Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 22 November 2019
District Clergy Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Multiple Counts of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Urbano Vazquez, 47 of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for abusing two children in his parish from 2015 to 2017, in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
A jury found Vazquez guilty of committing four counts of child sexual abuse against two children in his parish on August 15, 2019, following a nine-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Juliet McKenna sentenced Vazquez to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Vazquez will be required to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. At sentencing, Judge McKenna noted a substantial sentence was necessary to protect against Vazquez’s “predatory and manipulative behavior” that had a “devastating impact on the victims.”
The government’s evidence established that between on or about April 1, 2015 and May 31, 2015, Vazquez molested a 13-year-old girl while speaking with her in a parish office. In addition, between June 2016 and August 2017, Vazquez kissed and molested a separate 9-to-10-year-old girl in various places on church grounds, including near the church confessionals, in the church basement, and in the church sacristy. The jury also heard testimony from an additional teenage girl who Vazquez kissed in a church conference room.
"Urbano Vazquez used his trusted position as a clergy member to abuse innocent children,” said Jessie K. Liu, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “We will not tolerate abhorrent conduct against our children. Survivors of abuse need to know that they can come forward with information and we will seek justice on their behalf.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Department of Forensic Sciences Leica Team. She also acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Juanita Harris Tracy Owusu, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph, Paralegal Tiffany Jones, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Trosman, Chrisellen Kolb, and Elizabeth Danello, Deputy Chief Mark O’Brien, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Creighton, and interns Aquila Maliyekkal, Rustin Armknecht, and Sharon Foster. Finally, she also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Matt Williams and Sharon Marcus-Kurn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Ms. Liu also notes that on October 22, 2018, the Superior Court Division’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section and the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia launched a hotline and e-mail address for survivors to report child sexual abuse by clergy. She continues to encourage survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy who wish to share their experiences and/or those who have knowledge of such abuse are encouraged to report these incidents to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for potential criminal investigation and prosecution, as a part of the Office’s Superior Court Division intake process.
Survivors of child sexual abuse by a clergy member that took place in a house of worship, school, or other location in the District of Columbia can call the Clergy Abuse Reporting Line at 202-252-7008 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Survivors can access further information by visiting the following website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance/report-clergy-abuse
All reports will be reviewed and a team of experienced criminal investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates from the Superior Court Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will determine whether any criminal charges can be brought or victim services provided. The victim advocates, who are part of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, are available to offer support and guidance to survivors who wish to report.
Depending on the nature of the report, some information may be referred to law enforcement or the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
Individuals in need of police assistance or wishing to report any other criminal activity or sexual assault or abuse should call 911.
Detroit woman sentenced for role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Geronda Wilson, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to five years’ probation for her involvement in a drug distribution conspiracy, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wilson, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises” in March 2019. Wilson admitted to maintain a home in Morgantown, West Virginia, for the purpose of distributing heroin, oxycodone, a crack cocaine from May 2017 to May 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
The investigation was funded in part 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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Department of Justice Files Motion to Terminate Paramount Consent DecreesRead the Press Release
As part of the Department of Justice’s review of nearly 1,300 legacy antitrust judgments, the Antitrust Division today announced that it has filed in the District Court for the Southern District of New York a motion to terminate the Paramount Consent Decrees, which for over 70 years have regulated how certain movie studios distribute films to movie theatres.
After a thorough review, including a 60-day public comment period, the Antitrust Division has determined that the Paramount decrees have served their original remedial purposes and no longer serve to promote or protect competition and innovation.
“The Paramount decrees long ago ended the horizontal conspiracy among movie companies in the 1930s and ‘40s and undid the effects of that conspiracy on the marketplace,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Division has concluded that these decrees have served their purpose, and their continued existence may actually harm American consumers by standing in the way of innovative business models for the exhibition of America’s great creative films.”
In 1938, the Division filed an antitrust lawsuit against several major motion picture companies alleging that those companies had engaged in an industry-wide conspiracy to control the motion picture distribution and exhibition markets. After several years of litigation, including a Supreme Court decision in United States v. Paramount, 334 U.S. 131 (1948), the Division and the defendants entered into a series of consent decrees, collectively called the Paramount decrees. These decrees required the movie studios to separate their distribution operations from their exhibition businesses. They also banned various motion picture distribution practices, including block booking (bundling multiple films into one theatre license), circuit dealing (entering into one license that covered all theatres in a theatre circuit), resale price maintenance (setting minimum prices on movie tickets), and granting overbroad clearances (exclusive film licenses for specific geographic areas).
The Paramount decrees, like other legacy antitrust judgments, have no sunset provisions or termination dates. They continue to govern how the film industry conducts its business, despite significant changes to the industry, including technological innovations, new movie platforms, new competitors and business models, and shifting consumer demand. Unlike 70 years ago, the first-run movie palaces of the 1930s and ‘40s that had one screen and showed one movie at a time have been replaced by multiplex theatres that have multiple screens showing movies from many different distributors at the same time. New technology has created many different movie platforms that did not exist when the decrees were entered into, including cable and broadcast television, DVDs, and the Internet through movie streaming and download services.
The Justice Department’s motion to terminate the Paramount decrees would allow a two-year transition period for block-booking and circuit dealing to allow the theatre and motion picture industry to have an orderly transition to the new licensing changes.
Denver Gang Member Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Making and Selling Dozens of High Powered Guns, Including Machine Guns and SilencersRead the Press Release
DENVER – U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn today announced that Andres Jaquin Luna, III, age 47, of Denver, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 188 months (just under 16 years) in federal prison for possession of a machine gun and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Luna appeared at today’s sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded at its conclusion. His codefendant, Jose Eduardo Trujillo, was previously sentenced to serve 87 months in federal prison for similar conduct.
According to arguments in court and court documents, including the stipulated facts in defendant Luna’s plea agreement, ATF agents began investigating Luna in November 2017 after he told a confidential informant that he was a Sureno gang member recently released from federal prison and looking to sell cocaine. During the investigation, Luna sold 2 pounds of methamphetamine to investigators as well as firearms, including a stolen firearm. Luna began selling firearms without serial numbers, commonly called “Ghost Guns.”
The investigation revealed that his accomplice Jose Trujillo was making these guns. Luna and Trujillo repeatedly sold such firearms to the undercover agents, even after the agents told the men that firearms were being provided to Sinaloa cartel members. Luna and Trujillo also sold fully automatic firearms and tools that make semi-automatic rifles convert into automatic weapons. In total, Luna sold 45 guns to undercover ATF agents.
“Taking dozens of illegal high powered machine guns and rifles off the street has an immediate impact on violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “More importantly, getting lengthy sentences for those who make and sell them will have a lasting impact of public safety in Colorado.”
“ATF is committed to keeping firearms, such as the ones in this case, out of the hands of those that would bring violence into our communities. We will continue use every resource available to ensure public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge David Booth.
This case was investigated by the Denver ATF. The defendants were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celeste Rangel and Kelly Churnet.
Defendant Receives 147 Months in Prison for Robbing Eight Commercial Businesses with FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced defendant Deonta Terrell Felts, 26, to imprisonment for 147 months for interference with commerce by robbery and for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Felts undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $200 mandatory special assessment; receive substance abuse testing and mental health treatment as directed by the U.S. Probation Office; face credit restrictions; and pay restitution totaling $7,159.24. The judge also recommended to the Bureau of Prisons that the defendant receive substance abuse treatment while incarcerated.
On June 27, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Felts with four counts of interference with commerce by robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) and four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). On August 15, 2019, Felts appeared before District Judge Moorer and pleaded guilty to a robbery charge and to a brandishing charge.
Felts admitted to the following facts at his plea hearing. In September and October 2017, in the Southern District of Alabama and elsewhere, Felts committed Hobbs Act robberies of commercial businesses. Each robbery was a crime of violence per 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3) that obstructed, delayed, and affected interstate commerce. During each robbery, Felts brandished a firearm and knowingly took property against a victim’s will by using actual or threatened force, or violence, and caused the victim to fear harm, either immediately or in the future.
At 12:42am on September 10, 2017, Felts entered Baymont Inn & Suites, 5634 Tillmans Corner Pkwy, Mobile, Alabama 36619 with a handgun. He approached J.N. and demanded money from the register. Felts pointed the gun at J.N., who froze for a moment. Felts walked behind the counter with J.N. and told J.N. to open the register. Felts went into the drawer and took the cash along with the change. J.N. gave Felts $301.29 from the drawer. Felts took the money and fled the business on foot.
At 2:45am on September 11, 2017, Felts entered CEFCO, 29626 State Hwy 181, Daphne, Alabama 36526 wearing dark blue jeans with a black shirt wrapped around his head. Felts showed store clerk C.G. a black semi-automatic pistol, which he was carrying in his right hand. Felts had the pistol close to his right hip and pointed it in the clerk’s direction. Felts laughed as C.G. was standing in shock. Felts told C.G. to open the register, which C.G. did. Felts then told the clerk to open the safe. The clerk said, “I can't open the safe.” Felts told C.G. to turn the key on the safe, which the clerk did, showing Felts that the key would not open the safe. Felts then told the clerk to open the other register. The clerk handed Felts all of the five and twenty-dollar bills out of both registers. Felts then demanded all the quarters, which C.G. gave. Felts placed all of the money in his pockets and then told C.G. to “give me all the Newport green 100’s and Kool greens.” C.G. grabbed four cartons of each, placed them in a plastic bag, and handed the bag to Felts, who told C.G. that the clerk “was attractive and don't call the cops.” Felts left the store, stealing $490 from CEFCO: $400 worth of cigarettes and $90 in U.S. currency.
At 3:14am on September 11, 2017, Felts entered Waffle House, 13101 E. Flowerwood Rd, Loxley, Alabama 36551 wearing blue jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt over his head and shoulders. Felts brandished a mid-sized black semi-automatic handgun and demanded cash from the register. Felts ordered the employees, S.H. and E.T., to hand him the cash. He did not touch the register or counter. After stealing $300 in cash from the register, Felts ordered the employees to open the safe. S.H. told Felts that S.H. was unable to access the safe. Felts then left Waffle House and returned to a vehicle parked behind the business. Felts fled northbound on Highway 59.
At 10:40pm on September 12, 2017, Felts entered Domino’s Pizza, 6305 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, Alabama 36609 wearing a black hoody, dark colored jeans, and a black shirt draped over his head. Felts brandished a black semiautomatic pistol towards R.C., who was standing at the counter. Felts demanded all the money from the register but determined that there was not enough money in the register, so he demanded that the safe be opened. Another victim, D.W., then opened the exterior portion of the safe. Felts removed money from the safe and the register. Felts stole $388.42 from the business and fled the scene.
At 12:04am on September 13, 2017, Felts entered Circle K, 9875 Airport Blvd., Mobile, Alabama 36608 with a black t-shirt covering up his head. He pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at the clerk, C.C., and demanded property. C.C. retrieved Newport cigarettes and cigarillos from the shelves. Felts obtained the items as well as $80 from the safe and $114 from the register, and fled the store. In total, Felts stole $1,634 from Circle K: $194 in cash, $640 worth of cigarettes, and $800 worth of cigarillos.
At 9pm on September 13, 2017, Felts entered Subway, 951 Schillinger Rd N E, Mobile, Alabama 36608 armed with a black handgun and gloves. He demanded that C.H. open the cash register and give him money. Felts threatened to shoot C.H. in the foot. Felts forced C.H. at gunpoint to open the safe to get money out of it. Felts stole $200 in U.S. currency from the safe and $50 in U.S. currency from the cash register. Felts fled the scene on foot. C.H. used her cell phone to call 911.
At 9:44pm on September 13, 2017, Felts entered Dollar General, 2381 Dawes Rd, Mobile, Alabama 36695 wearing a black sweatshirt and gloves and armed with a gun. Felts walked up to the register area where one employee, S.M., was located behind the counter. Felts called another employee, J.W., to come to him. Felts brandished a small black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at J.W.’s chest. Felts demanded money from S.M. from the register and told S.M. to open the safe. Felts took the money and placed it in his pocket. Felts then escorted the victims at gunpoint back to the manager’s office, made J.W. give him his phone, and kept the victims in the office before leaving. Felts exited the store on foot heading north through the parking lot. Officers later tracked the stolen cell phone back to the inside of the store. In total, Felts stole $252 in cash from Dollar General.
At 7:22pm on October 21, 2017, Felts entered Hibbett Sports, 3 W. Nine Mile Rd., Pensacola, Florida 32534. He wore blue gloves and a blue bandana that fell down several times during the robbery. Felts pointed a Glock handgun at two store clerks, D.S. and S.R., told them he was robbing them, and demanded that they go to the back room where the safe was. Hibbett Sports had no safe, which S.R. tried to explain. Felts got angry, pointed the gun at the clerks’ heads, and said that he was going to kill them if they did not give him the money. Felts pulled out a white zip tie from his pocket and ordered S.R. to tie D.S.’s hands behind his back. S.R. tried to tie D.S.’s hands but left the tie loose. Felts then ordered S.R. to get him two pairs of shoes from the stock room. S.R. did so. Felts took the shoes and ordered S.R. to give him S.R.’s iPhone. Felts reached into D.S.’s front pocket and stole his cash.
Felts then ordered the clerks to go to the registers. Felts followed the clerks with the gun pointed at their heads and ordered D.S. to sit down. Felts demanded that S.R. grab a new backpack from the wall in the store, open the registers, and put money in it. S.R. opened the registers and began putting money in the backpack. Felts set his firearm on the floor next to D.S. When Felts started grabbing cash from the register and placing it in the backpack, D.S. freed his hands, grabbed the firearm, and started shooting at Felts. D.S. shot Felts twice as he fled out of the front door. Felts dropped the backpack with all of the cash in the store as he was running and lost one of his stolen shoes just outside the entrance. (Law enforcement officials later recovered $1,505 in the backpack.)
D.S. pursued Felts eastbound through the parking lot of the business, then southbound down Palafox St. D.S. chased Felts one block into the parking lot of Salute Gymnastics, where D.S. shot three more rounds at Felts. Three empty shell casings were found in front of Salute Gymnastics. Two empty casings were found inside of Hibbett Sports alongside the spent rounds that likely hit Felts. Law enforcement officials also found fresh blood drops leading out of the front of Hibbett Sports, on the sidewalk, and in the parking lot of Salute Gymnastics. According to a FBI laboratory report, DNA from floor swabs recovered from the robbery matched Felts’s DNA with very strong statistical support. In total, Felts owes $330 to Hibbett Sports for the estimated value of two pairs of Air Jordan tennis shoes; $51 to D.S. for the cash Felts stole from D.S.’s right front pocket; and restitution to S.R. for the value of the iPhone 7 that Felts stole from S.R. during the robbery. S.R. was injured during the robbery and incurred $3,162.53 worth of medical costs.
Later on October 21, 2017, Felts checked himself into Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, Alabama for gunshot injuries. He had been shot several times and was later transferred to USA Medical Center in Mobile, Alabama for treatment.At October 24, 2017, law enforcement officials interviewed Felts. After being Mirandized, Felts admitted to being responsible for robbing the CEFCO store in Daphne and the Waffle House in Loxley in September 2017. Felts said he had “f***ed up,” had used a “smoker car” for transportation during his robberies, and had traded drugs for use of the car. In a separate post-Miranda interview on October 24 with police officers, Felts made incriminating statements regarding robberies in Mobile County.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mobile Police Department, the Daphne Police Department, the Loxley Police Department, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Escambia County, Florida investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Convicted Bank Robber Enters Guilty Plea to New Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 22, 2019, Jason G. Burgett (age: 43) of West Allis, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and entered a guilty plea to a charge of bank robbery in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 2113(a).
In pleading guilty, Burgett acknowledged that he was responsible for the following robberies or attempted robberies in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan: the Farmer’s State Bank in Fremont, Wisconsin, on June 3, 2019, the attempted robbery of the Northern United Federal Credit Union in Escanaba, Michigan, on July 5, 2019, the Stephenson National Bank and Trust in Pembine, Wisconsin, on July 8, 2019, and the Citizen’s Community Federal Bank, in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2019.
Following the robbery in Lake Hallie, Burgett led police on a high-speed chase which ultimately ended in his arrest. At that time, he was found to be in possession of approximately $16,000 taken from the Citizen’s Community bank, a BB-gun consistent in appearance with the suspected firearm used in the previously mentioned robberies, a ski mask, gloves, and a mesh bag.Burgett was previously prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Milwaukee in 1998 and 1999 for armed bank robberies. He served 132 months in federal prison for those crimes.
The charge to which Burgett pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Burgett is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18, 2020. He will remain incarcerated pending that hearing.
The case was investigated by the Grand Chute Police Department, the Eau Claire Police Department, the Fond du Lac Police Department, the Janesville Police Department, the Appleton Police Department, the De Pere Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Colombian National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian national, previously deported following conviction for cocaine trafficking, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry.
Fabian Herrera Vasquez, 36, of East Boston, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Herrera Vasquez was arrested and charged by complaint in October 2019 and has been held in federal custody since that time.
According to the charging documents, Herrera Vasquez was deported to Colombia on June 19, 2009, after a 2007 conviction for six counts of cocaine trafficking in Middlesex County. At the time of his deportation, Herrera Vasquez’s fingerprints and photograph were affixed to his warrant of removal.
According to the charging documents, in 2014, Herrera Vasquez was arrested by police for cocaine trafficking, at which time immigration authorities lodged a detainer. For reasons unknown, Herrera Vasquez was released from state custody, defaulted at his next court date and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Sept. 19, 2019, Herrera Vasquez was arrested in Revere for various motor vehicle violations. At that time, he presented a Pennsylvania license with his photograph on it but in the identity of a Puerto Rican born United States citizen.
His fingerprints were difficult to obtain because of noticeable alterations. Ultimately, Herrera Vasquez was identified by, among other things, a fingerprint match of the print on his warrant of removal and the prints taken from his September 2019 arrest.
The charging statute for illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Marcos D. Charles, Acting Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Chicago Man Charged with Participating in Des Plaines Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man was charged today in federal court with participating in the robbery of a Des Plaines bank earlier this week.
MAURICE MURPHY, 32, is charged with one count of bank robbery in connection with the Tuesday afternoon heist at Bank of America, 1300 E. Oakton St., Des Plaines. A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole.
The federal charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and William Kushner, Chief of the Des Plaines Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Chung.
According to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Murphy aided and abetted the robbery by acting as a getaway driver. Another individual entered the bank, pointed a gun at a teller, and demanded money, the complaint states. The robber fled the bank and departed the area in a vehicle driven by Murphy, the complaint states.
Murphy was arrested in Des Plaines shortly after the robbery. The other individual involved in the robbery was fatally shot during an encounter with law enforcement in Chicago later that day, the complaint states.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Chambersburg Man Sentenced to 13 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brett Trageser, age 29, currently residing in Cumberland County Prison, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 7, 2019, to 156 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, by Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Trageser pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent 400 grams or more of fentanyl between October 2015 and May 2017. Trageser was determined to have distributed between 1.2 and four kilograms of fentanyl pills that were being manufactured by coconspirator Nathan Anthony Ott, age 34, currently incarcerated at the Federal Correction Institution Fort Dix, New Jersey, who was obtaining kilogram quantities of fentanyl and manufacturing the kilograms into pills.
Ott sold the manufactured pills locally in Chambersburg using “runners” and then began selling the pills on-line utilizing the dark web to distribute the manufactured pills throughout the United States and a few foreign countries. Ott would mail the packages from various United States Postal facilities in Chambersburg and surrounding areas. Ott was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment.
The coconspirators received the following sentences for their participation in the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl:
- Apollo Ravanna Bey was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment;
- Mike Wood was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment;
- Cindy Jo Wood was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment;
- Justin Chandler was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment;
- Stephanie Holtry was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office, the Franklin County Drug Task Force, the Chambersburg Police Department, the Shippensburg Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
# # #
CEO of Nigerian airline indicted for bank fraud and money launderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged with bank fraud and money laundering for moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes. The international airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, has also been charged with bank fraud and committing aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.
“Onyema allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We will diligently protect the integrity our banking system from being corrupted by criminals, even when they disguise themselves in a cloak of international business.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the indictment, “Allen Onyema’s status as a wealthy businessman turned out to be a fraud. He corrupted the U.S. banking system, but his trail of deceit and trickery came to a skidding halt. DEA would like to thank the many law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office who aided in making this investigation a success.”
“This case is a prime example of why IRS-CI seeks to partner and leverage its expertise in an effort to thwart those seeking to exploit our nation’s financial system,” said Thomas J. Holloman, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office. “With the importance of our banking system to the movement of money around the world, those attempting to use intricate schemes to commit bank fraud through the use of falsified documents and other means should know that the odds are now heavily stacked against them as law enforcement is combining its talents to protect the sanctity and integrity of the nation’s financial system.”
“Onyema setup various innocent sounding multi-million dollar asset purchases which were nothing more than alleged fronts for his scam,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I’m proud to be part of a team of law enforcement agencies that come together to identify and attack criminals that attempt to profit from the exploitation of our nation’s financial systems.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, is the founder and Chairman of several organizations that purport to promote peace across Nigeria, including the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, and All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited.
Beginning in 2010, Onyema began travelling frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts. Between 2010 and 2018, over $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources.
Onyema is also the CEO and Chairman of Nigerian airline Air Peace, which he founded in 2013. In years following the founding of Air Peace, he traveled to the United States and purchased multiple airplanes for the airline. However, over $3 million of the funds used to purchase the aircraft allegedly came from bank accounts for Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited, and Every Child Limited.
Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema. The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.
However, the supporting documents were fake — Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts.
Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, 56, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, 37, of Lagos, Nigeria, were indicted on November 19, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud. Additionally, Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section and Lead Strike Force Attorney, Irina K. Dutcher, and Christopher J. Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Office of International Affairs.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Atlanta Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and money laundering organizations designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets or Regional Priority Organization Targets and their affiliates impacting the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia.
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.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for His Role in Murder-For-Hire and Marijuana Trafficking ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Leon Campbell was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to nine years’ imprisonment for his 2013 participation in a murder-for-hire conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Brooklyn and Queens. Campbell pleaded guilty to the crimes in June 2019. Upon completion of his sentence, Campbell faces deportation from the United States.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, announced the sentence.
“Campbell showed a total disregard for human life, putting a price on the head of someone he suspected of being a federal informant and plotting to execute him,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The vigilant work of our law enforcement partners enabled them to prevent a murder and hold the defendant responsible for his callous crimes.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United States Marshal Service and New York City Police Department for their assistance during the investigation.
“This murder-for-hire conspiracy reminds us of the extent drug traffickers will go to evade imprisonment,” said DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan. “And, it underscores the violence associated with the drug trade that pervades throughout time. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their diligent work on this investigation.”
On April 26, 2013, DEA agents followed Campbell as he was making a delivery of marijuana to a customer in Brooklyn. Campbell spotted the agents and fled, suspecting his customer was an informant who had provided information to federal law enforcement. On April 30, 2013, Campbell called co-defendant Williams and offered to pay him $5,000 to kill the suspected informant. Williams agreed to commit the murder and chose a gang member to carry out the contract. Subsequently, when Campbell told Williams that he would personally kill the suspected informant but needed an alibi, Williams responded that it would be better to pay someone else to do the job and “get it right.” Law enforcement agents were monitoring Campbell’s phone and disrupted the murder plot.
Williams was convicted after trial in January 2018 of murder-for-hire conspiracy. He is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan D. Reilly and Hiral D. Mehta are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:LEON CAMPBELL (also known as “Country”)
Age: 41
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-419 (LDH)
Attorney General William P. Barr Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
Attorney General Barr made the announcement during a visit to the Flathead Reservation in Montana, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT). In addition, the Attorney General met with the CSKT MMIP working group and the CSKT Tribal Council. He was joined by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, vice chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), whose office has been in the forefront of this issue.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”
“In Montana, we recognize that Native American women face too much violence, and too often go missing and are murdered,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme. “The missing need to be found and brought home, murderers and abusers must be brought to justice, and violence against women must stop. With the Attorney General’s leadership, this initiative will provide an improved, nationally coordinated response when a Native American goes missing. It will complement the steps taken by our office this year to bring public training to all seven Montana reservations on how to find missing loved ones; to partner with the Montana Department of Justice (MTDOJ), the FBI and the BIA to provide two statewide trainings on using missing persons databases and alerts; and to partner with the MTDOJ and the tribes on the statewide missing indigenous persons task force to collectively find solutions to this issue.”
“Tribal leaders from across America have spoken, and we have listened,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma and NAIS Chairman. “Now is the time for action. For far too long Native Americans and Alaska Natives, especially women, have experienced unacceptably high rates of violence. Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative will enhance public safety partnerships in Indian Country while also helping provide justice to families mourning a murder victim or assistance to communities searching for a missing friend or neighbor.”
“We’re honored to host Attorney General William Barr to the homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes,” said CSKT Chairman Ronald Trahan. “There are many issues we’d like to discuss including one that is particularly important, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons efforts. Knowing that Attorney General Barr is working to secure the safety of our people brings us comfort in the face of a challenging issue.”
The strategy has three parts:
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on NAIS, the FBI, the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
Attorney General William P. Barr Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
Attorney General Barr made the announcement during a visit to the Flathead Reservation in Montana, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. In addition, the Attorney General met with the CSKT MMIP working group and the CSKT Tribal Council. He was joined by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, vice chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee, whose office has been in the forefront of this issue. Native American women face high rates of violence. At least half have suffered sexual violence in their lifetime or violence by an intimate partner.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“In Montana, we recognize that Native American women face too much violence, and too often go missing and are murdered,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme. “The missing need to be found and brought home, murderers and abusers must be brought to justice, and violence against women must stop. With the Attorney General’s leadership, this initiative will provide an improved, nationally coordinated response when a Native American goes missing. It will complement the steps taken by our office this year to bring public training to all seven Montana reservations on how to find missing loved ones; to partner with the Montana Department of Justice (MTDOJ), the FBI and the BIA to provide two statewide trainings on using missing persons databases and alerts; and to partner with the MTDOJ and the tribes on the statewide missing indigenous persons task force to collectively find solutions to this issue.”
The strategy has three parts:
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
“Tribal leaders from across America have spoken, and we have listened,” said Trent Shores, NAIS Chairman and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “Now is the time for action. For far too long Native Americans and Alaska Natives, especially women, have experienced unacceptably high rates of violence. Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative will enhance public safety partnerships in Indian Country while also helping provide justice to families mourning a murder victim or assistance to communities searching for a missing friend or neighbor.”
“We’re honored to host Attorney General William Barr to the homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes,” said CSKT Chairman Ronald Trahan. “There are many issues we’d like to discuss including one that is particularly important, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons efforts. Knowing that Attorney General Barr is working to secure the safety of our people brings us comfort in the face of a challenging issue.”
Attorney General William P. Barr Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in U.S. Attorney’s offices in 11 states, including Oklahoma, who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”
In Oklahoma, the MMIP coordinator will be based at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma but will directly assist all three U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the state.
“Our Pledge of Allegiance ends with the phrase ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons plan furthers that ideal,” said Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “I’m proud to see this Justice Department including Native American victims as a crucial part of our violent crime reduction strategy.”
“The joint MMIP coordinator will maximize the collaborative efforts of the three Oklahoma United States Attorney’s Offices as we work toward the shared goal of ensuring appropriate response to missing and murdered indigenous people in Oklahoma,” said Brian J. Kuester, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Our MMIP coordinator will undoubtedly find great support from our federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners and non-governmental service organizations who understand and appreciate that working together we can and will enhance public safety in Indian Country.”
“I am pleased to leverage our great working relationship with our sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Oklahoma to address violence in Indian Country,” said Timothy J. Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Together, we will use this new resource to protect Native Americans throughout the state.”
“The Cherokee Nation has held strong partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s offices in the Northern and Eastern Districts, which is essential for the protection of our tribal communities and prevention of missing and murdered Native Americans in Indian Country,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. said. “We know these new efforts to enhance law enforcement coordination will improve data sharing and help reduce the violence against our native people.”
“The State of Oklahoma welcomes the Department of Justice’s focus on reducing violence in Indian Country,” said Lisa J. Billy, Oklahoma’s Secretary of Native American Affairs. “These resources represent a meaningful investment in ensuring safety for vulnerable members of native communities in our state. I am grateful to the U.S. Attorneys for their commitment to Indian Country.”
The strategy has three parts.
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
Attorney General William P. Barr Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in U.S. Attorney’s offices in 11 states, including Oklahoma, who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
"American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. "This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems."
"The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs."
In Oklahoma, the MMIP coordinator will be based at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma but will directly assist all three U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the state.
"Our Pledge of Allegiance ends with the phrase ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons plan furthers that ideal," said Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. "I’m proud to see this Justice Department including Native American victims as a crucial part of our violent crime reduction strategy."
"The joint MMIP coordinator will maximize the collaborative efforts of the three Oklahoma United States Attorney’s Offices as we work toward the shared goal of ensuring appropriate response to missing and murdered indigenous people in Oklahoma," said Brian J. Kuester, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. "Our MMIP coordinator will undoubtedly find great support from our federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners and non-governmental service organizations who understand and appreciate that working together we can and will enhance public safety in Indian Country."
"I am pleased to leverage our great working relationship with our sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Oklahoma to address violence in Indian Country," said Timothy J. Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. "Together, we will use this new resource to protect Native Americans throughout the state."
"The Cherokee Nation has held strong partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s offices in the Northern and Eastern Districts, which is essential for the protection of our tribal communities and prevention of missing and murdered Native Americans in Indian Country," Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. said. "We know these new efforts to enhance law enforcement coordination will improve data sharing and help reduce the violence against our native people"
"The State of Oklahoma welcomes the Department of Justice’s focus on reducing violence in Indian Country," said Lisa J. Billy, Oklahoma’s Secretary of Native American Affairs. "These resources represent a meaningful investment in ensuring safety for vulnerable members of native communities in our state. I am grateful to the U.S. Attorneys for their commitment to Indian Country."
The strategy has three parts.
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
Attorney General William P. Barr Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, joined the Department of Justice in announcing the launch of a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices including the Eastern District of Washington who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Ending the violence that disproportionately affects Native American communities is a top priority. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to working collaboratively with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to recover the Native American women who have gone missing, and to find justice for those who have been murdered.”
“The Western and Eastern Districts of Washington are joining together to make sure we advance this important mission in all 29 tribal communities in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “The MMIP coordinator will work not only to improve data and information on murdered and missing indigenous people, but to make sure each tribe is connected with important law enforcement services to improve safety in our native communities.”
The strategy has three parts.
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
Attorney General William P. Barr Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices, including in Washington State, who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”
“The Western and Eastern Districts of Washington are joining together to make sure we advance this important mission in all 29 tribal communities in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “The MMIP coordinator will work not only to improve data and information on murdered and missing indigenous people, but to make sure each tribe is connected with important law enforcement services to improve safety in our native communities.”
“Ending the violence that disproportionately affects Native American communities is a top priority,” said U.S. Attorney William D. Hyslop. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to working collaboratively with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to recover the Native American women who have gone missing, and to find justice for those who have been murdered.”
“For too long, violence against Indian people, particularly Indian women, has been invisible. In my own family, the murder of my grandmother was never properly investigated,” said Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby. “I am grateful to Attorney General Barr and the Department of Justice for taking action to address this injustice. I look forward to working with them to make Indian Country safe for all Indian families.”
The strategy has three parts.
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state, and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
Attorney General Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices including Minnesota who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”
“Minnesota ranks within the top 10 states with the highest number of MMIP cases. This is unacceptable,” said United States Attorney Erica MacDonald. “We are designating an MMIP coordinator who will develop and implement protocols and procedures to respond to MMIP cases. The addition of this critical resource will significantly enhance collaboration between tribal, state, and federal agencies and bring hope to families and communities that have lost a loved one.”
The strategy has three parts:
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Attorney General Launches National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices, including the District of Nevada, who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response on missing and murdered cases. The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.
“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”
“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve. We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”
“Our Native American communities in Nevada are full of families and friends – all of whom live lives of meaning. But too often those lives are terrorized by violence, or worse, cut short,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “In the last 12 months alone, our office has charged four homicides on tribal lands. We are dedicated to ensuring the victims of these crimes get justice. And, with the addition of a new MMIP Coordinator position, we reaffirm our commitment to prevent violent crime on tribal land before it happens.”
“We are very pleased that the U.S. Attorney General is establishing a position in Nevada to work with tribes in addressing this crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons,” said Chairman Arlen D. Melendez of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. “It shows progress in better communication between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to solve these crimes. Our mission is to bring the missing home and support the families of the murdered through their grief.”
The strategy has three parts:
Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people. The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana.
Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others. MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.
Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.
More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.
# # #
Anderson County Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threatening Communications, Cyber-Stalking, and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Dylan Lee Jarrell, 22, of Anderson County, Ky., admitted in federal court that he transmitted a threatening communication in interstate commerce, committed cyberstalking, made a false statement to federal law enforcement officers, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Jarrell pleaded guilty to the charges today, before U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove.
According to his plea agreement, Jarrell admitted that in 2018 he began to plan and prepare to conduct an act of violence against occupants of Shelby County High School, which Jarrell had previously attended as a student. Over time, Jarrell also developed an alternative plan to kill an individual identified as D.B., and then kill himself, in a murder-suicide. Jarrell took several actions in furtherance of the plans, including acquiring a firearm.
In May 2018, using a Reddit account and user screen name later confirmed to be his, Jarrell posted public messages about previous mass school shootings, which evidenced a serious expression of his intent. Based on the Reddit posts, on May 30, 2018, a special agent from the FBI questioned Jarrell at his residence in Anderson County. Jarrell was warned it was a crime to lie to an FBI special agent. During the interview, Jarrell claimed not to have any knowledge about the Reddit posts or the user screen name. At the time Jarrell made these statements, he knew them to be false.
From July to September 2018, Jarrell made posts on Instagram using an account he created. On September 24, 2018, Jarrell transmitted a communication, via Instagram, to an account used by D.B., in which Jarrell threatened to commit an act of violence upon D.B.
On August 22, 2018, Jarrell purchased an American Tactical Omni Maxx P3 Hybrid 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Throughout August and September 2018, Jarrell obtained other items, including a bump stock for the rifle, large capacity magazines, ammunition, and body armor. In his plea agreement, Jarrell acknowledged obtaining these items in furtherance of his planned school shooting, or alternatively, the murder-suicide.
Jarrell also created and used an account under his own name on Facebook. On October 17, 2018, using Facebook, Jarrell sent two harassing messages to an account associated with K.B. The Defendant understood those communications would reasonably be expected to cause substantial emotional distress to K.B.
On October 18, 2018, personnel from the FBI and Kentucky State Police responded to Jarrell’s residence in Anderson County, and questioned him about his Reddit and Facebook activities. This time, Jarrell admitted he composed and sent the Reddit and Facebook messages. Jarrell provided the law enforcement officers his cell phone, which revealed Jarrell’s plans to attack Shelby County High School and D.B. Jarrell admitted to investigators that he formulated these plans and that he acquired the firearm in furtherance of the plans.
Jarrell was indicted in May of 2019.
“Dylan Jarrell manifested a clear intent to commit horrific acts of violence on innocent persons in our District and elsewhere,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Fortunately, because of the thorough work of dedicated law enforcement officers, Jarrell’s plans were thwarted and lives were almost certainly saved. I commend the law enforcement personnel involved in this investigation for their professionalism and commitment to keeping the public safe from harm. We are proud to stand with them in this continued fight.”
“The FBI takes credible threats of violence seriously, and preventing mass causality events is a top priority. As the Jarrell investigation indicates, the FBI will work closely with the Kentucky State Police and our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who issue these threats,” said James Robert Brown Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office. “I want to encourage the public to remain vigilant and to report this behavior to law enforcement immediately. In this instance, with the public’s help, the FBI and KSP saved lives.”
“The Kentucky State Police commends our trooper and all the other officers and law-enforcement agencies involved in apprehending this dangerous criminal before he was ever able to harm a single individual,” said Commissioner Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police. “If trooper Satterly had not looked beyond the initial complaint of online misconduct by Jarrell, it is not hard to imagine what atrocities may have been committed by this individual.”
U.S. Attorney Duncan, James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Commissioner Sanders, Kentucky State Police jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Boone.
Jarrell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2020 at 11 a.m. He faces up to 5 years in prison on the threatening communication, cyberstalking, and false statement charges, and at least 5 years on the firearms charge, consecutive to the other offenses. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
— END —
18th Street Gang Member Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for illegal reentering the United States following removal after a felony conviction.
According to court documents, Norman Rolando Medina Sanchez, 40, a citizen of Honduras, was removed from the United States in March 2009 after having illegally entered the country near Brownsville, Texas, in 2005. In January 2008, prior to his first removal, Medina Sanchez was arrested and subsequently convicted in Prince William County of two counts of statutory burglary and two counts of grand larceny, all felonies under Virginia law. Medina Sanchez illegally reentered the United States again in March 2010 near Carrizo, Texas. Medina Sanchez was convicted of a felony for reentering the country illegally and was removed again at taxpayer expense on July 4, 2014. Later that same year, Medina Sanchez illegally reentered the United States without permission a third time near Brownsville, Texas.
In August 2019, Medina Sanchez was the victim of a gang-related shooting by members of MS-13, who were motivated by Medina Sanchez’s membership in 18th Street, a rival criminal gang. Later that month, Medina Sanchez was arrested by federal authorities.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael Tucker prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-284.
Thursday 21 November 2019
Youngsville Man Indicted in Million Dollar Investment Fraud and Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Donnie Laing Jr., 39, of Youngsville, Louisiana, has been charged by federal indictment with nine counts of wire fraud stemming from his involvement in a million dollar Ponzi scheme which was orchestrated through his limited liability company, Capital Energy Investments (“Capital”).
According to the indictment, Laing was the sole owner of Capital, which was formed in February 2017. From April 16, 2018 through November 1, 2018, Laing orchestrated a Ponzi scheme whereby he and a well-known associate in northeast Louisiana, solicited money from multiple investors by falsely promising them high rates of return when they invested with his company, Capital. Laing represented that Capital would use the money to invest in oil and gas equipment, and then lease such equipment to companies engaged in oil and gas exploration activities. Throughout the scheme, Laing submitted false proposals and contracts to the Ponzi investors to persuade them to invest their money with Capital. He also used funds from new investors to make “lulling” payments to his victims to solicit additional monies and to avoid detection. Contrary to his representations, Laing used investor funds for his own purposes.
Laing faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of the indictment, restitution to the victims, and a fine up to $250,000 fine.
The FBI is investigating the case. United States Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
Yemeni Man Detained on Charges of Lying to Joint Terrorism Task Force About Supporting Anti-American and Anti-Semitic Armed InsurgencyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Gaafar Muhammed Ebrahim Al-Wazer, 25, of Altoona, PA, was ordered detained in federal custody on three counts of making false statements to Task Force Officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Philadelphia Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to the Criminal Complaint filed against the defendant and the government’s motion to detain him, FBI counterterrorism investigators questioned Al-Wazer, a Yemeni citizen, on May 17, 2016 about his affiliation with the Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah. Ansar Allah is the armed rebel group that toppled Yemen’s government and fought in an ongoing civil war there for years. Al-Wazer denied to the FBI that he was aligned with the Houthi movement, whose motto is “Allah is the greatest of all, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse upon the Jews, Victory to Islam,” and further denied that he had ever fired a weapon or participated in military or militia training.
To the contrary, however, the Complaint alleges that a search of Al-Wazer’s Facebook account revealed numerous postings and photographs in which he extolled and praised Ansar Allah, its objectives and its fighters who were killed in battle against the Yemeni government and its Saudi and U.S.-backed forces, and in which Al-Wazer was armed with automatic weapons (including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher). Al-Wazer’s Facebook account included a posting of a photograph of him and others bearing automatic assault rifles and pledging that they would stay on the path of jihad and wishing death to the United States and Israel and victory to Islam. In another posting, Al-Wazer again bears a machine gun in a photograph, which is accompanied by a pledge to Ansar Allah to the death.
FBI agents arrested Al-Wazer at his home in Altoona on November 7, 2019. In federal court today, United States Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley found that the defendant posed a risk of flight and/or a danger to the community and therefore ordered him detained.
“The defendant was admitted to this country on a student visa and has availed himself of the generosity and the educational opportunities that the United States offers to students from all across the world,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Al-Wazer is, of course, entitled to hold and lawfully express his political and religious opinions as freely as anyone else in this country, no matter how hateful or odious they may be. What he is not entitled to do, however, is lie about those beliefs when asked about them by counter-terrorism officers in the course of discharging their duties. I want to thank our partners in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for their continued vigilance.”
“Al-Wazer blatantly lied to federal agents and these charges are the consequence of his actions,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “If people we speak to think there is no downside to deceiving FBI agents, critical lines of investigation will be compromised and our very justice system stalled. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force can't afford to be deterred in this way.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, per count.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Philadelphia Joint Terrorism Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr.
An indictment, information or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Worcester Man Indicted for Wildlife SmugglingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday in connection with unlawfully importing salamander and turtle species.
Nathan Boss, 27, was charged by indictment with two counts of smuggling wildlife into the United States, two counts of smuggling wildlife out of the United States, and making a false statement to a federal agent. Boss was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in October 2018.
According to the charging documents, on Sept. 19, 2019, federal investigators intercepted an inbound U.S. Postal Service package from Hong Kong that was addressed to “Shelton Boss” at an address on Mildred Avenue in Worcester. The package was found to contain four black-breasted leaf turtles (Geoemyda spengleri), a species included in the Convention for Trade in Endangered Species and Wild Fauna, an international agreement joined by the U.S. that governs the importation of designated wildlife. Specifically, any black-breasted leaf turtle imported into the United States must be declared and approved by Fish and Wildlife Service before any shipment can be received.
The charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and David Sykes, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement today. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Massachusetts Environmental Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing HandgunRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a gun was sentenced on November 19, 2019, to 110 months in federal prison.
Diamond Duckings, age 34, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Duckings unlawfully possessed a gun after having two prior felony convictions related to the distribution of drugs. Information at sentencing showed that Duckings fired the handgun out of a car window after leaving a club in the early morning hours.
Duckings was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Duckings was sentenced to an imprisonment term of 110 months. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-CR-2037. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Felon with Prior Firearm-Related Convictions Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing HandgunRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed a firearm after being convicted of a felony was sentenced on November 19, 2019, to four years in federal prison.
Shevin Caston, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Officers found a loaded handgun underneath a couch cushion while searching Caston’s house. Multiple minor children lived at the house. At the time Caston unlawfully possessed the gun, he had two prior firearm-related convictions.
Caston was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Caston was sentenced to an imprisonment term of 48 months. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-CR-2032-LTS. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Venezuelan National Sentenced for Stealing ATM Card NumbersRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley sentenced Luis Jose Ruiz Gainza, 45, to four and a half years in prison for an identity theft scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in 2017, Gainza, a Venezuelan national residing in Mexico, traveled to and from the United States for the purpose of stealing bank customers’ account information. During the course of the four-month scheme, at least six times Gainza and his co-conspirators placed skimming devices in ATMs and installed covert cameras to record ATM users’ personal identification numbers. While the skimmers were in place, hundreds of bank customers used the ATMs. Gainza and his co‑conspirators used the stolen account information to create fraudulent credit and debit cards and make unauthorized charges.
On August 5, 2017, Gainza and co-defendant Ricardo Gabriele-Plage, 39, of Venezuela, were arrested in their hotel room in Rancho Cordova. During a search of their room, law enforcement found a magnetic stripe reader and encoder, skimmers, covert cameras, and tools used to repair skimmers and install the devices in ATMs.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty is prosecuting the case.
Gabriele-Plage pleaded guilty to offenses arising from the same identity theft scheme. He will be sentenced by Judge Nunley on Jan. 9, 2020. He faces the following maximum penalties: five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to possess unauthorized access devices count; 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the access device fraud count; and a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charges. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
United States Attorney Jay E. Town Announces the Formation of the Independent Shooting Review Advisory CouncilRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In August the Independent Shooting Review Advisory Council (“ISRAC”) was established to provide guidance to law enforcement when an officer-involved-shooting (“OIS”) demands an independent review, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town.
The ISRAC is an effort between the United States Attorney’s Office and active and/or retired members of law enforcement, to include prosecutors, designed to conduct an OIS at the request of a particular District Attorney (or law enforcement agency). The ISRAC is a standing advisory council, not an investigative body, that will be activated upon request. Joining Town are First Assistant United States Attorney Lloyd Peeples, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Office of Prosecution Services Executive Director Barry Matson, Office of Prosecution Services General Counsel Patrick Lamb, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Bessemer Division Assistant District Attorney Lane Tolbert, Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office Chief Assistant District Attorney Paula Hearing, Madison County District Attorney’s Office Chief Trial Attorney Tim Gann, Limestone County District Attorney’s Office Chief Investigator Joshua McLaughlin, Birmingham Police Department Deputy Chief Darnell Davenport, Madison County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eddie Houk, Snead Police Department Police Chief Stephen Gunn, Florence Police Department Sergeant Greg Cobb, United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Coordinator Lyndon Laster; United States Attorney’s Office Senior Civil Investigator Chester Toney, and FSA Contract Investigator Charles Regan. Members of the ISRAC from the United States Attorney’s Office will normally not sit on the reviewing team, but will liaise with all of the members and relevant agencies to ensure the smooth operation of the review process.
“The Independent Shooting Review Advisory Council is a service that is provided to law enforcement agencies within the District in order to fully vitiate any concerns about impropriety,” Town said. “While I am hopeful that the ISRAC is never necessary because no such events occur, a standing body and procedures are in place should it become so. I have complete confidence in law enforcement agencies conducting their own reviews fairly and impartially, but the ISRAC does provide another layer of impartiality.”
ISRAC Investigation Process:
- Request for Independent Shooting Review. If a District Attorney determines, either in his/her own discretion or at the request of the United States Attorney or Alabama Attorney General, that an OIS requires an independent shooting review, the District Attorney may choose to request the services of the ISRAC. The reviewing team will consist of 5-9 members of the Advisory Council. Those selected will normally be from outside of the area of the requesting agency. Members of the ISRAC from the United States Attorney’s Office will normally not sit on the reviewing team, but will liaise with all of the members and relevant agencies to ensure the smooth operation of the review process.
- Conduct of Independent Shooting Review by ISRAC Team. Once the ISRAC reviewing team is formed, that team shall conduct the OIS in the normal course of such reviews. The policies of APOST, the relevant agency, and any other applicable policies or laws shall be considered by the ISRAC Team. The conduct of the shooting review shall be consistent with the guidance provided by the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (“COPS”) guidance and the Alabama law.
a. Review all information related to the OIS;
b. Review all of the departmental and APOST policies and standards relevant to the OIS;
c. Provide officers involved with the opportunity to submit a written or verbal statement to the ISRAC, without waiver of any constitutional or other legal protections to which the officer(s) may be entitled;
d. Provide the Department or agency that employed the officer involved with the opportunity to comment on any applicable policy, procedures or standards.
- OIS Shooting Review Report of Findings by the ISRAC. The ISRAC Team shall generate a report of findings to the requesting District Attorney detailing the relevant, policies and standards, findings of applicable facts, and then offer succinct conclusions based on applicable policy and legal standards. The relevant law enforcement agency can, when appropriate, inform the public of the results of the report, while maintaining the integrity and privacy of the shooting review itself.
The ISRAC is assembled to provide guidance to law enforcement when the situation demands an independent review, not engage in subverting the constitutional or administrative powers conferred to relevant officials or agencies. This is a service done only for the benefit of law enforcement and the community they serve.
Below is the link to the ISRAC website.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/independent-shooting-review-advisory-council
U.S. Attorney’s Office Resolves ADA Compliance Review of the University of Michigan’s Mcity Driverless Shuttle ProgramRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has resolved its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance review of the University of Michigan’s Mcity Driverless Shuttle Program, First Assistant United States Attorney Saima Mohsin announced today. The United States Attorney’s Office initiated the compliance review of the Program, which was touted as the first of its kind to focus on consumer research, based upon media reports that the Program featured vehicles without accessible features.
“The ADA was enacted to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate, assuring equality of opportunity, full participation, and independent living to individuals who have disabilities,” said Mohsin. “Driverless vehicles and transportation systems have enormous potential to assure self-sufficiency for individuals who have disabilities. It is critical that individuals who have disabilities remain a priority for developers of this technology. I commend the University of Michigan for making this commitment to individuals who have disabilities.”
The Mcity Driverless Shuttles operate on a fixed route at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex. The ADA requires that vehicles purchased or leased for a fixed route system by public entities, such as the University of Michigan, must be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs. A public entity’s failure to purchase or lease a new vehicle for a fixed route system with accessible features is a form of discrimination under the ADA. Through a Letter of Resolution, the University has agreed that any future vehicles purchased or leased for the Mcity Driverless Shuttle program will be equipped with accessible features. Additionally, the University has agreed to convene a research group to evaluate the accessibility of autonomous transportation services to individuals who have disabilities.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the Letter of Resolution with the University of Michigan, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights. ADA complaints may be emailed to [email protected] or by contacting the U.S. Attorney's Office’s civil rights hotline at (313) 226-9151.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll free ADA Information line at (800) 514 0301 or (800) 514 0383 (TTY) and on the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Participation in Project Guardian, a Nationwide Strategic Plan to Reduce Gun ViolenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the office will participate in Project Guardian, a new initiative from the Department of Justice designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearm laws. Project Guardian is designed to serve as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies, such as the “Triggerlock” program, to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety. Project Guardian focuses specifically on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes, and it emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.
“Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal gun laws have always been among our office’s highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “As part of Project Guardian, we will work closer than ever with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to reduce the unacceptable level of violent crime and help keep our citizens safe.”
“Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian. Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.”
“Project Guardian will ensure our agents and intelligence resources are leveraging not only National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and eTrace technology to investigate the source and possessors of crime guns, but also our strong partnerships among law enforcement, which are vital to keeping guns out the hands of those that threaten the security of our communities,” said Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:
- Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
- Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with ATF, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees. Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.
- Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.
- Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF will engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety. Additionally, U.S. Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm.
- Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.
In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has continued to expand upon significant increases in the prosecution of gun offenders under Project Safe Neighborhoods. In the 2019 Fiscal Year, which ended Sept. 30, 2019, the office charged more federal firearm defendants than were charged in each of the prior 15 years, according to preliminary data. The number of charged firearm defendants in Fiscal Year 2019 was 44% higher than 2018, and 60% higher than 2017, according to preliminary data. These increases are particularly impactful considering that the 2018 and 2017 fiscal years previously stood as the first and second highest years of charged firearm defendants, respectively, in more than a decade.
- Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
U.S. Attorney Announces the Arrest of 3 Individuals for Operating A $6 Million Unlicensed Money Transmitting SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Carl E. Dubois, Sheriff of Orange County, announced the arrest today of CHASKEL LANDAU, ALTER LANDAU, and JOSEPH NEUMAN in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business for the purpose of transmitting proceeds derived from illegal activity. The defendants are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Paul E. Davison in federal court later today.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “The defendants allegedly engaged in a brazen scheme to unlawfully transmit and conceal millions of dollars of proceeds that they believed to be derived from illegal activity. They allegedly did so for personal profit and with the aim of avoiding law enforcement detection. This Office is committed to rooting out such criminal activity.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Making money illegally is criminal in and of itself, but operating an unlicensed money remitting business, especially from outside of the United States, will almost certainly result in federal criminal charges. Whenever someone needs to hide and move money, there’s a pretty good chance something’s afoot. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure this type of behavior ceases to exist.”
Sheriff Carl E. Dubois said: “We continue to work closely with the FBI and our other federal partners, and the success of this long term investigation is proof of the benefits in these relationships. Illegal financial systems pose a great risk to our residents and their financial institutions. Law enforcement must continue work together to deter criminals from operating and engaging with organizations that allow them to evade banking regulations.”
According to allegations contained in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
CHASKEL LANDAU, ALTER LANDAU, and JOSEPH NEUMAN were arrested following an FBI sting operation. As alleged, from approximately in or about September 2014 to in or about August 2016, CHASKEL LANDAU, ALTER LANDAU, and JOSEPH NEUMAN engaged in a series of conversations and meetings with a confidential witness (the “CW”). In order to induce the CW to invest approximately $6 million in property owned by CHASKEL LANDAU and his family, the defendants agreed to receive and transmit what they believed to be millions of dollars of funds that the CW had illegally obtained from his business. The defendants agreed to conceal the source of the CW’s money by transmitting the CW’s money to third parties, with the expectation that it would be returned to the CW, in return for a 10% “fee.”
The scheme was two-pronged. First, the defendants agreed to take cash from the CW, exchange the cash for checks written from real estate companies controlled by JOSEPH NEUMAN, and make the checks payable to a third party bank account purportedly controlled by the CW. Second, the defendants agreed to use charitable organizations under their control to transmit the CW’s overseas money into the United States. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants transmitted approximately $500,000 of what they believed to be stolen property, and agreed to transmit approximately $6 million total.
* * *
CHASKEL LANDAU, 45, ALTER LANDAU, 64, and JOSEPH NEUMAN, 78, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, each of which carries a maximum term of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the FBI, the Orange County Sherriff’s Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
This case is being handled by the White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Mathew Andrews and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Stockton Residents Sentenced for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced sentences in the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.
U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley sentenced Jake Phillip Jines, 23, of Stockton, to five years and 10 months in prison for dealing firearms without a license and distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on Feb. 7, 2017, Jines and a co-defendant sold an undercover agent three firearms and 59.4 grams of methamphetamine. Jines does not have a license to sell firearms and none of the firearms had serial numbers. Such firearms are known as “ghost guns.” (2:17-cr-162-TLN)
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Conolly is prosecuting the case.
Judge Nunley sentenced Derrick Walker, 30, of Oakland, to three years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Walker has previous convictions for selling narcotics, carjacking, and second degree robbery. On Feb. 28, 2017, Walker was found to be in possession of a .40-caliber handgun. (2:17-cr-201-TLN)
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Police Departments of Oakland and Stockton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
Two Kings County Men Charged with Possessing and Selling Machine GunsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A three-count indictment was unsealed today charging Eric Lopez Mercado, 25, of Lemoore, and Jose Moreno, 24 of Hanford, with illegally possessing and transferring machine guns, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
The indictment charges Mercado and Moreno with possessing several pistols that had no serial number markings but had conversion devices attached to the rear of the firearms that enabled them to function as fully automatic weapons. Both men are also charged with transferring a machine gun to another person and possessing a device capable of converting a handgun into a machine gun.
This case is the product of a multi-agency investigation into the criminal activities of individuals associated with the Nuestra Familia prison gang. That investigation culminated in the arrests of over 50 individuals on federal and state charges, including Mercado and Moreno. The investigation was led by the Kings County Gang Task Force; Agents of the Special Operations Unit – a team of agents from the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the FBI; and the Kings County District Attorney's Office. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations all assisted with the arrests. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Sanchez and Justin Gilio are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, both Mercado and Moreno face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Two Former Tennessee Correctional Officers Charged with Civil Rights, Conspiracy, and Obstruction Offenses Following Assault of InmateRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jonathan York and Tommy Morris, two former correctional officers at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, with federal civil rights, conspiracy, and obstruction offenses, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee D. Michael Dunavant, and FBI-Memphis Special Agent in Charge M.A. Myers.
The indictment alleges that, on Feb. 1, 2019, Correctional Officer Jonathan York and other officers entered the cell of an inmate identified by the initials R.T. York allegedly directed a fellow correctional officer to cover the surveillance camera in the cell and then he repeatedly punched R.T. York allegedly directed another officer to hit R.T. A third officer also punched R.T. As a result of the unjustified use of force by the officers, R.T. suffered bodily injury.
The indictment alleges that Corporal Tommy Morris violated R.T.’s civil rights when Morris knew of the unjustified staff assault on R.T., but failed to intervene to stop the officers. The indictment charges Morris and York with conspiring to cover up the use of unlawful force on R.T. Finally, the indictment charges Morris with obstructing justice by encouraging correctional officers to provide false and misleading information about the circumstances surrounding the injuries R.T suffered.
The defendants face statutory maximum sentences of 10 years for the civil rights count; five years for the conspiracy charge; and 20 years for each obstruction count.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Previously, former correctional officers Cadie McAlister, Nathaniel Griffin, Tanner Penwell, and Carl Spurlin, Jr. entered guilty pleas for criminal offenses arising out of the assault of inmate R.T.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Division of the FBI with the support of the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorney David Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
# # #
Two Former Tennessee Correctional Officers Charged with Civil Rights, Conspiracy, and Obstruction Offenses Following Assault of InmateRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jonathan York and Tommy Morris, two former correctional officers at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, with federal civil rights, conspiracy, and obstruction offenses, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee D. Michael Dunavant, and FBI-Memphis Special Agent in Charge M.A. Myers.
The indictment alleges that, on Feb. 1, 2019, Correctional Officer Jonathan York and other officers entered the cell of an inmate identified by the initials R.T. York allegedly directed a fellow correctional officer to cover the surveillance camera in the cell and then he repeatedly punched R.T. York allegedly directed another officer to hit R.T. A third officer also punched R.T. As a result of the unjustified use of force by the officers, R.T. suffered bodily injury.
The indictment alleges that Corporal Tommy Morris violated R.T.’s civil rights when Morris knew of the unjustified staff assault on R.T., but failed to intervene to stop the officers. The indictment charges Morris and York with conspiring to cover up the use of unlawful force on R.T. Finally, the indictment charges Morris with obstructing justice by encouraging correctional officers to provide false and misleading information about the circumstances surrounding the injuries R.T suffered.
The defendants face statutory maximum sentences of 10 years for the civil rights count; five years for the conspiracy charge; and 20 years for each obstruction count.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former correctional officers Cadie McAlister, Nathaniel Griffin, Tanner Penwell, and Carl Spurlin Jr. entered guilty pleas for criminal offenses arising out of the assault of inmate R.T.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Division of the FBI with the support of the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorney David Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
Two Doctors Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud in Compound Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Shahjahan Sultan, M.D., 37 of Madison, Mississippi and Thomas Edward Sturdavant, M.D., 56, of Kingsport, Tennessee, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to conspiring to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
“These doctors violated their oaths and harmed our military, our veterans, and every American taxpayer by defrauding TRICARE. I want to commend our law enforcement partners, DOJ trial attorneys, and our federal prosecutors for bringing these criminals to justice. We will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who pilfer our national treasury and do all that we can to protect victims of these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
In May 2014, Sultan entered into a contract with a pharmacy located in Jackson County, Mississippi. Pursuant to the contract, Sultan agreed to prescribe expensive compound medications to individuals in exchange for the pharmacy paying Sultan 35% of the reimbursements it received for the prescriptions. Health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, were billed for the compounded medications.
Sultan employed others who identified individuals in places like Jones County, Mississippi, who had insurance which covered the expensive compounded medications. Sultan met with the insured individuals over telemedicine video-chat sessions. However, during the meetings, he did not perform thorough examinations of the individuals and did not determine the medical necessity of the compounded medications he prescribed. Sultan knew that some of the added ingredients in the compounded medication were not effective and were added solely to increase the reimbursement value. On occasion, Sultan and Sturdavant even called in compounded medications for individuals they had never previously examined.
Sultan hired Sturdavant in September 2014 and agreed to pay him $900,000 annually to perform telemedicine services and to prescribe the compounded medications dispensed by the pharmacy. From May 2014 through October 2014, health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, reimbursed the pharmacy more than $5,000,000 based on claims submitted by the pharmacy in connection with the expensive compounded medications ordered by Sultan and Sturdavant.
Sultan and Sturdavant will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on February 26, 2020 in Hattiesburg. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and DCIS. Assistant Chief Dustin M. Davis and Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk of the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
Two Delaware County Men Charged in $21 Million Insurance Financing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Christopher Hogg, 61, of Bryn Mawr, PA, and Rennie Rodriguez, 52, of Broomall, PA were arrested and charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a multi-million dollar insurance premium financing fraud scheme. Hogg was arrested in New York City on Tuesday and had his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge yesterday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Rodriguez was arrested earlier this week at his office in Broomall and had his initial appearance on Tuesday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The complaint alleges that Rodriguez, a licensed insurance broker, and Hogg, a businessman, conducted a scheme involving the issuance of fraudulent insurance premium finance loans, which were originated by an insurance premium finance company and funded by banks. They conducted this scheme with the assistance of a third person who was an employee of the insurance premium finance company. Between at least November 2016 and January 2018, the employee approved approximately 37 premium finance loans, or loan supplements, originated by insurance agencies controlled by Rodriguez, purportedly to purchase policies to insure entities owned or controlled by Hogg and/or Rodriguez, or in a few instances controlled by other individuals. These loans were purportedly for the purpose of financing insurance premiums. However, as Hogg, Rodriguez, and the employee knew, there were no underlying insurance policies, and Hogg and Rodriguez used the proceeds for other purposes. The loans totaled approximately $21,357,645.
Instead of paying insurance premiums (because there were no actual insurance policies), Rodriguez kept some of the proceeds for himself and distributed most of the other proceeds to bank accounts controlled by Hogg, or in a few instances to other individuals/entities. Rodriguez and Hogg used some of the proceeds from newer loans to make loan payments to the premium finance company or to the banks on older loans. Had loan payments not been made on at least some loans, the premium finance company and the banks likely would have become suspicious. Additionally, between approximately October 2016 and December 2017, Hogg made approximately 40 kickback payments, totaling $873,118, to the finance company employee who had approved the fraudulent loans. The employee has admitted to law enforcement that these payments were made to him because he approved the bogus loans.
“Licensed insurance brokers are supposed to act like trusted professionals, not crooks,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The allegations here are particularly disturbing because of the lengths these two defendants allegedly went to in order to perpetuate their fraud and the huge amount of money they were able to steal through this scheme.”
“The ability of IRS Special Agents to follow the money trail is essential for conducting not only tax investigations, but also for proving cases like this”, said Guy Ficco, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Those who conduct this type of fraud should know that they will be held accountable by IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners, and they will have to face the consequences of their actions.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen Grigsby.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Charged in Scheme to Impersonate U.S. Officials and Defraud IraqisRead the Press Release
Two U.S. citizens residing in Iraq were charged in two separate indictments yesterday for their alleged participation in schemes to defraud Iraqi companies out of millions of dollars by impersonating U.S. officials.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Stanley Newell of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Transnational Operations Field Office, Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s (Army-CI) Mid-Atlantic Fraud Field Office and Resident Agent in Charge John R. Deptula Jr. of Army CI’s Southwest Asia Fraud Office made the announcement.
Riza Mohammad, 40, and Sabah Hasan Sachet, 48, were charged in two indictments returned in the District of Kansas. Mohammad and Sachet were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of false impersonation of U.S. officials, and one count of wrongful use of U.S. government seals.
The indictments allege that Mohammad and Sachet, along with their co-conspirators, induced companies doing business in Iraq to enter into fraudulent contracts, under which the victim companies were to provide materials worth millions of dollars to the U.S. government and receive payment in return. However, the purported contracts were false and the victim companies that provided materials and/or made payments to obtain the contracts were never paid. Mohammad, Sachet and their co-conspirators allegedly emailed the victim companies forged contracts and other documents that contained falsified U.S. government seals and impersonated U.S. officials during in-person meetings with the victim companies, all in order to defraud the victim companies by deceiving them into believing they were doing business with the U.S. government. The defendants were collectively responsible for defrauding the victim companies out of items worth millions of dollars, the indictment alleges.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DCIS and Army-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Michael McCarthy and Katie Rasor of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs is also providing assistance in this matter.
Two Alabama Residents Sentenced for Marijuana DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lieutenant Skylare Holstick, age 37, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release, and Shara Tyesha Cumins, age 29, of Opelika, Alabama, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, and 2 years of supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Indictment alleged that on or about December 22, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendants Lieutenant Skylare Holstick and Shara Tyesha Cumins knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The investigation was initiated by an Okmulgee County Deputy on I-40 who stopped the defendants’ car due to erratic driving. The odor of Marijuana emanated from the car which was occupied by the defendants and their child. Following additional investigation, 94 bundles containing 95.7 lbs. of Marijuana were located in the trunk.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “These defendants were transporting a large quantity of Marijuana to profit from the unlawful distribution of a controlled drug. Because of erratic driving by Ms. Cumins and an alert Okmulgee County Deputy, they were stopped and their venture ended in Okmulgee with an arrest, a federal indictment, and a federal sentence.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.Twenty Defendants Indicted on Drug Trafficking Charges, One Defendant Charged with Unlawfully Possessing 11 FirearmsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Twenty defendants have been indicted on charges relating to the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine in the Burlington County, New Jersey, area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
The defendants indicted today are among 31 people charged by complaint on Sept. 26, 2019. Charges remain pending against the other 11 defendants.
Herbert Mays, Andre Morton, Ronnie Dawson, Teron Huggins, Rufus Williams, Gurnsey Flagg, Roniffe Gaines, John Petrovich, Linford Johnson, Nathaniel McCoy, Anthony Pruitt, Shameke Fowler, Julius Thigpen, III, Andrew Perkins, and Brandon Watts were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
Additionally, Mays, Morton, Dawson, Flagg, Gaines, Petrovich, Johnson, Fowler, Perkins, Craig Moore, Tracy Williams, Samantha Bohlert, Mecca Grant, and April Branson were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine. Rufus Williams also was charged with possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 2019 and September 2019, the defendants and others engaged in large-scale narcotics conspiracies that operated primarily throughout Burlington County – including Willingboro, Burlington City, Burlington Township, Bordentown Township, Edgewater Park, Mount Laurel, and Westampton – and which sought to profit from the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that defendants obtained regular supplies of cocaine and then redistributed that cocaine, portions of which defendants converted into crack cocaine, to distributors, sub-dealers, and end-users throughout Burlington County and elsewhere.
The counts of conspiracy to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of $10 million. The count charging Rufus Williams with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $1 million fine. The count charging Rufus Williams with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, which must be served consecutive to the sentence imposed on the drug trafficking crime. The count charging Rufus Williams with being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Both firearms counts also carry a maximum fine equal to the greatest of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victim of the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; special agents of ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott Coffina; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Bruce Painter; officers of the Willingboro Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Kinamo Lomon; officers of the Burlington City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John Fine; officers of the Florence Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Brian Boldizar; officers of the Bordentown Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Brian Pesche; officers of the Edgewater Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Hess; officers of the Mount Laurel Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Stephen Reidener; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John Stemler; officers of the Westampton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Stephen Ent; and officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Director Sheilah Coley, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha K. Nye and Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment and complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Trying to Obstruct the Justice System to Help Out His Brother Results in Federal Prison Time for Idaho ManRead the Press Release
An Idaho man who agreed to help his brother try to pay off a victim of his brother’s $2.4 million wire fraud and identity theft scheme was sentenced on November 19, 2019, to two months in federal prison.
David Emerson Smith, age 71, from Pocatello, Idaho, received the prison term after a May 6, 2019, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding.
In a plea agreement, David Smith admitted that, from June 2017 through July 2018, he agreed with his brother Darrell Smith to obstruct, influence, and impede Darrell Smith’s federal sentencing hearing in late 2018. While he was in jail awaiting his sentencing hearing in June 2017, Darrell Smith told David Smith in a recorded telephone call that one of the victims of his fraud scheme could “make it really hard” for Darrell Smith if she continued to “complain” to the government. Darrell Smith told David Smith it would be “two extra years” if the victim continued her complaint, but Darrell Smith could get the victim some stock shares within a year. At Darrell Smith’s request, David Smith agreed to contact the victim on the telephone and, in February 2018, David Smith sent a letter to the victim at Darrell Smith’s request. The letter indicated Darrell Smith had $40,000 for the victim, in her children’s names, in accounts at an investment company. The letter also reminded the victim she had “$350,000 in tax credits” and two million shares of an energy company available to her. In truth, the “tax credits” and shares were fraudulent.
Law enforcement officers discovered the scheme to obstruct justice before Darrell Smith’s sentencing. In October 2018, the court found Darrell Smith stole $2.4 million from his investment clients, including $161,800 from the victim whom David Smith contacted at Darrell Smith’s request. The court also found Darrell Smith had obstructed justice and sentenced Darrell Smith to 175 months in federal prison upon his guilty pleas to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
David Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. David Smith was sentenced to 2 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,500. He was ordered to make $161,800 in restitution to the victim of his obstruction on a joint and several basis with Darrell Smith. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
David Smith was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal in Boise, Idaho, on January 2, 2020.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-2071.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Texas man convicted for role in murder outside parole officeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 52-year-old Houston man has admitted to his participation in the July 2014 murder outside a parole office in Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Clyde Williams admitted to conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
During the hearing today, Williams admitted that in June 2014, he was hired to kill a 43-year-old Houston man. He expected to be paid $20,000 in return.
The victim was to be killed because he was suspected of stealing approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine from a truck driver involved in a drug organization - David Roberts, 44, of Houston. Roberts has also pleaded guilty, admitting to regularly transporting large kilograms of cocaine from Houston to Atlanta and transporting large quantities of cash on behalf of the drug organization’s leader.
In April 2014, Roberts received two duffle bags filled with cocaine in Houston. Soon after the delivery, a lone gunman robbed Roberts of the cocaine. The leader of the drug organization believed the victim and another individual were responsible for the robbery and assembled a plan to kill them.
On April 23, 2014, the other individual was kidnapped, zip-tied and put in the trunk of a car. While being transported, he was able to break free, open the trunk and jump out of the vehicle. A good Samaritan saw him, picked him up and attempted to drive him to safety. However, they were pursued and attacked with gunshots. Both were struck but survived.
Following this failed deadly attack, the second victim was targeted. Williams was hired to conduct the murder and was provided a firearm. Williams admitted he was told the victim would be meeting with his parole officer on July 1, 2014. Following the appointment, the victim returned to his vehicle in the parking lot, at which time Williams fired multiple shots, some at close range, killing the man as he sat in the driver’s seat.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the plea today and has set sentencing for Sept. 17, 2020. At that time, Williams faces up to life imprisonment for his participation in this murder for hire scheme.
The charges are the result of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative created in June 2017 which combines personnel and resources from numerous local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The goal of the initiative is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education.
The FBI, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steve Mellin and Sebastian Edwards are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Jim Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Capital Case Section.
Texas Man Convicted for Role in Murder Outside Parole OfficeRead the Press Release
A Texas man has admitted to his participation in the July 2014 murder outside a parole office in Houston, Texas, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas.
Clyde Williams, 52, of Houston, Texas, admitted to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the plea today and has set sentencing for Sept. 17, 2020. At that time, Williams faces up to life imprisonment for his participation in this murder for hire scheme.
During the hearing today, Williams admitted that in June 2014, he was hired to kill a 43-year-old Houston man. He expected to be paid $20,000 in return.
The victim was to be killed because he was suspected of stealing approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine from a truck driver involved in a drug organization – David Roberts, 44, of Houston. Roberts has also pleaded guilty, admitting to regularly transporting large kilograms of cocaine from Houston to Atlanta, Georgia, and transporting large quantities of cash on behalf of the drug organization’s leader.
In April 2014, Roberts received two duffle bags filled with cocaine in Houston. Soon after the delivery, a lone gunman robbed Roberts of the cocaine. The leader of the drug organization believed the victim and another individual were responsible for the robbery and assembled a plan to kill them.
On April 23, 2014, the other individual was kidnapped, zip-tied and put in the trunk of a car. While being transported, he was able to break free, open the trunk and jump out of the vehicle. A good Samaritan saw him, picked him up and attempted to drive him to safety. However, they were pursued and attacked with gunshots. Both were struck but survived.
Following this failed deadly attack, the second victim was targeted. Williams was hired to conduct the murder and was provided a firearm. Williams admitted he was told the victim would be meeting with his parole officer on July 1, 2014. Following the appointment, the victim returned to his vehicle in the parking lot, at which time Williams fired multiple shots, some at close range, killing the man as he sat in the driver’s seat.
The charges are the result of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative created in June 2017 which combines personnel and resources from numerous local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The goal of the initiative is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education.
The FBI, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Jim Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Capital Case Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steve Mellin and Sebastian Edwards are prosecuting the case.
Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
DENVER – Gerardo Herrera, age 63, of Denver, Colorado pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct or impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code announced United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn and IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui. Herrera’s sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2020.
According to the Information and plea agreement, between January 2011 and May 2017, Herrera operated Lobo Multiservicios (LMS) in the Denver area assisting taxpayers submit personal income tax returns to the IRS. LMS catered primarily to Hispanic taxpayers and used local media to advertise its tax preparation services.
As part of the scheme, Herrera prepared and submitted or instructed other LMS employees to prepare and submit false tax returns electronically using LMS’ unique electronic filer information number (EFIN). On each occasion, Herrera provided the false information submitted to the IRS to ensure the taxpayer(s) would receive a refund from the IRS in an amount higher than they were entitled to claim if the tax return reflected truthful and accurate information.
The IRS obtained a permanent injunction against Herrera and LMS on January 7, 2016 barring Herrera and his businesses from preparing tax returns or assisting others in the preparation of tax returns. Approximately one month after obtaining the injunction, the IRS discovered Herrera had opened a new office and resumed preparing tax returns using new business names, including “Gabby Professional Service”, “Los Lobos Professional”, “FaroMultiservicios LLC” and “Lizeth Professional Service”. Throughout 2015, Herrera or his companies acting at his direction used other electronic filing identification numbers (EFIN) associated with N.V. without N.V.’s knowledge.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jaime Pena.
Suicidal man admits to deliberately ramming military baseRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 47-year-old Beeville man charged with destruction of U.S. government property and possession of a stolen firearm has admitted his guilt, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Brian Dale Robinson pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos.
Robinson admitted he knew the firearm in his possession was stolen and he intentionally damaged federal property. He had hit a barricade located at the North gate entrance of the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Corpus Christi.
On Oct. 7, Robinson was at a gas station in Beeville when he spotted a Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck with the engine running. He then entered that vehicle without permission and drove straight to Corpus Christi. There, he approached the NAS and attempted to gain unauthorized access to the base by crashing through the gate. However, the vehicle became inoperable after he hit the barricade.
Robinson exited the pickup truck and fled on foot into the base with a handgun he had stolen from the vehicle and hid next to a dumpster. Law enforcement immediately arrested him. Robinson claimed he had suicidal thoughts. However, he opted to drop the weapon so no one else would be hurt. Following his arrest, they located an HS Produkt, model XDM-9, 9mm pistol loaded with a full magazine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing March 19, 2020. At that time, Robinson faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
St. Augustine Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice Two Young Children for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Brian Ray Dunlap (67, St. Augustine) to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice two young children to engage in sexual activity. Dunlap was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Dunlap had pleaded guilty on July 25, 2019.
According to court documents, evidence, and testimony, on October 6, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing online as a custodial family member of two children ages 9 and 12, received an email message from Dunlap. Over the next three days, Dunlap and the undercover detective exchanged emails and text messages about Dunlap’s desire to meet the children to engage in sexual activity with them. Dunlap advised that he was an amateur photographer and that he wanted to “[t]ake their pictures naked” and perform oral sex on them. Dunlap provided the undercover detective with graphic details about the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the two children, and he offered to pay the undercover detective $200 for sex with the children. Dunlap told the undercover detective that finding someone that would permit him to have sex with their children was “a dream come true.”
On October 9, 2018, Dunlap traveled to a prearranged location in St. Johns County to meet and have sex with the two children and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Service awards presented to retiring members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task ForceRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented service awards to Indiana State Police Captain Charles “Chuck” L. Cohen and Indiana Department of Education Director Catherine “Cathy” J. Danyluk to recognize them for their extraordinary work on behalf of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to congratulate Chuck Cohen and Cathy Danyluk on their retirement, to thank them for their tireless efforts, and for their exemplary work in protecting children from being sexually exploited by online predators,” said Minkler.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC) is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing more than 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies are engaged in both proactive and reactive investigations, forensic examinations, and criminal prosecutions. By helping state and local agencies develop effective, sustainable responses to online child victimization – including responses to child sexual abuse images, the ICAC Program has increased law enforcements capacity to combat technology facilitated crimes against children at every level.
The ICAC Program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet and other technology, the proliferation of child sexual abuse images available electronically, and the heightened online activity by predators seeking unsupervised contact with potential underage victims. Because ICAC Members understand that arrests alone cannot resolve the problem of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation, the ICAC Program is also dedicated to training law enforcement officers and prosecutors, as well as educating parents and youth about the potential dangers of online activity.
Chuck Cohen, Captain of the Indiana State Police (ISP) and the Commander of Intelligence and Investigative Technologies, will retire in December after having been employed with ISP since 1994. Chuck is also the ICAC Task Force Commander and the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center Executive Director. Chuck is responsible for the cybercrime, electronic surveillance, technical services, and internet crimes against children units along with overseeing the department’s overt and covert criminal intelligence functions. Chuck speaks internationally on topics including the implications of online social networks in criminal investigations and criminal intelligence gathering, cybercrime, online fraud, money laundering, corruption investigations, and the investigation of skilled criminal offenders. Chuck has trained investigators and analysts on five continents.
Cathy Danyluk, the Director of Student Services and State Attendance Officer for the Indiana Department of Education, has retired after 35 years of service with the department. In that role, Danyluk worked with the Indiana ICAC to provide educational services to teachers, coaches, and other school personnel about online child exploitation. Danyluk and her staff helped the U.S. Attorney’s Office produce videos featuring interviews of convicted sex offenders to help others to understand the offenders’ methods of victim selection and criminal tradecraft. Danyluk also assisted law enforcement in their efforts to identify school aged children in Indiana who had been sexually exploited, but who could not be identified by other methods.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud of Chuck Cohen and Cathy Danyluk and we are grateful for their service in protecting children against internet crimes.
Selma Jury Convicts Man for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that a jury at the federal courthouse in Selma, Alabama convicted Jessie James Turner, Jr. of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18 USC Section 922 (g)(1), on November 14, 2019, after a three day trial. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer presided over the trial. According to testimony at the trial, the case arose after Turner started firing through walls of his apartment and the Selma Police Department was called to the scene. Turner was found in possession of two AR-15 assault rifles and a .40 caliber handgun. Under federal law, Turner is prohibited from possession firearms or ammunition as a result of his previous felony convictions. The jury acquitted Turner of being in possession of a stolen firearm in violation of Title 18 USC Section 922 (j).
The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Kasee S. Heisterhagen with the assistance of AUSA George F. May, Deputy Criminal Chief. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Selma Police Department. Turner’s sentencing was set by Judge Moorer for February 27, 2020.
Sanford Man Pleads Guilty to Transferring Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: A Sanford man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Portland to transferring obscene material to a minor, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, in October 2018, Dylan Neill, 38, used a social media application to send a series of videos and images to a minor under 16 years old. Several of the videos depicted Neill repeatedly penetrating the anus of an adult female with his fingers.
Neill faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Sanford Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Russian Hacker Who Used NeverQuest Malware to Steal Money from Victims’ Bank Accounts Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STANISLAV VITALIYEVICH LISOV, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Blackf” (“LISOV”), was sentenced to 48 months in prison today for conspiring to deploy and use a type of malicious software known as NeverQuest to infect the computers of unwitting victims, steal their login information for online banking accounts, and use that information to steal money out of the victims’ accounts. NeverQuest has been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of attempts by hackers to steal money out of victims’ bank accounts. LISOV was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who presided over his guilty plea earlier this year.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “Stanislav Vitaliyevich Lisov, a Russian hacker, used malware to infect victims’ computers, obtain their login credentials for online banking accounts, and steal money from their accounts. This type of cybercrime threatens personal privacy and harms financial institutions. Lisov’s arrest, extradition, conviction, and prison sentence should send an unmistakable message about this Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting hackers – domestic and foreign alike.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment to which LISOV pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
NeverQuest is a type of malicious software, or malware, known as a banking Trojan. It can be introduced to victims’ computers through social media websites, phishing emails, or file transfers. Once surreptitiously installed on a victim’s computer, NeverQuest is able to identify when a victim attempted to log onto an online banking website and transfer the victim’s login credentials – including his or her username and password – back to a computer server used to administer the NeverQuest malware. Once surreptitiously installed, NeverQuest enables its administrators remotely to control a victim’s computer and log into the victim’s online banking or other financial accounts, transfer money to other accounts, change login credentials, write online checks, and purchase goods from online vendors.
Between June 2012 and January 2015, LISOV was responsible for key aspects of the creation and administration of a network of victim computers known as a “botnet” that was infected with NeverQuest. Among other things, LISOV maintained infrastructure for this criminal enterprise, including by renting and paying for computer servers used to manage the botnet that had been compromised by NeverQuest. Those computer servers contained lists with approximately 1.7 million stolen login credentials – including usernames, passwords, and security questions and answers – for victims’ accounts on banking and other financial websites. LISOV had administrative-level access to those computer servers.
LISOV also personally harvested login information from unwitting victims of NeverQuest malware, including usernames, passwords, and security questions and answers. In addition, LISOV discussed trafficking in stolen login information and personally identifying information of victims.
On January 13, 2017, LISOV was arrested in Spain pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant. On January 19, 2018, LISOV was extradited from Spain to the United States.
* * *
In addition to his prison term, LISOV, 34, a citizen of Russia, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay forfeiture of $50,000 and restitution of $481,388.04.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.