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4 December 2019
Randall Comly Faces Federal Gun and Drug Charges After Shooting at PoliceRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum and Adair County Attorney Melissa S. Larson announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Randall Lee Comly with gun and drug crimes, for which Comly faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. These charges stemmed from an October 2019 incident where Comly allegedly shot at, and attempted to kill, four law enforcement officers in Stuart, Iowa.
On October 17, 2019, a Stuart police officer and three Guthrie County deputy sheriffs attempted to serve an arrest warrant for Comly at his apartment in Stuart. Comly allegedly shot repeatedly at the officers, two of whom were wounded during the exchange of gunfire. The government alleges that a search of Comly’s apartment revealed a .22 caliber revolver and methamphetamine under the bed in the room where Comly barricaded himself.
As a result of these alleged crimes, Comly is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm; possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it; and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Comly faces at least 25 years in prison, and up to life in prison. Under federal law, there is no parole.
“Randall Comly is a felon and alleged drug dealer who shot at law enforcement officers who were doing their jobs and protecting our community, said United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. “We will hold him fully accountable for his crimes.”
Comly is currently charged in state court with attempted murder. Those charges will be dismissed without prejudice to allow the federal charges to proceed first.
“An essential role of the county attorney is to pursue criminal cases in order to keep our communities safe, and our office takes that role very seriously,” said Adair County Attorney Melissa S. Larson. “I believe that the decision to step back from pursuing the state charges at this time, in order for the federal case to proceed first, accomplishes this. I am confident that the U.S. Attorney’s office will prosecute their case to the fullest extent of the law.”
Comly has been arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court in Des Moines, Iowa. Trial is set for February 3, 2020, before the Honorable Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger, United States District Court Judge. Comly is detained in federal custody pending trial.
The investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; Adair County Sheriff’s Office; Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office; and the Stuart Police Department. The Adair County Attorney’s Office also provided invaluable assistance.
The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are 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.
Presque Isle Woman Pleads Guilty to Passing Counterfeit MoneyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Presque Isle woman pleaded guilty today in Bangor to passing counterfeit money, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, in December of 2018, Vicky Leclerc, 28, contacted a person who was selling clothes on Facebook. Leclerc stated that she wished to purchase the clothes for $20 and the seller agreed. Subsequently, Leclerc met with the seller and paid for the clothes with a $50 bill. The seller later became suspicious that the $50 bill was counterfeit because it did not feel correct. She brought the bill to the Presque Isle Police Department who confirmed the bill was counterfeit. At the time of the sale, Leclerc was aware that the $50 bill was counterfeit.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Presque Isle Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Pittsburgh Felon, with Prior Convictions for Drug and Domestic Violence Crimes, Admits to Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to of federal firearms violations, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Kellan Hanner, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on November 1, 2017, two Pittsburgh Police Officers were on patrol in the Hill District assisting in a call for a foot pursuit for a male with a firearm. The officers observed a group of three males, and noticed that one of them, later identified as Hanner, appeared to have a large weighted object in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. The court was further informed that Hanner fled when the police officers attempted to question him, and that officers witnessed the defendant throwing a firearm into a sewer, which was later recovered. Hanner has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver heroin and prior misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and as such, is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 9, 2019 at 10:00 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Hanner remains incarcerated pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Pittsburgh Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hanner. This case was brought under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Philadelphia Man Charged for Failure to Report for Service of His SentenceRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Warren Johnson, age 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was indicted on December 3, 2019, by a federal grand jury on charges of failure to appear at the Bureau of Prisons for the commencement of his previously imposed sentence.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Johnson was sentenced to a term of 78 months’ imprisonment on October 30, 2019 on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin) to which he had previously pleaded guilty. Johnson, who was on bail at the time of his sentencing, asked the court for permission to surrender to prison on November 15, 2019 so that he could take an electricians’ exam. Instead of reporting to prison as required on that date, Johnson allegedly cut his electronic ankle bracelet monitor and was at large until his arrest by Philadelphia Police on November 23, 2019.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Transportation with Intent to Promote Prostitution, Distribution of Cocaine, and Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced today that Devontez Bobo, 26, of Omaha, was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for transportation with intent to promote prostitution, distribution of cocaine, and felon in possession of a firearm. There is no parole in the federal system. Bobo was ordered to serve three years on supervised release after the completion of his prison term.
On or about September 6, 2018, using an internet website identified as skipthegames.com, an adult female was advertised as an escort available in Sioux City, Iowa. Bobo transported the female from Omaha, Nebraska to a hotel in Sioux City, Iowa, for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Sioux City Police officers identified Bobo, his vehicle, and the female at the hotel. A Sioux City Police officer, acting in an undercover capacity, contacted the female using the telephone number advertised. After providing the officer with the hotel room number, the officer arrived and was allowed entry to the room by the female for purposes of engaging in commercial sex. Sioux City Police officers entered the room and placed the female into custody. Hotel paperwork obtained by law enforcement revealed that Bobo rented the room where the female was detained. Sioux City Police officers subsequently encountered and arrested Bobo as he drove his vehicle away from the hotel.
In November 2018, Bobo sold one ounce of powder cocaine and a Colt .32 caliber revolver to a confidential informant who was monitored in real time by law enforcement surveillance units.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Omaha Police Department, and the Sioux City Police Department in Iowa.
Norteno Gang Member Resentenced to 33 Years in Federal Prison for Soliciting Murder for Hire and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Gerardo Maderos Loreto, age 34, of Yakima, Washington, was resentenced following conviction after a three-day jury trial in May 2017, for one count of use of the mail to commit murder for hire, one count of use of a telephone to commit murder for hire, one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and one count of attempt to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. resentenced Loreto to a 33-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by 3-years of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Loreto, a Norteno gang member, was serving a state prison sentence for violating a protective order prohibiting contact with his ex-girlfriend. In spite of the protective order and while incarcerated, Loreto mailed a letter attempting to hire another individual to murder his ex-girlfriend in exchange for a pound quantity of methamphetamine.
Loreto’s August 2017, thirty-year sentence was vacated on appeal. While awaiting resentencing, Loreto then unsuccessfully attempted to escape from jail.
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Loreto callously put a price on another human’s life when he solicited another individual to kill his ex-girlfriend. Thanks to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, Loreto is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.” This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Yakima Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Washington Department of Corrections, Yakima County Department of Corrections, and the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab. The case was prosecuted by Benjamin D. Seal, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Newton Accountant Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for embezzling $1.6 million from elderly clients and failing to pay taxes on the embezzled funds.
Jeffrey Kellem, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 42 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,289,002 and a fine of $250,000. In September 2019, Kellem pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.
Kellem used his position as an accountant for an elderly client, and the estate of a deceased client, to steal more than approximately $1.6 million for his own use. Kellem transferred his clients’ funds, without their authorization, to bank accounts he opened and controlled. He also failed to report more than $500,000 in income from the funds he took on his tax returns. As a result, in 2017, Kellem avoided paying taxes totaling more than $150,000.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 23 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NORMAN WIGGINS, 28, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 23 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of ammunition.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2018, members of the New Haven Police Shooting Task Force conducted a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from Wiggins, who was staying at a motel on Whalley Avenue. A court-authorized search of Wiggins’ motel room revealed a box of Remington .38 caliber ammunition containing four live rounds.
Wiggins’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On June 13, 2019, Wiggins pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
On July 13, 2019, while he was released on bond and awaiting sentencing, Wiggins was arrested by New Haven Police at the same Whalley Avenue motel and charged with criminal possession of a firearm and breach of peace in the second degree. While Wiggins was being processed for those offenses at the New Haven Correction Center, a cavity search revealed a quantity of crack cocaine. Wiggins was subsequently charged with smuggling contraband into prison, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. He has been detained since his arrest, and the charges are pending in state court.
This matter was investigated by the New Haven Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
This prosecution 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 neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Nevada Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to File False Tax Returns Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, theft of government property, and access device fraud, relating to a stolen identity tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Josiah Ntekume was involved in a scheme to file false tax returns using stolen identities in order to obtain tax refunds. Coconspirators provided Ntekume with names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, and Ntekume used these stolen identities to establish prepaid debit card accounts. The coconspirators then caused fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds to be deposited into those accounts.
When Ntekume was arrested on March 13, 2012, he had in his backpack approximately 250 prepaid debit cards in others people’s names on which more than more than $200,000 in fraudulent tax refunds had been loaded. The backpack also contained several pages of paper listing stolen identities for nearly 200 individuals that were used either to file false tax returns or to establish additional prepaid debit cards.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020. At sentencing, Ntekume faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, as well as up to ten years in prison on each count of theft of government property and fraud in connection with access devices. He also faces a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. In addition to a prison sentence, Ntekume faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn, Stephen K. Moulton, and Arthur Ewenczyk who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Movie special effects coordinator convicted of illegally possessing explosive materialsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A California man is facing a substantial prison sentence after pleading guilty to illegally possessing explosive materials.
Robert Christopher Bailey, 50, of Los Angeles, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Possession of Explosive Materials as a Prohibited Person, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to evidence presented at the plea hearing, on or about July 9, 2018, Bailey was working on the movie set The Poison Rose starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman as a special effects and pyrotechnics coordinator. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted an investigation and determined Bailey was a person prohibited from possessing explosive materials.
“The state of Georgia, particularly Savannah, has a tremendous history and relationship with the motion picture industry,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Accordingly, we take very seriously our obligations to uphold the law and to preserve the safety of our citizens and those working in our state.”
This case was investigated by Special Agent Lee Hoover of the ATF, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Frank Pennington.
Midland Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
In Midland today, a federal judge sentenced 37-year-old Midland resident Cole S. Crocker to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor into sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw and FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada, El Paso Division.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge David Counts ordered that Cole pay a $50,000 fine, pay a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA), and be placed on supervised release for a period of ten years after completing his prison term.
“The defendant in this case attempted to have sex with an eight-year-old girl—eight years old. I would say that parents can rest easy with this man in federal prison, but there are so many more predators like him. We remain committed to the fight against child abuse,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
On September 4, 2019, a jury convicted Crocker of one count of attempted online enticement of a minor. Evidence presented at trial revealed that on March 22, 2019, Crocker responded to an online advertisement uploaded by an FBI undercover agent. Crocker began chatting with the undercover agent via messaging applications, and the conversation quickly turned graphic and sexual in nature. The undercover agent represented to Crocker that he had access to an eight-year-old girl for sex, and Crocker expressed interest. As the chats progressed, Crocker also engaged in several recorded phone conversations with the undercover agent where they discussed the logistics of a meet-up to have sex with the eight-year-old girl. Crocker was arrested later that evening when he arrived at the purported meeting location in Midland.
This investigation and arrest was the result of a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane A. Chriesman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Michigan-Based Prison Consultant Admits Role in Conspiracy to Defraud Federal Bureau of PrisonsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TONY TUAN PHAM, also known as “Anh Nguyen,” 50, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to conspiracy and wire fraud offenses for his role in defrauding the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”). The scheme involved coaching prospective and current federal inmates who would not otherwise require substance abuse treatment how to lie to gain admission into a BOP program that, if completed successfully, would result in a shortened prison term.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Residential Drug Abuse Program (“RDAP”) is a 500-hour substance abuse treatment program that is administered by the BOP. In order to gain admission to the RDAP, a federal inmate must meet certain criteria, including having a diagnosable and verifiable drug or alcohol abuse disorder. By successfully completing the RDAP, an inmate can qualify for up to 12 months in early release from custody.
Pham was a “Managing Partner” of Michigan-based RDAP Law Consultants, LLC. Pham, and others he supervised at RDAP Law Consultants, contacted federal criminal defendants and inmates through unsolicited emails and telephone calls with offers to assist, for a fee, those individuals in applying to, and qualifying for, the RDAP. Although Pham knew that many of the company’s clients did not abuse alcohol or drugs and were ineligible for the RDAP, he coached them how to feign or exaggerate a drug or alcohol disorder, and to make false statements to the BOP so they could gain admission to the RDAP.
Between September 2012 and January 2019, RDAP Law Consultants earned at least $2,628,137 in client fees through this scheme.
Pham was living in a residential reentry center (“halfway house”) when the scheme began.
Pham was arrested on January 23, 2019.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for March 18, 2020, at which time Pham faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years. Pham is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan N. Francis and Trial Attorney Avi Perry of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, who has been designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for this matter.
U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Western District of Michigan for their assistance in this matter.
Merrillville, Indiana Man Sentenced to 10 Years ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Blake King, age 20, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen upon his plea of guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon of a person with custody of money of the United States, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch, II.
According to documents in this case, on June 7, 2018, in Gary, Indiana, the defendant, co-defendant Bernard Graham, and Raymon Truitt worked together on a scheme to fake gun sales to customers so they could rob the buyers. The defendant’s role in the robbery was to present the “buyers” with a bag supposedly filled with firearms but which was in fact filled with pots and pans. While this was occurring, Raymon Truitt utilized a firearm to rob the buyers, who were in fact ATF federal law enforcement agents, of $1,550 of United States currency. During this robbery, Truitt and Graham both opened fire on the agents and an ATF agent was wounded, placing his life in jeopardy.
Bernard Graham entered a plea of guilty on September 30, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date in 2020. Raymon Truitt was also wounded during the exchange of gunfire and died from his wounds.
Bernard Graham entered a plea of guilty on September 30, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date in 2020. Raymon Truitt was also wounded during the exchange of gunfire and died from his wounds.
King’s reckless, criminal actions resulted in the shooting of a law enforcement officer,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “Gun violence will not be tolerated. ATF, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners are dedicated to investigating, and my Office is dedicated to prosecuting these individuals who commit irresponsible criminal acts.”
“The dangers law enforcement face while investigating illegal gun crimes should never be taken for granted,” remarked ATF Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones of the Chicago Field Division. “We are grateful to the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligence in bringing these defendants to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Indiana State Police, and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas McGrath, Thomas Mahoney, and Nicholas Padilla.
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McKees Rocks Man Sentenced for Possessing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of 33 months to be followed by 6 years of supervised release on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jamorr Mathis, age 41, of McKees Rocks, PA.
According to information presented to the court, on November 16, 2017, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mathis’ McKees Rocks residence. Agents recovered several bricks and bundles of heroin and fentanyl from a candle jar and a purse located inside of the residence. Mathis admitted that he sold about a brick or two a day and, he also admitted to buying about seven bricks every couple of days for $150 per brick.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stowe Township Police, McKees Rocks Police and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Departments conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mathis.
Marshall County man charged with drug traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael J. Blake, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was arrested today and had an initial appearance after being indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Wheeling on December 3, 2019, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Blake, age 40, is charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises,” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Blake is accused of selling methamphetamine out of a home on 11th Street in Moundsville from June to November 2019.
Blake faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Man heads to prison in multi-state marijuana conspiracyRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 39-year-old Florida man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in an Rio Grande Valley-based drug conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Roberto Santos-Gonzalez pleaded guilty June 4 to conspiracy with intent to distribute more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered he serve 150 months in prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence includes upward adjustments because he was found to be a leader within the drug trafficking organization.
Santos-Gonzalez was part of a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization that had existed since 2010. The organization would hire out-of-state tractor-trailer drivers to haul loads of produce with ton quantities of marijuana hidden in false compartments within refrigerated trailers. Drug proceeds would then be transported back to the Rio Grande Valley. The conspiracy extended to Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina and Tennessee.
At the hearing today, the court heard Santos-Gonzalez recruited drivers and was a drug transportation coordinator. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Seven others have also been sentenced to terms ranging from 45 to 200 months in federal prison. Additionally, authorities have forfeited real estate, currency, cars, tractors, trailers, guns and jewelry valued at more than $1.5 million.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the three-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation with assistance of IRS-Criminal Investigation; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI; sheriff’s offices in Cameron and Zapata Counties; Hidalgo County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force; Border Patrol and the Brownsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro is prosecuting the case.
Man Who Operated "Provisional Credit" Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KISHORE BABU AMMISETTI, 31, a citizen of India, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 28 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a “provisional credit” scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ammisetti used Facebook Marketplace and other media to victimize individuals, primarily of Indian decent, who advertised items for sale or rooms for rent. Through this scheme, Ammisetti would contact a victim to express interest in purchasing an item or renting a room. He would then gather the victim’s bank account information and other personal information under the guise of making a deposit to the victim’s bank account. He also would offer to provide a “deposit” directly into the victim’s account via a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) transfer.
Ammisetti would then contact the victim’s bank and, posing as the victim, would claim to have made an ATM deposit that did not register on the victim’s bank account. While researching the “unregistered deposit,” the bank would credit the victim’s account with a provisional credit. Ammisetti would then contact the victim and claim that the provisional credit to the victim’s bank account was a mistaken transfer by Ammisetti to the victim’s account. Ammisetti would then request either a full or partial refund of that money, which the victim would provide via a P2P transfer. After the bank determined that there was no unregistered deposit to the victim’s account, the funds provided as a provisional credit would be removed from the account.
Ammisetti stole at least $860,000 from approximately 500 victims through this scheme.
The investigation revealed that Ammisetti often operated this scheme while staying at casino hotels in Connecticut.
Ammisetti has been detained since his arrest on January 25, 2019. On April 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
Ammisetti entered the U.S. in 2013 on a student visa, which was revoked in 2014. He faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Mohegan Tribal Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
Lubbock County Man Convicted of Enticement of 11-Year-Old NieceRead the Press Release
A Shallowater, Texas man was convicted today of enticement and attempted enticement of a minor following an investigation by the FBI’s Lubbock Resident Agency, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
John David Martinez, 32, was indicted in August. Following a day and a half of trial, a federal jury deliberated for just 15 minutes before finding him guilty.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Martinez initiated a text chain with his 11-year-old niece in July 2018.
Over the course of 7,702 text messages, he bullied the young girl into agreeing to have sex with her then 31-year-old uncle.
Fortunately, the child’s babysitter spotted the messages on her phone, and law enforcement was able to intervene before Mr. Martinez could actually molest the child.
The defendant now faces a potential sentence of up to life in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Shallowater Police Department, and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Sean Long are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix presided over the trial.
Louisiana Man Charged with Illegally Accessing Thousands of Laboratory ReportsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Louisiana man was arraigned today on charges that he illegally accessed a healthcare company’s online portal and downloaded more than 60,000 laboratory reports belonging to more than 30,000 patients, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
David Manno, 34, of Marrero, Louisiana, appeared before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court and pleaded not guilty. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 19, 2019, on one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The victim was a publicly traded healthcare company with its headquarters in New Jersey. The company offered a web-based portal through which patients could access their medical and health information, schedule laboratory testing, track their healthcare provider information, maintain medical records, and pay for services. Patients were able to log in to the portal by using a unique username and password. In November 2016, Manno accessed the portal and sent requests that caused the portal to send him lab reports belonging to other patients. Manno sent more than 150,000 modified requests, causing the portal to send him more than 60,000 laboratory reports for more than 30,000 patients.
The wire fraud count with which Manno is charged carries a maximum potential punishment of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain caused by the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: David Courcelle Esq., Metairie, Louisiana
Lexington Man Sentenced to 142 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - A Lexington, Kentucky, man, Michael Tutt, 51, was sentenced to 142 months on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for trafficking methamphetamine.
According to Tutt’s plea agreement, he admitted that from November 2016 to July 2017, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Laurel and Fayette Counties. Tutt further admitted to importing and distributing between 3 and 10 ounces of methamphetamine per week, every week for at least six months. According to his plea agreement, the drugs came from various sources based in the Louisville area and Atlanta area. Tutt admitted to selling the methamphetamine to various drug dealers, as well as users. The criminal conspiracy to distribute the drugs involved a number of co-defendants.
Tutt was indicted on the charges in July 2017 and was the final member of the conspiracy to be sentenced. His co-defendants have received the following sentences: Ashley A. Evans (63 months); Alfredo Martinez (192 months); Katherine Miller (33 months); Rachell D. Peppers (92 months); Jacqueline M. Robinson (15 months); Brandon M. Rush (144 months); Christian Omar Torres (168 months); Marco Antonio Valencia-Fiesco (20 months); Lajoyia Whitney (31 months); Sandy Leon Whitney (5 months); and Abdul M. Wilkerson (66 months).
Under federal law, Tutt and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Tutt will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Samuel Dotson.
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Latin Counts Gang Leader Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Drive-By Shooting in Southwest DetroitRead the Press Release
A leader of the Latin Counts gang was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the ATF’s Detroit Division, and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department.
Christopher Nicholas Rishell, a/k/a “C-5,” 30, of Lincoln Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland.
According to court records, Rishell orchestrated and helped carry out with fellow Latin Counts gang members a drive-by shooting in a residential neighborhood of southwest Detroit that occurred on October 7, 2017, killing one victim and injuring two others. Rishell was the “president” of the Toledo Mafia Counts set of the Latin Counts at the time of the shooting.
Also according to court records, the Latin Counts gang operates primarily in southwest Detroit and the downriver communities of Lincoln Park and Ecorse. The Latin Counts are a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, robberies, and the distribution of illegal drugs. The Latin Counts use violence to retaliate against rivals, intimidate citizens in the community, and advance members’ positions within the gang.
Through the lead efforts of the ATF, FBI, and the Detroit Homicide Task Force, law enforcement identified and charged a total of seven violent members of the Latin Counts gang responsible for the drive-by shooting, all of whom have since pleaded guilty.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis Crisostomo, Robert VanWert, and Eric Straus.
Las Vegas Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to File False Tax Returns Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, theft of government property, and access device fraud, relating to a stolen identity tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Josiah Ntekume was involved in a scheme to file false tax returns using stolen identities in order to obtain tax refunds. Coconspirators provided Ntekume with names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, and Ntekume used these stolen identities to establish prepaid debit card accounts. The coconspirators then caused fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds to be deposited into those accounts.
When Ntekume was arrested on March 13, 2012, he had in his backpack approximately 250 prepaid debit cards in others people’s names on which more than more than $200,000 in fraudulent tax refunds had been loaded. The backpack also contained several pages of paper listing stolen identities for nearly 200 individuals that were used either to file false tax returns or to establish additional prepaid debit cards.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020. At sentencing, Ntekume faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, as well as up to 10 years in prison on each count of theft of government property and fraud in connection with access devices. He also faces a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. In addition to a prison sentence, Ntekume faces a maximum period of three years supervised release, as well as restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn, Stephen K. Moulton, and Arthur Ewenczyk who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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Kroger to Pay U.S. Government $225,000 to Settle Civil Allegations it Violated the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – Kroger Limited Partnership and Kroger Pharmacy have agreed to pay the United States $225,000 to settle civil allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) more than a dozen times at its Rio Hill Center location in Charlottesville, Virginia. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement today.
“Pharmacies are vital partners in our collective efforts to reduce the unlawful diversion and use of dangerous opioid drugs,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “As this case illustrates, federal prosecutors will utilize all available tools, including civil actions, to ensure that entities and individuals involved in the lawful dispensing of these potentially deadly drugs fully comply with the law.”
“This case is a great example of how the DEA is doing its part to help end the prescription drug and opioid crisis in our region,” SAC Fong said today. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to find and prosecute medical professionals working to illegally distribute these drugs, and will not rest until we see the end of abusive prescribing practices in our area.”
The settlement resolves allegations by the United States that Kroger #334 (Rio Hill Center, Charlottesville, Va.) violated the CSA on at least 16 distinct occasions between May 2, 2015 and May 30, 2016. According to settlement documents, the United States claimed that Kroger #334 violated the CSA by improperly filling “office use only” prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances; failed to make and keep DEA 222 order forms; improperly distributed a Schedule II controlled substance absent the required DEA 222 form; and failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against diversion of controlled substances.
This proactive civil enforcement investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lugar litigated the case for the United States.
Kansas Receiving More than $2.6 Million in Federal Grants to Fight CrimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Kansas is receiving more than $2.6 million in federal grants to enhance public safety, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
The money is part of more than $376 million in awards announced today by the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.
“We’re working with our state and local agencies to make Kansas safer,” McAllister said. “These grants are designed to give Kansas law enforcement the flexibility to spend the money based on the needs in their own communities.”
The executive office of the state of Kansas has been granted more than $1.94 million from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. The funds can be used for a variety of purposes including multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, justice information sharing initiatives and other programs aimed at reducing crime or enhancing the safety of the public and law enforcement officers.
Other grants include:
$23,873: Leavenworth Police Department In-Car Upgrade Project.
$388,020: Sedgwick County, JAG Public Safety Modernization Program
$98,777: Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, Leadership Training, ALPR/EOD and SOU Equipment.
$19,427: Riley County, Portable Communications Implementation.$71,199: City of Topeka, JAG grant.
$22,101: City of Hutchinson, Emergency Response team rifles and accessories.
$14,240: Emergency Communication Equipment Upgrades.
$30,123: City of Lawrence, Digital Multimedia Evidence Acquisition and analysis.
$71,071: City of Olathe.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
KC Man Led Police Chase in Stolen Vehicle, Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who led police officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Chance Ayers, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On March 12, 2019, a Kansas City police detective saw Ayers driving a maroon 2002 Mercury Sable, which had been reported stolen when the keys were taken during a burglary earlier that day. The detective followed Ayers to a gas station, where he pulled up next to the front of the building. Ayers was arrested after a brief car chase. Ayers had two 12-gauge shotgun shells in his right front pants pocket at the time of his arrest.
When officers searched Ayers’ vehicle, they found a loaded New England 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun on the driver’s side floorboard. Two more shotgun shells were found on the floor next to the shotgun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ayers has prior felony convictions for burglary, theft and criminal damage. He was on state parole at the time of the alleged offense.
Under federal statutes, Ayers is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Justice Department settles Galveston disability-based housing discrimination lawsuitRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A Texas apartment developer and a Texas site engineer had agreed to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit alleged they built an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in Galveston that were inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
“There is no place in our community for violating the ADA and FHA,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. “Our Office is committed to enforcing these to ensure that every person with a disability has full access to residential buildings within our district.”
“The FHA and the ADA require that new multifamily housing be accessible to persons with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit and its resolution help ensure that individuals with disabilities and their families live with dignity and enjoy equal housing and all other opportunities available to the people of the United States.”
Today’s settlement, pending court approval, settles a lawsuit the department filed in February 2019. It alleged Galveston developer TFT Galveston Portfolio LTD and site engineer James W. Gartrell Jr. violated the FHA and the ADA when they designed and constructed an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in 2003. The structures had steps and other features that made it inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
Under the terms of the settlement, Galveston Portfolio must take corrective actions such as removing steps, replacing steeply-sloped walkways and adding accessible parking to make public and common use portions of the property accessible to persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users. They must also construct a new apartment building with 24 accessible units as well as a new accessible rental office and establish a $75,000 settlement fund for people the lack of accessible features at the Seasons have harmed. The settlement also requires Galveston Portfolio and Gartrell obtain training on the requirements of the FHA and ADA and ensure any future housing they design or construct complies with FHA and ADA requirements.
Persons who lived at or sought to live at the Seasons Resort and were denied housing or otherwise harmed because the complex was not accessible may be entitled to monetary compensation through today’s settlement. Such persons can contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743 mailbox #94 or via email.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. The FHA requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 12, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps to all ground-floor units. The ADA requires places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes designed and constructed for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available here. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination may call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website.
Justice Department announces more than $376 million in awards to promote public safetyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The Department of Justice announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $719,733 will support public safety activities in the Northern District of Georgia. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“The grants will be used to address violent crime problems each of those jurisdictions is facing,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “In Cobb County, District Attorney Joyette Holmes will enhance services to victims of adult sexual assaults, by providing specialized assistance to victims and by conducting research regarding recidivism. In Rockdale County, District Attorney Alisha Johnson will implement the Rockdale County Comprehensive Homicide Initiative to address the increasing numbers of homicides occurring in the county in a collaborative manner. Both initiatives will greatly benefit the citizens of the counties, and serve as models for other prosecution offices.”
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage. They also rip those communities apart,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “These programs simultaneously play a role in mending communities through preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and restoring communities and their residents.”
These awards support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
Two organizations in the Northern District of Georgia were awarded under the BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program. The program provides state, local and tribal prosecutors with information, resources, training, and technical assistance to develop effective strategies as well as programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime.
- Cobb County, Georgia $359,733
- Rockdale County, Georgia $360,000
Information about the programs and awards announced is available here: Public Safety Fact Sheet here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Justice Department Settles Texas Disability-Based Housing Discrimination LawsuitRead the Press Release
A Texas apartment developer and a Texas site engineer have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit alleged that they built an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in Galveston, Texas, that were inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
“The Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act require that new multifamily housing be accessible to persons with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit and its resolution help ensure that individuals with disabilities and their families live with dignity and enjoy equal housing and all other opportunities available to the people of the United States.”
“There is no place in our community for violating the ADA and FHA,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. “Our Office is committed to enforcing these to ensure that every person with a disability has full access to residential buildings within our district.”
Today’s settlement, pending court approval resolves a lawsuit the Department filed in February 2019. It alleged that Galveston developer TFT Galveston Portfolio LTD and site engineer James W. Gartrell Jr. violated the FHA and the ADA when they designed and constructed an eight-building addition and associated rental office at the Seasons Resort in 2003 with steps and other features that made them inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
Under the terms of the settlement, Galveston Portfolio must take corrective actions such as removing steps, replacing steeply-sloped walkways and adding accessible parking to make public and common use portions of the property accessible to persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users. They must also construct a new apartment building with 24 accessible units, as well as a new accessible rental office, and establish a $75,000 settlement fund for people who suffered harm due to - the lack of accessible features at the Seasons Resort. The settlement also requires that Galveston Portfolio and Gartrell obtain training on the requirements of the FHA and ADA and ensure any future housing they design or construct complies with FHA and ADA requirements.
Persons who lived at or sought to live at the Seasons Resort who were denied housing or otherwise harmed because the complex was not accessible may be entitled to monetary compensation through today’s settlement. Such persons can contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743 mailbox # 94 or by email at [email protected].
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. Among other things, the Fair Housing Act requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 12, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps to all ground-floor units. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires, among other things, that places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes designed and constructed for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination may call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected], or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint.
Justice Department Awards Oklahoma Attorney General and OU Health Sciences Center More Than $2.9 Million to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. In Oklahoma, grants will go to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the total amount of $2,915,894. The Department’s Office of Justice Programs ("OJP") made the awards.
"Crime and violence hold families, friends, and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing."
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion-dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex-offender registration and notification, law-enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies, and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
In Oklahoma, the Office of the Attorney General will receive $2,398,302 as part of the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative ("SAKI"), which focuses on testing sexual assault kits that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory and collecting DNA samples from qualifying individuals who should have a sample in the Combined DNA Index System ("CODIS"). The OU Health Sciences Center will receive an additional $517,592 toward the work of its affiliate, the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth. These funds will support community-based interventions for youth with problematic or illegal sexual behaviors.
"Public safety is a team effort in our state," said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. "I’m proud that the Department of Justice can support law enforcement and crime prevention by assisting our teammates in state government, who are often best positioned to respond to threats to public safety."
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims, and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards $635,000 in Grants to Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in Nassau and Suffolk CountiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has awarded $360,000 to the Office of the Nassau County District Attorney and $275,000 to Suffolk County, New York, as part of more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Katherine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, OJP, announced the awards.
“DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs’ grants will provide additional support to our law enforcement and community partners in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to our collective benefit,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” stated OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards are:
Bureau of Justice Assistance Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program
The program provides prosecutors with information, resources and training, and technical assistance to develop effective strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime. Recipient: Office of the Nassau County District Attorney, $360,000.
Bureau of Justice Assistance Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program
This program supports state and local policymakers, practitioners and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice. Recipient: Suffolk County, New York, $275,000.
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the $250 million Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program that funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces more than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States, including $4,561,569 to support public safety activities in the District of New Jersey. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“These awards provide substantial resources to support important public safety initiatives sponsored by our state and local law enforcement partners,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, said. “This kind of support from the Department of Justice encourages greater cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement, as we work together to protect the people of New Jersey.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of New Jersey:
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program – Local Awards
• Union County, $167,387
• City of Passaic, $180,339
• Asbury Park, $51,346
• Mercer County, $131,756
• Newark Police Department, $434,882
• City of Camden, $208,291
• Vineland, $82,671
• Lakewood, $15,572
• Atlantic City, $68,318
• Perth Amboy, $86,689
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program – State Award
• New Jersey Division of Law & Public Safety, $3,817,827
BJA Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public Health, Safety, and the Economy from Counterfeit Goods and Product Piracy
• Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, $350,345
BJA Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program
• New Jersey Dept. of Corrections, $246,146
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage. They also rip those communities apart,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “These programs simultaneously play a role in mending communities through preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and restoring communities and their residents.”
This year, more than $252 million is being awarded to 929 states, tribes, and local governments through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG), administered by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). JAG funding supports a range of program areas including law enforcement; prosecution and courts; crime prevention and education; corrections; drug treatment and enforcement; technology improvement; victim and witness initiatives; mental health programs and others.
Through BJA’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, $40 million will help law enforcement agencies and prosecutors address the challenges associated with sexual assault kits that have not been submitted to crime laboratories for testing. An additional $6.6 million for training and technical assistance will build state and local capacity to address unsolved crimes revealed by evidence obtained when the kits are tested.
BJA is providing more than $6.9 million to 20 state, local and tribal prosecutors through the Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program. Prosecutors receive training and technical assistance to use data in the development of their violent crime strategies and create programs that are analysis-driven and based upon promising practices.
Reducing intellectual property theft and related crime are the focus of six awards, totaling nearly $2.3 million, made through BJA’s Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public Health, Safety, and the Economy from Counterfeit Goods and Product Piracy. The funding is being provided to state, local, tribal and territorial criminal justice systems to address intellectual property enforcement, including prosecution, prevention, training and technical assistance.
This year BJA is providing $500,000 through the Enhancing Task Force Leadership, Operations and Management Program to the Institute of Intergovernmental Research, which will provide training and technical assistance to state and local multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task forces created to address local crime. The program promotes integrity and accountability by emphasizing best practices to reduce liability and enhance officer safety and effectiveness.
Through BJA’s Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program, 12 awards totaling more than $3.2 million are supporting state and local policymakers, practitioners, and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice.
Two awards totaling $5 million are being provided to National Criminal Justice Association and National Association of Criminal Justice Defense Lawyers through BJA’s Justice for All: Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Training and Technical Assistance Program. The recipients will deliver training and technical services to state and local governments requesting assistance.
To assist confinement facilities and the agencies that oversee them, BJA is providing 13 grants totaling more than $2.4 million to state, local and tribal governments for responding to incidents of sexual abuse in these facilities. The awards are made through the Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program.
BJA’s Comprehensive Corrections Training and Technical Assistance Program is providing more than $23.7 million, to seven organizations that will provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to BJA grantees and criminal justice practitioners to improve correctional services and increase public safety through improving outcomes for people incarcerated and detained in correctional facilities. The recipients are Advocates for Human Potential, Inc.; American Correctional Association; American Institutes of for Research in the Behavioral Sciences; Impact Justice; the Moss Group, Inc.; the Research Triangle Institute; and the Urban Institute.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is providing more than $1.9 million in funding to four organizations under the Supporting Effective Interventions for Adolescent Sex Offenders and Youth with Sexual Behavioral Problems Program. The program also helps fund treatment and supportive services for victims and their caregivers. Three recipients are receiving $475,000; they are Youth Outreach Services, Ill; Cayuga Counseling Services, Inc., New York; and the Joseph J. Peters Institute, Pennsylvania. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is receiving $517,592 to provide training and technical assistance to the award recipients.
Through OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime, 36 public law enforcement agencies, of which four are tribal, are receiving over $12 million to develop victim specialist programs that connect survivors and families to coordinated trauma-informed services. OVC is also awarding $2.25 million to the International Association of Chiefs of Police for related training and technical assistance.
OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) is providing more than $15.7 million to 59 states, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help jurisdictions meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
SMART is also awarding more than $1.6 million for the maintenance of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, a resource that provides the public access to sex offender data nationwide. The funding also provides sex offender registry systems and tools at no cost to U.S. states, territories and federally recognized tribes who are implementing standards established by the Adam Walsh Act to close gaps and loopholes in reporting.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $3,350,381 will support public safety activities in the District of Oregon. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
“Protecting public safety and the fair administration of justice requires steadfast partnership among local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies. I’m thankful for the culture of collaboration and teamwork that have come to define Oregon’s law enforcement community,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “My sincere hope is that these awards will support and further the tremendous work being done by law enforcement agencies across the state. As an Oregonian, I’m proud of your efforts.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Oregon:
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program
City of Beaverton
$15,273
City of Grants Pass
$14,338
City of Portland
$377,097
City of Redmond
$10,575
City of Salem
$87,139
City of Springfield
$24,712
City of Tigard
$10,650
Deschutes County
$28,452
Jackson County
$77,209
Lane County
$127,703
State of Oregon
$1,997,319
Total:
$2,770,467
Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
Purpose Area 1: Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act Implementation in States, the District of Columbia, principal U.S. Territories, and Federally Recognized Indiana Tribes
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
$348,088
Oregon State Police
$231,826
Total
$579,914
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
MEMPHIS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $5,528,132 will support public safety activities in the Western District of Tennessee. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
"Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing."
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to our state and local law enforcement agencies, and this announcement of crucial public safety grant funding will fulfill the President’s Executive Orders to reduce crime in America and Back the Blue. These grant resources from the
Office of Justice Programs will allow our state and local partners to focus on the priority areas of violent crime and drug trafficking, as well as untested sexual assault kits, sex offender registry and monitoring, and victim services."
The following awards were made to organizations in the Western District of Tennessee:
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
Tipton County FY 19 Local JAG - $10,217
City of Jackson FY 19 JAG Project - $43,095
City of Dyersburg 2019 JAG - $14,308
City of Memphis / Shelby County FY19 JAG Grant - $818,935BJA National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative - Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits
>City of Memphis, Tennessee - $1,899,781OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program
City of Memphis FY19 Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program (LE VSP) - $770,861SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program: Support for SORNA Implementation in Counties
Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee - $18,453On November 7, 2019, the Department of Justice announced awards of approximately $95 million to support public safety efforts in the State of Tennessee. Funding was provided to various law enforcement agencies from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) target violent crime, support law enforcement efforts to combat the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs, improve officer mental health and wellness, and enhance school safety. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/justice-department-awards-95-million-improve-public-safety-state-tennessee
City of Memphis BJA FY 19 Strategies for Policing Innovation - $700,000
City Of Millington BJA FY 19 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program - $50,000
Shelby County Government BJA FY 19 Innovative Reentry Initiatives: Building System
Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce Recidivism - $602,482
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis: OJJDP FY 19 Youth Gang Desistance/Diversion Grant Program - $500,000
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis: NIJ Strengthening the Medical Examiner – Coroner System Program - $100,000
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces More Than 367 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376,000,000 in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $9,780,780 will support public safety activities in and around the Western District of New York. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“One of the top priorities of my Office is enhancing the collaborative relationship we have with all levels of law enforcement, including local, state, and federal, as well as our community partners,” stated James P. Kennedy, Jr., United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. “When investigative agencies at all levels are equipped with the tools they need to conduct the most thorough and comprehensive investigations, that leads to the most effective prosecutions. And when our community partners are properly funded, they too play a vital role in making our community safer. These public safety grants will do just that, give our law enforcement and community partners what they need to get the job done.”
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The Western District of New York recipients include:
• The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, which will receive $8,576,883 to allow New York State and local governments within the State to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions; • The Rochester Police Department Victim and Family Services and Monroe County Probation NightWatch, which will receive $163,554; • The City of Niagara Falls, which will receive $44,114, for Community Liaison and Interoperable Handheld Radios; • The City of Jamestown, which will receive $17,460 for the purchase of a Mobile Speed Trailer and Alco-Sensor; • The City of Buffalo, Erie County, and Town of Cheektowaga, which will receive $236,151 for collaborative crime fighting efforts; • The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Victim Specialist Program, which will receive $267,618; and
• The Cayuga County Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems and Adolescent Sex Offender program, which will be receiving $475,000.The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
For more information about OJP awards, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726 or [email protected]
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 3, 2019
SAN DIEGO – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States, including $728,459 to support public safety activities in the Southern District of California. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“These funds will bolster our crime-fighting efforts in San Diego and Imperial counties,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer of the Southern District of California. “The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Southern District of California:
City of San Diego $473,241
City of La Mesa 12,953
City of Carlsbad 14,710
City of El Cajon 27,733
City of Oceanside 47,666
City of Escondido 38,882
City of El Centro 12,976
City of Vista 25,414
City of Chula Vista 51,742
City of Lemon Grove 11,032
County of Imperial 12,110
TOTAL $728,459
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. Over $813,000 will support public safety activities in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“From our District’s eclectic and vibrant urban cityscapes to our quaint and rustic rural localities, we all in some capacity have been affected by violent crime and its secondary effects on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “The announcement of these awards highlights the commitment from the Department of Justice to afford our state and local partners the tools they need to enhance public safety and combat violent crime through programs that address an array of public safety initiatives.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Eastern District of Louisiana:
- St Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office: $16,948
- Bogalusa Police Department, City of Bogalusa: $11,227
- Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office: $115,214
- City of New Orleans: $297,837
- Kenner Police Department, City of Kenner: $13,597
- Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government: $12,017
- St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office: $12,472
- Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office: $23,699
- Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office: $310,496
TOTAL: $813,507
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $357,459 will support public safety activities in the District of Colorado. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Prosecuting violent crime is one of the top priorities of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “These grant funds will go to the Denver District Attorney to support their efforts to tackle violent crime. We support them in these efforts, both financially and in prosecutorial partnership.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Colorado:
- Denver District Attorney’s Office: $357,459 to develop effective strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime. Prosecutors are leaders within the criminal justice system who possess an enormous responsibility within the criminal justice system. Accordingly, they are well positioned to bring the police, the community, and local agencies together to combat violent crime in their jurisdictions. The Innovative Prosecution Solutions Program encourages prosecutors to use data in the development of their violent crime strategies and programs. As such, it builds upon analysis-driven, promising practices and evidence-based prosecution by encouraging state, local, and tribal prosecutorial agencies to develop effective, economical, and innovative responses to crime within their jurisdictions. Applicants will identify a problem to be addressed and may enlist a research partner to help evaluate the effectiveness of their Innovative Prosecution Solutions. The Denver District Attorney's Office proposes to work with the Denver Police Department to create a joint digital evidence task force to improve the turnaround time of evidence processing in violent crime investigations. The project includes training and equipment purchases.
For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $14,444,949 will support public safety activities in the Middle District of Florida. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“We are confident that our public safety and community partners will utilize these additional resources in the most effective manner possible,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Coupled with various lessons learned, innovative ideas, and a commitment to reduce crime at every turn, we intend to make our communities safer places to live, work and play.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Middle District of Florida:
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (Local)
Brevard County ($55,079)
Charlotte County ($25,580)
Citrus County ($27,792)
City of Apopka ($15,098)
City of Bradenton ($23,080)
City of Casselberry ($10,650)
City of Cape Coral ($15,915)
City of Cocoa ($22,166)
City of Daytona Beach ($61,305)
City of DeLand ($12,598)
City of Fort Myers ($58,733)
City of Jacksonville ($403,269)
City of Kissimmee ($31,446)
City of Lakeland ($24,979)
City of Largo ($28,032)
City of Leesburg ($14,689)
City of Melbourne ($49,405)
City of Ocala ($31,470)
City of Orlando ($167,472)
City of Ormond Beach ($15,435)
City of Palm Bay ($38,106)
City of Pinellas Park ($16,997)
City of Plant City ($13,103)
City of Sanford ($34,571)
City of Tampa ($143,984)
City of Titusville ($25,219)
City of Winter Haven ($14,809)
Clay County Board of Commissioners ($35,100)
Collier County ($69,407)
County of Volusia ($46,039)
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office ($16,108)
Hendry County ($11,708)
Hernando County ($32,239)
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners ($144,104)
Lake County ($33,850)
Lee County Sheriff’s Office ($101,022)
Manatee County ($108,907)
Marion County Board of County Commissioners ($57,819)
Orange County Board of County Commissioners ($359,322)
Osceola County Board of County Commissioners ($58,925)
Pasco County ($100,324)
Pinellas County ($185,816)
Polk County ($93,064)
Putnam County ($18,440)
Sarasota County ($37,192)
Seminole County Sheriff’s Office ($42,721)
Winter Garden Police Department ($11,083)
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (State)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement ($10,551,399)
BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program
State Attorney’s Office, 4th Judicial Circuit ($360,000)
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
Florida Department of Law Enforcement ($399,878)
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office ($150,000)
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office ($39,500)
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
More than $12 Million Will Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in the Southern District of Florida
MIAMI – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. More than $12 million will support public safety activities in the Southern District of Florida. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Keeping our communities and people safe is a top priority for us,” stated U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida “The millions of dollars in grant money awarded to our South Florida community and law enforcement partners will help us enhance the quality of life of our local residents, strengthen the integrity of our justice system, provide critical services for crime victims, and take back our neighborhoods from the violent grasp of those who threaten our safety and security. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for its invaluable financial support of our collective crime-fighting initiatives.”
The following awards were given to police departments and organizations in the Southern District of Florida:
Florida's FY 2019 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
$10,551,399
Video Analytics Solution for Private Video Footage Evidence
City of Miami Beach
$67,845
Monroe County Drug Court
Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
$13,800
Florida City Police Cruiser and Laptops
City of Florida City
$24,258
Criminal Justice Initiatives
Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners
$141,531
FY 19 Local JAG
St Lucie County
$41,135
2019 Enhanced Law Enforcement Programs
City of North Miami
$34,163
FY 2019 JAG Application - Police Cruiser
City of Hialeah
$43,755
2019 JAG Camera project
City of Greenacres
$13,583
Behavioral Health Deferred Prosecution Program
Highlands County
$18,824
Enhance Law Enforcement Capabilities
City of Port St. Lucie
$17,214
SWAT Robot and Marked Police Canine Vehicle
West Palm Beach City of
$66,931
Law Enforcement Safety and Wellness Equipment Project
City of North Miami Beach
$21,517
Delray Beach Police Department's Holiday Robbery and Burglary Task Force
City of Delray Beach
$29,379
City of Miami FY 19 JAG
City of Miami
$283,688
FY 19 Local JAG
City of Lake Worth
$35,966
Crime-Fighting Toolkit: Data Analysis and Prioritized Response
Miami Dade County
$442,697
Youth Empowerment Program
City of Belle Glade
$19,329
Purchase analytic/community engagement software.
City of Boynton Beach
$34,740
Homestead Violent Crime Reduction
City of Homestead
$56,858
Indian River County FY19 JAG Project
Indian River County
$19,738
Miami Gardens Police Department Focus on Public Safety Program FY 19/20
City of Miami Gardens
$56,401
FY 19 JAG
City of Pompano Beach
$501,886
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office
$149,848
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here: Public Safety Fact Sheet. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. Nearly $6.5 million will support public safety activities in Nevada. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Today’s grant awards exemplify the Department of Justice’s commitment to resourcing crime-fighting and victim services assistance in Nevada,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “These grants will fund a broad range of programs. One award in particular will provide additional resources to further Nevada’s incredible accomplishments on its sexual assault kit initiative.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Nevada:
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program
The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation. District of Nevada recipients included:
Joint Application for Washoe County Law Enforcement Agencies
City of Reno
$159,075
FY 19 Local JAG Program
City of Carson City
$12,558
North Las Vegas Closed-Circuit Television Project and Ultra Software Application
City of North Las Vegas Police Department
$166,798
FY 19 Local JAG Program
Henderson Police Department
$40,005
Clark County Joint FY 19 JAG Project
Clark County, Nevada
$992,213
Nevada FY 19 State JAG
Nevada Department of Public Safety
$2,165,007
BJA National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
The initiative supports the Department’s criminal justice priorities of reducing violent crime and supporting law enforcement officers and prosecutors by: providing jurisdictions with resources to address sexual assault kits not submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing; improving investigation and prosecution in connection with evidence and cases; and providing sites with resources to collect DNA samples. The Nevada Office of the Attorney General received a grant under this initiative in the amount of $2 million.
BJA Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program
This program supports projects designed to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement facilities, and to achieve and maintain compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services received a grant under this program in the amount of $154,125.
OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program
The program provides funding to develop and enhance crime victim specialist programs within law enforcement agencies to better support victims through the criminal justice process. The grants support connecting victims with community-based direct victim services programs. The Reno Police Department received a grant under this program in the amount of $280,777.
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program:
The program provides funding to states, jurisdictions, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. The Nevada Department of Public Safety and Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, received grants of approximately $500,000 under this program.
For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, PR – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $2,790,908 will support public safety activities in the District of Puerto Rico. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends, and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“Supporting law enforcement at every level goes to the heart of the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “These grants provide much needed resources and funding to law enforcement agencies as they work to protect our communities from violence, drug trafficking and any others who threaten our safety and security. I would like to encourage more state and local entities to request federal grants to the Department of Justice to continue supporting all the efforts to fight against crime.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Puerto Rico:
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program awarded $2,116,249 to the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. The program supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives and reduces existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation. Awards are made through separate solicitations for local and tribal jurisdictions and for states.
BJA Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program- Wrongful Conviction Review Entity-Led Strategy awarded $274,819 to the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. This program supports state and local policymakers, practitioners, and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice.
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program awarded $399,840 to the Puerto Rico Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. The program provides funding to states, jurisdictions, U.S. territories and tribal communities to be used to help meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in AwardsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. More than $77 million will support public safety activities in the District of Minnesota. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage. They also rip those communities apart,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “These programs simultaneously play a role in mending communities through preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and restoring communities and their residents.”
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald said, “My number one priority as U.S. Attorney is to keep individuals, families and communities safe. The Department of Justice has awarded more than $77 million in federal public safety grants to organizations dedicated to doing just that. These grants, awarded to public sector entities and nonprofits throughout the state of Minnesota, will support holistic efforts to fortify our communities and enhance public safety.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Justice Department Announces Landmark Money Mule InitiativeRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr and law enforcement partners today announced a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to halt money mule activity. Money mules assist fraud schemes by receiving money from victims, many of them elderly, and forwarding proceeds to foreign-based perpetrators. During the two-month initiative announced today, U.S. law enforcement disrupted mule networks that spanned from Hawaii to Florida and from Alaska to Maine. Actions were taken to halt the conduct of over 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules last year. The Department of Justice also tripled the number of criminal prosecutions brought against money mules as compared to last year’s initiative.
Attorney General Barr thanked the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch for coordinating the effort. The coordinators recruited a broad coalition of law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Attorneys General for the States of Indiana and Wyoming. The U.S. initiative coincided with the European Money Mule Action (EMMA), https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/public-awareness-and-prevention-guides/money-muling, a simultaneous global effort to halt money mule activity announced by Europol today.
U.S. federal and state law enforcement activity included the following:
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
- Actions addressed a variety of elder fraud scheme types, including grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, veteran and social security benefit redirection scams, and technical-support scams.
- Law enforcement interviewed more than 550 individuals and served over 500 warning letters on individuals who recently served as money mules for fraud schemes. The letters informed recipients that they could be prosecuted if they continue aiding and abetting fraud schemes.
- More than 30 individuals were criminally charged, in part, for their roles in receiving victim payments and providing the fraud proceeds to accomplices.
- Search warrants were executed to secure evidence from money mules who knowingly aided and abetted fraud schemes, including a number of transnational elder fraud schemes.
“Protecting our senior citizens from criminals who target them is one of the Trump Administration’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Money mules –wittingly and unwittingly – supply the lifeblood of transnational elder fraud schemes. This landmark initiative has significantly impaired certain ways criminals steal from its elderly victims. The Department of Justice and its federal, state, and international partners are committed to shutting down these despicable enterprises that exploit the most vulnerable in our society.”
“The Money Mule initiative highlights the importance of partnership to stop fraud schemes, and it sends a message to all who are engaged in money mule activity that they will be caught and prosecuted,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I want to thank our state and local partners for all their efforts to protect the American people from these threats.”
As part of the money mule initiative, members of the Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force—which the Attorney General established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes—brought criminal cases alleging that defendants knowingly funneled fraud proceeds to perpetrators including:
- On Nov. 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced an indictment against Nnamdi MgBodile for his alleged role in a romance scam and business email compromise fraud;
- On Nov. 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced an indictment against alleged perpetrators of a veteran and social security benefit redirection scam, which involved extensive use of money mules; and
- On Nov. 14, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch announced the indictment of six individuals for an alleged mass mailing fraud scheme in which a co-conspirator was charged with knowingly receiving payments from elderly victims and supplying them to scheme leaders; and
Additional criminal cases were brought as part of the two-month money mule initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Alaska, the District of Arizona, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Southern District of New York, the District of Puerto Rico, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of Delaware, and the District of Rhode Island.
The above charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Since Congress passed the Mail Fraud Statute over 100 years ago, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has protected citizens from fraud schemes,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Deceptive solicitations take advantage of the American public with promises of easy money, when in reality, the scammers are the only ones making money. Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect the American public and ensure their confidence in the U.S. mail.”
Attorney General Barr thanked the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for its support of the money mule initiative. Financial analysis and data supplied by FinCEN allowed law enforcement to identify and prevent money mule activity and elder fraud schemes, as highlighted by a report FinCEN issued today. Attorney General Barr also expressed appreciation for financial institutions across the nation that identify suspicious activity and report it to FinCEN, enabling federal, state, and local law enforcement to take rapid action against ongoing schemes.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of EAPPA. In October, the Department also partnered with the Oak Ridge Boys and AARP in issuing a public service announcement to raise awareness about the grave financial threat posed by elder fraud.
The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.
Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety for American Indian and Asaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to tribal communities to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to tribal communities to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2020 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and tribal consortia can apply for funding to aid in developing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to public safety and victimization.
“Increasing public safety, reducing violent crime and servicing crime victims — especially women and children — across American Indian and Alaska Native communities is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to provide funding to tribes and villages to bolster law enforcement, protect citizens and provide justice.”
“Let there be no doubt that Attorney General William Barr is deeply committed to improving public safety in Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “United States Attorneys and victim advocates around the country see firsthand the detrimental impact of violent crime, especially against Native American women. I applaud the Justice Department’s historic commitment of grants to tribal communities and encourage all our tribal partners to apply.”
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EST, Feb. 25, 2020. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the eight competitive grant programs, referred to as purpose areas. This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The eight purpose areas are:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
- OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
The Department of Justice has incorporated feedback from tribal meetings, listening sessions, consultations and other methods into this year’s solicitation. Accordingly, the Department has streamlined the application process to reduce requirements for repetitive input from applicants. For example, the application’s required question and answer templates have been refined across the purpose areas to ensure greater clarify and reduce duplication. Also, previously required documents such as the tribal authority to apply have been eliminated (except for tribal designees) to reduce the burden on applicants.
To address tribal feedback about long-term sustained funding, the Justice Department is making changes to award lengths. For Fiscal Year 2020, awards under the following Purpose Areas will be made for 60 months for:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing (hiring officers)
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
Also new to Fiscal Year 2020 is a change to OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program. Awards will be made for up to $900,000 for 36 months. At the end of the 36-month period, grantees may be eligible to receive 24 months of additional noncompetitive funding up to $600,000 to continue their projects.
Additionally, the scope of BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program (Purpose Area 4) has been expanded to fund support of physical infrastructure projects related to domestic violence shelters, safe homes, transitional living facilities, and advocacy programs. Purpose Area 4 will also include funding for adding associated capacity, equipment, and infrastructure to support staff training, fitness and wellness.
This year’s solicitation will not include two purpose areas included in previous years: OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) and BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities (Purpose Area 10). OVC’s Victims Services Program will be offered via a stand-alone solicitation separate from CTAS. Resources to support tribes’ efforts to address investigations and prosecutions of violent crime in native communities will be managed through a separate, targeted process. More details on this program to reduce violent crime in tribal communities will be announced separately.
Fact sheets and other relevant information regarding this year’s CTAS can be found online at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2019, the Department funded 149 tribes with 236 awards totaling more than $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety for American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to tribal communities to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2020 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and tribal consortia can apply for funding to aid in developing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to public safety and victimization.
“Increasing public safety, reducing violent crime and servicing crime victims — especially women and children — across American Indian and Alaska Native communities is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to provide funding to tribes and villages to bolster law enforcement, protect citizens and provide justice.”
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EST, Feb. 25, 2020. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the eight competitive grant programs, referred to as purpose areas. This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The eight purpose areas are:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
- OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
The Department of Justice has incorporated feedback from tribal meetings, listening sessions, consultations and other methods into this year’s solicitation. Accordingly, the Department has streamlined the application process to reduce requirements for repetitive input from applicants. For example, the application’s required question and answer templates have been refined across the purpose areas to ensure greater clarify and reduce duplication. Also, previously required documents such as the tribal authority to apply have been eliminated (except for tribal designees) to reduce the burden on applicants.
To address tribal feedback about long-term sustained funding, the Justice Department is making changes to award lengths. For Fiscal Year 2020, awards under the following Purpose Areas will be made for 60 months for:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing (hiring officers)
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems Program
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
Also new to Fiscal Year 2020 is a change to OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program. Awards will be made for up to $900,000 for 36 months. At the end of the 36-month period, grantees may be eligible to receive 24 months of additional noncompetitive funding up to $600,000 to continue their projects.
Additionally, the scope of BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program (Purpose Area 4) has been expanded to fund support of physical infrastructure projects related to domestic violence shelters, safe homes, transitional living facilities, and advocacy programs. Purpose Area 4 will also include funding for adding associated capacity, equipment, and infrastructure to support staff training, fitness and wellness.
This year’s solicitation will not include two purpose areas included in previous years: OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) and BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities (Purpose Area 10). OVC’s Victims Services Program will be offered via a stand-alone solicitation separate from CTAS. Resources to support tribes’ efforts to address investigations and prosecutions of violent crime in native communities will be managed through a separate, targeted process. More details on this program to reduce violent crime in tribal communities will be announced separately.
Fact sheets and other relevant information regarding this year’s CTAS can be found online at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2019, the Department funded 149 tribes with 236 awards totaling more than $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Justice Department Announced Landmark Money Mule InitiativeRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr and law enforcement partners today announced a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to halt money mule activity. Money mules assist fraud schemes by receiving money from victims, many of them elderly, and forwarding proceeds to foreign-based perpetrators. During the two-month initiative announced today, U.S. law enforcement disrupted mule networks that spanned from Hawaii to Florida and from Alaska to Maine. Actions were taken to halt the conduct of over 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules last year. The Department of Justice also tripled the number of criminal prosecutions brought against money mules as compared to last year’s initiative.
Attorney General Barr thanked the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch for coordinating the effort. The coordinators recruited a broad coalition of law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Attorneys General for the States of Indiana and Wyoming. The U.S. initiative coincided with the European Money Mule Action (EMMA), https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/public-awareness-and-prevention-guides/money-muling, a simultaneous global effort to halt money mule activity announced by Europol today.
U.S. federal and state law enforcement activity included the following:
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
- Actions addressed a variety of elder fraud scheme types, including grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, veteran and social security benefit redirection scams, and technical-support scams.
- Law enforcement interviewed more than 550 individuals and served over 500 warning letters on individuals who recently served as money mules for fraud schemes. The letters informed recipients that they could be prosecuted if they continue aiding and abetting fraud schemes.
- More than 30 individuals were criminally charged, in part, for their roles in receiving victim payments and providing the fraud proceeds to accomplices.
- Search warrants were executed to secure evidence from money mules who knowingly aided and abetted fraud schemes, including a number of transnational elder fraud schemes.
“Protecting our senior citizens from criminals who target them is one of the Trump Administration’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Money mules –wittingly and unwittingly – supply the lifeblood of transnational elder fraud schemes. This landmark initiative has significantly impaired certain ways criminals steal from its elderly victims. The Department of Justice and its federal, state, and international partners are committed to shutting down these despicable enterprises that exploit the most vulnerable in our society.”
"Identity theft and fraud schemes can be financially devastating to victims, especially the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “I am proud of the excellent investigative work done by our federal and Oklahoma law enforcement partners to disrupt these illegal operations and hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes.”
“The Money Mule initiative highlights the importance of partnership to stop fraud schemes, and it sends a message to all who are engaged in money mule activity that they will be caught and prosecuted,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I want to thank our state and local partners for all their efforts to protect the American people from these threats.”
As part of the money mule initiative, members of the Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force—which the Attorney General established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes—brought criminal cases alleging that defendants knowingly funneled fraud proceeds to perpetrators including:
- On Nov. 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced an indictment against Nnamdi MgBodile for his alleged role in a romance scam and business email compromise fraud;
- On Nov. 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced an indictment against alleged perpetrators of a veteran and social security benefit redirection scam, which involved extensive use of money mules; and
- On Nov. 14, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch announced the indictment of six individuals for an alleged mass mailing fraud scheme in which a co-conspirator was charged with knowingly receiving payments from elderly victims and supplying them to scheme leaders; and
- On Nov. 13, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma announced an indictment against 10 individuals charged with conspiring to launder illegal proceeds that were obtained as a result of Nigerian romance scam operations.
Additional criminal cases were brought as part of the two-month money mule initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Arizona, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Southern District of New York, the District of Puerto Rico, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of Delaware, and the District of Rhode Island.
The above charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Since Congress passed the Mail Fraud Statute over 100 years ago, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has protected citizens from fraud schemes,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Deceptive solicitations take advantage of the American public with promises of easy money, when in reality, the scammers are the only ones making money. Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect the American public and ensure their confidence in the U.S. mail.”
Attorney General Barr thanked the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for its support of the money mule initiative. Financial analysis and data supplied by FinCEN allowed law enforcement to identify and prevent money mule activity and elder fraud schemes, as highlighted by a report FinCEN issued today. Attorney General Barr also expressed appreciation for financial institutions across the nation that identify suspicious activity and report it to FinCEN, enabling federal, state, and local law enforcement to take rapid action against ongoing schemes.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of EAPPA. In October, the Department also partnered with the Oak Ridge Boys and AARP in issuing a public service announcement to raise awareness about the grave financial threat posed by elder fraud.
The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.
Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Otha Ray Flowers, 37, of Jackson, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Henry T. Wingate to 8 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Flowers was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
A jury convicted Flowers on August 19, 2019, following a trial in U.S. District Court. Flowers is also awaiting sentencing on a second federal conviction for possession of a firearm.
On February 18, 2017, a Jackson Police Department officer initiated a field interview of two men sitting in a parked vehicle outside of Big Boys Groceries on Road of Remembrance in Jackson. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana. After asking the driver, later identified as Flowers, for his driver’s license, another officer observed the passenger appearing to put something in his mouth. Both Flowers and the passenger were ordered out of the vehicle. Flowers had been sitting on a .32 silver colored revolver, which the officer saw in plain view when Flowers exited the vehicle. The pistol was loaded with five live rounds and two spent shell casings. A records check revealed that Flowers had multiple felony convictions in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Flowers also had outstanding warrants for his arrest. Officers recovered marijuana from Flowers’ pocket in addition to the loaded firearm.
Flowers was previously convicted in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, for attempted armed robbery; in Hinds County, Mississippi for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and in Guadalupe County, Texas for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys David Fulcher and Chet Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. State, tribal and local agencies in Montana will receive a total of $1,236,380 to support public safety activities. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“I am pleased that 11 of Montana’s state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies will be receiving these grants to support public safety, including drug task forces around the state that are working hard to reduce meth related crime. These federal awards provide critical funding to help our law enforcement partners make our communities safe,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The following Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants were awarded to the following agencies in the District of Montana:
Montana Board of Crime Control, $914,034; City of Great Falls, $26,189; City of Missoula, $66,788; City of Havre, $10,372; Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, $22,247; City of Billings, $84,717; Flathead County, $28,208; City of Helena, $43,790; City of Kalispell, $10,279; Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, $12,672; and City-County of Butte-Silver Bow, $17,084.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Inland Empire Man Arrested Pursuant to Federal Indictment Alleging International Methamphetamine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Ontario man was arrested today for allegedly playing a key role in an international drug-trafficking organization that was responsible for shipping more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine across the globe.
Jorge Gomez Torres, 66, was named in an eight-count indictment that was unsealed this afternoon when he arrived at United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles for an arraignment. The indictment charges Torres with three counts – one count of drug trafficking and two counts of money laundering. Torres pleaded not guilty to the charges. A January 28 trial date has been scheduled in this matter.
Torres – who was also known as “the Filipino,” among other aliases – allegedly coordinated drug shipments to the Philippines, and from there methamphetamine was illegally imported into the United States. On Christmas Day in 2013, law enforcement seized approximately 84 kilograms (185 pounds) of methamphetamine from a rooster ranch Torres owned in the Philippines.
In shipping the methamphetamine around the globe, the criminal organization employed a variety of means to conceal the contraband. Members of the conspiracy used shell companies to obtain shipping documents that were used to send drugs to countries such as the Philippines to Australia. The methamphetamine was often hidden in machinery, including an industrial asphalt roller that was recovered in Manzanillo, Mexico and computer equipment that was seized in Memphis, Tennessee.
The indictment charges a total of 17 defendants, most of whom are fugitives believed to be in Mexico.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine carries a statutory maximum sentence of life and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison. The money laundering offenses each carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA. This investigation is being conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section and Ben Balding of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.