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5 October 2018
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser Announces Progress in Making Our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
Here in New Orleans, our PSN partners have worked diligently to strengthen relationships among federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors’ offices (state and federal) to streamline communications, investigations and prosecutions. As an example, ATF agents are assigned to each NOPD district in an effort to increase case referrals and information sharing. Furthermore, several commanders of NOPD, along with representatives of ATF, FBI, DEA, USMS, USAO, the OPDAO, gather on a bi-weekly basis to discuss problems within the PSN target area, suspects and gangs, ongoing investigations and strategic enforcement efforts, and to hold each partner accountable for its role in these efforts. Furthermore, the PSN coordinator from the USAO meets with NOPD detectives and Orleans Parish assistant district attorneys to discuss ongoing gang and violent crime investigations and to determine courses of action, including which prosecutor’s office will be handling the long-term gang/violent crime prosecutions and how the other office can assist.
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
- Enforcement strategy:
- The United States Attorney’s Office continuously collaborates with Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, the New Orleans Police Department, and federal law enforcement, including FBI, ATF, DEA, and USMS to address violence in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area.
- Bi-weekly meetings with the above partners to discuss ongoing investigations and strategies and to determine progress.
- Assignment of ATF special agents to each NOPD district to maximize information-sharing, streamline case referrals and build partnerships.
Community Partnerships
- Community Engagement and Prevention:
- Re-entry collaboration; School programs to reduce violence, such as Project L.E.A.D., promotion of the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence national program, participation in the United States Probation & Parole Office and U.S. Attorney’s Office, EDLA Boss for a Day Program, and participation in National Night Out Against Violence; NOPD bicycle giveaway to children in the most high-risk areas; Coffee with the Community; and Community Peace Walks.
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
- Here in New Orleans, our information from the first six months of 2018 shows that we should have the same shared optimism we have nationwide. Homicides have decreased by 6.1%, when compared to the first six months of 2017. Additionally our rate for armed robberies decreased by 14.5% from the first six months of 2018, when compared to the first six months in 2017.
- Those numbers reflect real impacts that our strategies are having, which makes us hopeful about the future and the continued effects we can have on reducing violent crime in the streets of New Orleans. We recognize we still have a lot of work before us and we are invested and committed to making our community a better and safer place.
The United States Attorney, Peter G. Strasser, would like to thank our dedicated partners invested in PSN, specifically, the New Orleans Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Probation and Parole, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshal Service, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office and our community members.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
- Enforcement strategy:
U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe Neighborhoods and PSN Grant FundingRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- One year ago today, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The Department of Justice has also announced that the Middle District of North Carolina will receive $298,143 in PSN grant funding to strengthen PSN programs in this district.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“Over the past year, the data shows that PSN has contributed to a decrease in violent crime. Our local partners in each PSN site deserve tremendous credit. Where PSN is implemented properly, it has benefitted entire communities by identifying and punishing the most violent offenders and reducing the number of re-offenders by assisting persons released from prison to become productive members of society. The $300,000 grant will really help strengthen and expand our PSN programs,” U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin said.
Improvements to Community Safety
• The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
• The preliminary information DOJ has for 2018 gives reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
As of October 1, 2018, the Middle District of North Carolina has PSN programs in the following locations:
• Cabarrus County
• Davidson County
• Lee County
• Greensboro
• High Point
• Rockingham County
• Rowan County
• Winston-Salem
Several additional PSN sites are being developed in the Middle District of North Carolina.
History of The Middle District of North Carolina’s Pioneering Efforts in PSN
Some of the seeds of what became Project Safe Neighborhoods were first planted and took root here in the Middle District of North Carolina. In the late 1990’s, the Piedmont Triad was the site of a pioneering project in data-driven violence reductions efforts, starting in High Point, and then spreading to Winston-Salem and Greensboro by 2000. Principles of that initiative were incorporated into the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Project SAFE Neighborhoods gun and gang violence reduction strategy in 2001. Part of the strategy is the use of notification meetings, where repeat offenders on state supervision are called in and hear a two-part message: (1) stop the victimization and violence or you will be the focus of special attention for prosecution, and (2) partners in the community can offer assistance and services to those choosing to live within the law. Over 5,600 persons have been called in and heard that message in over 350 notification meetings in the Middle District of North Carolina since this program’s inception. There has been 20%-60% reduction in re-offending rates by those who go through notification, according to long-time research PSN partner, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Since 2001, across the Middle District, more than 50 law enforcement agencies have worked with nearly 200 community resource agencies using PSN strategies to reduce violent gun and gang crime.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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. Throughout the past year, the U.S Attorney’s Office has partnered with numerous law enforcement entities to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“This U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to place the safety and security of our communities at the forefront of its enforcement efforts,” stated U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price. “In collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we are working to rid communities in Hawaii of drug dealers and violent offenders. We are strategically focusing our resources on high crime areas, and using the many tools available to federal, state, and local law enforcement to strike a substantial blow to those who endanger our communities through violence. Our message is clear – criminals will not find refuge in Hawaii.”
Enforcement Actions
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, numerous individuals were charged in the District of Hawaii with federal crimes that involve violence (including firearms offenses) or illegal drugs. Law enforcement officers have seized multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, in addition to significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
Here are two examples of our enforcement efforts:
- Beginning August 29, 2018, a joint enforcement initiative between Honolulu Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals who were charged with distribution of narcotics within 1,000 feet of Aala Park, a frequented playground in Honolulu.
- On August 30, 2018, Shane Durante pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Durante admitted that he imported multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine from the mainland. Durante’s supplier, Eugene Lee, also pled guilty, and admitted that he had shipped multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine from Las Vegas to Durante on Oahu. Law enforcement recovered 2,411.60 grams of pure methamphetamine, as well as two firearms and ammunition.
As demonstrated by the above, our law enforcement community is working diligently to protect our communities from the scourge of violence and drug addiction.
Improvements to Community Safety
Nationwide, the law enforcement community’s efforts are also bearing fruit, and importantly, reversing a recent trend of rising violent crime rates. Notably, the FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
This data reveals what we in the law enforcement community know: by working together, side-by-side, to carry out a comprehensive crime-reduction initiative, we can reduce violent crime and keep our communities safe. We will continue to build upon our efforts to combat violent crime and drug abuse in our communities by enforcing the law, and look for effective ways to prevent crime by forging strong partnerships with governmental and non-governmental entities dedicated to crime-prevention. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Harrington Announces Progress in Making Our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, observed that one year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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 all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community, including locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
In support of the Department’s PSN programs throughout the country, on October 3rd the Attorney General announced awards of nearly $28 million in grant funding to combat violent crime through PSN and another $3 million for training and technical assistance to develop and implement violent crime reduction strategies and enhance services and resources for victims of violent crime. Over the past year, the Department has partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make American neighborhoods safer.
The grants announced on October 3rd build on Attorney General Sessions’ commitment to reducing violent crime in America, as directed by President Trump’s February 2017 Executive Order. The Department has distributed additional resources and built up strong partnerships with local law enforcement in communities plagued by violent crime. Since the announcement of the reinvigoration of the PSN program in October 2017, the Department of Justice has increased the number of federal prosecutors focused on violent crime by over 300, directed its resources to improving cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies, restored local control of police agencies by reining in excessive use of consent decrees, reformed civil asset forfeiture and restored asset-sharing with state and local law enforcement, and helped fund over 800 hundred officers in police departments across America.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
Through the enhanced PSN, the Department is targeting the most violent criminals in the most violent areas, utilizing policing tools that did not exist even a few years ago. Tools like crime gun intelligence centers (CGIC), which combine intelligence from gunshot detection systems, ballistics, gun tracing, and good old-fashioned police work, help to develop real-time leads on the “trafficker sand trigger pullers” who are fueling the violence in their communities. By using modern technologies and cutting-edge police work, the Justice Department is deploying resources strategically to provide the greatest return on our community-based anti-violence efforts.
United States Attorneys across the country are implementing Attorney General Sessions’ reinvigorated PSN Program by developing and tailoring violent crime reduction approaches specific to the challenges and the unique resources of their respective Judicial Districts.
- In general, every PSN program incorporates these elements:
- Leadership by the United States Attorney to convene all partners;
- Partnerships with the community and at all levels of law enforcement;
- Targeted enforcement efforts that:
- utilize the full range of available data, methods, and technologies to identify the offenders that are driving violent crime rates in the most violent locations in the district; and
- ensure prosecution of those offenders in the federal, state, local, or tribal system – whichever provides the most certain and appropriate sanction;
- Prevention of additional violence through efforts such as:
- ensuring public awareness of the violent crime reduction strategy and results;
- communicating directly with offenders about the consequences of their violent behaviors; and
- supporting local crime prevention and offender reentry efforts;
- Accountability for results based on outcomes (reduction in violent crime), not merely outputs (numbers of investigations or prosecutions).
The United States Attorneys are using powerful federal laws against the criminals driving the violent crime in their communities. In fiscal year 2018, the Department brought cases against more violent criminals than ever before—increasing by approximately 15 percent than the Department’s previous record set just last year. Additionally, in 2018 the Department set another record by charging approximately 20 percent more criminals with federal firearms offenses than it had in 2017, which is the most in the Department’s history.
United States Attorney Joseph H. Harrington said, “Project Safe Neighborhoods continues to be a priority in the Eastern District of Washington as we work to partner with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for violent crime in the District and pursue criminal prosecution. Throughout the past year, the United States Attorney’s Office has worked with its law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime. As part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s commitment to the PSN program, prosecutorial resources have been repurposed and enhanced to assist in the enforcement efforts to make our communities safer.”
In the Eastern District of Washington, the PSN program primarily targets gang-related gun violence, crimes of domestic violence in which a firearm is involved, and armed career criminals – those that have multiple drug-trafficking and/or violent felony convictions. The PSN program, however, is not limited to firearm-related offenses. As drug-trafficking activity has long been recognized as a “neighborhood” safety concern, Eastern District of Washington’s PSN program also focuses on disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations and the local street dealers distributing methamphetamine, heroin, and opioid-based pills. As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, the following examples highlight some of the PSN activities in the Eastern District of Washington during the past year:
Apprehension of Violent Offenders with Outstanding Washington State Warrants:
- In June 2018, the U.S. Marshal Service partnered with local law enforcement, including the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (“PNVOTF”), which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, to conduct “Operation Hopscotch.” The operation, conducted over an eight-day period, resulted in the apprehension and arrests of 55 individuals in the District (concentrating on Grant, Chelan and Douglas Counties) with outstanding warrants for violent felonies and/or sex offenses. Many of the arrested individuals had extensive criminal histories that included violence, drug-trafficking, and possession of weapons.
Enforcement of Federal Statutes:
- During the first three quarters of 2018, approximately 80 persons were charged with Federal firearm-rated offenses. Many of these persons were also charged with drug-trafficking offenses. The types of offenses charged include being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm, making a false statement in the process of attempting to purchase a firearm, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense, and possession of a machine gun or other destructive device.
Significant Federal Sentences for Drug-Trafficking and Firearm Offenses:
- Additionally, throughout this past year, a number of PSN investigations and prosecutions for drug trafficking, firearm, and violent offenses have resulted in significant and impactful sentences:
- Daniel Woolem, a resident of Moxee, Washington, was prosecuted and found guilty, after a jury trial, of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. In February 2018, Woolem was sentenced to approximately 20 years in federal prison.
- Cameron C. Butler, formerly of Broward County, Florida, was prosecuted for possession of an unregistered destructive device (a Molotov cocktail), interstate stalking, and possession of child pornography. In March 2018, Butler was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
- Jose Martin Aguilar, a resident of Pasco, Washington, was prosecuted for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In March 2018, Aguilar was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison.
- Miles Barton Nichols, a resident of Pasco Washington, was prosecuted and found guilty, after two jury trials, of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. In March 2018, Nichols was sentenced to a mandatory life term in federal prison.
- Jared Ryan Marcum, a resident of Pasco, Washington, was prosecuted for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. In May 2018, Marcum was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
- Johnny Andres Asuncion, III, a resident of Yakima, Washington, was prosecuted and found guilty, after a jury trial, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In May 2018, based on his extensive criminal history, Asuncion was sentenced to a mandatory life term in federal prison.
- Joseph Trevino, a resident of Malott, Washington, was prosecuted for domestic assault by a habitual offender. In June 2018, Trevino was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
- Joey Alan Yamada, a resident of Spokane, Washington, was arrested on drug-trafficking and firearm possession charges and prosecuted possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. In July 2018, Yamada was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
- Angel Abel Campos, a resident of Toppenish, Washington, and a Sureno gang member, was prosecuted for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and participating in the discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. In August 2018, Campos was sentenced to over 14 years in federal prison.
- Michael G. Painter, a resident of Spokane, Washington, was prosecuted for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. In August 2018, Painter was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Educational/Preventative Partnerships:
- As part of the EDWA PSN program, the USAO has joined forces with the Firearm Crime Enforcement Committee (FACE). This program presents information to convicted felons in area prisons. An Assistant U.S. Attorney, United States Probation Officers, Washington State Department of Corrections Officers, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm Agents and others meet with felons who have been pre-screened as likely qualifying for the Armed Career Penalty if convicted of a subsequent firearms violation. For the prisoners who are nearing release, the FACE panel presents information regarding penalties that will be imposed for subsequent convictions. The panel also provides resources to help these prisoners make decisions that will keep them from returning to prison.
These examples of PSN activities in the Eastern District of Washington reflect the symbiotic partnerships that exist among federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, as well as local communities, to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Department has already started to observe positive signs of progress under PSN nationwide. The FBI’s Crime in the United States Report for 2017 reflects that the troubling increases in violent crime from 2015 and 2016 are beginning to reverse. The report estimates that the nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent. The preliminary information for 2018 gives reason for optimism that the PSN efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago. PSN is working.
Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
- In general, every PSN program incorporates these elements:
U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
“PSN is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
U.S. Attorney Frank said, “Since 2002, PSN Maine has been a highly effective, anti-violence initiative through which my office has fostered significant partnerships with state and local law enforcement and community stakeholders.” As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalization of the PSN program, here are some highlights of our PSN efforts over the past year.
Grant Award
The Bureau of Justice Assistance recently announced that a grant award of about $126,800 was made to the Maine Department of Public Safety to fund programs within the PSN Maine’s mission. A request for proposals is expected to be made this fall. Selected grantees will receive funding to support two to three year grants.
Community Partnerships
With the reinvigoration of PSN Maine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office formalized a strong partnership with state prosecutors’ offices and local law enforcement through the creation of a liaison program. Each district attorney’s office in Maine has been assigned a federal prosecutor to serve as a liaison for purposes of case referral and collaboration on violent crime reduction strategies.
Enforcement Actions
- On May 16, 2018, Erick Adams, 40 of Taftville, Connecticut was sentenced to 25 years in prison for distributing crack, cocaine and heroin, and being an armed career criminal in possession of firearms. The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the Biddeford Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/connecticut-man-sentenced-25-years-drug-conspiracy-and-illegal-possession-firearms
- On April 26, 2018, Michael Gaudette, 36, of Hiram, Maine was sentenced 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On May 10, 2017, the Maine State Police seized from Gaudette three assault rifles, a shotgun and a handgun, three of which were loaded. Gaudette had prior felony convictions for attempted robbery, burglary, escape, possession of narcotics and conspiring to deliver articles to prisoners. The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/hiram-man-sentenced-more-eight-years-being-felon-possession-firearms
- On January 18, 2018, Jonathan Gardiner, 31, of Glenburn, Maine was sentenced to 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. On November 13, 2014, Penobscot County Sherriff’s Office deputies went to Gardiner’s Glenburn residence in response to the discharge of a firearm. Gardiner fled from the deputies and disposed of a 9 mm pistol. Deputies seized a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun hidden above Gardiner’s bedroom. Gardiner had prior felony convictions for burglary, aggravated assault, theft by unlawful use of property and drug trafficking. The investigation was conducted by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, the ATF, and the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory. Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/glenburn-man-sentenced-100-months-prison-unlawfully-possessing-firearms
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by about one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- Preliminary information for 2018 gives reason for optimism. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven 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.
Under the leadership and direction of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice has stepped up prosecutions of weapons offenses, bringing 8,403 such cases in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2018, a 22.5 percent increase from the previous year.
Since in office, U.S. Attorney Mike Dunavant has made prosecution of gun crimes in the federal system a top priority. Under its violence reduction strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee has dramatically increased the number of firearms prosecutions filed, and seeks significant sentences on firearms offenses because guns are a common denominator in many violent crimes, including murder, robbery, drug trafficking and aggravated assault.
"Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the
unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities."
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a proven violent crime reduction strategy that works, and is now reinvigorated with additional resources and commitment from our partners at the ATF, Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Since October 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has increased the number of federal firearms cases filed by over 47 percent, and the number of defendants charged with firearms offenses has increased over 61 percent. These efforts provide targeted prosecution of the worst-of-the-worst offenders to enhance public safety in Memphis and West Tennessee by removing guns from the hands of dangerous people and removing violent offenders from our communities."
Enforcement Actions
Currently, the 13-member PSN Task Force, which is the investigative component of the local PSN initiative, is comprised of personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. The success of this collaborative law enforcement effort is recognized nationally, with other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies from Alabama, Mississippi, the District of Columbia and Tennessee frequently visiting the task force to adopt its practices.
The Task Force not only investigates firearm possession by prohibited persons; it also investigates individuals buying and selling firearms to/from convicted felons. The Task Force engages in proactive and reactive investigations of convicted felons suspected of possessing firearms, as well as firearm suppliers that are conducting illegal transactions.
Here are some highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
- Ladarius Porter, 27 of Memphis, was sentenced in July 2018, to 15 years imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
- Tommy Earl Champion Jr, a/k/a/ "Duct Tape"29 of Jackson, Tennessee, was sentenced in September 2018, to 30 years’ incarceration for participating in racketeering conspiracy and for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
- Robert Hutchinson, Jr., 45 was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Community Partnerships
Reentry education and assistance is an important part of the PSN initiative and vital to ensuring communities are safer when those incarcerated return home. Since 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of U.S. Probation continues to participate in monthly Reentry Court sessions. In addition, staff also meets monthly to discuss issues with clients at a halfway house prior who will be transitioning back into the Western District of Tennessee. Through these reentry services, we further our commitment to providing individuals with the necessary tools to make a permanent lifestyle change that will benefit themselves and the community.
Improvements to Community Safety
The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that after two consecutive historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
In the first six months of 2018, Memphis and unincorporated parts of Shelby County reported 2,405 gun crimes, which represents a 15.3 percent decrease from the same period in 2017, when 2,840 such crimes were reported.
The reduction in reported crimes with guns is consistent with the reduction in reported violent crimes. During the first eight months of this year, reported violent crimes involving firearms were down 17.6 percent in the City of Memphis and countywide, compared to last year. The reduction occurred in all major categories of violent crimes committed with firearms – murders (down 6.4%), business robberies (down 35.1%) and aggravated assaults (down 20.8%).
"These sustained decreases in reported gun crimes and all major violent gun crime categories are encouraging, and shows that our return to proven enforcement policies under PSN is working. Putting the right people in prison incapacitates the most violent offenders, upholds the rule of law, deters criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and makes us all safer," said U.S. Attorney Dunavant.
Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods https://www.justice.gov/psn
- Ladarius Porter, 27 of Memphis, was sentenced in July 2018, to 15 years imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Canova Announces 2018 Highlights of Project Safe Neighborhoods to Promote Safe Communities in Northern FloridaRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, federal, state and local law enforcement are collaborating to identify the most violent criminals and the most violent areas within our communities and are using all their collective resources to make our neighborhoods safer. As part of this strategy, PSN also partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “We are committed to pursuing public safety in the Northern District of Florida through prosecutions of violent criminals, collaborations with other law enforcement agencies and the community, and outreach, such as the BLAST Program, which encourages students to build positive relationships with local law enforcement officers and become law-abiding citizens.”
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year in the 23 counties of the Northern District of Florida that runs from Pensacola in the west to Gainesville in the east:
Enforcement Actions
Gun Violence Task Forces: the Gun Violence Initiative in Tallahassee and the Gun Crimes Response Team in Pensacola are comprised of investigators and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, State Attorneys’ Offices, ATF, DEA, FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, county sheriffs’ offices, and local police departments. The task forces meet regularly to share intelligence and discuss ongoing investigations to: strategically identify areas where violent crimes are being committed, identify the persons responsible for committing those crimes, and ensure that adequate resources are being deployed to investigate and prosecute those individuals.
New Violent Crime AUSAs: To increase the safety of our communities, the Department of Justice added new federal prosecutor positions around the country. The NDFL was allocated two new Assistant United States Attorneys to work on reducing violent crime and supporting the NDFL’s PSN program. One prosecutor will be placed in Tallahassee and the other in Pensacola. Read more.
Violent Crime Cases:
In August 2018, a Gainesville man was sentenced to 327 months in prison for abducting a young woman attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and forcing her into sex trafficking through violent methods. Read more.
In August 2018, Deshawn Wilder, a convicted felon from Tallahassee, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for burglarizing a federal firearms licensee.
In August 2018, Robert Wayne Cornwell from Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cornwell had a violent criminal history that included solicitation to commit murder. Within a month of being released from prison, he started dealing methamphetamine. During a traffic stop for suspected DUI, he attempted to flee after failing a field sobriety test. During a struggle with officers, he attempted to grab an officer’s service pistol from the holster. He was eventually restrained and taken into custody.
In February 2018, a Pensacola convicted felon was sentenced to 147 months in prison for armed carjacking. Read more.
In December 2017, a former correctional officer from Bay County, Florida, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for assaulting an inmate, resulting in bodily injury. The government presented evidence that, during his career as a correctional officer, Walker had assaulted at least four inmates. In this case, the testimony demonstrated that Walker sprayed the inmate with a chemical agent and then struck him repeatedly, resulting in a fractured nose and head wound, which required several staples. In an attempt to establish that he had acted in self-defense, Walker planted a homemade weapon or “shank.” Read more.
In November 2017, a Pensacola armed career criminal was sentenced to 224 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for violating his federal supervised release. He had been convicted previously of crimes dating back to 1987, including first degree robbery, grand theft auto, aggravated assault, and second degree murder. Read more.
In October 2017, a Niceville convicted felon was sentenced to 135 months in prison for burglarizing a federal firearms licensed dealer. Officials recovered dozens of firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and multiple pieces of tactical equipment, including a gas mask that were all stolen. Read more.
Community Partnerships
BLAST Program: The BLAST Program offers approximately 50 high school students per event an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with officers in a familiar setting. Officers provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations. The schedule includes discussion sessions, during which students have a chance to participate in role-play with law enforcement officers.
Tallahassee Public Safety Collective: The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a member of the Tallahassee Public Safety Collective, a group of local law enforcement leaders and key community partners working collaboratively to stem community violence and address the factors leading to criminal activity. The Collective stresses collaboration, intelligence sharing, and citizen partnerships to improve public safety.
Second Chance Employer Summits: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has hosted several events, in collaboration with state, federal, and non-governmental partners, to discuss benefits and challenges of hiring formerly incarcerated individuals. Former inmates who now have successful careers also shared their reentry experiences.
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
U.S. Attorney Brady Announces Charges Against 7 Russian Military HackersRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today that seven Russians were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges relating to a criminal hacking campaign that included the theft and public dissemination of private medical records of 250 athletes, including U.S. Olympic athletes. According to the indictment, the Russian hackers targeted the athletes and major anti-doping organizations in retaliation for a ban on Russian athletes due to Russia’s state sponsored doping program. The Russian hacking also targeted western Pennsylvania employees of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, as well as an organization and laboratory investigating Russia’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
According to the indictment, the defendants are all members of a Russian military intelligence agency based in Moscow known as the GRU:
Aleksei Sergeyevich Morenets
Evgenii Mikhaylovich Serebriakov
Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov
Artem Andreyevich Malyshev
Dmitriy Sergeyevich Badin
Oleg Mikhaylovich Sotnikov
Alexey Valerevich Minin
All seven defendants are charged with conspiracy to illegally access and cause damage to computers in the United States and elsewhere, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. All except Sotnikov and and Minin are also charged with aggravated identity theft. Finally, Yermakov is charged with multiple counts of wire fraud for attempting to hack into the personal email accounts of employees of Westinghouse.
The targets of the hacking activity included:
• Westinghouse Electric Corporation based outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
• the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
• the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), headquartered in Montreal, Canada;
• the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), headquartered in Ottawa, Canada;
• the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), headquartered in Monaco;
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS/CAS), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland;
• the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland;
• the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an organization headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria and the March 2018 poisoning of a former GRU officer in the United Kingdom with a chemical nerve agent; and
• the Spiez Swiss Chemical Laboratory located in Spiez, Switzerland, an accredited laboratory of the OPCW that analyzed the chemical agent connected to the poisonings of a former GRU officer and others in the United Kingdom.
United States Attorney Scott W. Brady emphasized his office’s focus on bringing justice to the victims of these crimes. "Through the tireless efforts and investigative work by our office and the FBI, we have exposed and charged an expansive criminal conspiracy of targeted cyber-attacks across three continents and seven countries. These cyber-attacks were designed to steal individuals’ and organizations’ most sensitive secrets and data. We want the hundreds of victims of these Russian hackers to know that we will do everything we can to hold these criminals accountable for their crimes. State actors who target US citizens and companies are no different than any other criminal: they will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable for their actions."
"Malicious cyber hackers will not be allowed to undermine, retaliate against or expose sensitive information that damages the reputations of innocent victims," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones. "This type of behavior is simply unacceptable. These charges show the world the FBI has a robust cyber investigative team and Pittsburgh is an essential part of it. We also want to thank our international partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Dutch Intelligence Service (the MIVD), for their support and coordination to ensure the safety of our people and networks."
The criminal hacking operation was conducted from an identified GRU Unit in Moscow, and by GRU members who traveled around the world to hack into nearby computers through "close access" operations. The indictment describes how the conspirators conducted several "on site" operations: in Rio De Janiero during and prior to the 2016 Olympic games, which compromised the email account of a USADA official; in Lausanne, Switzerland, resulting in the theft of login credentials from a CCES official; and, at The Hague in April 2018, in an attempt to hack into networks at OPCW. These on site operations often involved targeting Wi-Fi networks used by victim organizations or their personnel, including hotel Wi-Fi, in an effort to gain unauthorized access to the victims’ computer networks.
The defendants stole data from WADA, USADA, CCES, TAS/CAS, IAAF and FIFA which contained sensitive, private medical information for 250 athletes from 30 countries. They then released the data publicly, often in misleading ways, masquerading as the "Fancy Bears Hack Team" on the websites fancybear.net, fancybear.org and other social media accounts, as part of a misinformation campaign. The defendants’ intent was to unfairly damage the reputations of competitive athletes and to retaliate against international anti-doping officials who had exposed the Russian state-sponsored doping program. As part of this prosecution, the United States has seized the websites fancybear.net and fancybear.org and is seeking their forfeiture.
Defendants Morenets, Serebriakov, Malyshev and Badin face maximum penalties of 49 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.25 million. Defendants Sotkinov and Minin face maximum penalties of 45 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. Defendant Yermakov, who is the sole defendant charged in five wire fraud counts, faces a maximum sentence of 149 years imprisonment and a fine of $2.5 million. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
U.S. Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Divisions, as well as the Cyber Unit at FBI Headquarters and the FBI Legal Attaches around the world, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Government of the Netherlands, including the Dutch Intelligence Service (the MIVD) and the Dutch prosecutor’s office Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General, and the U.K.’s National Security and Intelligence Agencies.
If you believe you are a victim in this case and would like to opt-in to receive notifications or if you have any questions about your rights, please contact the Victim Witness Coordinator at 412- 894-7400 or through our website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/vw/us-v-Aleksei- Sergeyevich-Morenets).
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
BOISE – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN focuses federal, state and local enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
“We have the greatest impact by directing our resources on the most violent people and places in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. “Law enforcement partnerships are identifying those who drive violent crime and are bringing them to justice. My office is committed to using all available tools to help fight against violent crime in Idaho.”
Idaho’s PSN program has been successful because of the enforcement efforts at all levels of government. “Federal prosecutions of violent offenders are but one piece of our PSN program,” U.S. Attorney Davis said. “Capable county prosecutors across Idaho are successfully prosecuting violent offenders at a remarkable rate. Together, we are working toward the common goal of reducing violent crime.”
Strong, lasting partnerships at all levels of law enforcement led to two very successful enforcement programs in the Treasure Valley. Approximately thirteen years ago, the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force was created. “Metro,” as it is known, is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. Metro works in conjunction with the Treasure Valley Partnership’s Gang Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA). The Gang SAUSA is a Canyon County deputy prosecutor who is cross-deputized to prosecute cases in federal court. The Gang SAUSA focuses on working with Metro and prosecuting violent offenders and gang members in federal court. Through these combined efforts, a large number of guns are removed from the community and dangerous offenders are removed from our streets.
The Gang SAUSA program was so successful that, in 2016, the Eastern Idaho Partnership created a similar program in eastern Idaho. That program has been well received by federal, state and local law enforcement in southern and eastern Idaho. “We think it’s a model program for jurisdictions similar to Idaho,” Davis said.
“I wish you could see our PSN task force meetings,” said Davis. “At the table with me are representatives from the state Attorney General’s Office, the Ada and Canyon County Prosecutor’s Offices, sheriffs, police chiefs, the Idaho Department of Correction, and the Twin Falls police. We are all working toward the same goal using our unique resources to do so.”
Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Davis, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement have identified methods of overcoming common hurdles to combating violent crime. To make those ideas a reality, the U.S. Attorney’s Office created committees to address specific subject matters. Together, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement will identify ways to root out Idaho’s most violent offenders, as well as methods of relaying the harms of violence and guns to our local communities.
Also, Idaho’s PSN program continues to conduct community outreach and law enforcement training. In January of this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted a training on the Characteristics of Armed Persons for local law enforcement. In addition to providing key information to law enforcement on how to identify armed persons, these trainings strengthened relationships between federal, state, and local law enforcement–a key component of PSN. The office also works to enhance the safety of refugees in our community by training those who serve refugees in Idaho, including resettlement agencies, on combating violent crimes and civil rights violations.
Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is excited to announce that the University of Idaho will join its PSN program to administer funds allocated by Congress to serve the PSN goals, which funds will go to state and local law enforcement. These funds will be used to help make Idaho a safer place.
“PSN is a great program with a proven track record for making Idaho a safer place,” Davis said.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in October 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Brazen Capitol Hill Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Arturo Gray, 23, of Capitol Heights, Md., and Twon Brown, 24, of Washington D.C., have pled guilty to charges stemming from an armed robbery of a pharmacy last year on Capitol Hill, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Gray and Brown pled guilty on Oct. 4, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to robbery while armed. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of five years of incarceration. Brown also pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm in an unrelated case. That plea calls for an additional one year of incarceration. The Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro scheduled sentencing for Nov. 30, 2018.
According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing and the government’s evidence, the robbery took place at approximately 2:20 p.m. on May 5, 2017, at a pharmacy in the 300 block of East Capitol Street NE. Brown and Gray entered the pharmacy together with another individual. Brown brandished a firearm and pointed it at employees and customers while Gray guarded the door and shouted commands at the employees.
As the crime continued, Brown and another individual jumped over the counter and took prescription medications from the store while holding the employees at gunpoint. Brown, Gray, and the third individual then fled the establishment together. Video footage from inside the store helped to identify the defendants. Subsequently, law enforcement recovered text messages between the conspirators which showed them discussing their plans for the robbery. Further electronic evidence showed Gray searching on the Internet for the pharmacy in advance of the robbery and using Google Maps to navigate to the location.
Gray was arrested on Oct. 16, 2017 and Brown was arrested on May 28, 2018. The defendants were indicted on Oct. 3, 2018, on 22 counts relating to the robbery and pled guilty the following day. This case was set to go to trial on Nov. 1, 2018 before the defendants pled guilty to the lead charge of the indictment.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI's Washington Field Office, and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyse Constantinide and Louis Manzo, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the matter.
Two Local Women Plead Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that BRITTANY THEOPHILE, age 30, and RACHELLE KELSON, age 25, both of the greater New Orleans area, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, to charges relating to their use of a telephone to commit, cause or facilitate the commission of a crime (an attempt to introduce controlled substances into the Orleans Parish Prison).
As stated in the Factual Basis, ELTON WILLIAMS, an inmate at the Orleans Justice Center jail, solicited the assistance of his relative, CIBONEY PARKER (a civilian employee of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office), and two friends, THEOPHILE and KELSON, to smuggle drugs into the jail. THEOPHILE and KELSON provided the drugs, including marijuana, heroin, and Tramadol, to PARKER during her work shift. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Division became aware of the plan through audio and visual surveillance and detained PARKER before she could gain access to WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS and PARKER are scheduled for trial on December 10, 2018 before District Judge Jolivette Brown.
THEOPHILE and KELSON each face a maximum term of imprisonment of four (4) years, are subject to a fine of up to $250,000, and, upon release, they will serve a one year term of supervised release. Sentencing before Judge Brown is scheduled for December 13, 2018 for THEOPHILE and January 3, 2019 for KELSON.
U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser praised the work of the FBI and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Investigative Service Bureau. Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Knight is in charge of this prosecution.
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Two Intelligence Officials and A Business Owner Indicted for Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
DENVER – Three individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on a variety of charges relating to procurement fraud and unlawfully disclosing and obtaining bid information concerning a contract estimated to be worth almost $1.5 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the National Security Agency (NSA), and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) announced.
During times relevant to the indictment, Kevin Kuciapinski, age 43, was an active duty U.S. Air Force Major working at the NRO. Randolph Stimac, age 61, was an employee of the NSA. Both were stationed at the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado on Buckley Air Force Base. The third defendant, Mykhael Kuciapinski, age 51, was the owner and CEO of Company G, a company that attempted to do business with the U.S. Government. She was also the wife of Kevin Kuciapinski through July 2015.
According to the Indictment, beginning on August 1, 2013, and continuing through November 24, 2015, the defendants conspired with each other to unlawfully obtain and disclose source selection information prior to the award for services related to a contract for services related to NSA, a category of intelligence that involves the collection, processing, and dissemination of foreign communications in order to obtain foreign intelligence necessary to the national defense, national security, or the conduct of the foreign affairs of the United States. The alleged plan and purpose of the conspiracy was for Kevin Kuciapinski and Randolph Stimac to provide a competitive advantage to defendant Mykhael Kuciapinski’s bid or proposal by providing her information and source selection information for the contract in question.
This case was investigated by the NRO Office of the Inspector General, NSA, Defense Criminal Investigative Services, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
The defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Sibert.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three U.S. Attorneys Announce Progress in Making Alabama Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“In late 2017, Montgomery needed help. Too many people were illegally carrying guns, too many people were being shot, too many people were living in fear,” stated Louis V. Franklin, Sr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. “PSN was the perfect program to help Montgomery. So, we joined with our federal, state and local partners and focused on the worst of the worst violent criminals in Montgomery. We had a goal to reduce violent crime in Montgomery, and we saw results. By May of 2018, we saw an almost 16% decline in violent crime in Montgomery. This PSN partnership will continue to see Montgomery through this violent crime crisis. We have an obligation to our community and we will fulfill that obligation.”
“Because of PSN and the leadership of our Attorney General, never before have our law enforcement partnerships been so robust,” stated Jay E. Town, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. “Never before have we prosecuted so many defendants, especially violent criminals, in federal court, where sentences do not suffer the sanctuary of parole. Never before has there been the commitment to resources by the Department of Justice at every level of law enforcement to aggressively address violent crime. Federal prison beds are being filled by our worst offenders, and our neighborhoods are safer than ever before.”
“Most Alabamians are benefiting from a much safer Alabama as a direct result of the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions,” stated Richard W. Moore, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. “Law enforcement officers have been empowered to do what they do best and the violent crime rate in many of our communities is going down. Aggressive efforts to take the “trigger pullers” who terrorize neighborhoods off the street makes sense and makes Alabama a safer place to live. Violent crime rates, however, are still too high and we are not resting on the good results that we have seen over the past two years. The American people have been clear about their desire to have a safer country. We are starting to deliver on the promise that President Trump made to make that a reality.”
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
- Federal, state, and local agencies tackled the violent crime problem in Montgomery by vigorously pursuing illegal firearm prosecutions. From January to April of 2018, the USAO concentrated on indicting Montgomery firearm cases. Additionally, Operation Triple Beam[1] kicked off and saturated law enforcement in those areas in Montgomery with the largest number of shootings. As a result of these partnerships and the re-invigorated PSN program, in May of this year the violent crime rate dropped in Montgomery by almost 16%.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District has formed an array of task forces and partnerships that have seen impressive results. The Northern District office has formed Public Safety Task Forces in Huntsville and Birmingham, both designed to target the worst offenders and repeat offenders who have besieged those great cities too long. The office also formed the Prosecutor-to-Prosecutor Program, or “P3”, where District Attorneys from around the Northern District are given training and direct lines of communication to federal prosecutors so that state charges can be removed to federal court where the sentence does not suffer the sanction of parole. We have dramatically increased our federal presence in every community, every county, and every corner of the Northern District.
- This summer, a three-month operation focused on reducing violent crime in Selma and the Gulf Coast region resulted in federal charges against 24 defendants, with about 50 guns seized. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama joined with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to interrupt the pattern of federal firearms violations.
- Focused enforcement efforts throughout the Southern District are bringing armed criminals to justice in federal court, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 192 cases with 205 defendants with federal gun crimes in the past 12 months.
Community Partnerships
- In order to increase illegal firearm prosecutions in Montgomery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined with the Montgomery Police Department to organize training for each Montgomery Police officer, starting with patrol. The PSN coordinator and the Law Enforcement Coordinator met officers at rollcall at 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. until all officers were trained. The USAO has now expanded that project to other Middle District counties.
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions designated Birmingham as one of the nations’ few Public Safety Partnership communities where the Department of Justice infuses resources to the city and creates a platform for all levels of law enforcement to join forces to reduce violent criminal activity in the metropolitan area. Never before has there been the level of inter-agency cooperation that now exists in Birmingham. The Northern District office has taken that formula and expanded it around the Northern District, especially to include Anniston and Tuscaloosa. Not only are traditional members of law enforcement at the table, but also community leaders, City Hall, non-profits, and other groups with the sole interest of making neighborhoods safe again.
- In the Southern District, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has continued its Bridging the Gap program, a successful partnership with the FBI, the Mobile Police Department, community leaders, and school systems to reach out to ninth-grade students about demonstrating the proper conduct youth and law enforcement should expect from one another during a law enforcement encounter. This program, developed in Mobile, was implemented nationwide by all 56 FBI field offices.
- U.S. Attorney Richard Moore and his staff have been actively involved in the Selma area, coordinating with community organizations, community leaders, law enforcement, faith-based organizations, and the public to develop prevention and enforcement priorities, and to establish a long-term presence in the community.
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
- As stated above, due to the enhanced partnerships created by the re-invigorated PSN program, the violent crime rate in Montgomery decreased in May by almost 16%.
- The Northern District of Alabama has prosecuted more defendants in the past two years than in any two-year period in over a decade. Now, more than ever, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are working together to target our worst offenders in the highest crime areas so that those neighborhoods can be returned to their rightful owners...the law-abiding citizens who live there. Recognizing that incarceration alone will not solve all problems with crime, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to work with community leaders from around the Northern District to provide opportunities and prevention programs that will not only prevent future criminal behavior, but make such behavior unnecessary in the first place.
- Statistics from the Mobile Police Department show that focused enforcement efforts are paying off. From January 1 through the end of September, violent crime decreased by 1.7%, and includes a 34.4% reduction in criminal homicides and a 9.4% reduction in robberies.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
[1] Operation Triple Beam was led by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and focused on street level crime, gang-related crime, undercover narcotics operations, traffic stop enforcement, and a warrant service in identified high-crime districts.
Three U.S. Attorneys Announce Progress in Making Alabama Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Montgomery AL--One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“In late 2017, Montgomery needed help. Too many people were illegally carrying guns, too many people were being shot, too many people were living in fear,” stated Louis V. Franklin, Sr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. “PSN was the perfect program to help Montgomery. So, we joined with our federal, state and local partners and focused on the worst of the worst violent criminals in Montgomery. We had a goal to reduce violent crime in Montgomery, and we saw results. By May of 2018, we saw an almost 16% decline in violent crime in Montgomery. This PSN partnership will continue to see Montgomery through this violent crime crisis. We have an obligation to our community and we will fulfill that obligation.”
“Because of PSN and the leadership of our Attorney General, never before have our law enforcement partnerships been so robust,” stated Jay E. Town, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. “Never before have we prosecuted so many defendants, especially violent criminals, in federal court, where sentences do not suffer the sanctuary of parole. Never before has there been the commitment to resources by the Department of Justice at every level of law enforcement to aggressively address violent crime. Federal prison beds are being filled by our worst offenders, and our neighborhoods are safer than ever before.”
“Most Alabamians are benefiting from a much safer Alabama as a direct result of the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions,” stated Richard W. Moore, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. “Law enforcement officers have been empowered to do what they do best and the violent crime rate in many of our communities is going down. Aggressive efforts to take the “trigger pullers” who terrorize neighborhoods off the street makes sense and makes Alabama a safer place to live. Violent crime rates, however, are still too high and we are not resting on the good results that we have seen over the past two years. The American people have been clear about their desire to have a safer country. We are starting to deliver on the promise that President Trump made to make that a reality.”
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
- Federal, state, and local agencies tackled the violent crime problem in Montgomery by vigorously pursuing illegal firearm prosecutions. From January to April of 2018, the USAO concentrated on indicting Montgomery firearm cases. Additionally, Operation Triple Beam[1] kicked off and saturated law enforcement in those areas in Montgomery with the largest number of shootings. As a result of these partnerships and the re-invigorated PSN program, in May of this year the violent crime rate dropped in Montgomery by almost 16%.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District has formed an array of task forces and partnerships that have seen impressive results. The Northern District office has formed Public Safety Task Forces in Huntsville and Birmingham, both designed to target the worst offenders and repeat offenders who have besieged those great cities too long. The office also formed the Prosecutor-to-Prosecutor Program, or “P3”, where District Attorneys from around the Northern District are given training and direct lines of communication to federal prosecutors so that state charges can be removed to federal court where the sentence does not suffer the sanction of parole. We have dramatically increased our federal presence in every community, every county, and every corner of the Northern District.
- This summer, a three-month operation focused on reducing violent crime in Selma and the Gulf Coast region resulted in federal charges against 24 defendants, with about 50 guns seized. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama joined with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to interrupt the pattern of federal firearms violations.
- Focused enforcement efforts throughout the Southern District are bringing armed criminals to justice in federal court, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 192 cases with 205 defendants with federal gun crimes in the past 12 months.
Community Partnerships
- In order to increase illegal firearm prosecutions in Montgomery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined with the Montgomery Police Department to organize training for each Montgomery Police officer, starting with patrol. The PSN coordinator and the Law Enforcement Coordinator met officers at rollcall at 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. until all officers were trained. The USAO has now expanded that project to other Middle District counties.
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions designated Birmingham as one of the nations’ few Public Safety Partnership communities where the Department of Justice infuses resources to the city and creates a platform for all levels of law enforcement to join forces to reduce violent criminal activity in the metropolitan area. Never before has there been the level of inter-agency cooperation that now exists in Birmingham. The Northern District office has taken that formula and expanded it around the Northern District, especially to include Anniston and Tuscaloosa. Not only are traditional members of law enforcement at the table, but also community leaders, City Hall, non-profits, and other groups with the sole interest of making neighborhoods safe again.
- In the Southern District, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has continued its Bridging the Gap program, a successful partnership with the FBI, the Mobile Police Department, community leaders, and school systems to reach out to ninth-grade students about demonstrating the proper conduct youth and law enforcement should expect from one another during a law enforcement encounter. This program, developed in Mobile, was implemented nationwide by all 56 FBI field offices.
- U.S. Attorney Richard Moore and his staff have been actively involved in the Selma area, coordinating with community organizations, community leaders, law enforcement, faith-based organizations, and the public to develop prevention and enforcement priorities, and to establish a long-term presence in the community.
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
- As stated above, due to the enhanced partnerships created by the re-invigorated PSN program, the violent crime rate in Montgomery decreased in May by almost 16%.
- The Northern District of Alabama has prosecuted more defendants in the past two years than in any two-year period in over a decade. Now, more than ever, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are working together to target our worst offenders in the highest crime areas so that those neighborhoods can be returned to their rightful owners...the law-abiding citizens who live there. Recognizing that incarceration alone will not solve all problems with crime, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to work with community leaders from around the Northern District to provide opportunities and prevention programs that will not only prevent future criminal behavior, but make such behavior unnecessary in the first place.
- Statistics from the Mobile Police Department show that focused enforcement efforts are paying off. From January 1 through the end of September, violent crime decreased by 1.7%, and includes a 34.4% reduction in criminal homicides and a 9.4% reduction in robberies.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
[1] Operation Triple Beam was led by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and focused on street level crime, gang-related crime, undercover narcotics operations, traffic stop enforcement, and a warrant service in identified high-crime districts.
Three Illegal Aliens Plead Guilty to Unlawfully Reentering After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Daniel Martinez-Rodriguez, 42, Jorge Rios-Juaquin, 41, and Anastacio Compean-Galicia, 37, all illegal aliens from Mexico, pled guilty this week before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to the federal crime of unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Mr. Trey Lund, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations in New Orleans. Martinez-Rodriguez pled guilty yesterday, while Rios-Juaquin and Compean-Galicia pled guilty on Wednesday.
All three men are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guirola on January 3, 2019. Each man faces up to 2 years imprisonment, not more than 1 year supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine. Each also faces being removed from the United States by the Department of Homeland Security following the completion of any prison sentence.
"We will remain vigilant in enforcing and prosecuting those who wantonly violate our immigration laws, especially aliens like these who violate our other criminal laws, as their actions put us, our families, and our fellow citizens in danger. I commend the resilience and determination of our local officers, ICE agents and prosecutors in bringing these individuals to justice before they truly harm others," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
On May 23, 2018, Martinez-Rodriguez was encountered by ICE officers in Bay St. Louis while conducting fugitive operations. Department of Homeland Security computerized record checks using Martinez-Rodriguez’s fingerprints revealed that Martinez-Rodriguez was born in Mexico and had been previously arrested and convicted in the City of Waveland in 2015 for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Martinez-Rodriquez was physically removed by ICE to Mexico in 2017.
On May 22, 2018, Rios-Juaquin was arrested by the Gulfport Police Department, and on May 30, 2018, he was convicted of the misdemeanor offense of providing False Identification to a Law Enforcement Officer. Thereafter, ICE officers arrested Rios-Juaquin and Homeland
Security records revealed that Rios-Juaquin had been previously arrested by the Biloxi Police Department and was physically removed by ICE from the United States to Mexico in 2011. However, he returned to the United States and again was lawfully removed to Mexico in September 2014, after another arrest by the Gulfport Police Department. The following month, Rios-Juaquin returned to the United States and was removed again from Texas to Mexico in October 2014. Thereafter, Rios-Juaquin returned again in 2015, and after another arrest by the Gulfport Police Department, he was lawfully removed again from the United States to Mexico in November 2015. After his removal in 2015, Rios-Juaquin unlawfully returned again and was convicted in August 2017, in the Circuit Court of Harrison County, of a felony offense (Taking a Vehicle) and served approximately 1 year in state prison.
On May 22, 2018, Compean-Galicia, using the name of Orlando Martinez, was taken into custody by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Careless Driving, and Driving With No Driver’s License. On May 24, 2018, Compean-Galicia was arrested by ICE and was positively identified through computerized record revealing he had been lawfully ordered removed by a United States Immigration Judge in 2010, after being convicted of DUI in Gulfport Municipal Court in Harrison County. Records verified that he was physically removed from the United States to Mexico in 2010. However, Compean-Galicia returned to the United States in 2013 and was arrested again for DUI in Gautier, MS. Thereafter, records document that his order of removal was reinstated, and he was physically removed again from the United States to Mexico in 2014.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the City of Waveland Police Department, the City of Gulfport Police Department, the City of Biloxi Police Department, the City of Gautier Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Departments of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for each of the three cases.
Three Area Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for 2015 Slaying in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men were sentenced today to decades in prison on felony murder and other charges stemming from the slaying of a man during a home invasion in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Joseph Barbour, 38, Willie Glover, Jr., 40, and Charles McRae, 66, were found guilty by a jury on July 17, 2018, of murder, first-degree burglary while armed, and related offenses, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Today, the Honorable Craig Iscoe sentenced Barbour to 40 years in prison, Glover to 38 years, and McRae to a 38 ½-year term of incarceration. Barbour and McRae are from Washington, D.C., and Glover is from Forestville, Md.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of the killing, Dec. 21, 2015, the victim, Lenard Wills, was with a group of people in an apartment in the 700 block of 24th Street NE. His girlfriend was making dinner for the group when she got into a verbal argument with McRae. McRae left the apartment and came back a short time later with Barbour and Glover. One of the occupants let McRae into the apartment and, as he entered, Barbour and Glover came in behind him, wearing masks and carrying guns.
All three told the people in the apartment to get down and shut up. Barbour and Glover immediately went to Mr. Wills, who was seated at a table in the living room, and started pistol-whipping him, demanding money and drugs. McRae held down one of the occupants and punched another who tried to flee. He then pounded on the bathroom door demanding that Mr. Wills’ girlfriend come out, and punched her when she did. A struggle between Mr. Wills, Barbour and Glover ensued, during which one of the guns went off and broke apart. At some point during the struggle, Mr. Wills stabbed Barbour and Glover. McRae then came over to assist. Mr. Wills, 50, was stabbed multiple times and all three defendants fled the apartment. Mr. Wills was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.
Bleeding heavily, Barbour fled across the courtyard and a basketball court to his girlfriend’s apartment building. Later, while canvassing along the blood trail, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered a knife in a trash can as well as Barbour’s cell phone on the basketball court. Glover, meanwhile, drove himself to an area hospital. McRae met up with several of the apartment’s occupants at a bus stop while police were canvassing the scene and told them, among other things, that what happened in the apartment was not meant for them and that if he had the gun, he would have shot Mr. Wills.
Barbour and Glover were arrested within days of the murder, and McRae was arrested in March 2016. All have been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chrisellen Kolb and Daniel Lenerz; former Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarrity, Alesha Matthews, Stephanie Gilbert, and Kelly Blakeney; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Leif Hickling, and Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan, and Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Earnest and Richard Barker, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury of Drug Conspiracy and TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Yesterday, after a three-day trial, a federal jury in Jackson, Mississippi, found Kevin Lawrence, 44, of Houston, Texas, guilty of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility to commit the crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Derryle Smith.
On March 24, 2013, DEA seized approximately 262 pounds of marijuana at local truck stop in Jackson, Mississippi, from Kendrick Applewhite and Steven Davison. Through the course of the investigation, agents learned that Kevin Lawrence had ordered the marijuana and coordinated the pickup of the marijuana with Applewhite and Davison.
On September 20, 2018, Applewhite and Davison pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. They are scheduled to be sentenced on December 21, 2018 by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Judge Jordan, who also presided over the Lawrence case, will sentence Lawrence on January 18, 2019. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the DEA Jackson District Office, DEA Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Wansley and John Meynardie.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Passing Counterfeit Securities of an OrganizationRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, AR – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Jason Jerrell Smith, age 34, of Germantown, Tennessee was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal Prison followed by three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution (the amount of restitution will be determined at a later date by the courts) for one count of Passing Counterfeit Securities of an Organization. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in June of 2017, Smith was visiting Rogers and Bentonville, Arkansas, and announced that he was running for President of the United States and falsely represented himself as “Joshua Gaters.” During his visit to Northwest Arkansas, Smith wrote and passed a counterfeit check on a local bank in the name of “Gaters and Lester Realty Group.” The check, written in the amount of $22,212.00, was alleged to be for the lease of office space. No such checking account existed with the bank.
Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2018 and entered a guilty plea in April 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Bentonville Police Department, and the Rogers Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver prosecuted the case for the United States.
Sturbridge Woman Indicted for Government Theft and False StatementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Sturbridge woman was indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester yesterday in connection with receiving government funds for a disabled child who was no longer in her custody.
Tanya Chobot, 32, was indicted on one count of government theft and one count of making a false statement to the Social Security Administration. She was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Sept. 7, 2018, and has been detained since that time.
According to the charging documents, Chobot accepted more than $23,000 in Social Security disability payments on behalf of her biological child, but did not have custody or provide care to the child. On multiple occasions between 2011 and 2017, Chobot made materially false and fraudulent statements to Social Security to facilitate her continued receipt of the funds. For example, in October 2013, Chobot submitted a report to Social Security that falsely indicated that the child lived with her and that she had used money from Social Security for the support of the child. Chobot did not, in fact, use the Social Security payments made on behalf of the child for that child’s benefit.
The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison and the charge of making a false statement provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison. Each charge provides for up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Six Plead Guilty to a Multi-State Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Derrick Nelson, age 42, of Timmonsville, South Carolina, Whitney Magazine, age 25, of Jacksonville, Florida, Brittany Duncan, age 25, Tanisha Bynoe, age 30, and Errol Mack, age 29, of Brooklyn, New York, have entered guilty pleas in federal court in Columbia, to conspiring to commit mail, wire and bank fraud involving counterfeit American Express Travelers Checks, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1349. Eric Wilson, age 48 of Bishopville, South Carolina, plead guilty to the same charge on March 29, 2018. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, of Columbia, accepted the guilty pleas and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence reports, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence was presented at the change of plea hearings to establish that the investigation of this case began when the Secret Service received a report that Eric Wilson was selling counterfeit travelers checks while he was living in Florence, South Carolina. Further investigation revealed that the checks were related to an investigation into counterfeit traveler’s checks that the Secret Service had begun in New York in 2007 that had caused losses to American Express of more than twenty million dollars. The defendants and others were selling, purchasing, spending, and mailing counterfeit travelers checks throughout the United States. All of the defendants were caught in Columbia, South Carolina, and elsewhere, passing counterfeit travelers checks. U.S. Attorney Lydon stated the maximum penalty for Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, or Bank Fraud is imprisonment for 20 years and/or a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Six Men Indicted for Stalking, Kidnapping that Resulted in a Death, and Grave Injury to Six-Year-OldRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging six Delaware men with violent acts that led to the death of an individual identified in the Indictment as “Victim 1,” and grave injury to a Wilmington six-year-old last June.
According to the Indictment, the defendants— Ryan Bacon, Dontae Sykes, Dion Oliver, Maurice Cooper, Michael Pritchett, and Teres Tinnin—stalked an enemy of theirs from May 6 onward. On June 6, several members of the group waited outside their target’s apartment. They ultimately followed and kidnapped Victim 1, the target’s partner, and used her phone to lure the target out of the apartment. They shot at the target, missing him, with Victim 1 in the trunk of one of their cars. The group then transferred Victim 1 from the trunk of one car to another, and two defendants—Bacon and Sykes—drove Victim 1 to Elkton, Maryland, where Victim 1 was shot five times and killed.
The Indictment describes that the group subsequently realized their target was still alive and proceeded to Wilmington. Three of the defendants—Pritchett, Oliver, and Cooper—followed their target into Wilmington, located him near the corner of 6th and Spruce Streets, and shot at him multiple times, again missing him. One shot hit a six-year-old, who was in a nearby car, in the head. The child remains permanently and seriously injured.
If convicted of kidnapping as charged in the Indictment, the defendants face a mandatory term of life imprisonment. If convicted of stalking, the defendants face a maximum of 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “This case is the product of an unprecedented degree of cooperation between the USAO, the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement. The teamwork exhibited by the prosecutors and law enforcement agencies that led to this Indictment is emblematic of the U.S. Department of Justice’s PSN Initiative.
One year ago, Attorney General Sessions recommitted the Department of Justice to Project Safe Neighborhoods, PSN, and directed United States Attorneys to work with federal, state and local law enforcement and community partners to reduce violent crime and to make our communities safer. These partnerships lie at the heart of PSN. When effective, they allow law enforcement to formulate a comprehensive, coordinated approach to violent crime, targeting the most violent offenders and the most dangerous communities.
In 2018, our PSN efforts in Delaware have focused in Wilmington, in particular West Center City. Crime throughout the city of Wilmington is down in virtually each key violent crime metric.
Shootings are down by 60%. Shooting homicides are down by 44%. Rape is down 75%, Robbery is down 11%, and the homicide-clearance rate is about 62%, up from a clearance rate of 11% several years ago. In West Center City, we have achieved similar results. For example, last year at this time there were 20 shooting victims in West Center City. This year, there have been four.”
Criminal indictments are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Hanson, Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Mackler, Adrienne Dedjinou, and Maureen McCartney, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Mark Denney.
Settlement with Martin Enterprises, Inc. and Its Surety for Submitting False Claims for Demolition Work under the U.S. Treasury’s Blight Elimination ProgramRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE - United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II announced today a pre-suit settlement under the False Claims Act for fraudulently submitted claims payable with federal Blight Elimination Program funds for demolition work not performed properly.
During 2008, the United States Department of the Treasury (Treasury) created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to stabilize the economy during the financial crisis. During 2010, Treasury created the Hardest Hit Fund, Blight Elimination Program (BEP), one of several TARP programs, which funded the demolition of abandoned and blighted residential properties in designated cities. The Special Inspector General for TARP (SIGTARP) is responsible for investigating fraud, waste, and abuse in the BEP. The State of Indiana, through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, administered the BEP program in Indiana using federal BEP funds. The City of Fort Wayne, Indiana (Fort Wayne) was a BEP program partner that awarded contracts to Martin Enterprises, Inc. (Martin) to demolish houses on blighted properties using federal BEP funds.
Martin and its surety, Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, have agreed to pay $61,016 to resolve the United States’ claims under the False Claims Act for fraudulently submitting claims for federal BEP funds for demolition and fill work done in Fort Wayne from February-September 2017. Specifically, after demolition, instead of filling the excavation sites with clean fill as required by the contract, Martin filled the excavation sites with construction debris and then falsely billed and received payments from the federal BEP program as if they had used clean fill. Under the settlement, Martin repays the $30,508 of federal BEP funds that Martin received for the fraudulently billed claims, and also pays a civil penalty of $30,508.
“We will not tolerate dishonest contractors who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of federal taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “My Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit will continue to require contractors who submit fraudulent claims for federal government funds to reimburse the government for their ill-gotten gains and also pay civil penalties under the False Claims Act.”
“Dumping of potentially contaminated building material on blighted properties by the only Hardest Hit Fund-paid demolition contractor in Fort Wayne put residents and communities at risk while fleecing taxpayers,” said Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. “I thank U.S. Attorney Kirsch and his Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit for standing with SIGTARP in the fight against fraud in TARP’s Blight Elimination Program.”
This settlement was reached as a result of an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program of the United States Department of the Treasury. Assistant United States Attorney Wayne T. Ault handled the settlement negotiations.
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Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Committing Five Armed Robberies of Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Kione Anthony Banks, age 21, of Washington, D.C., to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on federal charges of robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The federal charges arose from a series of armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Interim Chief Amal Awad of the Hyattsville Police Department.
According Banks’ plea agreement, from May 17, 2017 through June 16, 2017, Banks conspired with Tyrone Jason Murphy, Leighton Cordell Williams, and Banks’ brother, Khiry Delonte Banks to commit five armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores. The defendants wore clothing to partially conceal their faces. In four of the robberies Kione Banks brandished a firearm during the robbery and ordered the store employees to open their cash registers at gunpoint. In the fifth robbery, Murphy and Williams brandished firearms.
Specifically, Banks admitted committing robberies in Gaithersburg and Derwood, Maryland, on May 17, 2017, with Murphy and Williams. Banks committed three additional robberies on June 16, 2017, in Glen Burnie, Millersville, and Morningside, Maryland, with all three of his co-defendants. In the June 16th robberies, Murphy drove his co-defendants in a vehicle registered in the name of an associate. After the robbery in Morningside, Murphy drove onto Suitland Parkway and Prince George’s County Police officers executed a traffic stop on the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered two firearms, cash, and cigarettes stolen during the robberies.
Khiry Banks, age 29; Murphy, age 27; and Williams, age 32, all of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the same federal charges in relation to their participation in the 7-Eleven robberies. A total of ten 7-Elevens throughout Maryland were robbed by members of this group.
Khiry Banks, Murphy, and Williams each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for robbery and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for using, carrying and brandishing a firearm. Judge Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Murphy on October 23, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. No sentencing date has been set for Khiry Banks or Williams.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Cross Border Task Force, the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments, and the City of Hyattsville Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the case.
Saint Paul Felon Charged with Attempted Robbery of A Pharmacy, Drug-Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal indictment charging MICHAEL CORTEZ REED, 25, with the attempted robbery of a Walgreens pharmacy, as well as drug-trafficking and firearms violations.[1] REED was arraigned yesterday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to the indictment, on August 27, 2017, REED used force, violence, and fear of injury in an attempt to steal controlled substances from a Walgreens pharmacy located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Between September 13, 2017 and September 5, 2018, REED was found to be in possession of five or more grams of methamphetamine and three firearms, including a Ruger model P95DC nine-millimeter semi-automatic firearm, a Phoenix Arms model Raven 25 .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Kahr Arms model P380 .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Because he is a felon, REED is prohibited under federal law from possessing any type of firearm at any time.
The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, allows federal prosecutors to prosecute individuals who commit robberies of businesses engaged in interstate commerce. If convicted, REED faces potential maximum penalties of 10 years to life in prison.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Saint Paul Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Benjamin Bejar are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
MICHAEL CORTEZ REED, a/k/a “Hyphy,” 25
St. Paul, Minn.
Charges:
- Attempted interference with commerce by robbery, 1 count
- Felon in possession of a firearm, 3 counts
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
- Carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ring Leader and Last of 52 Defendants Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Israel Angeles-Moctezuma, a/k/a “Amigo,” 41, of Stockton, CA, was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Moctezuma appeared before Judge Catherine D. Perry in United States District Court today.
This investigation resulted in the seizure of nearly 200 pounds of methamphetamine, most of which was nearly 100% pure. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized at least 18 firearms and over $300,000 in cash, all of which has been forfeited to the United States. In April 2016, 56 pounds of methamphetamine was recovered – the largest single seizure of methamphetamine in the history of the Eastern District of Missouri. Moctezuma directed a vast network of co-conspirators, whom he recruited to transport methamphetamine to St. Louis, where it was distributed through a second network of people acting at his direction. Moctezuma admitted to being response for hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, as well as hundreds of kilograms of marijuana and heroin, all of which was smuggled into the United States from Mexico by his network.
Each of the 52 defendants indicted as a result of this investigation entered guilty pleas, including Moctezuma.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – St. Louis Field Division, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Repeat Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A convicted child sex offender pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Greg N. Stivers, to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Lawrence William Taylor, 68, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography on July 25, 2018.
According to the plea agreement, Taylor in 2004 pleaded guilty to online enticement of a minor in Georgia, and was sentenced to 168 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. Upon his release from prison in 2016, Taylor moved to Big Clifty, Kentucky. During an unannounced visit to his home on January 11, 2018, Taylor was found to have a female and an 11-year-old child living with him – a violation of his supervised release. During a follow-up meeting, a United States Probation Officer obtained consent for a search of Taylor's cell phone. The United States Secret Service conducted a forensic examination of the cell phone. That examination revealed the presence of child pornography, adult pornography, and sexually explicit images of children in cartoon format. Taylor obtained the images from the internet.
Taylor faces a minimum 10 year term of imprisonment, a maximum 20 years of imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, and supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case. The United States Probation Office with assistance from the United States Secret Service investigated the case.
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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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Prescriber notification initiative for opioidsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has identified approximately 30 medical professionals who are prescribing opioids in significantly higher quantities or doses than their peers or to patients who may pose a high risk of abuse or diversion. The U.S. Attorney will provide these prescribers with specific information about their prescription patterns and will refer them to educational materials, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, related to safe opioid prescription practices.
“Medical professionals have an obligation to the safety and well-being of their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Many opioid prescribers may not realize that they are overprescribing opioids. We aim to make these medical prescribers - who are outliers - aware of their atypical practices, so that they can make informed decisions about whether their opioid prescriptions are for a legitimate medical purpose. We will also continue to monitor prescribing habits.”
According to the CDC, more than 140 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day. This epidemic was created, in part, by the widespread over-prescription of opioids by medical professionals during previous years. It is our plan to strategically reduce the impact of this crisis within our community by notifying outlier prescribers that their opioid prescribing habits are not in conformity with accepted standards or the prescribing habits of their peers. Through this initiative and others, it is the goal of the Department of Justice to reduce opioid prescriptions by one-third over the next three years.
The Department of Justice has made no determination, at this time, that prescribers who receive these letters have violated the law. We have a duty, however, to protect the lives and safety of our citizens, and making information available to prescribers within the District has the potential to save lives.
This prescriber notification message is part of Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement), an initiative launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to partner with federal and local law enforcement to fight the devastating effects that illegally-prescribed painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have on our neighborhoods.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Helping Illegal Alien Enter the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carlos Figueroa Rivas, age 58, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today to encouraging and inducing an illegal alien to enter the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Steven Bronson, Area Port Director, United States Custom and Border Protection (CBP).
Figueroa Rivas admitted that on June 6, 2018, he drove from Montreal to a remote spot in Quebec along the border and dropped off an illegal alien from Guatemala named Mario Navarijo Orantes. Figueroa Rivas intended to enter the United States alone while Navarijo Orantes walked across the border and avoided immigration inspection.
After dropping off Navarijo Orantes, Figueroa Rivas drove to the Champlain Port of Entry and attempted to enter the United States alone driving a car registered to a third person. CBP refused to admit the car that Figueroa Rivas was driving and he returned to Canada. Border Patrol Agents arrested Navarijo Orantes in Rouses Point, New York, and determined that he intended to meet Figueroa Rivas.
Figueroa Rivas admitted that he intended to pick up Navarijo Orantes near Rouses Point and take him to Pennsylvania.
Figueroa Rivas faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on February 6, 2019. 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.
Navarijo Orantes, age 52, pled guilty to the felony offense of illegal re-entry of a removed alien and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17.
This case was investigated by CBP and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Pelham Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison on Illegal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that on Thursday, October 4, 2018, United States District Court Judge Leslie Abrams sentenced 33-year-old Joshua Griffin of Pelham, Georgia, to a total of 120 months imprisonment for the offenses of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (120 months), Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (120 months concurrent), and Possession of Cocaine (24 months concurrent). All sentences will run concurrently. Mr. Griffin received an enhanced sentence due to a previous conviction. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mr. Griffin was found guilty on July 17, 2018, following a two-day jury trial. Evidence presented at trial showed that officers from the Pelham Police Department lawfully searched Mr. Griffin’s residence on January 11, 2017. Their search revealed marijuana in a plastic container, cocaine in a Crown Royal bag, methamphetamine, a digital scale, a razor blade with a white residue and plastic baggies.
“Our community is not turning a blind eye to the destruction caused by methamphetamine and other illegal drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Charles Peeler. “Mr. Griffin’s jury trial and stiff sentencing sends a strong message that the illegal drug trade will not be tolerated. I want to thank the Pelham Police Department for their efforts investigating this case.”
The case was investigated by agents of the Pelham Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leah McEwen.
Questions concerning this release should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Pea Ridge Arkansas Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that John R. Gosney, IV, age 29, of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned that methamphetamine was being distributed in Northwest Arkansas by Gosney. During the investigation, DEA arranged and conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Gosney. The substance purchased was sent to the DEA South Central Laboratory for testing. The lab determined that the substance contained 53.8 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Gosney was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2018 and entered a guilty plea in May 2018.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
Passaic County, New Jersey, Private Pilot Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Money Laundering, and StructuringRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man has been convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, money laundering, structuring monetary instruments, and conspiracy to commit money laundering and structuring, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Khamraj Lall, 51, of Ringwood, New Jersey, was convicted Oct. 4, 2018, on all eight counts of a superseding indictment following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and the evidence at trial:
From April 2011 through November 2014, Lall, a private pilot, smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Guyana to New Jersey and New York on his privately owned jet aircraft and then laundered the proceeds.
Lall, who owed a private jet charter business called Exec Jet Club in Gainesville, Florida, used the proceeds of his cocaine empire to purchase jet planes, houses, and cars. He also paid more than $2 million in cash stuffed in suitcases to a Florida contractor to build an airplane hangar in Guyana.Over a 3 ½ year period, Lall also made (or had others make) 1,287 cash deposits totaling approximately $7.5 million into more than 20 different bank accounts in New Jersey and New York, much of it in $20 bills. In order to avoid detection and circumvent bank reporting laws, all 1,287 deposits were for amounts less than $10,000.
In November 2014, Lall was flying one of his jets from the United States to Guyana and stopped in Puerto Rico to refuel. An outbound search of the plane discovered $470,000 in cash stuffed into a suitcase hidden in the tail of the plane, and another $150,000 in cash hidden under a seat.
The conspiracy to distribute cocaine carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The counts for money laundering and conspiracy to launder money each carry a potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The counts of structuring and conspiracy to structure cash carry a potential penalty of 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; the Morristown, New Jersey, police department, under the direction of Chief Peter Demnitz; special agents and staff of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; the Drug Enforcement Administration-Rochester, New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt; the Federal Aviation Administration, Law Enforcement Assistance Program; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Center under the direction of Richard T. Booth, with the investigation leading to the conviction.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan M. Peck and Thomas S. Kearney of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense Counsel: Michael D’Alessio Jr. Esq. West Orange, New Jersey, and Tama Beth Kudman Esq., West Palm Beach, Florida
Pascagoula Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Byron Ratliff, Jr., 21, of Pascagoula, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 2 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Ratliff was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
On April 5, 2018, officers with the Pascagoula Police Department responded to a shots fired report. Based on witness descriptions of the car involved, police identified Ratliff as the shooter, who along with two others in the car, were in possession of marijuana and two firearms. Both guns were stolen from Long Beach, Mississippi, just a few hours before the shooting incident. Ratliff admitted to officers that he had been smoking marijuana every day for several years.
Pascagoula Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Pair Sentenced for Cocaine ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Ronnie Jones a/k/a “Dank,” age 37, of Boston, Georgia and Gina Curry, age 35, of Pavo, Georgia, were sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Hugh Lawson in Macon, Georgia on October 5, 2018. Mr. Jones was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison. Ms. Curry received a sentence of 40 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mr. Jones and Ms. Curry were indicted on the charge on February 14, 2018, and each entered a separate guilty plea on July 12, 2018. At the change of plea hearings, the Government established that on calls monitored by a court-authorized wiretap on Mr. Jones’ phone, Thomas County Vice Squad agents heard information regarding Mr. Jones’ storing cocaine at Ms. Curry’s residence. On other monitored calls, agents heard information regarding Ms. Curry delivering drugs to Mr. Jones or to his customers. A subsequent search at Mr. Jones’ residence revealed $11,818.00, 51.5 grams of crack cocaine, 273.8 grams of powder cocaine, and items indicating that crack cocaine had been manufactured inside the residence and packaged for resale.
“Participating in the drug trade leads to federal prison, not riches,” said U.S. Attorney Charles E. Peeler. “I thank the Thomas County Vice Squad for its hard work in this case.”
The case was investigated by the Thomas County Vice Squad and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leah McEwen.
Questions concerning this release should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Operation High Rollers Completed with 11 Drug Traffickers Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Eleven members of a drug-trafficking organization face long federal prison sentences after the successful completion of Operation High Rollers, a multi-year investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) into the multi-state drug distribution and money-laundering conspiracy.
More than $135,000 and a significant amount of marijuana was seized during the investigation.
The 11 defendants were part of a cartel that purchased marijuana in Texas and California and shipped it to Savannah, Statesboro and other parts of the country for sale. To conduct their illicit transactions, the drug trafficking organization laundered more than $8 million in illegal proceeds through multiple banks using deposits and withdrawals structured to conceal them from detection.
Since their indictments in December 2016 on charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, all 11 have pled guilty and have now been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. Sentenced in the operation are:
- Lametheus Terence Douglas, sentenced to 188 months in prison;
- Kai Jacobie Bolden, sentenced to 120 months in prison;
- Deshawn Binah Reilley, sentenced to 200 months in prison;
- Larry Turner Douglas Jr., sentenced to 30 months in prison;
- Curel Taylor Reilley, sentenced to 24 months in prison;
- Samory Toure Williams, sentenced to 87 months in prison;
- Jovan Antuan Myrick, sentenced to 30 months in prison;
- Delmus Lockhart Jr., sentenced to 37 months in prison;
- Brian Donivan Ulmer, sentenced to 46 months in prison;
- Vicobri Roykiam Miller, sentenced to 78 months in prison; and,
- Darvin Esquire Strand Jr., sentenced to 60 months in prison.
In addition, Judge Moore also sentenced each defendant to three to five years of supervised release following completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
“This was a far-reaching, complex conspiracy to spread illegal drugs across the nation, and this operation to dismantle the conspiracy demonstrates the dedication and determination of our law enforcement officers and prosecutors,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “But no matter how hard these drug traffickers try to hide their activities, we will find them, shut them down and put them in prison.”
Personnel participating in Operation High Rollers included those from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Removing dangerous drugs from the streets and hitting drug traffickers in their pockets are both integral parts of dismantling sophisticated drug distribution networks, as was the case in this investigation,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Atlanta Field Division. “Their money is their lifeline and without it, their drug distribution activities cannot survive. This investigation was a success because of the fine police work conducted by a collection of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Karl I. Knoche and Matthew Josephson represented the United States in this investigation and prosecution.
For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422
North Dakota Man Sentenced for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Nicollas Troy Johnson, 25, formerly of Harwood, North Dakota, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 7 years in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for coercion and enticement of a minor. In addition to his prison sentence, Johnson will be required to register as a sex offender and serve 60 months on supervised release.
In July, 2017 the Beatrice Police Department received a report that a 14-year-old girl had left a note at her home stating that she was running away. The minor’s father also informed the police that his daughter had been messaging someone known as “Nico Johnson” via FaceTime. After interviewing friends of the victim, police determined that on the morning of July 10, 2017, a dark blue SUV arrived in the area driven by an older looking male, and the minor entered the vehicle and departed the area. The friends did not know the identity of the male. Through a review of the minor’s Facebook account, as well as open source databases, Beatrice Police investigators determined “Nico Johnson” to be the Nicollas Johnson, residing in Harwood, North Dakota.
Johnson was contacted at his residence in Harwood, North Dakota, and acknowledged being friends with the minor, but denied that the minor was at or had ever been to the residence. A search of his residence was conducted, and the minor was not located. Later that evening, the minor was located and contacted at a Super 8 Hotel in Fargo, North Dakota. The minor initially provided false and conflicting information about her identify and the reason she was in North Dakota, but eventually acknowledged her true identity and indicated that Johnson had picked her up in Nebraska and driven her to his home in North Dakota. Johnson was subsequently arrested and admitted to his relationship with the minor.
This case was investigated by the Beatrice Police Department of Nebraska, along with the Grand Forks Police Department and Cass County Sheriff’s Office of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Ninth and Tenth Conspirators Sentenced to Prison in Identity Theft and Credit Fraud Scam at Sams Club and Walmart StoresRead the Press Release
Raleigh - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced two additional defendants to federal prison for their participation in an identity theft and credit card scam carried out at various Walmart and Sams Club stores. The Court also directed that each of the defendants serve terms of supervised release, and the forfeiture of the proceeds of their crimes.
In November of 2015, a grand jury issued a true bill of indictment charging ten defendants with engaging in a complicated scheme involving the use of stolen credit information. The indictment alleged that the defendants acquired stolen credit information from overseas hackers, and then encoded the stolen credit information onto plastic gift cards. Members of the conspiracy then took the counterfeit gift cards to Walmart locations in various states and used them to buy genuine Walmart gift cards. After acquiring genuine gift cards, the conspirators took them to Sams Club stores (who accept Walmart gift cards as tender) where they used them to purchase more than $1 Million in cigarettes. The conspirators then sold off the cigarettes for cash to various black market vendors.
SALIFU JALLOW, 33, of Sugarhill, GA, who previously pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 60 months in prison on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and Aggravated Identity Theft. JALLOW was also ordered to serve a three year term of supervision upon release from prison.
ABDOULAIE FRANCIS LOWE NICOLAS, 30, of Raleigh, NC, who previously pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on the charge of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. NICOLAS was also ordered to serve a three year term of supervision upon release from prison.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service, with the assistance of the Wake Count Sheriff’s Office, the Durham Police Department, and the Fuquay Varina Police Department. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service also assisted in the prosecution of the case. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States.
New York Man Sentenced for Traveling to Pennsylvania for Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Jamestown, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to four years and nine months imprisonment, 25 months supervised release and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (18 U.S.C. § 3014(a)) on his conviction of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence yesterday on Andrew Michael Dubois, age 32, of Jamestown, NY.
According to information presented to the court, on December 7, 2017, Dubois knowingly traveled in interstate commerce from New York to Pennsylvania for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the North Strabane Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dubois.
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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Crack Cocaine Charges, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAVON MOORNING, 39, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and crack cocaine. MOORNING also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal convictiion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 15, 2011, MOORNING was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. In December 2014, the sentencing judge reduced MOORNING’s sentence to 84 months of imprisonment to give MOORNING credit for time that he had served in state custody on related charges. MOORNING was released from federal prison on June 1, 2018.
On June 15, 2018, MOORNING sold heroin and crack cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement. On July 9, 2018, MOORNING sold heroin to the same individual. When officers arrested MOORNING on July 24, 2018, he possessed additional amounts of heroin and crack cocaine.
MOORNING is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer on January 9, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on the new charges, and up to two years of imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release.
MOORNING has been detained since his arrest.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Progress in Making Communities Safer Through Project Safe Neighborhoods ProgramRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – One year ago today, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“The goal of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Nevada is to decrease violent crime and therefore decrease victimization,” said U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada. “Reducing violent offenders’ access and control of weapons, including illegal firearms and illegal ammunition, will lead to fewer opportunities for contributing citizens to become victims. The District of Nevada has always had a robust PSN program and strong partnerships with law enforcement. As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized program, we are grateful to not only our communities’ dedicated law enforcement men and women, but also to our community partners for their commitment to prevention and reentry. Safety is a priority in our schools, parks, and neighborhoods; PSN is a valuable resource to achieving that goal.”
Coming in January 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will host a Project Safe Neighborhoods Summit. The Summit will bring together law enforcement and community partners to discuss gang and youth violence prevention. Some of the topics will include: developing positive community relationships in neighborhoods, proven practices in gang prevention and intervention, social media as it relates to gang activity and recruitment, and discussions of potential approaches and solutions.
The Department of Justice, through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, has awarded grant money to help the Nevada PSN program. The grant furthers the PSN task force goal of increased enforcement, prevention, and outreach efforts, targeting two specifically-designated high need areas in the Las Vegas Valley. The grant award, for over $400,000, was funded on Wednesday. The PSN task force will get to work in the near future to solicit requests for sub-awards to help accomplish the PSN mission.
Las Vegas has recently created its Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC), operated and housed at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) who is a PSN partner. The CGIC, also funded by the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, is run in connection with ATF. The Crime Gun Intelligence Center is a multidisciplinary team designed to prevent violent crime by identifying perpetrators, linking criminal activities, and identifying sources of crime guns for immediate disruption, investigation, and prosecution. There are fewer than a dozen CGICs in the United States. Southern Nevada is fortunate to have such a powerful scientific facility as a resource. The CGIC is a critical addition to Nevada’s strengthened PSN team.
The PSN program and its associated partners have contributed to the 27% reduction in violent crime in Las Vegas, according to the LVMPD annual report. There have also been reductions in violent crime in the northern part of Nevada, specifically a 4% decrease in the number of assaults and about a 3% decrease in the number of robberies, according to the Reno Police Department annual report. Nationwide, the violent crime rate has been reduced by 1%.
There is still work to be done. Gratefully, this community has great partnerships and relationships. Working together, we can help current victims and prevent new ones.
To learn more about the Department of Justice’s PSN program, visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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Morris County Man Convicted on Child Porn ChargesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A federal jury Thursday found a Morris County man guilty of downloading child pornography from the internet, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Wesley Wagner, 54, White City, Kan., was convicted of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. During trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that the FBI seized a server belonging to a now-defunct website called Playpen that provided users access to child pornography. The FBI used computer forensics to identify the site’s users, including Wagner. Based on that information, the FBI obtained a warrant to search the defendant’s home.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 7. Wagner faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison on the charge of receiving child pornography, and up to 10 years on possession charge.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced for Disabling an Amtrak Train in NebraskaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Taylor Michael Wilson, 26, of St. Charles, Missouri, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for violence against a transportation system and possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle. The Honorable John Gerrard sentenced Wilson to 168 months imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Wilson will be on a five-year term of supervised release. Wilson was further ordered to make restitution to Amtrak in the amount of $9,350.
Wilson boarded an Amtrak train in California on October 19, 2017. He remained on the train as it traveled into Nebraska. Near Furnas County, Nebraska, Wilson, armed with a handgun, broke into the engine compartment of the train. He cut the lights to the passenger compartment and disabled the train. Some passengers panicked and attempted to escape through the windows.
Train conductors subdued Wilson. During the struggle, Wilson declared that he was the conductor. He stated that he was “trying to save the train from black people.” Wilson was restrained until law enforcement arrived, confiscated his gun and took him into custody.
Wilson claims membership in the Nationalist Socialist Movement. A search of his residence in Missouri recovered the unregistered short barrel rifle, a copy of Mein Kampf and a play Wilson wrote about taking over America.
At sentencing the government produced evidence that Wilson participated in the riots at Charlottesville, Virginia.
When imposing sentence, Judge Gerrard stated about the day that Wilson disabled the Amtrak train, “On that day, October 21, 2017, you were a gun-toting, angry…white supremacist.” and that “Fortunately for Wilson and for others, Wilson was caught while committing this particularly senseless and violent act.”
United States Attorney Joe Kelly stated that today’s sentence sends an important message. Racially motivated crimes will not be tolerated. Hate crimes such as this will be aggressively pursued to the full extent permitted by the law. He commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Furnas and Harlan County Sheriff’s Offices and Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Woods for their hard work.
“The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to keep our country and its people safe. This is the perfect example of what a unified partnership between different agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office should look like,” FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Randall Thysse said.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 3, 2018, Oscar Chaves (55 years old) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced in Federal Court to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5). After his release from prison, Chaves will spend 5 years on supervised release.
Chaves used the Gigatribe computer program to access and download child pornography, as well as to engage in highly sexualized chats with other users about their affinities for child pornography. Gigatribe is a peer-to-peer file-sharing network that establishes private network connections between users. FBI agents investigating child pornography crimes on Gigatribe obtained and executed a search warrant at Chaves’s residence in Milwaukee. During the search, FBI agents found computers, removable hard drives, and DVDs that together contained more than 6,000 images and videos of child pornography.
While handing down the sentence, United States District Judge Pamela Pepper emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the importance of protecting children from sexual exploitation. Judge Pepper noted that victims of child sexual abuse continue to suffer knowing that people like Chaves actively seek out and collect images of their abuse.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin W. Proctor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at (414) 297-1700
Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Marc Sorrentino Sentenced to Federal Prison on Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
Television personality Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison, and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for violating federal tax laws. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for District of New Jersey, and IRS Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur made the announcement.
Tax evasion charges were originally brought against Michael Sorrentino, 37, and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, 39, in September 2014, and a superseding indictment returned in April 2017 added additional charges. Michael previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to Count 13 of a superseding indictment, which charged him with tax evasion. Marc pleaded guilty to Count 5, which charged him with aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentences today in Newark federal court.
“Lying to and defrauding the federal government is a very serious crime, regardless of a defendant’s celebrity status,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman. “The Sorrentino brothers chose to use Michael’s fame to benefit themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer, and with the help of our federal partners, they were held accountable.”
“The law requires all Americans to pay our fair share of taxes. These defendants deliberately flouted this requirement, acting as though fame and celebrity status placed them above the law. They are not," said U.S. Attorney Carpenito. Tax fraud is as serious as any other form of theft from the government, and the sentences imposed today should make that abundantly clear.”
“Tax crimes, plain and simple, are an outright theft from the hardworking American public,” stated John R. Tafur, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “The courts recognize the severity of these crimes and now Michael and Marc Sorrentino are convicted felons with prison sentences to serve for intentionally disregarding their tax obligations to our country.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Michael Sorrentino was a reality television personality who gained fame on “The Jersey Shore,” which first appeared on the MTV network. He and his brother, Marc, created businesses, such as MPS Entertainment LLC and Situation Nation Inc., to take advantage of Michael’s celebrity status.
Michael Sorrentino admitted that in tax year 2011, he earned taxable income, including some that was paid in cash, and that he took certain actions to conceal some of his income to avoid paying the full amount of taxes he owed. He made cash deposits into bank accounts in amounts less than $10,000 each so that these deposits would not come to the attention of the IRS.
Marc Sorrentino admitted that during tax years 2010, 2011 and 2012, he earned taxable income and that he assisted his accountants in preparing his personal tax return for those years, willfully providing them with false information. His personal tax returns under-reported his total income and taxable income.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Judge Wigenton ordered Michael Sorrentino to serve two years of supervised release and pay $123,913 in restitution and a criminal fine of $10,000. Marc Sorrentino was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and pay a criminal fine of $7,500.
Principal Deputy Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the IRS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Trial Attorneys Yael T. Epstein and Jeffrey B. Bender of the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino and His Brother, Marc Sorrentino, Sentenced to Federal Prison on Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Television personality Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino was sentenced today to eight months in prison and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, to 24 months in prison for violating federal tax laws, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division; and IRS Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur announced.
Michael Sorrentino, 37, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to Count 13 of a superseding indictment, which charged him with tax evasion. Marc Sorrentino, 39, pleaded guilty to Count 5, which charged him with aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentences today in Newark federal court.
“The law requires all Americans to pay our fair share of taxes,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “These defendants deliberately flouted this requirement, acting as though fame and celebrity status placed them above the law. They are not. Tax fraud is as serious as any other form of theft from the government, and the sentences imposed today should make that abundantly clear.”
“Lying to and defrauding the federal government is a very serious crime, regardless of a defendant’s celebrity status,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman. “The Sorrentino brothers chose to use Michael’s fame to benefit themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer, and with the help of our federal partners, they were held accountable.”
“Tax crimes, plain and simple, are an outright theft from the hardworking American public,” Special Agent in Charge Tafur, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “The courts recognize the severity of these crimes and now Michael and Marc Sorrentino are convicted felons with prison sentences to serve for intentionally disregarding their tax obligations to our country.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Michael Sorrentino was a reality television personality who gained fame on “The Jersey Shore,” which first appeared on the MTV network. He and his brother, Marc, created businesses, such as MPS Entertainment LLC and Situation Nation Inc., to take advantage of Michael’s celebrity status.
Michael Sorrentino admitted that in tax year 2011, he earned taxable income, including some that was paid in cash, and that he took certain actions to conceal some of his income to avoid paying the full amount of taxes he owed. He made cash deposits into bank accounts in amounts less than $10,000 each so that these deposits would not come to the attention of the IRS.
Marc Sorrentino admitted that during tax years 2010, 2011 and 2012, he earned taxable income and that he assisted his accountants in preparing his personal tax return for those years, willfully providing them with false information. His personal tax returns under-reported his total income and taxable income.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Wigenton sentenced Michael Sorrentino to two years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service, $123,000 in restitution (which has already been paid) and fined him $10,000. Marc Sorrentino was sentenced to one year of supervised release, and fined $7,500, with restitution to be determined at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito and Principal Deputy Attorney General Zuckerman credited special agents of the IRS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark; Trial Attorneys Yael T. Epstein and Jeffrey B. Bender of the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Defense counsel: Michael Sorrentino: Henry E. Klingeman Esq. and Kristen Santillo Esq., Newark
Marc Sorrentino: Michael D’Alessio Jr. Esq., West Orange, New JerseyMaryland Man Sentenced to 82 Months in Prison for Robbing Teenager at Gunpoint in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Sanchez, 20, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to an 82-month prison term for robbing a teenager at gunpoint last fall in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Sanchez was found guilty by a jury in July 2018 of charges of armed robbery, first-degree theft, fleeing law enforcement, destruction of property, and a related firearms offense. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 3, 2017, at about 10 p.m., the 17-year-old victim was attacked as he walked in the area of 14th and Farragut Streets NW. Sanchez and an accomplice shoved the victim to the ground, stuck a gun to his neck, and robbed him. Sanchez and his accomplice – who were both wearing masks - took the victim’s backpack, laptop, iPhone and wallet, and fled. The victim called 911, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly located Sanchez and his accomplice in a car parked in an alley behind 14th Street and Ortiz Place NW. Police found some of the victim’s belongings in a nearby dumpster and the victim’s iPhone case was underneath the car.
Detectives arrived a short time later and attempted to question Sanchez. Sanchez, however, backed up his car and almost hit officers. He hit a parked car, damaging its bumper. He then exited the alley at top speed and got away. An investigation led to Sanchez’s arrest in March 2018, and he has remained in custody ever since. No others have been arrested in the case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Montgomery County, Md. Police Department. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez, Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Richard Cheatham, Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Interns Shelby Rampolo and Chad Hansen. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nurudeen Elias and Alissa Kempler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to over 17 years in prison for distribution of crack cocaine, possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, and violations of supervised release.
“Firearms in the hands of drug distributors, especially those who have been previously convicted of a felony, are a deadly combination,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who have forfeited their Second Amendment rights because of felony conviction, as well as those who represent the greatest danger to the community by pedaling poison and doing so while armed. It is not only reasonably foreseeable, but highly likely that guns in the hands of drug dealers result in deadly violence. I want to thank our investigative partners at ATF for their terrific work on this important case.”
According to court documents, in January 2017, Kevin A. Brown, 31, was the passenger in a vehicle stopped by Richmond Police officers. During a consensual search, the officers recovered a distributable quantity of crack cocaine from Brown. He subsequently admitted to the officers that he was selling the crack, and that on two occasions in October 2017, Brown sold quantities of crack cocaine in Richmond to a confidential informant working with the Richmond Police Department. Officers stopped Brown as he was leaving the second drug deal, and recovered the buy money for the crack deal, an additional quantity of crack, a quantity of heroin, and a .45 caliber revolver. Brown had previously been convicted of a felony, and was not legally permitted to possess the firearm.
“This is another good example of law enforcement working together to keep our communities safe,” said Thomas Chittum, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Division. “Drug dealers who carry firearms are making a poor choice. This should serve as a warning to others who might do the same. We will work with our partners throughout Virginia to catch you and put you behind bars where you belong.”
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Holli R. Wood prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-50.
Major Drug Traffickers Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that a federal jury has convicted two members of a drug trafficking network operating in the Baton Rouge area. OSCAR MACHADO-GALEANA, age 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allegedly tied to the Sinaloan Cartel in Mexico, was convicted of drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearm violation. Late afternoon, October 4, 2018, after a 9 day trial, the jury unanimously returned guilty verdicts of guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; distribution of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The jury convicted his co-defendant, ROY MARTIN HERRARA-ROMERO of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, MACHADO-GALEANA obtained pounds of methamphetamine as well as a quantity of heroin from a source operating in Lafayette, Louisiana, as well as pounds of marijuana from a source in northern California. Machado-Galeana, with the assistance of Alexander P. Nava, distributed methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana to various dealers in the Baton Rouge and Laplace, Louisiana areas. Machado-Galeana used a nominee to purchase cashier’s checks and forward those to his marijuana supplier in California. In some instances, Nava and Machado-Galeana carried firearms with them when delivering methamphetamine to dealers and picking up the payments for those controlled substances. On March 18, 2015, during the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit at 13822 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, near the premises where HERRARA-ROMERO resided, law enforcement officers seized approximately 18 pounds of high-grade methamphetamine. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant that day also upon Herrera-Romero’s residence at 13822 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they found triple beam and digital scales, a. 45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and an amount of marijuana. That same morning, officers executed a search warrant at Machado-Galeana’s residence at 11634 W. Sherwood Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they seized a number of firearms, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
MACHADO-GALEANA faces a sentence of not less than fifteen years and up to life imprisonment. HERRERA-ROMERO faces a penalty of up to five years imprisonment.
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “These convictions are another step in fulfilling our commitment to stand up to the threat of drug dealers and drug trafficking organizations who deal dangerous substances on our streets. As our Nation continues this fight we will work in lock step with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to ensure drug dealers, like those convicted in this case, are taken out of our communities and sent to federal prison. This indictment and conviction should send a message to those who commit crime in our district… We will be patient. We will be methodical - and we will be successful.” U.S. Attorney Fremin also said, “This was truly a collaborative effort. I am extremely proud of the outstanding work by our prosecutors and staff and the many federal, state and local partners who made the investigation, prosecution and conviction possible.”
“The successful prosecution of the members of this drug trafficking organization should be a warning to others who engage in this type of activity,” stated DEA Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Arnett. “By removing these criminals from the streets, they can no longer distribute this toxic poison to our communities. This case highlights the impact multiple agencies can have when they join forces. We will continue to work together and pursue those who threaten our communities through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs and bring them to justice. This investigation is a compelling example of that success."
This operation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Baton Rouge City Police Department, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita, Peter Smyczek and Elizabeth White.
The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
Madison County Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Robbery of a Local StoreRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A Madison County man has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for robbing a local business with a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on September 9, 2017, deputies with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office responded to a robbery call at the Five Points Country Store at 844 Ozier Road in Pinson, TN. During the investigation, deputies learned that Dakota Allen Vann approached the counter, ordered a slice of pizza, and then left the store. Vann returned to the store fifteen minutes later and handed the clerk a note stating "Empty the register all the cash I have a gun!" At the same time, Vann displayed a black semi-automatic pistol located at his waistband.
Deputies collected evidence including surveillance footage of the robbery. Vann was taken into custody on September 12, 2017. He admitted his involvement in the robbery and told deputy jailers "if I’d of known all of this I’d robbed an [expletive] bank instead."
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Violent crime affects and endangers all communities in West Tennessee, both urban and rural. This violent offender has no remorse for his brazen armed robbery of a small country store, and has no understanding of the harm that his violence inflicted on the victim store owner. Now he will have plenty of time in federal prison to suffer with the consequences of his criminal conduct, and the citizens of Madison County will be safer for it."
On October 4, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Porter to a total of 100 months in federal prison for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The period of incarceration will be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release. Vann will also be required to pay restitution.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Eskridge prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on October 4, 2018, Bryant Omonttez Williams, 38 of Lincoln, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months (262 months) in prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture and 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine between July of 2016 and September of 2017. Following the prison term, Williams will serve five years on supervised release.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Williams was responsible for the distribution of at least 1.5 kilograms (approximately three pounds) of methamphetamine mixture and at least 150 grams (over five ounces) of actual/pure methamphetamine. In January of 2017, Williams was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the Lincoln Police Department. When Williams got out of the vehicle, he threw a baggie containing approximately three grams of methamphetamine on the ground and tried to spread it over the pavement with his foot. In March of 2017, officers saw Williams engaged in what appeared to be a drug transaction. He ran when officers tried to contact him but left a baggie containing approximately three grams of methamphetamine on the seat of the car he had been driving. In August of 2017, Williams’s co-defendant, Nicole Kemp, was arrested for driving on a suspended license. Her car was searched. A safe containing 528 grams of methamphetamine mixture, including at least 460 grams of actual methamphetamine, was found in the car. Kemp said the safe belonged to Williams and said she did not know there were drugs in her car. In September of 2017, Williams sold methamphetamine twice to a confidential informant for a total of approximately seven grams and was found in possession of an additional three grams.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Kenmore Police Chief Arrested, Charged with Possession of HydrocodoneRead 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 Peter Breitnauer, of Kenmore, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of hydrocodone. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
According to the complaint, on October 5, 2018, FBI Special Agents asked the defendant about allegations that he had been diverting prescription pills from the NYS Medication Drop Box located at the Kenmore Police Station. Breitnauer admitted that he is addicted to hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, and had been taking hydrocodones from the box for his personal use. The defendant guided agents to a closet in his office, where he had stashed more than 100 hydrocodone pills that he had diverted from the drop box.
“It’s a sad day,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Chief Breitenauer has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a respected member of Western New York’s law enforcement community. Today’s events certainly do not erase all the good that the Chief has done during his tenure. Rather, they highlight the devastating and destructive power of opioids and underscore the fact that anyone can become ensnared in their allure. There is absolutely no evidence suggesting that the Chief ever distributed any of the drugs he is alleged to have diverted.”
The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on conditions.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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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