duluth, Georgia on December 16, 2019. As part of the agreement, Amaro offered to pay the FAA Examiner $500 upfront and $2,000 on the day of the test, in exchange for receiving a passing score on the Airframe and Powerplant examination.
On December 9, 2019, Amaro sent the FAA Examiner $500 via a mobile payment service. On December 16, 2019, Amaro met the FAA Examiner in Duluth, Georgia, and paid the FAA Examiner $2,000 in cash for a passing score on the Airframe and Powerplant examination.
On March 5, 2020, the U.S. Attorney charged Frank A. Jalion Amaro, 21, of Las Vegas, Nevada, in a criminal information with bribery. Amaro pleaded guilty to that charge.
The Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General is investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Monday 11 May 2020
Vermont U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
During National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan will honor and recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. The week will be observed Sunday, May 10 through Saturday, May 16, 2020.
“I want to acknowledge the work performed by federal, state, local and county law enforcement, who often face uncertain and dangerous situations without question and without expectation of thanks,” stated U.S. Attorney Nolan. “The nobility and devotion of those in law enforcement is on full display during the pandemic, as our brave women and men in uniform take on added risks associated with the virus to keep all of us safe. We want them to know they have our unwavering support and appreciation. The Green Mountain State is an extraordinarily attractive place to reside, and that is due, in no small part, to the tireless efforts of officers at all levels of law enforcement to keep us safe. Quietly and consistently, they put themselves in harm’s way to protect their communities, running toward danger when others are trying to escape it. They make decisions every day to stand on the front lines of our campaigns to combat violence, unlawful firearms activity, drug trafficking, and other dangerous crime, and during this challenging time, they shoulder additional and serious health-related risks. This is a tremendous daily sacrifice – on the part of officers, to be sure – but also on the part of their families and loved ones, who support them and hope for their safe return home each day. Some never make it home from shift, and this week we honor those fallen in the line of duty, who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. We must never take for granted their sacrifices and their heroic work.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. This week, we encourage Vermonters and citizens across the country to remember and honor those who gave their lives so the rest of us can live peacefully and freely. This National Police Week our nation also celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
This year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will add 135 names to the national memorial wall for those killed in the line of duty in 2019. Fortunately, Vermont did not lose any law enforcement officers in the line of duty in 2019, but they risk their lives every day to promote justice and public safety. Due to COVID-19 the national and state memorial ceremonies have been cancelled; however, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund will host a virtual candlelight vigil on May 13 at 8:00pm to recognize those who will be added to the memorial wall in 2020. You can view the candlelight vigil at www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.
During National Police Week, we also seek to raise awareness relating to officer mental health and wellness. The law enforcement profession is deeply stressful, causing officers to suffer increased rates of heart disease, divorce, alcohol abuse, and major psychological illnesses such as acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other anxiety disorders. Officer suicides reached 228 in 2019, up from 172 in 2018. Stigma and fear of job loss can present barriers to seeking help. We are here for you and want you to seek the help you have earned. Call 1-800-273-TALK or text “blue” to 741741.Get in touch with a police officer this week to show gratitude for their sacrifices. They need your support.
University of Arkansas Professor Arrested for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, David Clay Fowlkes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch of the FBI Little Rock Field Office announced today that Simon Saw-Teong Ang, 63, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was arrested on Friday, May 8, 2020, on charges related to Wire Fraud. The complaint and complaint affidavit were unsealed this evening after Ang’s initial appearance in court before The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks at the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
In the one-count complaint, Ang was charged with one count of Wire Fraud. The complaint charges that Ang had close ties with the Chinese government and Chinese companies, and failed to disclose those ties when required to do so in order to receive grant money from NASA. These materially false representations to NASA and the University of Arkansas resulted in numerous wires to be sent and received that facilitated Ang’s scheme to defraud.
If convicted, Ang faces a statutory maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. If convicted, Ang’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including Ang’s prior criminal record (if any), the Ang’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.
The FBI is investigating the case. Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas and Trial Attorneys Michael Eaton and Ali Ahmad from the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. The charges set forth in a complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.