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Wednesday 4 December 2019
Louisiana Man Charged with Illegally Accessing Thousands of Laboratory ReportsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Louisiana man was arraigned today on charges that he illegally accessed a healthcare company’s online portal and downloaded more than 60,000 laboratory reports belonging to more than 30,000 patients, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
David Manno, 34, of Marrero, Louisiana, appeared before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court and pleaded not guilty. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 19, 2019, on one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The victim was a publicly traded healthcare company with its headquarters in New Jersey. The company offered a web-based portal through which patients could access their medical and health information, schedule laboratory testing, track their healthcare provider information, maintain medical records, and pay for services. Patients were able to log in to the portal by using a unique username and password. In November 2016, Manno accessed the portal and sent requests that caused the portal to send him lab reports belonging to other patients. Manno sent more than 150,000 modified requests, causing the portal to send him more than 60,000 laboratory reports for more than 30,000 patients.
The wire fraud count with which Manno is charged carries a maximum potential punishment of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain caused by the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: David Courcelle Esq., Metairie, Louisiana
Lexington Man Sentenced to 142 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - A Lexington, Kentucky, man, Michael Tutt, 51, was sentenced to 142 months on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for trafficking methamphetamine.
According to Tutt’s plea agreement, he admitted that from November 2016 to July 2017, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Laurel and Fayette Counties. Tutt further admitted to importing and distributing between 3 and 10 ounces of methamphetamine per week, every week for at least six months. According to his plea agreement, the drugs came from various sources based in the Louisville area and Atlanta area. Tutt admitted to selling the methamphetamine to various drug dealers, as well as users. The criminal conspiracy to distribute the drugs involved a number of co-defendants.
Tutt was indicted on the charges in July 2017 and was the final member of the conspiracy to be sentenced. His co-defendants have received the following sentences: Ashley A. Evans (63 months); Alfredo Martinez (192 months); Katherine Miller (33 months); Rachell D. Peppers (92 months); Jacqueline M. Robinson (15 months); Brandon M. Rush (144 months); Christian Omar Torres (168 months); Marco Antonio Valencia-Fiesco (20 months); Lajoyia Whitney (31 months); Sandy Leon Whitney (5 months); and Abdul M. Wilkerson (66 months).
Under federal law, Tutt and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Tutt will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Samuel Dotson.
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Latin Counts Gang Leader Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Drive-By Shooting in Southwest DetroitRead the Press Release
A leader of the Latin Counts gang was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the ATF’s Detroit Division, and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department.
Christopher Nicholas Rishell, a/k/a “C-5,” 30, of Lincoln Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland.
According to court records, Rishell orchestrated and helped carry out with fellow Latin Counts gang members a drive-by shooting in a residential neighborhood of southwest Detroit that occurred on October 7, 2017, killing one victim and injuring two others. Rishell was the “president” of the Toledo Mafia Counts set of the Latin Counts at the time of the shooting.
Also according to court records, the Latin Counts gang operates primarily in southwest Detroit and the downriver communities of Lincoln Park and Ecorse. The Latin Counts are a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, robberies, and the distribution of illegal drugs. The Latin Counts use violence to retaliate against rivals, intimidate citizens in the community, and advance members’ positions within the gang.
Through the lead efforts of the ATF, FBI, and the Detroit Homicide Task Force, law enforcement identified and charged a total of seven violent members of the Latin Counts gang responsible for the drive-by shooting, all of whom have since pleaded guilty.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis Crisostomo, Robert VanWert, and Eric Straus.
Las Vegas Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to File False Tax Returns Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, theft of government property, and access device fraud, relating to a stolen identity tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Josiah Ntekume was involved in a scheme to file false tax returns using stolen identities in order to obtain tax refunds. Coconspirators provided Ntekume with names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, and Ntekume used these stolen identities to establish prepaid debit card accounts. The coconspirators then caused fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds to be deposited into those accounts.
When Ntekume was arrested on March 13, 2012, he had in his backpack approximately 250 prepaid debit cards in others people’s names on which more than more than $200,000 in fraudulent tax refunds had been loaded. The backpack also contained several pages of paper listing stolen identities for nearly 200 individuals that were used either to file false tax returns or to establish additional prepaid debit cards.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020. At sentencing, Ntekume faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, as well as up to 10 years in prison on each count of theft of government property and fraud in connection with access devices. He also faces a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. In addition to a prison sentence, Ntekume faces a maximum period of three years supervised release, as well as restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn, Stephen K. Moulton, and Arthur Ewenczyk who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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Kroger to Pay U.S. Government $225,000 to Settle Civil Allegations it Violated the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – Kroger Limited Partnership and Kroger Pharmacy have agreed to pay the United States $225,000 to settle civil allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) more than a dozen times at its Rio Hill Center location in Charlottesville, Virginia. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement today.
“Pharmacies are vital partners in our collective efforts to reduce the unlawful diversion and use of dangerous opioid drugs,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “As this case illustrates, federal prosecutors will utilize all available tools, including civil actions, to ensure that entities and individuals involved in the lawful dispensing of these potentially deadly drugs fully comply with the law.”
“This case is a great example of how the DEA is doing its part to help end the prescription drug and opioid crisis in our region,” SAC Fong said today. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to find and prosecute medical professionals working to illegally distribute these drugs, and will not rest until we see the end of abusive prescribing practices in our area.”
The settlement resolves allegations by the United States that Kroger #334 (Rio Hill Center, Charlottesville, Va.) violated the CSA on at least 16 distinct occasions between May 2, 2015 and May 30, 2016. According to settlement documents, the United States claimed that Kroger #334 violated the CSA by improperly filling “office use only” prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances; failed to make and keep DEA 222 order forms; improperly distributed a Schedule II controlled substance absent the required DEA 222 form; and failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against diversion of controlled substances.
This proactive civil enforcement investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lugar litigated the case for the United States.
Kansas Receiving More than $2.6 Million in Federal Grants to Fight CrimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Kansas is receiving more than $2.6 million in federal grants to enhance public safety, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
The money is part of more than $376 million in awards announced today by the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.
“We’re working with our state and local agencies to make Kansas safer,” McAllister said. “These grants are designed to give Kansas law enforcement the flexibility to spend the money based on the needs in their own communities.”
The executive office of the state of Kansas has been granted more than $1.94 million from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. The funds can be used for a variety of purposes including multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, justice information sharing initiatives and other programs aimed at reducing crime or enhancing the safety of the public and law enforcement officers.
Other grants include:
$23,873: Leavenworth Police Department In-Car Upgrade Project.
$388,020: Sedgwick County, JAG Public Safety Modernization Program
$98,777: Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, Leadership Training, ALPR/EOD and SOU Equipment.
$19,427: Riley County, Portable Communications Implementation.$71,199: City of Topeka, JAG grant.
$22,101: City of Hutchinson, Emergency Response team rifles and accessories.
$14,240: Emergency Communication Equipment Upgrades.
$30,123: City of Lawrence, Digital Multimedia Evidence Acquisition and analysis.
$71,071: City of Olathe.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
KC Man Led Police Chase in Stolen Vehicle, Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who led police officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Chance Ayers, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On March 12, 2019, a Kansas City police detective saw Ayers driving a maroon 2002 Mercury Sable, which had been reported stolen when the keys were taken during a burglary earlier that day. The detective followed Ayers to a gas station, where he pulled up next to the front of the building. Ayers was arrested after a brief car chase. Ayers had two 12-gauge shotgun shells in his right front pants pocket at the time of his arrest.
When officers searched Ayers’ vehicle, they found a loaded New England 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun on the driver’s side floorboard. Two more shotgun shells were found on the floor next to the shotgun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ayers has prior felony convictions for burglary, theft and criminal damage. He was on state parole at the time of the alleged offense.
Under federal statutes, Ayers is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Justice Department settles Galveston disability-based housing discrimination lawsuitRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A Texas apartment developer and a Texas site engineer had agreed to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit alleged they built an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in Galveston that were inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
“There is no place in our community for violating the ADA and FHA,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. “Our Office is committed to enforcing these to ensure that every person with a disability has full access to residential buildings within our district.”
“The FHA and the ADA require that new multifamily housing be accessible to persons with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit and its resolution help ensure that individuals with disabilities and their families live with dignity and enjoy equal housing and all other opportunities available to the people of the United States.”
Today’s settlement, pending court approval, settles a lawsuit the department filed in February 2019. It alleged Galveston developer TFT Galveston Portfolio LTD and site engineer James W. Gartrell Jr. violated the FHA and the ADA when they designed and constructed an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in 2003. The structures had steps and other features that made it inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
Under the terms of the settlement, Galveston Portfolio must take corrective actions such as removing steps, replacing steeply-sloped walkways and adding accessible parking to make public and common use portions of the property accessible to persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users. They must also construct a new apartment building with 24 accessible units as well as a new accessible rental office and establish a $75,000 settlement fund for people the lack of accessible features at the Seasons have harmed. The settlement also requires Galveston Portfolio and Gartrell obtain training on the requirements of the FHA and ADA and ensure any future housing they design or construct complies with FHA and ADA requirements.
Persons who lived at or sought to live at the Seasons Resort and were denied housing or otherwise harmed because the complex was not accessible may be entitled to monetary compensation through today’s settlement. Such persons can contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743 mailbox #94 or via email.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. The FHA requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 12, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps to all ground-floor units. The ADA requires places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes designed and constructed for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available here. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination may call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website.
Justice Department announces more than $376 million in awards to promote public safetyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The Department of Justice announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $719,733 will support public safety activities in the Northern District of Georgia. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“The grants will be used to address violent crime problems each of those jurisdictions is facing,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “In Cobb County, District Attorney Joyette Holmes will enhance services to victims of adult sexual assaults, by providing specialized assistance to victims and by conducting research regarding recidivism. In Rockdale County, District Attorney Alisha Johnson will implement the Rockdale County Comprehensive Homicide Initiative to address the increasing numbers of homicides occurring in the county in a collaborative manner. Both initiatives will greatly benefit the citizens of the counties, and serve as models for other prosecution offices.”
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage. They also rip those communities apart,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “These programs simultaneously play a role in mending communities through preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and restoring communities and their residents.”
These awards support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
Two organizations in the Northern District of Georgia were awarded under the BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program. The program provides state, local and tribal prosecutors with information, resources, training, and technical assistance to develop effective strategies as well as programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime.
- Cobb County, Georgia $359,733
- Rockdale County, Georgia $360,000
Information about the programs and awards announced is available here: Public Safety Fact Sheet here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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.
Justice Department Settles Texas Disability-Based Housing Discrimination LawsuitRead the Press Release
A Texas apartment developer and a Texas site engineer have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit alleged that they built an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in Galveston, Texas, that were inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
“The Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act require that new multifamily housing be accessible to persons with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit and its resolution help ensure that individuals with disabilities and their families live with dignity and enjoy equal housing and all other opportunities available to the people of the United States.”
“There is no place in our community for violating the ADA and FHA,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. “Our Office is committed to enforcing these to ensure that every person with a disability has full access to residential buildings within our district.”
Today’s settlement, pending court approval resolves a lawsuit the Department filed in February 2019. It alleged that Galveston developer TFT Galveston Portfolio LTD and site engineer James W. Gartrell Jr. violated the FHA and the ADA when they designed and constructed an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in 2003 with steps and other features that made them inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
Under the terms of the settlement, Galveston Portfolio must take corrective actions such as removing steps, replacing steeply-sloped walkways and adding accessible parking to make public and common use portions of the property accessible to persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users. They must also construct a new apartment building with 24 accessible units, as well as a new accessible rental office, and establish a $75,000 settlement fund for people who suffered harm due to - the lack of accessible features at the Seasons Resort. The settlement also requires that Galveston Portfolio and Gartrell obtain training on the requirements of the FHA and ADA and ensure any future housing they design or construct complies with FHA and ADA requirements.
Persons who lived at or sought to live at the Seasons Resort who were denied housing or otherwise harmed because the complex was not accessible may be entitled to monetary compensation through today’s settlement. Such persons can contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743 mailbox # 94 or by email at [email protected].
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. Among other things, the Fair Housing Act requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 12, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps to all ground-floor units. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires, among other things, that places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes designed and constructed for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination may call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected], or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint.
Justice Department Awards Oklahoma Attorney General and OU Health Sciences Center More Than $2.9 Million to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. In Oklahoma, grants will go to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the total amount of $2,915,894. The Department’s Office of Justice Programs ("OJP") made the awards.
"Crime and violence hold families, friends, and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing."
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion-dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex-offender registration and notification, law-enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies, and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
In Oklahoma, the Office of the Attorney General will receive $2,398,302 as part of the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative ("SAKI"), which focuses on testing sexual assault kits that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory and collecting DNA samples from qualifying individuals who should have a sample in the Combined DNA Index System ("CODIS"). The OU Health Sciences Center will receive an additional $517,592 toward the work of its affiliate, the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth. These funds will support community-based interventions for youth with problematic or illegal sexual behaviors.
"Public safety is a team effort in our state," said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. "I’m proud that the Department of Justice can support law enforcement and crime prevention by assisting our teammates in state government, who are often best positioned to respond to threats to public safety."
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Awards $635,000 in Grants to Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in Nassau and Suffolk CountiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has awarded $360,000 to the Office of the Nassau County District Attorney and $275,000 to Suffolk County, New York, as part of more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Katherine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, OJP, announced the awards.
“DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs’ grants will provide additional support to our law enforcement and community partners in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to our collective benefit,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” stated OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards are:
Bureau of Justice Assistance Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program
The program provides prosecutors with information, resources and training, and technical assistance to develop effective strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime. Recipient: Office of the Nassau County District Attorney, $360,000.
Bureau of Justice Assistance Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program
This program supports state and local policymakers, practitioners and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice. Recipient: Suffolk County, New York, $275,000.
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the $250 million Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program that funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces more than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States, including $4,561,569 to support public safety activities in the District of New Jersey. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“These awards provide substantial resources to support important public safety initiatives sponsored by our state and local law enforcement partners,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, said. “This kind of support from the Department of Justice encourages greater cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement, as we work together to protect the people of New Jersey.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of New Jersey:
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program – Local Awards
• Union County, $167,387
• City of Passaic, $180,339
• Asbury Park, $51,346
• Mercer County, $131,756
• Newark Police Department, $434,882
• City of Camden, $208,291
• Vineland, $82,671
• Lakewood, $15,572
• Atlantic City, $68,318
• Perth Amboy, $86,689
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program – State Award
• New Jersey Division of Law & Public Safety, $3,817,827
BJA Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public Health, Safety, and the Economy from Counterfeit Goods and Product Piracy
• Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, $350,345
BJA Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program
• New Jersey Dept. of Corrections, $246,146
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage. They also rip those communities apart,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “These programs simultaneously play a role in mending communities through preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and restoring communities and their residents.”
This year, more than $252 million is being awarded to 929 states, tribes, and local governments through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG), administered by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). JAG funding supports a range of program areas including law enforcement; prosecution and courts; crime prevention and education; corrections; drug treatment and enforcement; technology improvement; victim and witness initiatives; mental health programs and others.
Through BJA’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, $40 million will help law enforcement agencies and prosecutors address the challenges associated with sexual assault kits that have not been submitted to crime laboratories for testing. An additional $6.6 million for training and technical assistance will build state and local capacity to address unsolved crimes revealed by evidence obtained when the kits are tested.
BJA is providing more than $6.9 million to 20 state, local and tribal prosecutors through the Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program. Prosecutors receive training and technical assistance to use data in the development of their violent crime strategies and create programs that are analysis-driven and based upon promising practices.
Reducing intellectual property theft and related crime are the focus of six awards, totaling nearly $2.3 million, made through BJA’s Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public Health, Safety, and the Economy from Counterfeit Goods and Product Piracy. The funding is being provided to state, local, tribal and territorial criminal justice systems to address intellectual property enforcement, including prosecution, prevention, training and technical assistance.
This year BJA is providing $500,000 through the Enhancing Task Force Leadership, Operations and Management Program to the Institute of Intergovernmental Research, which will provide training and technical assistance to state and local multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task forces created to address local crime. The program promotes integrity and accountability by emphasizing best practices to reduce liability and enhance officer safety and effectiveness.
Through BJA’s Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program, 12 awards totaling more than $3.2 million are supporting state and local policymakers, practitioners, and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice.
Two awards totaling $5 million are being provided to National Criminal Justice Association and National Association of Criminal Justice Defense Lawyers through BJA’s Justice for All: Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Training and Technical Assistance Program. The recipients will deliver training and technical services to state and local governments requesting assistance.
To assist confinement facilities and the agencies that oversee them, BJA is providing 13 grants totaling more than $2.4 million to state, local and tribal governments for responding to incidents of sexual abuse in these facilities. The awards are made through the Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program.
BJA’s Comprehensive Corrections Training and Technical Assistance Program is providing more than $23.7 million, to seven organizations that will provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to BJA grantees and criminal justice practitioners to improve correctional services and increase public safety through improving outcomes for people incarcerated and detained in correctional facilities. The recipients are Advocates for Human Potential, Inc.; American Correctional Association; American Institutes of for Research in the Behavioral Sciences; Impact Justice; the Moss Group, Inc.; the Research Triangle Institute; and the Urban Institute.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is providing more than $1.9 million in funding to four organizations under the Supporting Effective Interventions for Adolescent Sex Offenders and Youth with Sexual Behavioral Problems Program. The program also helps fund treatment and supportive services for victims and their caregivers. Three recipients are receiving $475,000; they are Youth Outreach Services, Ill; Cayuga Counseling Services, Inc., New York; and the Joseph J. Peters Institute, Pennsylvania. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is receiving $517,592 to provide training and technical assistance to the award recipients.
Through OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime, 36 public law enforcement agencies, of which four are tribal, are receiving over $12 million to develop victim specialist programs that connect survivors and families to coordinated trauma-informed services. OVC is also awarding $2.25 million to the International Association of Chiefs of Police for related training and technical assistance.
OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) is providing more than $15.7 million to 59 states, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help jurisdictions meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
SMART is also awarding more than $1.6 million for the maintenance of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, a resource that provides the public access to sex offender data nationwide. The funding also provides sex offender registry systems and tools at no cost to U.S. states, territories and federally recognized tribes who are implementing standards established by the Adam Walsh Act to close gaps and loopholes in reporting.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $3,350,381 will support public safety activities in the District of Oregon. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
“Protecting public safety and the fair administration of justice requires steadfast partnership among local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies. I’m thankful for the culture of collaboration and teamwork that have come to define Oregon’s law enforcement community,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “My sincere hope is that these awards will support and further the tremendous work being done by law enforcement agencies across the state. As an Oregonian, I’m proud of your efforts.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Oregon:
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program
City of Beaverton
$15,273
City of Grants Pass
$14,338
City of Portland
$377,097
City of Redmond
$10,575
City of Salem
$87,139
City of Springfield
$24,712
City of Tigard
$10,650
Deschutes County
$28,452
Jackson County
$77,209
Lane County
$127,703
State of Oregon
$1,997,319
Total:
$2,770,467
Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
Purpose Area 1: Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act Implementation in States, the District of Columbia, principal U.S. Territories, and Federally Recognized Indiana Tribes
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
$348,088
Oregon State Police
$231,826
Total
$579,914
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
MEMPHIS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $5,528,132 will support public safety activities in the Western District of Tennessee. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
"Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing."
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to our state and local law enforcement agencies, and this announcement of crucial public safety grant funding will fulfill the President’s Executive Orders to reduce crime in America and Back the Blue. These grant resources from the
Office of Justice Programs will allow our state and local partners to focus on the priority areas of violent crime and drug trafficking, as well as untested sexual assault kits, sex offender registry and monitoring, and victim services."
The following awards were made to organizations in the Western District of Tennessee:
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
Tipton County FY 19 Local JAG - $10,217
City of Jackson FY 19 JAG Project - $43,095
City of Dyersburg 2019 JAG - $14,308
City of Memphis / Shelby County FY19 JAG Grant - $818,935BJA National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative - Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits
>City of Memphis, Tennessee - $1,899,781OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program
City of Memphis FY19 Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program (LE VSP) - $770,861SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program: Support for SORNA Implementation in Counties
Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee - $18,453On November 7, 2019, the Department of Justice announced awards of approximately $95 million to support public safety efforts in the State of Tennessee. Funding was provided to various law enforcement agencies from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) target violent crime, support law enforcement efforts to combat the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs, improve officer mental health and wellness, and enhance school safety. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/justice-department-awards-95-million-improve-public-safety-state-tennessee
City of Memphis BJA FY 19 Strategies for Policing Innovation - $700,000
City Of Millington BJA FY 19 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program - $50,000
Shelby County Government BJA FY 19 Innovative Reentry Initiatives: Building System
Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce Recidivism - $602,482
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis: OJJDP FY 19 Youth Gang Desistance/Diversion Grant Program - $500,000
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis: NIJ Strengthening the Medical Examiner – Coroner System Program - $100,000
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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Justice Department Announces More Than 367 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376,000,000 in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $9,780,780 will support public safety activities in and around the Western District of New York. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“One of the top priorities of my Office is enhancing the collaborative relationship we have with all levels of law enforcement, including local, state, and federal, as well as our community partners,” stated James P. Kennedy, Jr., United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. “When investigative agencies at all levels are equipped with the tools they need to conduct the most thorough and comprehensive investigations, that leads to the most effective prosecutions. And when our community partners are properly funded, they too play a vital role in making our community safer. These public safety grants will do just that, give our law enforcement and community partners what they need to get the job done.”
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The Western District of New York recipients include:
• The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, which will receive $8,576,883 to allow New York State and local governments within the State to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions;
• The Rochester Police Department Victim and Family Services and Monroe County Probation NightWatch, which will receive $163,554;
• The City of Niagara Falls, which will receive $44,114, for Community Liaison and Interoperable Handheld Radios;
• The City of Jamestown, which will receive $17,460 for the purchase of a Mobile Speed Trailer and Alco-Sensor;
• The City of Buffalo, Erie County, and Town of Cheektowaga, which will receive $236,151 for collaborative crime fighting efforts;
• The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Victim Specialist Program, which will receive $267,618; and
• The Cayuga County Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems and Adolescent Sex Offender program, which will be receiving $475,000.The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
For more information about OJP awards, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726 or [email protected]
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 3, 2019
SAN DIEGO – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States, including $728,459 to support public safety activities in the Southern District of California. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“These funds will bolster our crime-fighting efforts in San Diego and Imperial counties,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer of the Southern District of California. “The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Southern District of California:
City of San Diego $473,241
City of La Mesa 12,953
City of Carlsbad 14,710
City of El Cajon 27,733
City of Oceanside 47,666
City of Escondido 38,882
City of El Centro 12,976
City of Vista 25,414
City of Chula Vista 51,742
City of Lemon Grove 11,032
County of Imperial 12,110
TOTAL $728,459
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. Over $813,000 will support public safety activities in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“From our District’s eclectic and vibrant urban cityscapes to our quaint and rustic rural localities, we all in some capacity have been affected by violent crime and its secondary effects on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “The announcement of these awards highlights the commitment from the Department of Justice to afford our state and local partners the tools they need to enhance public safety and combat violent crime through programs that address an array of public safety initiatives.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Eastern District of Louisiana:
- St Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office: $16,948
- Bogalusa Police Department, City of Bogalusa: $11,227
- Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office: $115,214
- City of New Orleans: $297,837
- Kenner Police Department, City of Kenner: $13,597
- Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government: $12,017
- St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office: $12,472
- Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office: $23,699
- Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office: $310,496
TOTAL: $813,507
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $357,459 will support public safety activities in the District of Colorado. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Prosecuting violent crime is one of the top priorities of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “These grant funds will go to the Denver District Attorney to support their efforts to tackle violent crime. We support them in these efforts, both financially and in prosecutorial partnership.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Colorado:
- Denver District Attorney’s Office: $357,459 to develop effective strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime. Prosecutors are leaders within the criminal justice system who possess an enormous responsibility within the criminal justice system. Accordingly, they are well positioned to bring the police, the community, and local agencies together to combat violent crime in their jurisdictions. The Innovative Prosecution Solutions Program encourages prosecutors to use data in the development of their violent crime strategies and programs. As such, it builds upon analysis-driven, promising practices and evidence-based prosecution by encouraging state, local, and tribal prosecutorial agencies to develop effective, economical, and innovative responses to crime within their jurisdictions. Applicants will identify a problem to be addressed and may enlist a research partner to help evaluate the effectiveness of their Innovative Prosecution Solutions. The Denver District Attorney's Office proposes to work with the Denver Police Department to create a joint digital evidence task force to improve the turnaround time of evidence processing in violent crime investigations. The project includes training and equipment purchases.
For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $14,444,949 will support public safety activities in the Middle District of Florida. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“We are confident that our public safety and community partners will utilize these additional resources in the most effective manner possible,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Coupled with various lessons learned, innovative ideas, and a commitment to reduce crime at every turn, we intend to make our communities safer places to live, work and play.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Middle District of Florida:
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (Local)
Brevard County ($55,079)
Charlotte County ($25,580)
Citrus County ($27,792)
City of Apopka ($15,098)
City of Bradenton ($23,080)
City of Casselberry ($10,650)
City of Cape Coral ($15,915)
City of Cocoa ($22,166)
City of Daytona Beach ($61,305)
City of DeLand ($12,598)
City of Fort Myers ($58,733)
City of Jacksonville ($403,269)
City of Kissimmee ($31,446)
City of Lakeland ($24,979)
City of Largo ($28,032)
City of Leesburg ($14,689)
City of Melbourne ($49,405)
City of Ocala ($31,470)
City of Orlando ($167,472)
City of Ormond Beach ($15,435)
City of Palm Bay ($38,106)
City of Pinellas Park ($16,997)
City of Plant City ($13,103)
City of Sanford ($34,571)
City of Tampa ($143,984)
City of Titusville ($25,219)
City of Winter Haven ($14,809)
Clay County Board of Commissioners ($35,100)
Collier County ($69,407)
County of Volusia ($46,039)
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office ($16,108)
Hendry County ($11,708)
Hernando County ($32,239)
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners ($144,104)
Lake County ($33,850)
Lee County Sheriff’s Office ($101,022)
Manatee County ($108,907)
Marion County Board of County Commissioners ($57,819)
Orange County Board of County Commissioners ($359,322)
Osceola County Board of County Commissioners ($58,925)
Pasco County ($100,324)
Pinellas County ($185,816)
Polk County ($93,064)
Putnam County ($18,440)
Sarasota County ($37,192)
Seminole County Sheriff’s Office ($42,721)
Winter Garden Police Department ($11,083)
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (State)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement ($10,551,399)
BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program
State Attorney’s Office, 4th Judicial Circuit ($360,000)
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
Florida Department of Law Enforcement ($399,878)
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office ($150,000)
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office ($39,500)
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
More than $12 Million Will Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in the Southern District of Florida
MIAMI – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. More than $12 million will support public safety activities in the Southern District of Florida. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Keeping our communities and people safe is a top priority for us,” stated U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida “The millions of dollars in grant money awarded to our South Florida community and law enforcement partners will help us enhance the quality of life of our local residents, strengthen the integrity of our justice system, provide critical services for crime victims, and take back our neighborhoods from the violent grasp of those who threaten our safety and security. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for its invaluable financial support of our collective crime-fighting initiatives.”
The following awards were given to police departments and organizations in the Southern District of Florida:
Florida's FY 2019 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
$10,551,399
Video Analytics Solution for Private Video Footage Evidence
City of Miami Beach
$67,845
Monroe County Drug Court
Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
$13,800
Florida City Police Cruiser and Laptops
City of Florida City
$24,258
Criminal Justice Initiatives
Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners
$141,531
FY 19 Local JAG
St Lucie County
$41,135
2019 Enhanced Law Enforcement Programs
City of North Miami
$34,163
FY 2019 JAG Application - Police Cruiser
City of Hialeah
$43,755
2019 JAG Camera project
City of Greenacres
$13,583
Behavioral Health Deferred Prosecution Program
Highlands County
$18,824
Enhance Law Enforcement Capabilities
City of Port St. Lucie
$17,214
SWAT Robot and Marked Police Canine Vehicle
West Palm Beach City of
$66,931
Law Enforcement Safety and Wellness Equipment Project
City of North Miami Beach
$21,517
Delray Beach Police Department's Holiday Robbery and Burglary Task Force
City of Delray Beach
$29,379
City of Miami FY 19 JAG
City of Miami
$283,688
FY 19 Local JAG
City of Lake Worth
$35,966
Crime-Fighting Toolkit: Data Analysis and Prioritized Response
Miami Dade County
$442,697
Youth Empowerment Program
City of Belle Glade
$19,329
Purchase analytic/community engagement software.
City of Boynton Beach
$34,740
Homestead Violent Crime Reduction
City of Homestead
$56,858
Indian River County FY19 JAG Project
Indian River County
$19,738
Miami Gardens Police Department Focus on Public Safety Program FY 19/20
City of Miami Gardens
$56,401
FY 19 JAG
City of Pompano Beach
$501,886
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office
$149,848
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here: Public Safety Fact Sheet. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. Nearly $6.5 million will support public safety activities in Nevada. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Today’s grant awards exemplify the Department of Justice’s commitment to resourcing crime-fighting and victim services assistance in Nevada,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “These grants will fund a broad range of programs. One award in particular will provide additional resources to further Nevada’s incredible accomplishments on its sexual assault kit initiative.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Nevada:
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program
The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation. District of Nevada recipients included:
Joint Application for Washoe County Law Enforcement Agencies
City of Reno
$159,075
FY 19 Local JAG Program
City of Carson City
$12,558
North Las Vegas Closed-Circuit Television Project and Ultra Software Application
City of North Las Vegas Police Department
$166,798
FY 19 Local JAG Program
Henderson Police Department
$40,005
Clark County Joint FY 19 JAG Project
Clark County, Nevada
$992,213
Nevada FY 19 State JAG
Nevada Department of Public Safety
$2,165,007
BJA National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
The initiative supports the Department’s criminal justice priorities of reducing violent crime and supporting law enforcement officers and prosecutors by: providing jurisdictions with resources to address sexual assault kits not submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing; improving investigation and prosecution in connection with evidence and cases; and providing sites with resources to collect DNA samples. The Nevada Office of the Attorney General received a grant under this initiative in the amount of $2 million.
BJA Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program
This program supports projects designed to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement facilities, and to achieve and maintain compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services received a grant under this program in the amount of $154,125.
OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program
The program provides funding to develop and enhance crime victim specialist programs within law enforcement agencies to better support victims through the criminal justice process. The grants support connecting victims with community-based direct victim services programs. The Reno Police Department received a grant under this program in the amount of $280,777.
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program:
The program provides funding to states, jurisdictions, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. The Nevada Department of Public Safety and Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, received grants of approximately $500,000 under this program.
For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, PR – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $2,790,908 will support public safety activities in the District of Puerto Rico. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends, and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Supporting law enforcement at every level goes to the heart of the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “These grants provide much needed resources and funding to law enforcement agencies as they work to protect our communities from violence, drug trafficking and any others who threaten our safety and security. I would like to encourage more state and local entities to request federal grants to the Department of Justice to continue supporting all the efforts to fight against crime.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Puerto Rico:
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program awarded $2,116,249 to the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation. Awards are made through separate solicitations for local and tribal jurisdictions and for states.
BJA Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program- Wrongful Conviction Review Entity-Led Strategy awarded $274,819 to the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. This program supports state and local policymakers, practitioners, and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice.
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program awarded $399,840 to the Puerto Rico Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. The program provides funding to states, jurisdictions, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in AwardsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. More than $77 million will support public safety activities in the District of Minnesota. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage. They also rip those communities apart,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “These programs simultaneously play a role in mending communities through preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and restoring communities and their residents.”
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald said, “My number one priority as U.S. Attorney is to keep individuals, families and communities safe. The Department of Justice has awarded more than $77 million in federal public safety grants to organizations dedicated to doing just that. These grants, awarded to public sector entities and nonprofits throughout the state of Minnesota, will support holistic efforts to fortify our communities and enhance public safety.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Justice Department Announces Landmark Money Mule InitiativeRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr and law enforcement partners today announced a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to halt money mule activity. Money mules assist fraud schemes by receiving money from victims, many of them elderly, and forwarding proceeds to foreign-based perpetrators. During the two-month initiative announced today, U.S. law enforcement disrupted mule networks that spanned from Hawaii to Florida and from Alaska to Maine. Actions were taken to halt the conduct of over 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules last year. The Department of Justice also tripled the number of criminal prosecutions brought against money mules as compared to last year’s initiative.
Attorney General Barr thanked the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch for coordinating the effort. The coordinators recruited a broad coalition of law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Attorneys General for the States of Indiana and Wyoming. The U.S. initiative coincided with the European Money Mule Action (EMMA), https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/public-awareness-and-prevention-guides/money-muling, a simultaneous global effort to halt money mule activity announced by Europol today.
U.S. federal and state law enforcement activity included the following:
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
- Actions addressed a variety of elder fraud scheme types, including grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, veteran and social security benefit redirection scams, and technical-support scams.
- Law enforcement interviewed more than 550 individuals and served over 500 warning letters on individuals who recently served as money mules for fraud schemes. The letters informed recipients that they could be prosecuted if they continue aiding and abetting fraud schemes.
- More than 30 individuals were criminally charged, in part, for their roles in receiving victim payments and providing the fraud proceeds to accomplices.
- Search warrants were executed to secure evidence from money mules who knowingly aided and abetted fraud schemes, including a number of transnational elder fraud schemes.
“Protecting our senior citizens from criminals who target them is one of the Trump Administration’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Money mules –wittingly and unwittingly – supply the lifeblood of transnational elder fraud schemes. This landmark initiative has significantly impaired certain ways criminals steal from its elderly victims. The Department of Justice and its federal, state, and international partners are committed to shutting down these despicable enterprises that exploit the most vulnerable in our society.”
“The Money Mule initiative highlights the importance of partnership to stop fraud schemes, and it sends a message to all who are engaged in money mule activity that they will be caught and prosecuted,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I want to thank our state and local partners for all their efforts to protect the American people from these threats.”
As part of the money mule initiative, members of the Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force—which the Attorney General established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes—brought criminal cases alleging that defendants knowingly funneled fraud proceeds to perpetrators including:
- On Nov. 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced an indictment against Nnamdi MgBodile for his alleged role in a romance scam and business email compromise fraud;
- On Nov. 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced an indictment against alleged perpetrators of a veteran and social security benefit redirection scam, which involved extensive use of money mules; and
- On Nov. 14, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch announced the indictment of six individuals for an alleged mass mailing fraud scheme in which a co-conspirator was charged with knowingly receiving payments from elderly victims and supplying them to scheme leaders; and
Additional criminal cases were brought as part of the two-month money mule initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Alaska, the District of Arizona, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Southern District of New York, the District of Puerto Rico, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of Delaware, and the District of Rhode Island.
The above charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Since Congress passed the Mail Fraud Statute over 100 years ago, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has protected citizens from fraud schemes,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Deceptive solicitations take advantage of the American public with promises of easy money, when in reality, the scammers are the only ones making money. Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect the American public and ensure their confidence in the U.S. mail.”
Attorney General Barr thanked the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for its support of the money mule initiative. Financial analysis and data supplied by FinCEN allowed law enforcement to identify and prevent money mule activity and elder fraud schemes, as highlighted by a report FinCEN issued today. Attorney General Barr also expressed appreciation for financial institutions across the nation that identify suspicious activity and report it to FinCEN, enabling federal, state, and local law enforcement to take rapid action against ongoing schemes.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of EAPPA. In October, the Department also partnered with the Oak Ridge Boys and AARP in issuing a public service announcement to raise awareness about the grave financial threat posed by elder fraud.
The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.
Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety for American Indian and Asaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to tribal communities to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to tribal communities to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2020 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and tribal consortia can apply for funding to aid in developing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to public safety and victimization.
“Increasing public safety, reducing violent crime and servicing crime victims — especially women and children — across American Indian and Alaska Native communities is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to provide funding to tribes and villages to bolster law enforcement, protect citizens and provide justice.”
“Let there be no doubt that Attorney General William Barr is deeply committed to improving public safety in Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “United States Attorneys and victim advocates around the country see firsthand the detrimental impact of violent crime, especially against Native American women. I applaud the Justice Department’s historic commitment of grants to tribal communities and encourage all our tribal partners to apply.”
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EST, Feb. 25, 2020. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the eight competitive grant programs, referred to as purpose areas. This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The eight purpose areas are:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
- OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
The Department of Justice has incorporated feedback from tribal meetings, listening sessions, consultations and other methods into this year’s solicitation. Accordingly, the Department has streamlined the application process to reduce requirements for repetitive input from applicants. For example, the application’s required question and answer templates have been refined across the purpose areas to ensure greater clarify and reduce duplication. Also, previously required documents such as the tribal authority to apply have been eliminated (except for tribal designees) to reduce the burden on applicants.
To address tribal feedback about long-term sustained funding, the Justice Department is making changes to award lengths. For Fiscal Year 2020, awards under the following Purpose Areas will be made for 60 months for:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing (hiring officers)
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
Also new to Fiscal Year 2020 is a change to OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program. Awards will be made for up to $900,000 for 36 months. At the end of the 36-month period, grantees may be eligible to receive 24 months of additional noncompetitive funding up to $600,000 to continue their projects.
Additionally, the scope of BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program (Purpose Area 4) has been expanded to fund support of physical infrastructure projects related to domestic violence shelters, safe homes, transitional living facilities, and advocacy programs. Purpose Area 4 will also include funding for adding associated capacity, equipment, and infrastructure to support staff training, fitness and wellness.
This year’s solicitation will not include two purpose areas included in previous years: OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) and BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities (Purpose Area 10). OVC’s Victims Services Program will be offered via a stand-alone solicitation separate from CTAS. Resources to support tribes’ efforts to address investigations and prosecutions of violent crime in native communities will be managed through a separate, targeted process. More details on this program to reduce violent crime in tribal communities will be announced separately.
Fact sheets and other relevant information regarding this year’s CTAS can be found online at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2019, the Department funded 149 tribes with 236 awards totaling more than $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety for American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to tribal communities to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2020 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and tribal consortia can apply for funding to aid in developing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to public safety and victimization.
“Increasing public safety, reducing violent crime and servicing crime victims — especially women and children — across American Indian and Alaska Native communities is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to provide funding to tribes and villages to bolster law enforcement, protect citizens and provide justice.”
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EST, Feb. 25, 2020. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the eight competitive grant programs, referred to as purpose areas. This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The eight purpose areas are:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
- OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
The Department of Justice has incorporated feedback from tribal meetings, listening sessions, consultations and other methods into this year’s solicitation. Accordingly, the Department has streamlined the application process to reduce requirements for repetitive input from applicants. For example, the application’s required question and answer templates have been refined across the purpose areas to ensure greater clarify and reduce duplication. Also, previously required documents such as the tribal authority to apply have been eliminated (except for tribal designees) to reduce the burden on applicants.
To address tribal feedback about long-term sustained funding, the Justice Department is making changes to award lengths. For Fiscal Year 2020, awards under the following Purpose Areas will be made for 60 months for:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing (hiring officers)
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
Also new to Fiscal Year 2020 is a change to OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program. Awards will be made for up to $900,000 for 36 months. At the end of the 36-month period, grantees may be eligible to receive 24 months of additional noncompetitive funding up to $600,000 to continue their projects.
Additionally, the scope of BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program (Purpose Area 4) has been expanded to fund support of physical infrastructure projects related to domestic violence shelters, safe homes, transitional living facilities, and advocacy programs. Purpose Area 4 will also include funding for adding associated capacity, equipment, and infrastructure to support staff training, fitness and wellness.
This year’s solicitation will not include two purpose areas included in previous years: OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) and BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities (Purpose Area 10). OVC’s Victims Services Program will be offered via a stand-alone solicitation separate from CTAS. Resources to support tribes’ efforts to address investigations and prosecutions of violent crime in native communities will be managed through a separate, targeted process. More details on this program to reduce violent crime in tribal communities will be announced separately.
Fact sheets and other relevant information regarding this year’s CTAS can be found online at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2019, the Department funded 149 tribes with 236 awards totaling more than $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Justice Department Announced Landmark Money Mule InitiativeRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr and law enforcement partners today announced a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to halt money mule activity. Money mules assist fraud schemes by receiving money from victims, many of them elderly, and forwarding proceeds to foreign-based perpetrators. During the two-month initiative announced today, U.S. law enforcement disrupted mule networks that spanned from Hawaii to Florida and from Alaska to Maine. Actions were taken to halt the conduct of over 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules last year. The Department of Justice also tripled the number of criminal prosecutions brought against money mules as compared to last year’s initiative.
Attorney General Barr thanked the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch for coordinating the effort. The coordinators recruited a broad coalition of law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Attorneys General for the States of Indiana and Wyoming. The U.S. initiative coincided with the European Money Mule Action (EMMA), https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/public-awareness-and-prevention-guides/money-muling, a simultaneous global effort to halt money mule activity announced by Europol today.
U.S. federal and state law enforcement activity included the following:
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
- Actions addressed a variety of elder fraud scheme types, including grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, veteran and social security benefit redirection scams, and technical-support scams.
- Law enforcement interviewed more than 550 individuals and served over 500 warning letters on individuals who recently served as money mules for fraud schemes. The letters informed recipients that they could be prosecuted if they continue aiding and abetting fraud schemes.
- More than 30 individuals were criminally charged, in part, for their roles in receiving victim payments and providing the fraud proceeds to accomplices.
- Search warrants were executed to secure evidence from money mules who knowingly aided and abetted fraud schemes, including a number of transnational elder fraud schemes.
“Protecting our senior citizens from criminals who target them is one of the Trump Administration’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Money mules –wittingly and unwittingly – supply the lifeblood of transnational elder fraud schemes. This landmark initiative has significantly impaired certain ways criminals steal from its elderly victims. The Department of Justice and its federal, state, and international partners are committed to shutting down these despicable enterprises that exploit the most vulnerable in our society.”
"Identity theft and fraud schemes can be financially devastating to victims, especially the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “I am proud of the excellent investigative work done by our federal and Oklahoma law enforcement partners to disrupt these illegal operations and hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes.”
“The Money Mule initiative highlights the importance of partnership to stop fraud schemes, and it sends a message to all who are engaged in money mule activity that they will be caught and prosecuted,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I want to thank our state and local partners for all their efforts to protect the American people from these threats.”
As part of the money mule initiative, members of the Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force—which the Attorney General established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes—brought criminal cases alleging that defendants knowingly funneled fraud proceeds to perpetrators including:
- On Nov. 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced an indictment against Nnamdi MgBodile for his alleged role in a romance scam and business email compromise fraud;
- On Nov. 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced an indictment against alleged perpetrators of a veteran and social security benefit redirection scam, which involved extensive use of money mules; and
- On Nov. 14, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch announced the indictment of six individuals for an alleged mass mailing fraud scheme in which a co-conspirator was charged with knowingly receiving payments from elderly victims and supplying them to scheme leaders; and
- On Nov. 13, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma announced an indictment against 10 individuals charged with conspiring to launder illegal proceeds that were obtained as a result of Nigerian romance scam operations.
Additional criminal cases were brought as part of the two-month money mule initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Arizona, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Southern District of New York, the District of Puerto Rico, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of Delaware, and the District of Rhode Island.
The above charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Since Congress passed the Mail Fraud Statute over 100 years ago, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has protected citizens from fraud schemes,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Deceptive solicitations take advantage of the American public with promises of easy money, when in reality, the scammers are the only ones making money. Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect the American public and ensure their confidence in the U.S. mail.”
Attorney General Barr thanked the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for its support of the money mule initiative. Financial analysis and data supplied by FinCEN allowed law enforcement to identify and prevent money mule activity and elder fraud schemes, as highlighted by a report FinCEN issued today. Attorney General Barr also expressed appreciation for financial institutions across the nation that identify suspicious activity and report it to FinCEN, enabling federal, state, and local law enforcement to take rapid action against ongoing schemes.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of EAPPA. In October, the Department also partnered with the Oak Ridge Boys and AARP in issuing a public service announcement to raise awareness about the grave financial threat posed by elder fraud.
The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.
Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Otha Ray Flowers, 37, of Jackson, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Henry T. Wingate to 8 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Flowers was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
A jury convicted Flowers on August 19, 2019, following a trial in U.S. District Court. Flowers is also awaiting sentencing on a second federal conviction for possession of a firearm.
On February 18, 2017, a Jackson Police Department officer initiated a field interview of two men sitting in a parked vehicle outside of Big Boys Groceries on Road of Remembrance in Jackson. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana. After asking the driver, later identified as Flowers, for his driver’s license, another officer observed the passenger appearing to put something in his mouth. Both Flowers and the passenger were ordered out of the vehicle. Flowers had been sitting on a .32 silver colored revolver, which the officer saw in plain view when Flowers exited the vehicle. The pistol was loaded with five live rounds and two spent shell casings. A records check revealed that Flowers had multiple felony convictions in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Flowers also had outstanding warrants for his arrest. Officers recovered marijuana from Flowers’ pocket in addition to the loaded firearm.
Flowers was previously convicted in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, for attempted armed robbery; in Hinds County, Mississippi for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and in Guadalupe County, Texas for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys David Fulcher and Chet Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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 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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. State, tribal and local agencies in Montana will receive a total of $1,236,380 to support public safety activities. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“I am pleased that 11 of Montana’s state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies will be receiving these grants to support public safety, including drug task forces around the state that are working hard to reduce meth related crime. These federal awards provide critical funding to help our law enforcement partners make our communities safe,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The following Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants were awarded to the following agencies in the District of Montana:
Montana Board of Crime Control, $914,034; City of Great Falls, $26,189; City of Missoula, $66,788; City of Havre, $10,372; Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, $22,247; City of Billings, $84,717; Flathead County, $28,208; City of Helena, $43,790; City of Kalispell, $10,279; Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, $12,672; and City-County of Butte-Silver Bow, $17,084.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
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Inland Empire Man Arrested Pursuant to Federal Indictment Alleging International Methamphetamine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Ontario man was arrested today for allegedly playing a key role in an international drug-trafficking organization that was responsible for shipping more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine across the globe.
Jorge Gomez Torres, 66, was named in an eight-count indictment that was unsealed this afternoon when he arrived at United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles for an arraignment. The indictment charges Torres with three counts – one count of drug trafficking and two counts of money laundering. Torres pleaded not guilty to the charges. A January 28 trial date has been scheduled in this matter.
Torres – who was also known as “the Filipino,” among other aliases – allegedly coordinated drug shipments to the Philippines, and from there methamphetamine was illegally imported into the United States. On Christmas Day in 2013, law enforcement seized approximately 84 kilograms (185 pounds) of methamphetamine from a rooster ranch Torres owned in the Philippines.
In shipping the methamphetamine around the globe, the criminal organization employed a variety of means to conceal the contraband. Members of the conspiracy used shell companies to obtain shipping documents that were used to send drugs to countries such as the Philippines to Australia. The methamphetamine was often hidden in machinery, including an industrial asphalt roller that was recovered in Manzanillo, Mexico and computer equipment that was seized in Memphis, Tennessee.
The indictment charges a total of 17 defendants, most of whom are fugitives believed to be in Mexico.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine carries a statutory maximum sentence of life and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison. The money laundering offenses each carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA. This investigation is being conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section and Ben Balding of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
Great Falls drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison for meth, firearmsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Great Falls man who admitted drug trafficking and firearms crimes after law enforcement officers responded to a report of drug activity at a local hotel was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Gregory George Denny, 47, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
Law enforcement officers responded on Jan. 21, 2018 to a report of potential drug activity at two rooms at a Great Falls hotel and found Denny in one of the rooms. An officer felt a suspected meth pipe in a jacket he was handing to Denny. After getting a search warrant, officers found baggies of meth in the coat, a plastic vial with marijuana and a glass pipe with white residue. Officers also found additional bags of meth, two cellular phones, $900 in cash, a scale, a knife and a hand grenade. And officers found four firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition on the bed. A search of Denny’s phones determined there were extensive communications involving drug distribution, including messages where Denny was negotiating multi-pound meth deals. Other messages indicated Denny negotiated selling meth for firearms and vice versa.
Witnesses told law enforcement that Denny had been dealing meth since at least 2017 and typically possessed firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Great Falls Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.
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Grand Jury Returns Indictments Charging Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. -- A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Three Madison Residents Charged in Separate Indictments With Related Gun Crimes; Fourth Individual Pleads Guilty
In separate, but related indictments, three individuals have been charged with crimes including being a felon in possession of a firearm and false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Lidia Guadalupe Molina, 21, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers when purchasing firearms. The indictment alleges that she certified that she was the actual buyer of the firearms when she was not. The indictment charges that she made such false statements when purchasing or attempting to purchase a 9mm pistol on July 12, 2019, a .380 caliber pistol on August 9, 2019, and a 9mm pistol on November 12, 2019.
Molina was previously charged with these offenses in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison on November 21. She was arrested on November 24, appeared in federal court on November 25, and was released following a hearing on November 26 with the condition that she not associate with the other defendants. Her arraignment hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.
The complaint and affidavit alleged that Molina purchased a 9mm pistol on July 12, 2019, and on the form required by federal law, she indicated the she was the actual buyer of the firearm. The affidavit alleged that this pistol was found on August 10 in a car driven by Jamohn Barney. Barney, 34, also of Madison, is charged in an indictment returned today with being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm.
The complaint and affidavit charging Molina also alleged that she purchased a .380 caliber pistol on August 9, and on the form required by federal law, she indicated the she was the actual buyer of the firearm. The affidavit alleged that this pistol was found in a car belonging to Sean Okray on August 23, 2019. Okray, 48, also of Madison, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Madison to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Okray was convicted of second degree intentional homicide while armed in Milwaukee County in 1993. His sentencing is scheduled for February 13, 2020. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
Francisco Anglin, 22, also of Madison, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with aiding and abetting an individual to make an illegal purchase of a firearm. The indictment charging him alleges that he possessed a rifle on November 12, 2019, and that on that same day, he aided and abetted Lidia Molina to make a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer in order to purchase a firearm. The indictment alleges that he aided and abetted Molina to certify that she was the actual buyer of a 9mm pistol when she knew she was not. According to the affidavit filed with the complaint charging Molina, the firearms dealer believed that Molina was engaged in purchasing the firearm for someone other than herself, commonly referred to as a “straw purchase,” and refused to transfer the firearm to her.
If convicted, these individuals face the following penalties:
- Molina – a maximum penalty of five years on each of the three charges;
- Anglin - a maximum penalty of 10 years on the felon in possession charge and five years on the aiding and abetting charge; and
- Barney – a maximum penalty of 10 years.
The charges against Molina, Anglin, and Barney are the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sun Prairie Police Department, and the Monona Police Department. The charge against Okray was the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow is handling the prosecution of Molina, Barney, and Okray, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey C. Stephan is handling the prosecution of Anglin.
Onalaska Man Charged with Being a Felon In Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition
Curtis Green, 39, Onalaska, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that on October 30, 2019, he possessed a .40 caliber pistol and ammunition.
If convicted, Green faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the West Salem Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the prosecution.
These indictments returned today have been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent crimes and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Grand Jury Charges Man in Bank Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DWAYNE EDWARD RASMUSSEN, 55, has been indicted on four counts of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury today, Rasmussen robbed four banks in the course of two months: the Weokie Credit Union at 2727 Southwest 15th Street in Oklahoma City on March 5, 2019; the Bank of the West at 1600 Southwest 89th Street in Oklahoma City on March 18, 2019; RCB Bank at 800 Garth Brooks Boulevard in Yukon on April 5, 2019; and Community Bank of Oklahoma at 1227 West Grand Avenue in Chickasha on April 30, 2019.
An affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed on May 6, 2019, explains in connection with the final robbery that Rasmussen entered the Chickasha branch of Community Bank of Oklahoma at approximately 9:15 a.m. on April 30, 2019, and told a bank employee: "Give me all your 50’s and 100’s." After the employee complied, he allegedly said: "That’s not enough. Give me all your money." He is alleged to have taken virtually all the money from the three tellers’ drawers, for a total reported loss of $10,474. The affidavit states that while he did this, he brandished what appeared to be a pistol with a green grip.
Rasmussen was arrested on May 6 in downtown Oklahoma City and has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since that time.
If found guilty, Rasmussen faces a maximum potential penalty on each of the four counts of twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and mandatory restitution. If, however, the court determines his criminal history includes two or more serious violent felonies, he could be subject to mandatory life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI—Oklahoma City Field Office, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Yukon Police Department, and the Chickasha Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and Mary E. Walters are prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations and that Rasmussen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Gloucester Man Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Gloucester man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for bank robbery.
Michael Robinson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2019, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
On Nov. 19, 2018, a man, later identified as Robinson, entered the Institution for Savings Bank in Gloucester, walked up to the teller counter, passed a handwritten note, and stole $2,650. Within minutes of the robbery, local police responded to the bank where they reviewed bank surveillance footage and recognized Robinson as the robber. Police also matched bank surveillance footage of Robinson to a recent Facebook photograph Robinson posted the previous weekend. In that Facebook photo, Robinson was wearing the same clothing he wore when he robbed the bank. Only a few hours after the robbery, police apprehended Robinson on a bus in another city.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Gloucester Police Chief Edward G. Conley made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Genovese Crime Family Member Convicted of Racketeering and Extortion OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRANK GIOVINCO was convicted yesterday of conspiring to commit extortion and racketeering offenses with members and associates of the Genovese Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. The jury found the defendant responsible for acts involving extortion, honest services fraud, and unlawful kickback payments related to the Genovese Crime Family’s control of two local chapters of a labor union.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “For years, Frank Giovinco, as a member of the Genovese Crime Family, instilled fear in victims and propagated kickback schemes to tighten the Family’s stranglehold over two labor unions. Now, a jury has held Giovinco accountable for his crimes.”
According to the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial:
La Cosa Nostra, also known as the “Mob” or the “Mafia,” operates through entities known as “Families.” The largest of the families operating in the New York City area is the Genovese Crime Family. In the early 1990s, GIOVINCO was inserted by the Genovese Crime Family into a scheme to control the waste carting industry in New York City, and as far back as the late-1990s, GIOVINCO was a member of the Genovese Crime Family.
In more recent years, and continuing until 2017, GIOVINCO conspired with other members and associates of the Genovese Crime Family to commit a wide range of crimes to enrich themselves and the Genovese Crime Family, including multiple acts of extortion, honest services fraud, and bribery. GIOVINCO’s activity for the Genovese Crime Family was centered on two local chapters (the “Unions”) of a labor union. GIOVINCO participated in a host of schemes designed to manipulate and siphon money from the Unions for the benefit of the Genovese Crime Family. Among other things, GIOVINCO extorted a financial adviser (the “Adviser”) and a labor union official (“Official-1”) for a cut of commissions made from union investments. Audio recordings captured GIOVINCO planning to “rattle the cage” of a victim, and to have another victim’s “feet held to the fire.” When Official-1 failed to pay the commissions demanded by GIOVINCO and other members of the Genovese Crime Family, Official-1’s life was threatened by GIOVINCO and his co-conspirators. GIOVINCO further plotted to profit from union investments by paying kickbacks to Official-1 and others, in exchange for a cut of future commissions. GIOVINCO also participated in the long-running extortion of a union president (“Official-2”) for annual tribute payments of more than $10,000, and sought a job at the union for the purpose of exerting control over Official-1 on the Genovese Crime Family’s behalf, and threatening to replace Official-1.
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GIOVINCO, 52, of Syosset, New York, was convicted of one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, which also carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Sentencing before Judge Rakoff is scheduled for March 11, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and Office of Labor-Management Standards, the New York City Police Department, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener, Jason A. Richman, and Justin V. Rodriguez are in charge of the prosecution, assisted by Paralegal Specialist Hannah Harney.
GBK Gang Member Admits Guilt in Heroin Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Mark Givens, age 30, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the Greenway Boy Killas (GBK) street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, GBK gang member Mark Givens and his co-conspirators conspired to distribute quantities of heroin.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Mark Givens.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Former UAW Vice President Pleads Guilty to Taking $250,000 in Bribes and KickbacksRead the Press Release
Joseph Ashton, former Vice President of the UAW’s General Motors Department, pleaded guilty today to conspiring with other UAW officials to engage in honest services fraud by taking $250,000 in bribes and kickbacks from a UAW vendor and to conspiring to launder the proceeds of the scheme announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Joseph Ashton, 71, of Ocean View, NJ, pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in honest services wire fraud and to conspiring to launder money between 2012 and 2016. During the plea hearing, Ashton admitted that he conspired with Michael Grimes and Jeffery Pietrzyk, two former high-level UAW officials in the UAW’s GM Department who previously pled guilty to the same crimes, to take hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks from vendors doing business with the joint UAW-GM Center for Human Resources. The Center for Human Resources is supposed to be a center for training UAW workers employed by GM. Ashton was the co-director of the Center for Human Resources. Ashton, Pietrzyk and Grimes also served on the Executive Board for the Center for Human Resources and they were responsible for approving contracts with the vendors. Ashton admitted that over the course of the conspiracy, he and the other two UAW officials demanded and accepted bribes and kickbacks from a vendor based in Philadelphia, PA, in exchange for securing or maintaining a contract to provide custom watches to the Center for Human Resources.
Ashton and his UAW co-conspirators demanded kickbacks on the $3.9 million contract for the Center for Human Resources to buy 58,000 watches for all UAW members employed by GM. The UAW officials demanded over $250,000 in kickbacks on the watch contract to be distributed between 2013 through 2016. Some of the kickbacks were distributed in the form of checks payable to Ashton which were deposited into his personal bank account. The majority of the kickbacks were distributed as cash. In 2014, the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources received the 58,000 watches from the vendor. However, the watches were never distributed to UAW members. Instead, the watches have been sitting in storage in a warehouse for over five years.
Besides conspiring with other UAW officials and vendors to the UAW, Ashton also admitted that he conspired to launder the proceeds of the kickback scheme by using various methods to conceal and disguise the bribes and kickbacks through a lengthy and complicated series of financial transactions.
Ashton is the eleventh defendant to plead guilty in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into illegal payoffs to UAW officials by FCA executives and corruption within the UAW itself. The following individuals have already pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme and have been sentenced: former FCA Vice President for Employee Relations Alphons Iacobelli (66 months in prison), former FCA Financial Analyst Jerome Durden (15 months in prison), former Director of FCA’s Employee Relations Department Michael Brown (12 months in prison), former senior UAW officials Virdell King (60 days in prison), Keith Mickens (12 months in prison), Nancy A. Johnson (12 months in prison), Monica Morgan, the widow of UAW Vice President General Holiefield (18 months in prison), and former UAW Vice President Norwood Jewell (15 months in prison). Jeffery Pietrzyk and Michael Grimes have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Schneider commended the outstanding work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards and Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conducting a comprehensive criminal investigation into labor corruption activities involving a vital sector of the local and national economy.
“The hard-working members of the UAW deserve to be represented by union officials dedicated to providing honest representation free of corruption and greed, and today’s guilty plea is another step in the right direction,” stated US Attorney Schneider.
“Joseph Ashton abused the power of his position in the UAW to brazenly demand kickbacks from a vendor. His actions deprived union members of the honest services they expect and deserve from those who are elected to make decisions in the union's best interest,” said SAC D’Antuono. “The FBI is committed to fighting such corruption, which does real and lasting damage to the trust union members should have in their elected leadership."
“Joseph Ashton was elected to represent and bargain in the best interests of the UAW members, but instead he used his position to enrich himself and others within the UAW” said Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “Protecting members against corruption perpetrated by their union leaders is critical to the mission of OLMS.”
“Joseph Ashton engaged in a fraudulent scheme to deprive the International United Auto Workers Union of his honest services by demanding and accepting over $250,000 in kickbacks from a vendor. Instead of bargaining in the best interests of the UAW members, he chose to personally enrich himself. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the financial integrity of labor organizations,” stated Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Eaton Brown.
Former U.S. Navy Contractor and its President Sentenced for Scheme Related to Transfer of U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue TechnologyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Former U.S. Navy Contractor, Canada-based OceanWorks International Cooperation (“OceanWorks”) was sentenced on December 2, 2019, for a scheme to falsify facts in a disclosure to the Department of Commerce and the company’s president, Glen Omer Viau, 52, of British Columbia, Canada, was sentenced for unauthorized use of government property.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston, and Douglas R. Hassebrock, Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce made the announcement.
On September 10, 2019, OceanWorks pled guilty to a one-count information charging it with knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. OceanWorks’ President, Glen Omer Viau, pleaded guilty to conveying, without authority, U.S. Navy technical data to an unauthorized party. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced OceanWorks to a fine of $84,000 and Viau to time served and a $25,000 fine.
According to the government’s evidence, the OceanWorks scheme, which started in 2016, involved misrepresenting to and concealing from, the Office of Export Enforcement within the Department of Commerce, the true nature and extent of the transfer of U.S. Navy technical data to China. The scheme was performed in connection with a proposal by OceanWorks and an unindicted company based in China (“the Chinese Company”) to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy for the design and construction of remotely-operated submarine rescue vehicles.
OceanWorks was the prime contractor for the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System (“SRDRS”). One component of the SRDRS was the submarine rescue system, a tethered, remotely-operated vehicle that included a Pressurized Rescue Module (“PRM”). The Department of Commerce issued a formal determination that the PRM and its technical data could not be exported to China without a license and were controlled under U.S. regulations.
In 2016, OceanWorks was sold to the Chinese Company. Viau was hired as President of OceanWorks soon thereafter.
After Viau was hired as President, from approximately November 2016 to February 2017, OceanWorks sent U.S. Navy technical data, including multi-page technical drawings, on the PRM, a component of the U.S. Navy’s submarine rescue system, to an employee of OceanWorks and the Chinese Company. OceanWorks transferred this data to assist with a proposal to develop a similar submarine rescue vehicle system for the PLA Navy. At least one of the multi-page technical drawings was export-controlled and required a license before being sent to China.
In 2017, the Canadian Government ordered the divestiture of the OceanWorks acquisition. Following the divesture, in March 2018, OceanWorks filed with the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement a Voluntary Self Disclosure (“VSD”) identifying export violations that had occurred before Viau became President of OceanWorks. However, in the VSD, OceanWorks omitted that the Chinese Company sought to enter the same industry as the U.S. Navy and that OceanWorks worked on a proposal to design a submarine rescue system for the PLA Navy.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Turner, and Assistant Secretary Hassebrock acknowledged the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. They also praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Pearlman, Jolie F. Zimmerman, and Thomas Gillice of the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Penn Hills Resident Pleads Guilty to Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Joseph McCoullum, aka Steele, 36, pleaded guilty to one count possession with intent to distribute heroin before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in May of 2018, the Western Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force (WPAOTF) identified McCoullum as a heroin dealer operating in the Penn Hills and Shaler areas. On May 10, 2018, with the assistance of the Sharpsburg, Etna, Hampton, and Shaler police departments, WPAOTF conducted a consent search at a residence where the defendant had been observed by law enforcement spending a significant amount of time. McCoullum was found inside the residence, and upon searching his person, law enforcement seized four bricks and two bundles of suspected heroin.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. McCoullum remains under detention pending the sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of McCoullum with the assistance of the Sharpsburg, Etna, Hampton, and Shaler police departments.
Former Managing Director of Investment Bank Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SEAN STEWART, a former senior investment banker at two different New York-based investment banks, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff for illegally tipping his father and co-defendant Robert Stewart with inside information about five health care company acquisitions before they were publicly announced. SEAN STEWART was convicted by a jury after a retrial that ended on September 23, 2019.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As two separate juries have now found, Sean Stewart abused his positions at two investment banks, betrayed his employers by stealing his clients’ valuable secrets, and gave his father inside information to illegally profit in the stock market. To cover his tracks, Sean Stewart committed numerous acts of deception, including lying to bank compliance officials about his father’s trading activities in response to an inquiry from a financial regulator. Yesterday’s sentence, which requires Sean Stewart to return to prison for his insider trading crimes, is a reminder that no one is above the law and that serious breaches of trust and confidence like Sean Stewart’s will be met with serious punishment.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment and evidence presented at trial:
In early 2011, SEAN STEWART, who at the time held the position of vice president in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group of a global bank headquartered in Manhattan (“Investment Bank A”), began tipping his father, Robert Stewart, with nonpublic information about upcoming mergers and acquisitions. The first of these tips related to the acquisition of Kendle International Inc. by INC Research, LLC, which was announced publicly on May 4, 2011. SEAN STEWART represented Kendle in the confidential negotiations that led to the deal announcement. Based on inside information from SEAN STEWART, Robert Stewart purchased Kendle stock and passed the information to another individual to trade on his behalf, and earned several thousand dollars in profits after the acquisition of Kendle was publicly announced.
The second deal about which SEAN STEWART tipped Robert Stewart was the acquisition of Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (“KCI”), by Apax Partners, announced on July 13, 2011. Robert Stewart passed the inside information to another co-conspirator, Richard Cunniffe, to trade on Robert’s behalf. Robert Stewart and Cunniffe earned more than $100,000 in profits after the acquisition was publicly announced.
In the summer of 2011, SEAN STEWART learned that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) was conducting an inquiry into suspicious trading in Kendle securities, including trading by Robert Stewart. SEAN STEWART at first falsely claimed to compliance officials at Investment Bank A that he did not recognize his father’s name on a list of individuals who traded prior to the public announcement of Kendle’s acquisition. After FINRA and compliance officials at Investment Bank A recognized the connection between SEAN STEWART and his father, SEAN STEWART told a series of lies to those compliance officials, to make it seem as if Robert Stewart had decided on his own initiative to invest in Kendle without the benefit of inside information.
In October 2011, SEAN STEWART joined an investment banking advisory firm headquartered in Manhattan (“Investment Bank B”) and was later promoted to managing director. During his tenure with Investment Bank B, SEAN STEWART provided his father with tips concerning nonpublic acquisition negotiations involving three more public companies: (1) the acquisition of Gen-Probe Inc. by Hologic, Inc., announced on April 30, 2012; (2) the acquisition, by tender offer, of Lincare Holdings Inc. by Linde AG, announced on July 1, 2012; and (3) the acquisition of CareFusion Corp. by Becton, Dickinson & Co. (“Becton”), announced October 4, 2014. Investment Bank B represented Hologic in connection with its acquisition of Gen-Probe, Linde in connection with its acquisition of Lincare, and CareFusion in connection with its acquisition by Becton. As before, Robert Stewart passed the information to Cunniffe in order to place trades for the two of them.
During the course of the scheme, SEAN STEWART became aware that his father was having financial problems. Rather than loan his father money, SEAN STEWART gave his father stock tips so that his father could profit from the information that STEWART stole from Investment Bank A and Investment Bank B and their clients. In total, with respect to all five deals, Robert Stewart and Cunniffe earned profits of more than $1.1 million.
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In addition to his prison sentence, SEAN STEWART, 38, of North Merrick, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. SEAN STEWART was ordered to report to prison on January 14, 2020.
Robert Stewart pled guilty on August 12, 2015, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud and was sentenced to four years’ probation, with the first year to be served in home detention, and $150,000 in forfeiture.
Richard Cunniffe pled guilty on May 12, 2015, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of substantive securities fraud, and one count of substantive tender offer fraud, and was sentenced to one year of probation, and $900,000 in forfeiture.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and also thanked the SEC, which has brought a civil action against SEAN STEWART.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Cooper and Samson Enzer are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Chief Financial Officer Sentenced to 12 Months in Federal Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that William Keith Jones, age 59, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on January 23, 2019, to four counts of income tax evasion. Senior United States District Judge Wm Fremming Nielsen sentenced Jones to a 12-month and one day term of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of court supervision after he is released from federal prison, and to pay $403,187 in restitution to the IRS and another victim of his conduct.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Jones abused his executive position at Fasteners Inc. and his specialized accounting knowledge to fraudulently divert company funds to pay for a variety of his personal expenses, including purchase of a Harley Davidson motorcycle, remodeling work at his residence and college tuition for his children. Jones misused the company’s internal accounting software to falsely code his payment of personal expenses with company funds in a manner that avoided detection by his employer and the IRS.
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Corporate executives, such as Jones, have a duty to not abuse their position of trust. They cannot divert monies from the corporation for their personal use and benefit and cannot manipulate the corporation’s internal books to conceal their actions. The vast majority of Americans file honest tax returns and pay their fair share of taxes every year. Those who may intentionally conceal their income from the IRS and evade taxes will be prosecuted and risk imprisonment, as reflected by Jones’ sentence. I commend the outstanding work of the IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI agents who investigated this case.”
“Mr. Jones spent years stealing from Fasteners Inc. by disguising his personal purchases as legitimate business expenses. His concealment efforts were acts taken to intentionally evade his personal income tax obligation,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. “IRS-Criminal Investigation will continue to hold accountable executives who abuse their position of power and steal from the community and the U.S. tax system.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by George J.C. Jacobs, III, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Former California State Assemblyman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering in Fraud Scheme Involving BART Coffee ShopsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Terrence Patrick Goggin pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to money laundering, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter. The plea was accepted by the Honorable James Donato, U.S. District Judge.
Goggin, 78, of San Francisco, is a former California State Assemblyman and current California-licensed attorney. According to his guilty plea, he admitted that, in 2013 and 2014, he was the founder and CEO of Metropolitan Coffee and Concession Company, LLC (“MC2”). From July 2007 to February 26, 2014, Goggin solicited investor money to build Peet’s Coffee retail centers, including two future centers that he claimed he would build at the Civic Center and Balboa Park BART stations. The investors for the MC2 projects included a group of four private equity investors who provided financing in September 2013 of $585,000 for the Civic Center project and an individual who invested $100,000 in September 2013 for the Balboa Park project. Goggin falsely represented to those investors that their money would be used to build out those specific future Peet’s Coffee retail centers, when, in truth, he planned to use the funds for other purposes. Goggin further admitted that he also failed to provide the investors with accurate information about the relationship between MC2 and BART and about the state of MC2’s finances. In addition, Goggin admitted that in September 2013 he diverted, and directed his employees to divert, nearly all of the $685,000 in investment funds to other business bank accounts associated with business ventures into which the investors had not agreed, or intended, to invest. Among other transfers, on September 12, 2013, the same day MC2 received $585,000 from the private equity investors, Goggin knowingly directed the transfer of $15,000 from the MC2 bank account to the business bank account of Aegis Atlantic LLC, a Delaware company of which Goggin was also CEO. That money was never used for the agreed-upon BART projects and was instead spent on other purposes.
On September 13, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Goggin with four counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and nine counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Under the plea agreement, Goggin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and agreed to pay restitution of at least $685,000.
Goggin remains free on bond, pending sentencing. Judge Donato scheduled Goggin’s sentencing hearing for April 1, 2020. Goggin faces a maximum statutory penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for the money laundering conviction. However, any sentence will 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lloyd-Lovett is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Rebecca Shelton. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Former CVS Employee Sentenced for Stealing over $2 Million Worth of Diabetic Test StripsRead 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 Antonio Rivera, 36, of Williamsville, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The defendant was also ordered to pay $2,500,000 in restitution to CVS Pharmacy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was employed as a Senior Assistant Purchasing Associate for CVS Pharmacy. This position required Rivera to order a variety of retail products sold by CVS, including diabetic test strips.
In July, 2018, CVS's internal systems red flagged the purchasing of diabetic test strips at a CVS located in Rochester, NY. A package located in the store’s shipping area did not have a CVS label, included Rivera’s return address, and came from a company with which CVS does not do business. A subsequent internal investigation by CVS determined that Rivera routinely purchased diabetic test strips in excessive amounts, well over the need for that CVS location. The audit could not account for 20,203 boxes purchased by Rivera, for a total financial loss of approximately $2,535,307.62.
The defendant ordered surplus diabetic test strips and then intercepted the shipments once they arrived. He then sold the stolen product to a third party located in the State of Florida. A forensic accounting of Rivera’s bank accounts identified deposits which represented payments for the fraudulently obtained diabetic test strips that he sold.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Linda Lacewell.
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Final rip crew members ordered to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three Houston men have been sentenced for their participation in a rip crew, with the leader receiving a significant 30-year-term, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
Mike Piedra, 36, pleaded guilty Aug. 9, 2018, while Efrain Delgado, 33, and Jesse Perez, 45, admitted their guilt March 5, 2018. The men acknowledged their roles in a conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to use, carry or possess a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Today, Chief U.S. District Chief Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced Delgado and Perez to serve 150 and 160 months, respectively. On Nov. 6, Piedra was ordered to serve 360 months for his role as the leader of the group.
At Piedra’s sentencing, the court heard evidence and testimony regarding Piedra’s extensive efforts to obstruct justice in this case. He had an elaborate scheme to persuade his fellow crew members to take the fall for him. If that failed, he wanted them to take their cases to trial so he could cooperate, testify against them and potentially earn a reduced sentence. His efforts failed.
In imposing the sentence, Chief Rosenthal described Piedra’s crime as a “sinister plot” and noted he had earned every month of his 30-year sentence.
A drug rip crew targets stash houses cartel members use to store drugs for further distribution in the United States.
Authorities investigated Piedra’s rip crew, whose members were already gang members with extensive experience in violent robberies. The undercover operation involved the supposed robbery of a stash house where 20 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly being stored. The crew members outlined in detail the violence they would use to carry out the robbery and boasted about their prior and violent experience committing similar crimes.
Piedra was the mastermind behind the robbery crew. He would not be present at the actual robbery, but would organize it from behind the scenes. He also provided the weapons and manpower to commit the crime. Delgado and Perez committed the robbery itself and engaged in the violence necessary to rob the stash house and steal the drugs.
There was no actual stash house. On July 23, 2015, a combined law enforcement operation resulted in the arrests of all three men without risk to the community.
They have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharad S. Khandelwal prosecuted the case.
Easthampton Attorney Pleads Guilty to Financial Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Easthampton attorney pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to numerous financial fraud charges.
Phillip R. Williams, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of wire fraud, two counts of engaging in financial transactions greater than $10,000 of proceeds derived from criminal activity, six counts of money laundering and two counts of tax fraud. Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2019.
As a licensed attorney, Williams maintained various bank accounts, including Lawyers’ Trust Accounts, and was required to hold funds with the care required of a professional fiduciary, for the exclusive benefit of his clients.
In 2014, Williams engaged in numerous personal transactions with $453,695 belonging to two individuals who had transferred the funds into one of Williams’s Lawyer’s Trust Accounts for purposes of obtaining a bank loan. In April 2015, Williams failed to report the stolen money on his 2014 individual federal income tax return, and then again failed to report it on his amended return.
Between April 14, 2015 and Nov. 1, 2017, Williams received $230,500 from a client in three checks to purchase land. Williams deposited these funds into his bank accounts, but he did not use the funds to purchase land for the client, and instead engaged in various personal transactions with the money. In 2018, Williams sent e-mails to the client that falsely indicated that he had used the money to purchase land.
Between June 2, 2017 and October 17, 2018, Williams fraudulently obtained loans in the name of the client and his company from two commercial lenders. For the loans, Williams falsely witnessed or notarized the forged signature of the client, who did not authorize or even know about the fraudulent loan applications. As a result, one of the lenders lent a total of $340,000, and the other lent a total of $334,000. Williams received four wire transfers of loan proceeds to his bank accounts totaling $379,888, which he spent for his own personal use. In February 2019, after one of the commercial lenders sought repayment of its loans, Williams sent fraudulent e-mails attaching a mortgage on his home that bore the falsely notarized and forged signature of his ex-wife, a false pre-approval letter for a loan to his mother that bore the forged signature of a bank officer, and a false power of attorney that bore the forged signature of the client.
In addition, between Feb. 1, 2019 and March 31, 2019, Williams defrauded a private investment firm of approximately $1.1 million, and attempted to defraud another private investment firm of approximately $1.2 million, both concerning his purchase of a property in Saint Petersburg, Fla.
Lastly, between Jan. 16, 2019 and March 2, 2019, Williams attempted to defraud three other commercial lenders by obtaining loans (in the amounts of $1.365 million, $1.35 million, and $1.7 million), either on behalf of his client or himself, to purchase a property in Boston.
The charges of wire fraud and money laundering provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of engaging in financial transactions greater than $10,000 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of tax fraud provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent In Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New England Field Division; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Impersonating Deceased Relatives and Stealing More than $800,000 in Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
A Detroit man was sentenced yesterday to twenty-four months in prison for stealing more than eight hundred thousand dollars from the federal government U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Thomas W. South, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Personnel Management’s Office of the Inspector General; and Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein, Department Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General.
Kendrick Allen Gills, 64, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in Detroit, Michigan. After the conclusion of his prison term, Gills must also spend three years on supervised release. The Court further ordered Gills to pay full restitution to the government.
Gill’s relative Jack Farmer passed away sometime in 2004. At that time, Farmer was receiving a federal pension from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and because OPM was unaware of his death, OPM continued to issue monthly Treasury checks in Farmer’s name. The erroneous payments continued for approximately 14 years—$566,547.00 in total. Gills unlawfully converted these payments to his own use, primarily making electronic withdrawals from their joint bank account, but also forging Farmer’s signature on at least one check. Significantly, Gills concealed Farmer’s death by submitting multiple forms to the Office of Personnel Management on Farmer’s behalf, making it look as though Farmer was still alive and living with Gills.
During the same period, Gills also unlawfully retained $245,969.24 in payments made to another deceased relative by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This case was investigated by special agents from OPM-OIG, with the assistance of special agents from VA-OIG, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Particka.
Department of Justice Awards More than $376 Million in Grants to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. Over $1.2 million will support public safety activities in the District of Maine. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“I’m proud of the long-standing partnerships the Department of Justice has with state and local law enforcement agencies in Maine,” U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank said. “The grants announced today will help keep the people of Maine safe and ensure that those who commit crimes in our state are brought to justice.”
The following awards were made to jurisdictions in Maine:
Awardee
Amount of Award
State of Maine
$977,989
City of Portland
$96,898
City of Biddeford
$59,006
City of Lewiston
$38,577
City of Augusta
$36,865
Lincoln County
$10,728
For more information about the programs and awards announced today, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
OJP, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and 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.
Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $45 Million to Resolve Criminal Obstruction Charges and Civil False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Unitrans International Inc. (Unitrans), a privately held Virginia defense contracting company, has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve criminal obstruction charges and civil False Claims Act allegations relating to the illegal transportation of goods across Iran in connection with a contract to provide material and logistical support to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, U.S. Attorney Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko, and Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office (DCIS) made the announcement.
As part of the global resolution, Unitrans entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Department of Justice and agreed to pay $31.5 million as a combined criminal monetary penalty and victim compensation payment amount in this matter.
In connection with the NPA, Unitrans admitted that certain of its officers, as well as officers of Anham FZCO (Anham), an associated Dubai Free Zone company incorporated under the laws of the United Arab Emirates, obstructed proceedings pending before the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). In June 2012, the DLA awarded Anham a contract to provide material and logistical support to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. This contract required Anham to certify that it would comply with all executive orders, proclamations and statutes that prohibit U.S. persons and companies from shipping materials through Iran.
Between November 2011 and May 2012, officers of Unitrans, which provided logistical services to Anham, facilitated the transportation of construction materials to Afghanistan through Iran. These materials were used in the construction of a warehouse that Anham used to assist in the performance of the troop support contract that Anham had with the DLA. At the time of the shipments, high level officers at Unitrans and Anham were aware of the activity and took no action to stop the conduct, Unitrans admitted.
According to the factual statement agreed to as part of the NPA, on Sept. 23, 2013, Anham’s then-CEO, who was also an indirect and partial owner of Unitrans, sent an email to a representative of DLA about the shipments to Afghanistan through Iran. The email stated: “At no time did Anham acquire any goods in, or from, Iran. The senior team at Anham had no knowledge of these shipments and upon learning of this possibility made a voluntary disclosure to the U.S. government that Anham was investigating whether any violations had in fact occurred.”
The Department of Justice has separately entered into non-prosecution agreements with three individuals who were previously indicted in relation to the scheme.
To resolve a related civil matter, Unitrans also has agreed to pay $27 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that it, along with Anham fraudulently induced DLA and the Army to award wartime contracts for food and trucks by knowingly and falsely certifying compliance with United States sanctions against Iran. The civil agreement also resolves allegations that Anham FZCO knowingly and falsely represented construction progress on its Bagram warehouse to induce DLA to award the prime vendor contract to provide food to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The civil settlement will credit $13.5 million of Unitrans’ payment under the NPA, and require an additional payment by Unitrans of $13.5 million. The defendants did not admit liability as a result of the Civil Agreement. The allegations resolved by the civil settlement were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Rory Maxwell, John Bush, and Supreme Foodservice GmbH. The Act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. Under the Act, the United States may intervene in such a suit or, as it did in this case, allow the private party to pursue the action.
HSI–Washington, D.C., DCIS, and investigators from SIGAR investigated the criminal case. Trial Attorneys James Gelber and Danny Nguyen of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Art Coulter of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista Anderson of the Eastern District of Virginia handled the civil litigation supported by the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Maxwell, et al. v. Anham, USA, et al., 1:14-CV-0156 (E.D.VA). There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.