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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 21 October 2019
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School Violence: Oklahoma Schools Awarded $2.5 Million in FundingRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident. In Oklahoma, the grants award more than $2.5 million in funding to prevent violence in schools.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“Our schools should be safe havens where children can go to learn free from fear of evildoers. Moreover, parents should not have to fear for the safety of their children while at school. I’m proud the Department of Justice is helping to make Oklahoma schools safer. The Oklahoma Department of Education will receive more than $2.5 million in critical funds to enhance mental health services, training, and technology to safeguard our children,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Oklahoma’s children, teachers, school administrators and staff should know the United States Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice are committed to ensuring their safety.”
President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
Those receiving the funding in Oklahoma are:
COPS’ School Violence Prevention Program
Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma (Northern District of Oklahoma): $67,425
Oklahoma City Public Schools: $500,000
BJA’s STOP School Violence Technology and Threat Assessment Solutions for Safer Schools Program
-Rural area or small county with a population fewer than 100,000
Stillwell Public Schools: $149, 975
-Anonymous Reporting:
Norman Public Schools: $100,000
Oklahoma State Department of Education: $250,000
-State School Safety Centers
Oklahoma State Department of Education: $996,855
BJA’s STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program
-State with population fewer than 5 million
Oklahoma State Department of Education: $498,997
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
North Carolina Agencies and Schools Awarded More than 5 Million in Funding
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“Preventing violence in our schools is critical to the safety and security of all of our communities,” said Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “These funds authorized by the Department of Justice will be used to better prepare school faculty, students and law enforcement to prevent, detect, and respond to security threats.”
The grants award more than $5 million in funding to prevent violence in schools in North Carolina. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“The Central Falls school district works hard every day to ensure students have a safe environment where they can thrive,” noted United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “This grant will provide monies for additional tools and resources for increased safety and coordination with law enforcement.”
The grants award more than $337,000 in funding to prevent violence in schools in Central Falls. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
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Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children,” U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen stated today. “I am thrilled that the Winchester Public Schools have received this generous grant and will use these funds to make their facilities even more secure.”
The grants award more than $480,000 to the Winchester Public Schools in the Western District of Virginia to prevent violence in schools. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, joined the Department of Justice in announcing it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Students should feel safe in their school and classrooms. These federal grants will provide monies for additional tools and resources for increased safety and coordination with law enforcement. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for providing the Washington Granger School District 204 and Benton County Sheriff’s Office the resources to protect and support our students.”
The grants award more than $481,955 in funding to prevent violence in schools in the Eastern District of Washington. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security — including funding to educate and train students and faculty — and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“The DOJ’s latest grant award will help keep violence out of the classrooms and off campuses,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “We continue to work with our partners to improve school safety through violence prevention training and funding for improving school safety measures.”
The Carson City School District received a COPS’ School Violence Prevention Program grant award of $190,803 to prevent violence and support school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement; training for law enforcement; deterrent measures such as metal detectors, locks, and lighting; and notification technology. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV.
Today’s award announcement comes after the Department of Justice announced more than $70 million to support school safety and $64 million to improve state criminal record systems last year. Of the 2018 award, Nevada received more than $500,000.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
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Department of Justice Announces Forfeiture of North Korean Cargo VesselRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the entry of a judgment of forfeiture regarding the M/V Wise Honest (the “Wise Honest”), a 17,061-ton, single-hull bulk carrier ship registered in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“DPRK” or “North Korea”). The Wise Honest, one of North Korea’s largest bulk carriers, was used to illicitly ship coal from North Korea and to deliver heavy machinery back to the DPRK. Payments for maintenance, equipment and improvements of the Wise Honest were made in U.S. dollars through unwitting U.S. banks. This conduct violates longstanding U.S. law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“This order of forfeiture sinks the Wise Honest’s career as one of North Korea’s largest sanctions-busting vessels,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “The Department of Justice will continue to pursue other property used to violate U.S. and international sanctions, around the globe, with the cooperation of our international partners.”
“Today’s judgment of forfeiture finalizes the U.S. government’s seizure of the Wise Honest and officially takes this North Korean vessel out of commission,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York. “It will no longer be used to further a criminal scheme. Using the full set of tools at our disposal, we will continue to investigate and prosecute attempts to evade U.S. sanctions, including by the North Korean regime.”
According to documents filed in Manhattan federal court:
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (NKSPEA), the DPRK and individuals or entities that the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has determined are involved in the facilitation of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) are prohibited from engaging in transactions with U.S. persons, involving U.S.-origin goods, or using the U.S. financial system. The United Nations Security Council has similarly prohibited the provision of goods, technology, and services to North Korea, and the sale, supply, or transfer of coal from North Korea.
From at least November 2016 through April 2018, the Wise Honest was used by Korea Songi Shipping Company, an affiliate of Korea Songi General Trading Corporation, to export coal from North Korea to foreign purchasers and import machinery to North Korea (the “Korea Songi Scheme”). On June 1, 2017, OFAC designated Songi Trading Company pursuant to Executive 13722 for its involvement in the sale, supply, or transfer of coal from North Korea. OFAC also determined Songi Trading Company was a subordinate of the Korean People’s Army.
On or about March 14, 2018, the Wise Honest was loaded with coal in Nampo, North Korea. On or about April 2, 2018, foreign maritime authorities intercepted and detained the Wise Honest. Maritime regulations require vessels like the Wise Honest engaged in international voyages to operate an automatic identification system (AIS) capable of providing information about the vessel to other ships and coastal authorities. However, despite its March 2018 voyage from North Korea, the Wise Honest had not broadcast an AIS signal since Aug. 4, 2017.
Participants in the Korea Songi Scheme attempted to conceal the Wise Honest’s DPRK affiliation by falsely listing different countries for the Wise Honest’s nationality and the origin of the illicit coal in shipping documentation.
In connection with Korea Songi Scheme, Kwon Chol Nam, one of Korea Songi Shipping Company’s Representatives, paid for numerous improvements, equipment purchases, and service expenditures for the Wise Honest in U.S. dollars through U.S. financial institutions. Such transfers constitute a provision of services, and longstanding U.S. law prohibits banks from providing such services to North Korean parties. Payments totaling more than $750,000 were transmitted through accounts at a U.S. financial institution in connection with the March 2018 shipment of coal on board the Wise Honest.
On May 9, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the Wise Honest, which had previously been seized pursuant to a warrant issued in the Southern District of New York. Today’s judgment of forfeiture, which was ordered by the Honorable P. Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York, confirms the U.S. Government’s ownership of the Wise Honest.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Office of International Affairs; the United States Coast Guard; and the Department of State for their assistance.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Berman also thanked Fred and Cindy Warmbier, the parents of the late Otto Warmbier, for their willingness voluntarily to withdraw their claim in the action in order to facilitate the forfeiture of the Wise Honest.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton, Jr. and Benet J. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Department of Justice Awards More than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
Southern District of Florida Awarded More Than $3.4 Million in Funding for Safer Schools
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“We must protect our children and stop the scourge of violence in schools,” stated U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida “The millions of dollars in grant money that is being awarded to South Florida schools will help us to identify the threats, encourage reporting of potential dangers, provide critical health services and enhance school safety. We are grateful to the Department for providing the Palm Beach County School District, Broward Sheriff’s Office, the School Boards of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Police Department, and countless other deserving communities with the resources needed to help support and protect our youth.”
The grants award more than $3.4 million in funding to prevent violence in schools in the Southern District of Florida. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“We are grateful for these additional resources to prevent school violence,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “We are confident that our partners will utilize them to the best of their ability in keeping our schools and students safe from harm.”
The grants award more than $4.1 million in funding to prevent violence in schools in Middle District of Florida. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
Schools in District of New Jersey Awarded $4.29 Million in Funding
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Justice today announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security – including funding to educate and train students and faculty – and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
“This funding will enable the state and local educators and law enforcement personnel develop programs to address the problem of violence in our schools,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, said. “In addition to helping prepare us to respond to these incidents, the funding will empower law enforcement to develop tools to identify potential threats and intervene before violence occurs.”
The grants award more than $4.29 million in funding to prevent violence in schools in the District of New Jersey. President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
• Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
• Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
• Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
• Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
• Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
• Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
• Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.For more details about these individual award programs, including the awards in the District of New Jersey, visit: Fact Sheet.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at OJP.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit COPS.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
The grants award $1,626,347 in funding to three schools in the District of Montana to prevent violence. Schools receiving the grants are the University of Montana, $1 million; Polson School District #23, $476,347; and Browning Public School District 9, $150,000.
“We are pleased that the University of Montana, along with the Polson and Browning public school districts, will be receiving these funds to improve safety. Keeping our schools prepared to respond to potential threats is important to providing a safe environment where students, faculty and staff can do what they should do in school, focus on learning,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
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Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl at Veterans Affairs Facility in Bath, NYRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Nolan Rogers, 32, of Lisbon, CT, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson to possession of fentanyl. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, and a fine of up to $100,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was a resident at the Bath, NY Veterans Affairs Medical Center. On March 3, 2019, Rogers returned to the facility after a trip home to Connecticut, when he encountered a VA Police officer. During a pat-down, 20 small bags were removed by the officer from the defendant’s pocket, and Rogers told the officer that the bags contained fentanyl. Laboratory testing confirmed that the substance was fentanyl.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Sean J. Smith; and the Bath Veterans Affairs Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Day. Assistance was also provided by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James L. Allard; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 11, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Payson.
Computer Programmer Pleads Guilty in Cyberattack Threat CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita computer programmer pleaded guilty today to threatening cyberattacks against two web sites that posted criticism of Wichita lawyer Brad Pistotnik, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
David Dorsett, 37, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of making extortionate threats via the internet. In his plea, Dorsett admitted he contacted Pistotnik in September 2014 offering reputation management services. Pistotnik met with Dorsett and showed him postings on the internet that Pistotnik wanted removed, including a Kansas Supreme Court disciplinary opinion for Pistotnik and a negative consumer review. Email communications between Dorsett and Pistotnik showed Postnik saying, “Any luck removing that bad website I showed you?” and “tell me how we get rid of it.”
Dorsett sent a barrage of emails to two web sites, leagle.com and RipoffReport.com demanding they remove information critical of Pistotnik. The emails read in part, “If you don’t remove it we will begin targeting your advertisers and explain that this will stop happening to them once they pull their ads…” Dorsett billed Pistotnik for sending the threats and Pistotnik paid him by check the same day.
Co-defendant Pistotnik was sentenced last week to pay a $375,000 fine and $55,200 in restitution.
Dorsett’s sentencing is set for Jan. 6. He faces a penalty of up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Colorado to Receive over $1 Million in Grants to Address School ViolenceRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that the Department of Justice has awarded over $1 million in grants – one to the State of Colorado and the other to the Hayden (Craig, Colorado) School District, to address school violence. The awards come as part of the Department’s larger announcement that it had awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.
“The Department of Justice continues to recognize the importance of providing funds to proactively address school shootings,” said U.S. Attorney Dunn. “Students should feel safe in their school and in their classrooms. This grant is an important step to making sure they feel safe and are safe.”
“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”
In Colorado, two agencies received grant money:
- Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management received $999,987 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) program called STOP School Violence which would directly help schools by providing school administrators, staff, students and first responders with the ability to use threat assessments, crisis intervention teams, and anonymous reporting technology.
- Hayden School District RE1 (West of Craig) received $43,868 from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) for School Violence Prevention
President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:
- Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
- Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
- Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
- Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
- Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
- Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
- Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management received $999,987 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) program called STOP School Violence which would directly help schools by providing school administrators, staff, students and first responders with the ability to use threat assessments, crisis intervention teams, and anonymous reporting technology.
Chinese National Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Counterfeit iPhones from Hong KongRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Quan Jiang, 30, a Chinese national and former engineering student at Linn Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon, was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for trafficking fake and altered Apple iPhones.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2016, and February 1, 2018, Jiang would regularly receive packages containing between 20 and 30 counterfeit iPhones from associates in Hong Kong. Using various assumed names, Jiang would submit each iPhone to Apple in person or online for a warranty replacement; he would then ship the genuine replacement devices he received back to China for resale. In exchange for his service, Jiang’s associate would pay Jiang’s mother, also residing in China, who would in turn deposit the money into Jiang’s bank account.
Jiang’s scheme first came to the attention of law enforcement on April 20, 2017, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a shipment of 28 iPhone 6 devices en route to Jiang in Corvallis, Oregon. Later, on October 23, 2017, CBP seized a similar shipment of 25 iPhone 7 Plus devices addressed to Jiang. In both instances, CBP sent Jiang a notice of seizure, indicating that Apple representatives had confirmed the phones were counterfeit. Nevertheless, three more shipments—each with 29 iPhones—were seized by CBP in November 2017.
Jiang later admitted to investigators that he knew the devices were counterfeit and that it was illegal to submit them to Apple as genuine products still under warranty. In just over two years, Jiang imported more than 2,000 inoperable counterfeit iPhones. He ultimately obtained approximately 1,500 genuine replacement iPhones, each with an approximate resale value of $600.
On April 25, 2018, Jiang pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Catonsville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Sexual Exploitation of Children and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Bilal Mohammad Siddiqui, age 22, of Catonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on October 18, 2019 to federal charges of sexual exploitation of children and cyberstalking.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, between April 2017 and August 2018, Siddiqui used the Internet-based communication services LiveMe, Snapchat, Kik, and FaceTime to coerce at least six minor females, ages 8 to 14, into creating and sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Siddiqui also attempted to sexually extort one of those victims, a sixth-grader. When she refused to produce additional sexually explicit videos of herself, he sent images and videos that she had previously shared with him to her sixth-grade classmates and friends.
Prior to September 2017, Siddiqui created an account on LiveMe, a mobile application that allowed users to stream live video over the internet and simultaneously chat with viewers. Siddiqui’s account included an anonymous username and a photograph of a young boy as his profile picture, so that other users would not realize he was an adult male. One of the users misled by Siddiqui was Jane Doe 1, an 8-year-old female.
On September 28, 2017, Jane Doe 1 was using LiveMe to broadcast a video of herself exercising in her pajamas. Siddiqui was among several LiveMe users watching the broadcast. When a number of those viewers asked Jane Doe 1 to show them her underwear, she refused, and eventually terminated the broadcast. Not long after, however, Jane Doe 1 began streaming a new LiveMe broadcast, and a number of her earlier broadcast viewers—including Siddiqui—followed her to the new broadcast. During the new broadcast, Jane Doe 1 told her viewers that she was 13 years old. Again, they enticed her to undress and expose herself. While she initially refused their requests, Jane Doe 1 eventually did what Siddiqui and other viewers asked, undressing and exposing her genitals to the camera.
Toward the end of Jane Doe 1’s broadcast, Siddiqui persuaded her to end her live stream and to contact him privately. They communicated via FaceTime, and during these video chats, Jane Doe 1 again told Siddiqui that she was 13 years old. He nonetheless instructed her to remove her shirt, pants, and underwear, then instructed Jane Doe 1 to use a marker to write “B-1-L-A-L”—his first name—on her skin next to her genitalia. He also instructed her to send him pictures of herself and her genitalia via text message. She complied with his instruction and sent Siddiqui at least one picture of herself.
After viewers of Jane Doe 1’s LiveMe broadcast reported the public conduct described above to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, law enforcement identified Siddiqui as the person who persuaded Jane Doe 1 to chat privately and obtained a search warrant for his residence. On September 5, 2018, officers executed the search warrant and located the cellphone that Siddiqui used to communicate with Jane Doe 1.
Siddiqui was present during the search, waived his Miranda rights, and voluntarily agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement. He admitted that the phone was his, that it was passcode-protected, that he had used LiveMe on the phone, and that he created the fake LiveMe profile using a photograph of a former classmate to disguise his identity. He admitted that he used his fake LiveMe account to communicate with Jane Doe 1, and later admitted—after initially denying—that he communicated privately with Jane Doe 1 through FaceTime, including instructing her to write his name next to her genitalia, and that he instructed her to send him nude images of herself via text message, believing Jane Doe 1 was 13 years old.
While Siddiqui was being interviewed, law enforcement conducted an on-scene forensic review of the phone and discovered evidence that he had also sexually exploited Jane Doe 2, a 9-year-old female. When officers asked Siddiqui about Jane Doe 2, he admitted that he created videos of her and estimated that there were ten videos of Jane Doe 2 engaging in sexually explicit conduct saved on his phone. Siddiqui explained that he began communicating with Jane Doe 2 in August 2018 using Snapchat, and continued as recently as September 3, 2018—two days before the search warrant execution. He explained that he captured the videos depicting this conduct by using his phone’s screen recording function, and that he believed Jane Doe 2 was 11 or 12 years old.
Finally, law enforcement asked Siddiqui whether he had engaged in similar conduct with any other children using mobile applications. He responded that he caused more than 10 but fewer than 50 minor females to do sexual things on video and that he derived sexual gratification from it.
Following Siddiqui’s interview, law enforcement sought and obtained records associated with online accounts controlled and used by Siddiqui. Those records showed that Siddiqui had coerced Jane Doe 4, an 11-year-old sixth-grader, into producing and sending him a nude image and nude videos of herself. Siddiqui began communicating with Jane Doe 4 on September 15, 2017, and told her that he was 15 years old and lived in her town. Within days, he had convinced Jane Doe 4 that they were in a relationship, and she revealed the name of the middle school that she was attending.
On October 4, 2017, however, Siddiqui began demanding that Jane Doe 4 send him sexually explicit images of her genitals, and threatened to send one of the videos of Jane Doe 4 to her classmates, friends, and family if she did not produce and send further videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Siddiqui specifically told Jane Doe 4, “Don’t play games with me .... I’ll expose u [right now] and ruin your life.” Jane Doe 4 begged him not to follow through on his threats and sent him additional explicit videos. After she sent the videos, Siddiqui told Jane Doe 4 that it was “too late” because he had already sent them to her friends.
On October 7, 2017, Jane Doe 4 tried to end her relationship with Siddiqui through a conversation on Snapchat. Siddiqui reacted to Jane Doe 4’s attempt by demanding that she immediately produce videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. After she refused, Siddiqui sent one image and two videos—all of which depicted Jane Doe 4 nude—to two unidentified Snapchat users. On October 12, 2017, a classmate of Jane Doe 4 alerted her middle school guidance counselor that images of Jane Doe 4 were being circulated. School administrators conducted a brief investigation to ensure the images had been deleted but did not contact law enforcement.
Electronic evidence further revealed that, between April 2017 and September 2018, Siddiqui used Snapchat and Kik to entice three additional minors, an 11-year-old, a 12-year-old, and a 14-year-old, to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos. In each instance, he lied about his real age to persuade these minors to send him such materials.
Siddiqui and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, he will be sentenced to between 15 and 30 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for January 24, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the case.
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California Resident Sentenced to Prison for Selling Fraudulent Financial Instruments and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Kenneth Taylor, a California resident, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $90,000 in victim restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and $1,100,774 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter. The Honorable Jon S. Tigar, United States District Court Judge, imposed the sentence.
On March 1, 2019, Taylor pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return and to conspiring with codefendants Sharon Ringgenberg and Craig Scott to commit wire fraud. Taylor admitted that from 2009 through 2012, he conspired with his codefendants to sell to customers fraudulent standby letters of credit and proof of funds statements for submission to banks. These financial instruments were fraudulent because they reported false client creditworthiness and client balances that exceeded Success Bullion USA, LLC’s (SBUSA) assets.
The fraudulent financial instruments were issued by SBUSA, an entity for which Taylor established a website, and which falsely purported to be an authorized U.S. subsidiary of a large Hong Kong financial institution. The fraudulent financial instruments were transmitted to banks by Centerlink LLC, another entity Taylor controlled, in a format that rendered the instruments unenforceable. Taylor sent proceeds he received through SBUSA and Centerlink to an account in Belize that he controlled. Taylor admitted that he received more than $3 million from the scheme, and that his false returns caused a tax loss of more than $550,000.
Taylor’s co-conspirators, Ringgenberg and Scott, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and are scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 6, 2019.
In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Tigar also sentenced Taylor to three years of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorney Colin Sampson and Tax Division Trial Attorney Charles A. O’Reilly are prosecuting the case. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
California Man Sentenced to more than 15 Years for 16 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A California man arrested in Kansas with 16 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Edgar Santiago, 31, Adelanto, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped his car near Liberal in Seward County. In the side quarter panels of the trunk, troopers found 16 pounds of methamphetamine. Accompanying him in the car were his 5-year-old daughter his wife. His wife also has been charged.
McAllister commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst for their work on the case.
Buffalo Woman Going to Prison for Structuring Financial TransactionsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Chanetel Garnett, 33, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of structuring transactions, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that between August 8, 2016, and September 6, 2017, the defendant failed properly to report the deposit of more than $100,000 in a 12-month period into numerous Bank of America accounts. Over the 12 months, Garnett traveled to multiple Bank of America branch locations in the Buffalo area and made 165 cash deposits totaling $1,313,270. The defendant conducted as many as eight transactions at separate Bank of America branches in a single day. Garnett did so in order to evade reporting requirements regarding cash deposits in amounts of $10,000 or more.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
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Buffalo Man Indicted for Being A Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Shelby Holcomb, 31, of Buffalo, NY, with being a felon in possession of ammunition. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on June 12, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and recovered, among other things, 119 rounds of various caliber ammunition.
Holcomb was previously convicted of Robbery in Erie County Court in May 2007, and as a result, he is legally prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; and the New York State Department of Parole.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Brockton Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in federal court in Boston for heroin trafficking.
Ozair Pereira, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2019, Pereira pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
During an investigation in the fall of 2018, agents intercepted telephone calls between Djuna Goncalves and multiple individuals, including Pereira, which revealed that Goncalves allegedly worked with others to distribute large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana from a base of operations at 12 Addison Avenue in Brockton. During the intercepted calls, Pereira ordered heroin from Goncalves, and agents observed Goncalves deliver the drugs to Pereira in Brockton.
Periera was indicted, along with Goncalves, and eight other defendants on Dec. 12, 2018, in a wide ranging drug conspiracy. Periera is the second defendant in this case to be sentenced.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintended of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief John Crowley; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea Porter of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Bridgeport Woman Sentenced for Distributing Heroin and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Derrica Pitts, 25, of Bridgeport, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison by Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp for possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. In addition to her prison term, Pitts will serve three years of supervised release following her release from prison.
On February 27, 2019, law enforcement set up a purchase of an ounce of heroin and an ounce of methamphetamine in Sidney, Nebraska, with Pitts. She agreed to sell the heroin and methamphetamine for $1,350 and was then arrested.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Christopher Lovelace, a/k/a Fat Chris, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As part of his guilty plea, Lovelace admitted to possessing fentanyl, as well as the gun.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “All too often, guns and drugs go hand in hand—and both are killers. Along with our local, state, and federal partners, we are committed to getting both off of our streets and to reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods. Christopher Lovelace brought both a gun and fentanyl to our streets, and now faces the reality of six years spent in a federal prison with no suspended sentences and no parole––ever.”
According to Lovelace’s plea agreement, on August 25, 2018, a Baltimore Police Officer was observing the 600 block of East 38th Street in northern Baltimore. The officer saw a woman walk up to the intersection of East 38th Street and Old York Road, and hand money to Lovelace. Lovelace then walked away from the woman, towards a dark-colored GMC Yukon, and retrieved something from the front of the car. He walked back towards the woman, and handed something to her. The officer recognized this exchange as a drug transaction, and called in other officers to arrest Lovelace, the woman, and to secure any relevant evidence.
After Lovelace was placed under arrest, officers found U.S. currency, gelcaps containing a white powdery substance, and the keys to the GMC Yukon on his person. During the search of the GMC Yukon, they found a loaded pistol and a clear plastic bag that contained gelcaps containing a white powdery substance, matching the ones found on Lovelace’s person.
Laboratory tests revealed that the gelcaps found on Lovelace during the search contained fentanyl.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Loveland and Sandra Wilkinson, who are prosecuting the case.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Possession of FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Devron Lasha Young, Jr., age 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute approximately 75 grams of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl—enough to kill 37,500 people. Young was charged in federal court as part of a federal-state initiative announced in December 2018 to combat the fentanyl crisis in Maryland.
Under this new initiative, titled the “Synthetic Opioid Surge,” or “SOS” for short, every arrest involving distribution of fentanyl made by law enforcement in Baltimore is reviewed jointly by the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether the case will be handled in the state or federal system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute more cases involving fentanyl as a result of this new program. The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, is necessary to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of fentanyl.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“Local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in Baltimore City are teaming up to arrest and prosecute those who peddle the deadly poison of fentanyl on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “As a result of our combined efforts, Devron Young now faces federal prison time, where there are no suspended sentences and no parole, ever. We must do everything we can to reduce overdose deaths from this drug and from all opioids.”
According to his guilty plea, on February 22, 2019, Young hailed an illegal taxi at the intersection of North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue in northwest Baltimore, the location of an openair drug market. Young offered the driver $10 to drive him a few blocks away, wait while he went into a building, and drive him back to the corner of North and Pennsylvania. Shortly after Young entered the vehicle, a Baltimore police officer stopped the car for a traffic violation. The officer asked the driver and Young where they were going. Young answered that the driver was a friend from school and that she was giving him a ride home. Neither statement was true.
When the officer asked the driver for her license and registration, she stated that they were in her wallet, which was located in a bag behind the driver’s seat. With the officer’s permission, she retrieved the bag. The officer saw that, aside from the driver’s wallet and some personal items, the bag contained only children’s diapers. The driver then returned the bag to the rear driver-side floor.
The driver produced a learner’s permit, but Young was unable to provide any form of identification. Young provided his personal information to the officer, who then advised Young and the driver that he was going to tow the vehicle because it was unregistered and uninsured. The officer returned to his vehicle to run law enforcement database inquiries on the driver and Young.
While the officer was in his patrol car, he observed Young reaching toward the rear passenger floor. The officer walked back to the vehicle and asked the driver to step out. He asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, and the driver told him there was not, then consented without hesitation to a search of the vehicle.
While the driver stayed outside the vehicle, the officer radioed for backup, and returned to the car to speak with Young. The officer asked Young if he had anything illegal on his person, which Young denied. Young then agreed to the officer’s request to perform a protective pat-down outside the vehicle. However, when the officer opened the door, Young tried to run away. Before Young could escape, the officer grabbed Young and placed Young under arrest.
Once Young was in custody, the officer searched the vehicle. He discovered that the bag had been moved to the middle of the vehicle’s back row. The officer seized the bag and noticed that, on top of the diapers, there was now a brown plastic bag that had not been there before. The brown plastic bag contained 30 separate packs holding a total of 752 capsules. The BPD Laboratory Section subsequently analyzed the capsules and determined that each contained both fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.
Young and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Young will be sentenced to five years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for January 17, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and her office for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who is prosecuting the case.
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Atlanta Woman Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to File False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
An Atlanta, Georgia, woman was sentenced today to 56 months in prison for her role in a scheme to file false federal tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Byung J. Pak for the Northern District of Georgia.
According to documents and information provided to the Court, between January 2010 and April 2014, Tiffany Lewis and her co-conspirators filed more than 5,000 false federal tax returns, many of which used stolen personal identifiable information. In total, Lewis was responsible for filing returns that claimed more than $11.9 million, and which caused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to issue more than $3.7 million in fraudulent refunds.
After directing the fraudulent refunds into bank accounts they controlled, Lewis and her co-conspirators used checks and debit cards to withdraw cash or pay personal expenses. Later, when Lewis was interviewed by a Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Lewis lied about her involvement in the fraud scheme.
"Identity thieves have figured out that if they can steal Social Security numbers, they can file false returns with us," said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigations, Atlanta Field Office. “Stealing identities and filing false tax returns is a serious crime that hurts innocent taxpayers. Today’s sentence should serve as a strong warning to those who are considering similar conduct. Law enforcement is serious about investigating these crimes and holding to account those who would defraud the government.”
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones ordered Lewis to serve a term of three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the United States in the amount of $3,799,991.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Pak commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys David B. Zisserson and Sean Beaty of the Tax Division, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Brown, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Armenian National Pleads Guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court for His Role in Visa Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Hrachya Atoyan pleaded guilty to conspiring with the operator of a Queens-based non-profit organization, Big Apple Music Awards Foundation Inc. (BAMA), to bring Armenian nationals illegally into the United States, and to committing visa fraud. The guilty plea was entered before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Todd J. Brown, Director, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), announced the guilty plea.
“Atoyan’s guilty plea brings down the curtain on an elaborate visa fraud scheme to falsely portray applicants as artists and entertainers in order to circumvent our country’s P-3 visa program,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.
“Exploiting the P-3 non-immigrant visa classification system for culturally unique artist and entertainers makes a mockery out of the legitimate performers for whom that visa was intended,” stated Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “We will work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners to rid the system of fraudsters, like Mr. Atoyan and his co-conspirators, who seek to take advantage of and profit from our immigration system.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service builds strong teams overseas and in the United States to protect the integrity of all U.S. visas and travel documents -- especially those, like the P-3 visa, which allow for entertainers to visit the United States to perform in culturally unique events and deepen our understanding of different cultures,” stated DSS Director Brown. “DSS values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.”
Between January 2013 and December 2014, Atoyan and Stella Boyadjian, the operator of BAMA, engaged in a widespread visa fraud scheme to bring foreign nationals illegally into the United States by falsely representing to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that they were members of a traditional Armenian performance group and thus qualified for P-3 visas as “culturally unique” artists or entertainers.
In furtherance of the scheme, the conspirators solicited foreign nationals and, in exchange for fees of up to $10,000, prepared and filed fraudulent P-3 visa applications. The conspirators acquired fraudulent documentation to support the applications, including fake dance certificates and staged photo sessions where the foreign nationals wore Armenian dance costumes to make it appear as though they were traditional Armenian musicians, singers and performers.
When sentenced, Atoyan faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Boyadjian pleaded guilty to conspiring to bring aliens unlawfully into the United States, visa fraud and aggravated identity theft in March 2019, and also awaits sentencing.
This case was investigated by the DSS Criminal Fraud Investigations and Overseas Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security, Center Fraud Detection Operations, Vermont.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Gopstein and Trial Attorney Sasha N. Rutizer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The Defendant:
HRACHYA ATOYAN
Age: 32
Glendale, CaliforniaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-57 (MKB)
Armenian Citizen Pleads Guilty for His Role in For-Profit U.S. Visa Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A man residing in Glendale, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to unlawfully bring in aliens and visa fraud for his role in a multi-year visa fraud scheme that brought Armenian citizens into the United States for profit.
Hrachya Atoyan, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara in the Eastern District of New York. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie. According to the indictment, Atoyan allegedly participated in a transnational network of co-conspirators who engaged in a widespread visa fraud scheme to bring Armenian citizens into the United States by fraudulently claiming to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the Armenians were members of performance groups, and thus qualified for P-3 “Culturally Unique Artist” visas.
“Exploiting the P-3 non-immigrant visa classification system for culturally unique artist and entertainers makes a mockery out of the legitimate performers for whom that visa was intended,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners to rid the system of fraudsters, like Mr. Atoyan and his co-conspirators, who seek to take advantage of and profit from our immigration system.”
“Atoyan’s guilty plea brings down the curtain on an elaborate visa fraud scheme to falsely portray applicants as artists and entertainers in order to circumvent our country’s P-3 visa program,” said U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York.
“The Diplomatic Security Service builds strong teams overseas and in the United States to protect the integrity of all U.S. visas and travel documents – especially those, like the P-3 visa, which allow for entertainers to visit the United States to perform in culturally unique events and deepen our understanding of different cultures,” said Todd J. Brown, Director of the Diplomatic Security Service. “DSS values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.”
“The elaborate scheme devised in this case demonstrates just how far criminals will go to cheat our already generous immigration system,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. “This transnational criminal conspiracy was taken down thanks to the hard work of officers with USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security directorate and our valued law enforcement partners. Thank you for bringing these perpetrators to justice.”
The P-3 nonimmigrant visa classification allows foreign nationals to temporarily travel to the United States to perform, teach or coach as artists or entertainers, under a program that is culturally unique. A U.S. employer or sponsoring organization is required to submit a USCIS Form I-129 Petition for a Non-Immigrant Worker, along with supporting documentation, attesting that the performances in the United States are culturally unique.
In February 2018, Stella Boyadjian of Rego Park, New York; Atoyan; and Diana Grigoryan, aka “Dina Akopovna,” 42, of the Republic of Armenia were charged in a 15-count indictment with visa fraud and with conspiracy to: defraud the United States, commit visa fraud, and illegally bring aliens into the United States. Boyadjian and Grigoryan were also charged with related money laundering charges, and Boyadjian was charged with aggravated identity theft. Boyadjian previously pleaded guilty on March 4, 2019 in the Eastern District of New York.
As alleged in the indictment, Boyadjian ran a non-profit organization called Big Apple Music Awards Foundation (BAMA) based in Rego Park, New York. Boyadjian used the Big Apple Music Awards Foundation as well as formal and informal music industry contacts in the United States and Armenia to perpetuate the scheme. Atoyan, Boyadjian, and others solicited Armenian citizens who wanted to come to the United States and charged them between $3,000 and $10,000 to be included on the Form I-129 Petitions. Boyadjian and other associates in Armenia then acquired fraudulent performer certificates and organized staged photo sessions where the aliens wore traditional Armenian folk outfits to make it appear as though they were traditional Armenian performers. After being trained how to defeat U.S. visa interviews, the individual aliens presented these certificates and photos to U.S. consular officers during their visa interviews. Once the Armenians entered the United States, some would pay Boyadjian and her associates additional money to be included in another fraudulent petition asking for P-3 visa extensions. As alleged in the indictment, Atoyan himself came to the United States on a P-3 visa obtained in connection with a Form I-129 submitted by BAMA.
This case was a joint investigation by the DSS’s Criminal Fraud Investigations and Overseas Criminal Investigations Division with assistance from the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security, Center Fraud Detection Operations - Vermont. Trial Attorney Sasha N. Rutizer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gopstein of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Announcement by U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn on the Charging of Former Westminster Police Officer Curtis ArganbrightRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced today that former Westminster Police Officer Curtis Arganbright has been charged with violating a woman’s civil rights by having nonconsensual sex with her while she was in his police custody. Arganbright was convicted by the State of Colorado in 2018 based on the same incident. He ultimately pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and official misconduct and was sentenced to 90 days in county jail. He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted of the new federal charge.
The federal investigation was conducted by the Denver Field Office of the FBI. Arganbright was charged by Information in U.S. District Court in Denver. He appeared at today’s hearing and waived his right to indictment. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
The charge contained in the Information is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Saturday 19 October 2019
Colombian Dentist Arrested for Illegally Practicing His Profession in Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States Magistrate Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé authorized a complaint charging Juan Carlos Pérez-Camacho, 43, a Colombian national for offering dental services without a license to practice dentistry in the U.S. Pérez-Camacho was arrested in Carolina for misusing his visa to perform dentistry work, as well as causing the prescription drug Xylocaine to be misbranded as he was not a practitioner licensed to practice medicine in Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS), U.S. and Customs and Border Protection (CPB), and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), working under the Caribbean Anti-Money Laundering Alliance (CMLA), conducted the investigation the spurred the arrest of Pérez-Camacho.
According to the criminal complaint Pérez-Camacho, a national of Colombia, has been illegally practicing dentistry in Puerto Rico since approximately 2018. The charging document also alleges that he provided cosmetic dental services to multiple patients as an unlicensed individual and that he violated the terms of his non-immigrant visa for illegally working in the U.S.
Pérez-Camacho was charged with violations to Title 18, United States Code (USC), sections 1001 (false statements) and 1546 (fraud and misuse of visa, permits, and other documents; and Title 21, USC, Section 331(k), 352(f)(1), 353(b)(1), and 333 (a)(1) and (2), misbranding.
Special Litigation Counsel José Ruiz-Santiago is in charge of the prosecution of the case. The defendant was transferred to Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting the outcome of his case.
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Friday 18 October 2019
Wetzel County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Wesley A. Ebbert, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, has admitted to selling drugs near a playground, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Ebbert, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine in Proximity to a Protected Location.” Ebbert admitted to selling methamphetamine near Bruce Park playground in Wetzel County in May 2019.
Ebbert faces up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. 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 Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Two Felons Plead Guilty to Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two felons pled guilty to federal gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Both men pled guilty to being felons in possession of a firearm.
Kevin Washington, 49, of St. Albans, admitted that on September 17, 2017, an officer with the St. Albans Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle he was operating. At the time of the stop, Washington possessed a 9mm Taurus pistol in the seatback pocket of the vehicle. Washington knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearms due to his 1993 burglary conviction in Virginia. He has not had his rights to possess firearms restored. Washington faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on January 22, 2020. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Albans Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.
David Moore, 40, of Beckley, admitted that on April 1, 2017, a Raleigh County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled him over near the Beckley by-pass. At the time of the stop, the officer saw a firearm in the back seat area of Moore’s car. Moore admitted to the deputy that he possessed the Sig Sauer P522, .22 caliber semi-automatic firearm found in the car. Moore further admitted that he knew it was illegal for him to possess a firearm because he was a convicted felon and was not supposed to possess any firearms. Moore faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on February 13, 2020. The ATF and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Two East Tennessee Doctors Plead Guilty to Opioid OffensesRead the Press Release
Two Tennessee doctors each pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Doug Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
Samuel Mcgaha, M.D., of Sevierville, Tennessee, and Frank McNiel, M.D., of Knoxville, Tennessee, each pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. The charges stem from Mcgaha’s and McNiel’s roles in prescribing high doses of opioids with no medical legitimacy – McNiel from his home. From 2015 until March 2018, Mcgaha and McNiel prescribed 212,226 and 59,712 opioid pills, respectively. During this period, Mcgaha admittedly wrote opioid prescriptions that exceeded Centers for Disease Control guidelines and prescribed opioids even when patients tested positive for non-prescribed prescriptions and illicit substances. McNiel admittedly wrote opioid prescriptions without evaluating patients and without obtaining medical records that would have justified the prescription of opioids. Sentencing has been scheduled for March 26, 2020, before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Louis Manzo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Svolto of the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
Two CEOs of Wholesale Pharmaceutical Companies and Two Owners of Bank Accounts Used for Money Laundering Indicted in Alleged Prescription Diversion SchemeRead the Press Release
Joshua Ryan Joles, the CEO of LLC Wholesale Supply, LLC, Mohammad Mehdi Salemi, the CEO of Wholesalers Group, Inc. and Wholesalers Group, LLC, and bank account holders Angel Caminero Alvarez and Leonides Herrera were indicted on charges of money laundering, committing violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and mail fraud, related to their alleged participation in a scheme to sell diverted pharmaceuticals to unwitting pharmacies and consumers.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida stated, “The allegations set forth in this scheme strike at the peace of mind we should all feel when we buy prescription drugs from a pharmacy. We all expect and should rest assured knowing that the drugs we are buying are safe, effective, and properly stored and handled. Today and whenever necessary, we will continue to strike back at those who seek to profit by robbing the public of that peace of mind through brazen, criminal schemes.”
According to the indictment, Joles and Salemi are alleged to have purchased and distributed millions of dollars in diverted pharmaceuticals, which are prescription drugs illegally trafficked in a secondary or underground market (Case No. 19-20674-CR-Gayles). The indictment explains that the diverted pharmaceuticals are not controlled substances, but rather, high priced medical drugs used to treat such conditions as mental illness, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and cancer. They are branded drugs, produced by the original pharmaceutical developers as opposed to lower-priced generic drugs, but are acquired unlawfully -- through fraud, pharmacy burglaries, and cargo thefts.
Joles and Salemi are alleged to have acquired such drugs in large quantities, at a cost well-below normal wholesale prices, and then introduced the diverted drugs back into the legitimate marketplace. The indictment further alleges that, because the pharmaceutical distribution system is regulated, to get diverted drugs back into the market, the diverters must, among other things, establish seemingly legitimate wholesale companies and bank accounts, produce fraudulent paperwork, and professionally package and ship the medicines to their pharmacy customers. Joles and Salemi are alleged to have produced or caused the production of fraudulent paperwork, including falsified pedigrees, which are documents that identify the products and batch numbers of pharmaceuticals, describe their dates of manufacture and origin, indicate who purchased them, show when and where they were shipped, how they were purchased, and other information needed to trace them through the marketing chain. Utilizing these false pedigrees, Joles and Salemi allegedly sold or caused the sale of these diverted pharmaceuticals to unsuspecting pharmacies and their patients.
Additionally, Joles and Salemi, with the assistance of Alvarez and Herrera, are alleged to have laundered money as part of this scheme, including conducting financial transactions to promote the carrying on of the scheme and to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the money.
“This investigation into a South Florida based drug diversion group spanned the entire country, from California to Puerto Rico,” said George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “It is truly an example of multiple federal and state agencies working together with private industry to take out of circulation thousands of bottles of potentially dangerous drugs, and also disrupt a money laundering scheme that moved millions of dollars a month through South Florida.”
“U.S. consumers are put at risk when prescription drugs are diverted from the FDA-regulated supply chain and then returned clandestinely for distribution to the public, as there is no longer any assurance that the products are safe and effective for their intended uses,” said Justin D. Green, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations’ (FDA-OCI) Miami Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who put the public health at risk.”
Herrera was arrested this morning and will have his initial appearance Monday afternoon, Oct. 21, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes. Joles and Salemi will have their initial appearances on later dates. Alvarez remains a fugitive.
The prosecution was part of Operation Southern Hospitality, one of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking and money laundering enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and FDA-OCI. She also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of California, the District of Arizona, and the Western District of Washington, the FBI’s Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle Field Offices, the U.S. Marshal’s Service in Miami, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution in Fort Lauderdale, and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their invaluable assistance.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Tamen and Walter M. Norkin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of this matter.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Trumbull County man indicted for claiming he led charity that did not exist and soliciting gifts for service members that he kept for himselfRead the Press Release
A Hubbard man was indicted in federal court for allegedly falsely representing he was the leader of a military booster club that did not exist and soliciting gifts from businesses, some of which he kept for himself.
Timothy McKenna, 58, was indicted on six counts of mail fraud.
“This man allegedly took advantage of the good will area businesses have toward the men and women who protect us and used it to enrich himself,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.
McKenna, from 2009 through November 4, 2017, mailed letters on Air Force letterhead soliciting donations from various businesses on behalf of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, 910th Operations Group Booster Club. The club did not exist, according to the indictment.
McKenna falsely represented that the gifts would be given away as prizes at a Christmas Ball to service members who had been deployed all year and provided vital support operations at the base. Instead, McKenna allegedly kept some of the gifts for himself, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique
to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Troy Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Varian, age 52, of Troy, New York, was sentenced on Wednesday to 121 months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted online enticement of a minor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Varian, a school bus driver, admitted that he attempted to entice an individual, whom he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, to have sex. After weeks of exchanging sexually explicit text messages with undercover law enforcement officers posing as the boy, Varian arranged to meet the boy at a fast food restaurant in Albany County, where Varian was arrested.
In sentencing Varian, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy specifically found that Varian had previously engaged in a pattern of activity involving prohibited sexual conduct. This included an incident where Varian had a sexual encounter with a minor boy in the public bathroom of an Albany County mall, which Varian admitted as part of his guilty plea.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Three Indicted for International Money Laundering Scheme Pairing Mexican Drug Traffickers and Chinese NationalsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced today the indictment of three people for their roles in a complex scheme to launder proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics by facilitating the transfer of bulk cash from Mexican drug trafficking organizations to Chinese nationals residing in the U.S.
Shefeng Su, 39, Xinhua Li Yan, 39, and Xiancong Su, 46, are each charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Shefeng Su and Li Yan were residents of Portland during the timeframe alleged in the indictment.
According to the indictment, the defendants’ money laundering scheme was designed to remedy two separate problems: drug trafficking organizations’ inability to repatriate drug proceeds into the Mexican banking system and wealthy Chinese nationals restricted by China’s capital flight laws from transferring large sums of money held in Chinese bank accounts for use abroad.
The first group, drug traffickers, are challenged by their inability to transport U.S. currency acquired from the sale of illegal narcotics in the U.S. to Mexico while avoiding detection by law enforcement and Mexican banking regulators. Mexico’s anti-money laundering regulations limit the amount of cash deposits of U.S. dollars that Mexican financial institutions can receive. As a result, drug trafficking organizations work with professional money launderers to bundle and sell bulk U.S. dollars in order to convert them to pesos, a more readily depositable currency in Mexico.
The second group, Chinese nationals living outside China, are challenged by China’s limit on the amount of personal funds that can be transferred out of Chinese bank accounts for use in a foreign country. Currently, China limits these transfers to $50,000 per year. As a result, some Chinese nationals have a need to acquire large quantities of U.S. dollars via other means.
The defendants’ scheme facilitated the transfer of cash between these two groups. Their money laundering organization would facilitate the transfer of funds from the buyer’s Chinese bank account to another Chinese bank account held by the money laundering organization. Once the Chinese renminbi (RMB) were transferred between these bank accounts, the funds were repatriated back to Mexico and converted to pesos to complete the money laundering cycle. This scheme has been described by some as the “Chinese Underground Banking System.”
All three defendants are at-large and believed to be outside the U.S.This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tarrant County Man Guilty of Child Coercion and Enticement ViolationRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A 47-year-old Saginaw, Texas man has been found guilty of attempted child coercion and enticement in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno today.
Adam Rene Rodriguez was found guilty by a jury today of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor following a trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
According to information presented at trial, on May 3, 2019, Rodriguez was arrested by members of the FBI Dallas Field Office and the Plano Police Department when he traveled to Plano to engage in sex acts with an individual he believed to be a 14-year old child.
During the 4-day trial, jurors heard that an undercover agent entered a sexually-oriented messaging group that was run by Rodriguez. Between April 10, 2019 and May 3, 2019, Rodriguez engaged in continuing messages with the undercover persona, even after being repeatedly advised of the persona's age. In the messages, Rodriguez (as username "Texasarod") repeatedly asked for photos of the child, sent the child sexually explicit material, and offered to "train" the child to engage in various sex acts. Evidence presented to the jury also included messages in which Rodriguez instructed the child on how to conceal her online activities and avoid detection by her parents. The exchanges culminated in a meeting on May 3, 2019, to which Rodriguez arrived in his personal vehicle and bringing condoms and sexual lubricant in order to engage in illegal sex acts with the child. Rodriguez testified on his own behalf, contending that he believed that he was communicating with an adult who was role playing or fantasizing about pretending to be a child.
“This is another example of the dangers that are out there online for children,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “Law enforcement will continue to be aggressive in deterring this behavior. Predators should know by now that we are online as well, and they will eventually be caught.”
Under federal statutes, Rodriguez faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Plano Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Miller and Lesley Brooks.
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Strangulation murder of woman sends Box Elder man to prison for more than 21 yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Box Elder man who admitted strangling a woman to death on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced this week to 21 years and four months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Gavin Tyrone Sutherland, 35, pleaded guilty in May to second degree murder.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the Oct. 17 hearing. Judge Morris also ordered Sutherland to pay $3,500 restitution.
“Violence against Native American women is all too common in our country and must stop. Those who harm these wives, mothers, sisters and daughters will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
The prosecution said in court records that Sutherland strangled the victim to death on July 7, 2018 at the victim’s home on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. Late in the evening on July 6, Sutherland arrived at the victim’s home. Two other adults and the victim’s two-year-old child were present in the residence. Sometime after midnight, the victim became upset over some money she thought had been stolen from her and she called Sutherland into her bedroom. A few minutes later, the two other adults heard the victim scream and other noises and thought that Sutherland was trying to rob her. The two adults got scared and ran to a neighbor’s house. The victim’s body was found shortly after the murder by the victim’s 12-year-old son, who arrived at the house after being away.
Sutherland told investigators he intentionally killed the victim by choking her and that he had fled the scene and the state after the murder.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Rocky Boy’s Criminal Investigations.
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Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Renata Cooper Delivers Testimony Before the D.C. Council on Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019Read the Press Release
Chairman Allen and Members of the Council:
Thank you for the opportunity to appear today, on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, to share the Office’s views regarding Bill 23-318, the Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019.
The issue regarding whether to decriminalize prostitution and related criminal statutes is not new. Indeed, lawmakers and human rights organizations across this country and the world have been considering this issue for some time. Thus, the United States Attorney’s Office, whose mission is to help ensure public safety, lauds the Council’s efforts to address this issue through a proposal for which the primary stated purpose is “to promote public health and safety.” However, given the strong interest of our Office and the U.S. Department of Justice in prosecuting sex trafficking and preventing the exploitation of vulnerable persons, we have serious concerns that full decriminalization of prostitution and related offenses would adversely affect the ability of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute sex traffickers and thereby adversely affect the public health and safety of some of the most vulnerable members of our community: sex trafficking survivors.
To understand why Bill 23-318 would make it more difficult to prosecute human trafficking, it is important to understand the difficulties of detecting human trafficking and obtaining sufficient evidence to charge and successfully prosecute the trafficker as well to understand how the trafficker’s influence on the victim thwarts law enforcement anti-trafficking efforts.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office aggressively investigates and prosecutes human traffickers. As the Chair of the D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force for the last 15 years, our prosecutors and advocates are highly skilled at working with trafficking victims, investigating these crimes, and prosecuting traffickers. Based on our experience, it is difficult to uncover evidence of human trafficking, primarily because most victims are extremely reluctant to cooperate in the government’s investigation of their trafficker. As a result, law enforcement must develop evidence of trafficking through other means, including initially investigating and prosecuting the potential trafficker for lesser offenses.
The control that traffickers exert over their victims is well known. Traffickers of both adults and children frequently employ extensive “grooming” techniques with the goal of making their victims dependent on the traffickers. These grooming techniques include, among other things, targeting vulnerable individuals (who may have a history of sexual abuse); seeking to create a relationship of dependency; punishing the victim for violating the rules of the trafficker; buying gifts for trafficking victims or employing other means to create the illusion of a friendship or caregiving role; and pitting one victim against another. Once the trafficker has created isolation and dependency, abuse will begin, often with a trafficker demanding that the victim engage in sex with others to obtain money to repay some debt allegedly owed to the trafficker. The trafficker’s goal is to maintain control of the victim, often through physical, sexual, and/or verbal abuse. Because of the control and dependency dynamic, victims may be loyal to their traffickers and abusers, and may be unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement, including being unwilling to provide information about the scope, manner, and means of the trafficker’s operation.
As introduced, the Bill would decriminalize the offense of procuring so long as “the arrangement involves no force, fraud, coercion, or any violation of the Prohibition Against Human Trafficking Amendment Act of 2010.” But as we have indicated, the government may rely on an array of offenses for its trafficking investigation, including relying on potential lesser charges as a basis to obtain search warrants for items yielding information regarding social media platforms used to perpetuate trafficking and information regarding locations where trafficking may occur.
In addition to affecting investigations and prosecutions of violent traffickers of adults, full decriminalization will affect child trafficking investigations and prosecutions. As with evidence of violent trafficking of adults, it is similarly extremely difficult to identify and locate child trafficking victims and to develop sufficient evidence to prosecute their traffickers successfully. Traffickers in children frequently do not promote their victims to potential buyers as children. Rather, traffickers often advertise these child victims as adults, and some buyers may even believe them to be adults. Law enforcement may have suspicions that a child is being trafficked, but may not have sufficient proof. In such scenarios, it is also common for law enforcement to rely on search warrants for offenses other than trafficking. This is because in order to obtain a search warrant, law enforcement must have probable cause to believe that a perpetrator has committed an offense, and at an early stage of an investigation, the evidence of child sex trafficking may not rise to that level. Such search warrants allow law enforcement to investigate the charge contemplated by the search warrant, as well as to conduct appropriate additional investigation to ascertain if the perpetrator is procuring a child, or if the perpetrator is involved in trafficking. The proposed Bill, therefore, would remove an anti-trafficking law enforcement tool.
The Bill as introduced would decriminalize both the sale and purchase of sex, which likely will increase the demand for commercial sex in the District of Columbia. If the purchasers of sex can go unpunished and unchecked, the sex marketplace will grow, as will its profits – thereby making the District of Columbia more attractive to traffickers looking to exploit the newly created market. To support the higher demand, traffickers will need to acquire more supply and exploit new victims. To meet that demand, traffickers will likely recruit children and adults by use of force, fraud, and coercion. Further, some victims of sex trafficking report that the buyers of sex can be just as violent and cruel as traffickers. Normalizing the purchase of sex will convey the message that the purchase of sex is acceptable in the District and embolden sex buyers.
Other jurisdictions’ experiences with the decriminalization of prostitution counsel against the approach in the Bill as introduced. There has been discussion of an alternative approach, often called the “Nordic model,” in which the sale, but not the purchase, of sex would be decriminalized. The theory underpinning this approach is that individuals have a right to sell their own body, but no right to exploit someone else’s body. Although the U.S. Attorney’s Office believes that the Nordic model is preferable to full decriminalization, we have concerns about the practical impact of that model as well. If the sale of sex is decriminalized, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is concerned that more individuals who want to engage in commercial sex will come to the District, which will increase the demand for commercial sex here. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is concerned that as both supply and demand for commercial sex grow, trafficking will increase steadily as well. Traffickers will continue to seek out vulnerable individuals and recruit them, and the more people engage in commercial sex work in the District, the more individuals traffickers will recruit. Again, reducing the demand for the purchase of sex is essential to any strategy to prevent sex trafficking.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is concerned foremost about public safety and the wellbeing of all individuals in our community. We believe that this Bill will undermine public safety, and will significantly impede our ability to investigate and prosecute those who traffic vulnerable members of our community. We appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Committee, and look forward to working with the Committee, and the various stakeholders who have appeared here today, as we continue to discuss this important issue of public safety in the District.
South Florida Resident Pleads Guilty to Selling Firearms to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, the ELNRead the Press Release
MIAMI - A South Florida resident pled guilty today to illegally selling firearms to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and a violent paramilitary group operating in South America.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI’s Miami Field Office, Diane J. Sabatino, Director, Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office announced that Francisco Joseph Arcila Ramirez (Arcila), a Colombian national, pled guilty to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B(a)(1).
According to court records, on August 16, 2018, Arcila instructed two co-conspirators to illegally purchase six firearms in Miami-Dade County on Arcila’s behalf. These firearms included four Draco 7.62mm caliber AK-style pistols and two Zastava M92 7.62mm AK-style pistols. The firearms were then concealed in Husky air-compressors purchased by Arcila at a Miami-area Home Depot and shipped to Barranquilla, Colombia. This shipment also contained approximately one hundred AK-47 ammunition magazines.
On Sept. 5, 2018, Arcila attended a meeting in Colombia, where he met with an ELN weapons broker to discuss the sale of the six firearms Arcila had recently shipped into Colombia. In addition to agreeing to the sale of these six firearms, Arcila and the weapons broker further discussed other future sales, to include firearm magazines and firearm components in the coming months. At the conclusion of this meeting, the weapons broker provided approximately sixty million Colombian pesos as the purchase price for the firearms.
Arcila is scheduled to be sentenced in Miami by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez on Dec. 19, 2019 at 1:45 p.m. (Case No. 19CR20036). Arcila faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison, a lifetime term of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of FBI, CBP, ATF and ICE-HSI. This case is being prosecuted by Southern District of Florida Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy A. Hummel and Michael R. Sherwin, and by DOJ Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney David Smith.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Slidell Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NATHANIEL LOUIS, age 45, of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 17, 2019 before the Honorable Carl J. Barbier for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
According to the court records, LOUIS had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and to possession with the intent to distribute heroin. The case resulted from a lengthy Title III wire intercept investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in which LOUIS and his co-conspirators were captured discussing heroin sales, making sales, and arranging to pay back heroin sources of supply in Chicago. A search warrant at LOUIS’s apartment led to the seizure of approximately ¼ kilogram of heroin.
Judge Barbier sentenced LOUIS to 50 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, where federal probation officers will monitor his behavior.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty October 16, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.
Stephanie Holbrook, age 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Holbrook admitted that from about September 2018 through April 2019, she and others conspired to distribute more than three pounds of methamphetamine in the Woodbury County, Iowa area. On four separate occasions Holbrook, with the aid of another co-conspirator, distributed nearly one pound of pure methamphetamine (in total) to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Then on April 17, 2019, after a co-conspirator helped arrange for a methamphetamine transaction, Holbrook was caught with nearly a half pound of pure methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Holbrook will remain in custody pending sentencing. Holbrook faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4029.
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Serial Sex Offender Sentenced in Alaska and Florida to Serve a Total of 43 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced the sentencing of a Maryland registered sex-offender charged in Alaska federal court for attempted production of child pornography involving a minor victim in Anchorage.
William Patrick King, 37, was indicted in Alaska on July 19, 2017, and arraigned on Nov. 14, 2018. After being charged in Alaska, King was prosecuted in the Middle District of Florida for substantially similar conduct and sentenced to serve 35 years in federal prison. Today, King was sentenced in Alaska to serve 35 years, with 8 years to run consecutive to his Florida sentence followed by lifetime supervised release. To protect the public from King, he will serve a total of 43 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime supervised release.
In May 2017, the 15-year-old victim notified Anchorage Police Department (“APD”) School Resource Officers (“SROs”) of being harassed and extorted by King. Records explain that King targeted the minor victim through the use of social media applications, attempted to extort and threaten the victim to self-produce images and videos depicting child pornography. King went so far as to photoshop images in an attempt to blackmail the victim into self-producing child exploitation images. King also created false online personas to persuade the victim to refrain from reporting his conduct to law enforcement.
The victim exhibited admirable poise under the circumstances and promptly reported King’s threats to her Anchorage Police Department School Resource Officers. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason commended the victim for her courage and maturity. Anchorage Police Department was also praised for their work in the investigation of this case.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder stated, "A survivor's report of sexual exploitation to law enforcement is an act of bravery that greatly assists efforts to identify and prosecute dangerous offenders."
The Anchorage Police Department (“APD”) with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.
Saratoga County Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Robert Gibeault, Jr., age 50, of Gansevoort, New York, pled guilty today to three counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea, Gibeault admitted to using file-sharing program BitTorrent to distribute child pornography to other BitTorrent users from May 2017 through September 2017. His laptop computer contained approximately 400 video files and 100 image files depicting child pornography. These included files that Gibeault had previously distributed over the BitTorrent network.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 11, 2020.
Gibeault, who is detained pending sentencing, faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The Court is also required to impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and Gibeault will be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors
This case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Awarded over $1.3 Million in DOJ FundingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $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.
“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe in the Northern District of New York was awarded $1,320,514 in funding, comprised of a Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse award of $420,574 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and a Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program award of $899,940 from the Office of Violence Against Women.
“We are proud to be part of the effort to ensure that Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has the resources needed for important youth programs and their work to prevent violence and help victims find hope and healing,” said United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith. “We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership to promote public safety and justice for all there.”
The Saint Regis Mohawk Council issued a statement saying, “The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe extends its appreciation for the financial support from our partnering agencies to enhance public safety measures that prevent and protect female survivors of criminal acts, as well as to educate and engage our youth through programming designed to assist our community in healing from traumatic events.”
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.
Romanian National Sentenced for Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Romanian national, who was arrested with her son at a bank ATM with dozens of re-encoded gift cards that contained stolen credit and debit card information, was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a skimming operation at several local banks.
Loredana Baceanu, 31, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Baceanu to pay a total of $35,807 in restitution to her victims.
On June 24, 2019, Baceanu pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit and unauthorized access devices. Baceanu’s criminal conduct was part of a conspiracy with others who targeted at least six local bank branches, placing skimming devices on various bank ATMs, and recording, stealing and using critical financial information from bank customers to commit fraud, theft, and identity theft.
Over the span of approximately two weeks, according to court documents, Baceanu and her co-conspirators compromised the financial information of hundreds and possibly thousands of victims. Her intent was to steal as much money as possible before being detected by law enforcement, and then flee the area and repeat the same economic destruction in other communities.
Bank officials at Central Bank of the Ozarks in Springfield notified law enforcement on Oct. 12, 2018, of suspicious activity that had occurred at an ATM. The bank’s monitoring software had alerted them to the presence of a skimming device – a small electronic device used to steal credit card information – being placed on their ATM. When a person swipes a credit or debit card through a machine on which a skimmer is attached, the device captures and stores all the details stored in the card’s magnetic stripe. The stripe contains the credit card number and expiration date and the credit card holder’s full name. Thieves use the stolen data to make fraudulent charges either online or with a counterfeit credit card or gift card.
On Oct. 23, 2018, bank officials at Southern Bank discovered unidentified individuals targeting four different ATM locations, withdrawing money from multiple accounts. Bank officials stated that they believed these suspects were using stacks of re-encoded credit cards to facilitate the theft of funds from compromised credit and debit card accounts. Bank officials identified suspect photos at four different ATM locations in Springfield and Nixa, Missouri.
The Nixa branch manager was in the process of filing a police report on Oct. 23, 2018, when Baceanu returned to that branch’s ATM. The Nixa police officer who was taking the report returned to his patrol vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Baceanu’s vehicle in the parking lot of the bank. Baceanu, who was with her 14-year-old son, had 49 gift card/credit cards in a concealed pocket within an undergarment she was wearing and $880 concealed in her bra. A Micro SD media storage card and a Florida identification card fell from somewhere within Baceanu’s shirt to the ground during her arrest.
Upon using a card reader, investigators learned that the magnetic stripes on all 49 generic gift cards had been re-encoded and counterfeited with different account numbers not original to the gift card. The Micro SD card contained stolen account information for hundreds of bank customers from various banks throughout the region.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Nixa, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Rockford Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, on a child pornography charge.
GREGORY GREENE, 59, pleaded guilty on July 11, 2019, to one count of transporting child pornography via the internet. In a written plea agreement, Greene admitted that on May 31, 2016, he shared a child pornography video over the internet depicting the lewd exhibition of a minor child. Greene also admitted that on Dec. 13, 2016, he possessed a computer containing approximately 1,650 images of child pornography, and a thumb drive containing approximately 1,200 images and videos of child pornography, some of which involved minors under 12 years of age.
In addition to the prison sentence, Greene also was ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution to certain victims.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.
Registered Sex offender Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that James A. Stivers, 65, of Lockport, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, after tracing to the defendant an image of child pornography that was uploaded to the internet, investigators secured a search warrant for Stiver’s residence. During the execution of that warrant, investigators seized various computers, electronic devices, and electronic media. A preliminary review found some of the devices contained images of child pornography.
Stivers was previously convicted of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree in August 1995 in Niagara County Court, and is a registered sex offender.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and is being held pending a detention hearing on October 21, 2019.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
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Real Estate Developer Sentenced in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California real estate developer became the tenth parent to be sentenced in connection with the college admissions case.
Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $50,000. In May 2019, Flaxman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
The government recommended a sentence of eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.
Beginning in the 2016, Flaxman conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Flaxman took steps to secure extended time for his daughter to take the ACT and to take the exam at a test center in Houston, Texas, that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test administrator. On Oct. 22, 2016, Flaxman’s daughter and the child of another client of Singer both took the ACT with the assistance of co-conspirator Mark Riddell. Riddell assisted in answering exam questions and instructed the students to answer different questions incorrectly so that the ACT would not suspect cheating. As a result of the cheating scheme, Flaxman’s daughter received a score of 28 out of 36 on the exam.
Two days prior to the exam, Flaxman made a purported charitable donation of $75,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the fraud. Thereafter, Flaxman deducted the bribe payment from his income taxes, thereby defrauding the IRS.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
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 Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Coal City man pled guilty to a child pornography offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Charles Larry Wallace, Jr., pled guilty to production of images of child pornography.
“These cases are some of the most painful and emotional cases for my office to handle,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Adults are supposed to protect children, not exploit them. A violation of the solemn responsibility to protect our children is something that can’t be forgotten or forgiven.”
Wallace admitted that on January 5, 2019, he used a cell phone to take several sexually explicit photographs of a prepubescent minor who was in his care at the time. Wallace then backed the photographs up to his Google Photos account and sent them to another individual via the Internet.
Wallace faces up at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison when sentenced on February 6, 2020.
The West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit and the Beckley Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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