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3 October 2018
Illegal Sea Cucumber Trade Nets More than $1.2 Million Dollars in Fines, Forfeiture and RestitutionRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson (619) 546-7976
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 1, 2018
SAN DIEGO – A Tucson firm and two executives were recently sentenced to pay over $1.2 million in fines, forfeiture and restitution for the illegal trafficking in sea cucumber from 2010-2012.
In May of 2017, Blessings, Inc. of Tucson, its owner David Mayorquin, and former executive Ramon Torres Mayorquin of San Diego were charged in a 26-count indictment with conspiracy, illegal trafficking in wildlife, importation contrary to law, false labeling and criminal forfeiture related to the importation of $17 million of sea cucumber.
Blessings, Inc. pleaded guilty on March 8, 2018, admitting that the company conspired to illegally export sea cucumber to Asia. Defendant Ramon Mayorquin also pleaded guilty, acknowledging that he imported the sea cucumber into the United States from Mexico by means of documents containing false information. And, defendant David Mayorquin pleaded guilty, admitting that the sea cucumber he imported into the United States had been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of Mexican law.
At a hearing on September 17, 2018, U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez sentenced Blessings, Inc. and David Mayorquin to pay a fine of $973,490, and directed that half of the fine be deposited in the Lacey Act Rewards Fund and the other half into the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Fund. In addition, Blessings, Inc. was ordered to forfeit $237,879 in proceeds from the offense, and David Mayorquin was ordered to pay $40,000 to the government of Mexico as restitution for the loss of its natural resources. All three defendants were placed on probation.
The Lacey Act Reward Account was established to accept any fine, penalty or forfeiture of collateral money collected for offenses involving either the Lacey Act or the Endangered Species Act in accordance with provisions of the 1981 Lacey Act Amendments. Examples of how these funds may be used include to provide monetary awards to those who provide information about wildlife crimes and to pay costs incurred in caring for fish, wildlife or plants that are being held as evidence in ongoing investigations. The Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Fund is used for rewards to those providing information that leads to enforcement action and costs related to investigations.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, there are about 1,200 species of sea cucumbers worldwide. Found on the ocean floor, sea cucumbers act as filters taking in various types of detritus, including carcasses and excrement, and expelling filtered material. This action helps keep the ocean floor free of organic matter that could lead to algae blooms. Through this process, sea cucumbers help protect coral reefs because the material they excrete includes calcium carbonate, a key building block of coral.
In many parts of the world, sea cucumbers are sought after as a delicacy and as a medicine and aphrodisiac. This has fueled demand and increased illegal trade of this species. Unfortunately, the illegal trade in sea cucumbers is leading to sharp declines of the species in parts of the world.
With increased cooperation with Mexican officials, the importation of sea cucumber from Mexico to the United States through the ports of entry in San Diego have decreased dramatically in the past four years. According to the NOAA Office of Science and Technology, Commercial Fisheries Statistics Division website, total sea cucumber imports from 2013 through 2017 into the San Diego ports of entry have decreased from 1,096,258 kg in 2013 to 63,545 kg in 2017.
“Illegal trafficking in fish and wildlife is big business,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “This case demonstrates our commitment to work together with our law enforcement partners to prosecute such criminals and take away their unlawful profits.”
“Protecting marine resources and combating wildlife trafficking is an important part of NOAA's mission,” said James Landon, Director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement. “This case demonstrates the results of partnerships and cooperation between enforcement agencies to achieve such a strong result.”
“Wildlife trafficking is a serious crime that impacts plants, animals and insects around the world,” said Edward Grace, Acting Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “We are committed to working with others to protect at-risk species, like sea cucumbers, and hope the sentencing in this case will send a strong message to those who choose to defy the law.”
“A large overseas demand for sea cucumbers harvested in Mexico has fueled an increase in illicit importation-schemes uncovered at commercial ports of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Dave Shaw, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “This investigation underscores HSI’s commitment to ensuring U.S. trade laws are not exploited by those seeking financial gain.”
DEFENDANTS Criminal Case No. 17cr1254-BEN
Blessings, Inc Incorporated: 2003
Tucson, Arizona
David Mayorquin Age: 41
Tucson, Arizona
Ramon Torres Mayorquin Age: 77Chula Vista, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 (Defendant Blessings)
Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 371
Maximum penalty: 5 years’ prison, fine of $250,000
Count 12 (Defendant Ramon Mayorquin)
Importation Contrary to Law, 18 U.S.C. §545
Maximum Penalty: 20 years’ prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, restitution, forfeiture of proceeds generated from the, five years of supervised release.
Counts 1 & 2 of Superseding Information (David Mayorquin)
Illegal Importation of Wildlife, 16 U.S.C. §3372(a)(2)(A) and §3373(d)(2)
Maximum Penalty: 1 year of prison, $100,000 fine per count
AGENCIES
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement
Homeland Security Investigations
Honduran Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Conspiring to Launder over $1 Million in Bribes and Funds Misappropriated from the Honduran Social Security AgencyRead the Press Release
A Honduran man was sentenced in federal court today to 46 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to launder into the United States more than $1.3 million in foreign bribe payments and public funds from the Republic of Honduras, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Deputy Director and Acting Director Ronald D. Vitiello of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced.
On June 27, Carlos Zelaya, 47, a citizen of Honduras who was residing in the New Orleans area, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of the Eastern District of Louisiana, who imposed today’s sentence and ordered Zelaya to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The defendant consented to the forfeiture of his interest in over one million dollars in real estate obtained through the scheme as part of his plea.
According to admissions made as part of the plea agreement, Carlos Zelaya conspired with his brother, the former Executive Director of the Honduran Institute of Social Security, and others to launder over $1.3 million in bribe payments. These bribes were paid by two Honduran businessmen for the benefit of the Executive Director. The funds were then laundered into the New Orleans area through international wire transfers and used to purchase real estate, including a commercial property. Carlos Zelaya collected and spent the rental income derived from the properties, even after a federal judge ordered him to preserve the funds pending resolution of a federal civil forfeiture suit. During the course of the civil case, he also made false statements to the U.S. government in written discovery responses and to a federal judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana while testifying under oath. As part of the conspiracy, Carlos Zelaya also used his brother’s high-ranking official position to profit from lucrative Honduran government contracts and then laundered the misappropriated funds into the New Orleans area.
The investigation was conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans and Miami. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Stephen A. Gibbons, Marybeth Grunstra, and Michael B. Redmann of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
This case was brought under the Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. These prosecutors partner with federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who engage in and facilitate foreign official corruption which has effects on the U.S. financial system, to forfeit assets purchased with the proceeds of that corruption, and, where appropriate, to repatriate the recovered funds for the benefit of the people of the country harmed by such abuse of public office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in, or laundered through, the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].
Honduran Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Conspiring to Launder over $1 Million in Bribes and Funds Misappropriated from the Honduran Social Security AgencyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Honduran man was sentenced in federal court today to 46 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to launder into the United States more than $1.3 million in foreign bribe payments and public funds from the Republic of Honduras, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Deputy Director and Acting Director Ronald D. Vitiello of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced.
On June 27, Carlos Zelaya, 47, a citizen of Honduras who was residing in the New Orleans area, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of the Eastern District of Louisiana, who imposed today’s sentence and ordered Zelaya to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The defendant consented to the forfeiture of his interest in over one million dollars in real estate obtained through the scheme as part of his plea.
According to admissions made as part of the plea agreement, Carlos Zelaya conspired with his brother, the former Executive Director of the Honduran Institute of Social Security, and others to launder over $1.3 million in bribe payments. These bribes were paid by two Honduran businessmen for the benefit of the Executive Director. The funds were then laundered into the New Orleans area through international wire transfers and used to purchase real estate, including a commercial property. Carlos Zelaya collected and spent the rental income derived from the properties, even after a federal judge ordered him to preserve the funds pending resolution of a federal civil forfeiture suit. During the course of the civil case, he also made false statements to the U.S. government in written discovery responses and to a federal judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana while testifying under oath. As part of the conspiracy, Carlos Zelaya also used his brother’s high-ranking official position to profit from lucrative Honduran government contracts and then laundered the misappropriated funds into the New Orleans area.
The investigation was conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans and Miami. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Stephen A. Gibbons, Marybeth Grunstra, and Michael B. Redmann of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
This case was brought under the Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. These prosecutors partner with federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who engage in and facilitate foreign official corruption which has effects on the U.S. financial system, to forfeit assets purchased with the proceeds of that corruption, and, where appropriate, to repatriate the recovered funds for the benefit of the people of the country harmed by such abuse of public office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in, or laundered through, the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].
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18-1288
High School Art Teacher Charged Following Sexual Relationship with 16-Year-Old StudentRead the Press Release
A 40-year-old Lubbock high school teacher has been charged with enticement and attempted enticement of his 16-year-old female student, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox announced today.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Scott Riley Hall, an art teacher at Coronado High School, allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with a 10th grade girl at her home in August.
The relationship allegedly began last summer, after the victim confided in Hall about a difficult situation she’d encountered at school the previous year. In September, the victim’s mother stumbled upon some sexually explicit emails they’d shared:
“I love touching you,” Hall wrote in one email. “One of these days, we are going to spend hours watching movies and rolling around in bed.”
“Seeing you (even briefly), dreaming of the next time, and reminiscing about the last time. These things make me sad, too, but they help me cope until we are just together. Always,” he wrote in another.
“I do hope you rested well and that you felt better than hating our situation,” he said in a third. “I’ll see you at school soon. I love you my dear.”
After the victim admitted to her mother that she’d had sex with Hall, the mother confronted the teacher.
“I am not sure of what you believe has happened, but my fault was caring too much in the wrong way,” Hall admitted to the mother in a follow-up text. “I will agree to any measure you would like me to take I [sic] regards to distancing myself… I am so sorry to have hurt either of you.”
“I truly wanted to be that Art Dad, but I let my care for her cross a line. It was a huge mistake,” he continued. “It was misguided affection. I am very sorry. I will do anything you ask to keep this from being a legal or professional situation.”
“I am not a predator,” Hall said.
Hall later told police that he’d developed “strong feelings” for the 16-year-old girl, and agreed their interactions were “inappropriate.” Confronted with numerous email and text conversations, he admitted his communications with the victim were sexual in nature.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, Hall faces up to life in federal prison. He’s also facing charges in state court.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division, the Lubbock Police Department, and the Lubbock Independent School District Police Department conducted the investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Haag is prosecuting the federal case.
Greenwood Man Sentenced to 90 Months Imprisonment for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Jerry Jerome Yeldell, age 50, of Greenwood, South Carolina, was sentenced after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Senior United States District Henry M. Herlong, Jr., of Greenville, sentenced Yeldell to 90 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
At an earlier guilty plea hearing, Assistant U. S. Attorney Jeanne Howard, established that on July 31, 2016, Greenwood Police received a call that someone had been shot on Taggert Avenue in Greenwood. The victim was transported to the hospital and identified Yeldell as the person who shot him. Shortly thereafter, Yeldell turned himself in to the Greenwood Police Department and admitted to shooting the victim but stated it was in self-defense.
Because of his prior criminal history, which includes three convictions for public disorderly conduct, two convictions for distribution of crack cocaine, a conviction for possession of crack cocaine, a conviction for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, three convictions for simple assault and battery, a conviction for assault and battery 3rd degree, two convictions for burglary 2nd degree, 3 convictions for breaking into motor vehicles, and two convictions for forgery, Yeldell is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The case was investigated by bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Greenwood Police Department, and FBI Safe Streets Task Force and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Greenwood Investment Advisor Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri Lydon stated today that Melvin Leonard Wimmer, Jr., age 53, of Greenwood, South Carolina was sentenced in federal court in Greenville, South Carolina, for Securities Fraud. Senior United States District Judge Henry Herlong, of Greenville, sentenced Wimmer to 75 months imprisonment and 5 years Supervised Release. The court also ordered Wimmer to pay $3,056,000 in restitution.
Evidence uncovered in the investigation established that in 2007, Wimmer started an investment firm in Greenwood called Cornerstone Capital. From 2010-2017, approximately twenty-five (25) individuals invested $3.6 million with Wimmer. Wimmer pooled the money into one bank account, and he invested in high-risk securities and futures contracts.
Wimmer committed fraud by issuing fraudulent account statements to his investors. Soon after he started trading options and futures, Wimmer lost money, and he continued to lose money throughout the scheme. Instead of reporting the losses, Wimmer emailed his investors monthly account statements that falsely listed gains of 8-10 percent on an annualized basis. Wimmer manufactured and distributed false account statements from the outset, and he continued until the scheme collapsed. Wimmer also falsely represented the expected gains from trading, including the past performance of his trades, and he failed to inform the investors of the high risk of trading futures and options. Of the $3.6 million invested, Wimmer lost approximately $3 million. Much of this money came from the investors’ retirement savings.
United States Attorney Sherri Lydon noted that “this prosecution illustrates the devastating impact that financial fraud inflicts on many Americans. Sadly, many of the victims in this case are elderly and lost all of their retirement savings. A free market system cannot function without integrity in the financial markets.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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Gang Leader Convicted of Violent Crime in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LEONARD MATHEWS was convicted by a jury of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, as well as firearms, ammunition, and crack cocaine distribution offenses. The verdict followed a seven-day trial before the Honorable J. Paul Oetken.
According to allegations in the Indictment and evidence introduced at trial:
MATHEWS is a leader, or “big homie,” in the Gangsta Milla Bloods, or “GMB,” a subset of the United Bloods Nation gang that operates in the Bronx and engages in racketeering activity, including narcotics distribution. On October 20, 2017, MATHEWS ordered a subordinate gang member to shoot someone with whom MATHEWS previously had a physical altercation. The shooting resulted in the injury of three innocent bystanders on Morris Avenue between East Kingsbridge Road and East 196th Street in the Bronx. On the night of the shooting, following a closed-door meeting with MATHEWS and other members of the gang, the same Bloods foot soldier that MATHEWS ordered to do the shooting stabbed and left for dead one of the principal witnesses to the shooting.
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MATHEWS, 27, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted of aiding and abetting or willfully causing assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; aiding and abetting or willfully causing the discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which has a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; aiding and abetting or willfully causing the possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. MATHEWS will be sentenced by Judge Oetken on January 17, 2019.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative efforts of the Bronx Violent Crimes Squad of the New York City Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin V. Rodriguez, Dominic A. Gentile, and Emil Bove are in charge of the prosecution.
Four Florida residents sentenced for fraud charges involving gas station skimmersRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four Florida residents were sentenced today to a combined 297 months incarceration for their involvement with a gas station skimming fraud scheme, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Meylan Montalvo Gomez, of Hialeah, Florida, age 27, was sentenced to 57 months incarceration. Gomez pled guilty to one count each of “Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud” and one count each of “Access Device Fraud-Use of Unauthorized Access Device” in June 2018.
Yosan Pons Sosa, of Miami, Florida, age 29, was sentenced to 46 months incarceration. Sosa pled guilty to one count each of “Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud” and one count each of “Access Device Fraud-Use of Unauthorized Access Device” in June 2018.Lazaro Serrano Diaz , of Miami, Florida, age 27, was sentenced to 57 months incarceration. Diaz pled guilty to one count each of “Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud” and one count each of “Access Device Fraud-Use of Unauthorized Access Device” in June 2018.
Naudi Reyes Fernandez, of Miami, Florida, age 37, was sentenced to 51 months incarceration. Fernandez pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud” and one count of “Access Device Fraud-Possession of Device-Making Equipment” in June 2018.
Each admitted to their roles in a conspiracy spanning four states that involved using skimming devices at gas pumps, using technology to upload the account information, and creating fraudulent cards with said accounts to make unauthorized transactions at different businesses in West Virginia and elsewhere.
The court calculated the intended loss as approximately $1,000,000 based upon the fact that when the defendants were arrested, they were found with a laptop containing over 2,000 different debit and credit card numbers.
The court applied a sentencing enhancement based upon the sophistication of the offense. This was based in part on the use of blue tooth capable skimming devices which they had placed inside gas pumps to remotely obtain the card numbers.
The judge also ordered each defendant to pay $33,750. The judge also ordered restitution in the amount of $61,844.56.
Forfeiture of the following was also ordered:
a. approximately thirty-three (33) gift cards containing an unknown value; b. approximately $72,495.73 in United States Currency; c. approximately $28,498.00 worth of Western Union money orders; d. approximately $10,300.00 worth of MoneyGram money orders; e. one magnetic stripe card reader-writer-encoder f. two laptops g. six cell phones
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, West Virginia State Police and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.Founder of Swiss Brokerage Firm Charged in Global Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founder and operator of a Swiss asset management firm was arrested today on charges of engaging in a massive global securities fraud scheme that netted trading proceeds of approximately $164 million.
Roger Knox, 47, a resident of the United Kingdom, was charged by criminal complaint with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Knox was detained following an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.
The complaint alleges that from June 2015 until the present, Knox and co-conspirators operated a purported asset management firm based in Switzerland called Silverton, and later renamed Wintercap. Through this business, Knox allegedly helped facilitate pump-and-dump and other market manipulation schemes by selling massive quantities of microcap securities on behalf of “control groups” who secretly owned the stock through nominee shareholders, and who simultaneously orchestrated promotional campaigns and other efforts to artificially inflate the price and trading volume of those shares. The complaint alleges that Knox then funneled the proceeds of the securities fraud—totaling an estimated $164 million—to coconspirators in the United States and elsewhere through a complex money transfer system that disguised the source and nature of the funds.
In a parallel action, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Boston announced civil charges against Knox today.
The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or gross loss. 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 Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The SEC provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen of Lelling’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Defiance Man Sentenced to 6 Years’ Prison and Lifetime Probation for Voyeurism at Tséhootsooí Medical CenterRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, Garrison Sloan, 44, of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 6 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by lifetime probation with sex offender conditions and registration. Sloan had previously pleaded guilty to ten counts of Voyeurism, an Arizona state law assimilated for federal prosecution.
During parts of 2016 and 2017, Sloan, then an IT specialist at the Tséhootsooí Medical Center in Fort Defiance, Ariz., placed hidden cameras in several bathrooms at the medical center, which he used to surreptitiously view many of his coworkers. The matter was ultimately referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which promptly began an investigation, seized all of Sloan’s computer equipment, and was able to identify dozens of his victims. Sloan and many of his victims are members of the Navajo Nation, and his crimes occurred within the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR 18-08057-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-129_Sloan
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Former Tallassee, Alabama, Police Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury unsealed an indictment today charging Michael Brandon Smirnoff, 25, a former officer at the Tallassee Police Department in Tallassee, Alabama, with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses. Smirnoff is charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.
The indictment alleges that Smirnoff twice used unlawful force on arrestees and submitted a false report to cover up one of the incidents. In the first incident, on March 29, 2016, Smirnoff slammed a handcuffed man to the ground, then used unreasonable force while placing him into a police vehicle. In a second incident on July 5, 2015, Smirnoff tased a man who had already been placed in handcuffs and was not physically resisting. As a result of these unjustified uses of force, both victims sustained bodily injuries. The indictment further charges that Smirnoff obstructed justice by submitting a false report about the second incident.
If convicted, Smirnoff faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the deprivation of rights charges and 20 years in prison for the obstruction charge, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Simpson of the Middle District of Alabama and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.
Former Tallassee Police Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – A federal grand jury unsealed an indictment today charging Michael Brandon Smirnoff, 25, a former officer at the Tallassee Police Department in Tallassee, Alabama, with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Smirnoff is charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.
The indictment alleges that Smirnoff twice used unlawful force on arrestees and submitted a false report to cover up one of the incidents. In the first incident, on March 29, 2016, Smirnoff slammed a handcuffed man to the ground, then used unreasonable force while placing him into a police vehicle. In a second incident on July 5, 2015, Smirnoff tased a man who had already been placed in handcuffs and was not physically resisting. As a result of these unjustified uses of force, both victims sustained bodily injuries. The indictment further charges that Smirnoff obstructed justice by submitting a false report about the second incident.
If convicted, Smirnoff faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the deprivation of rights charges and 20 years in prison for the obstruction charge, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Simpson of the Middle District of Alabama and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.
Former Supervisory U.S. Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Christopher Davis, 46, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a child pornography charge. Davis entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends a 15-year prison sentence followed by 20 years of supervised release. Davis will also be required to register as a sex offender
Davis was arrested in May 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with receiving child pornography in April 2018, in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, the Las Cruces Police Department executed a search warrant on an email account subscribed to Davis that was used to upload a video file containing child pornography. The complaint further stated that on May 15, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Police Department seized numerous items including digital media containing child pornography while executing a state search warrant at Davis’ residence. At the time of these events, Davis was employed as a Supervisory U.S. Border Patrol Agent.
During today’s proceedings, Davis pled guilty to a felony information charging him with production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In entering the guilty plea, Davis admitted that on May 17, 2015, he produced a child pornography video of a five-year-old minor child and uploaded the video onto his laptop computer.
Davis has been in federal custody since his arrest and will remain detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Las Cruces Police Department with assistance from the Office of Professional Responsibility of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Management Inquiry Team of the U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI, and the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Individuals with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse are encouraged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center at (575) 526-3437, or to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Former Mount Pleasant Woman Charged in $144K Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Westmoreland County has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal wire fraud and identity theft laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The four-count indictment, returned on September 27, 2018, and unsealed yesterday, charged Jennifer Lynne Clark, aka Jennifer Gill, age 40, formerly of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania and now residing in Clearwater, Florida, with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, from in and around August 2015 to in and around October 2016, Clark obtained credit card information for company credit cards belonging to her employer. Clark then set up mobile payment accounts with Square, Inc., in the false names of other businesses, and used the credit card information to authorize fraudulent payments into her own personal bank account. The indictment alleges that Clark was responsible for fraudulent transactions totaling approximately $144,129.77. In making the unauthorized transactions, Clark used credit card numbers that were assigned to specific individual employees.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 64 years in prison, a fine of either $2,500,000 or an alternative amount depending on the victims’ losses, or both. 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam N. Hallowell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Cameron company office manager sentenced to 1 year in prison for stealing more than $91,000Read the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a former office manager of a Cameron company was sentenced Monday to 12 months and one day in prison for stealing more than $91,000 from her employer.
Belinda Miltenberger, 47, of Cameron, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $91,846 in restitution.
According to the June 13, 2018 guilty plea’s factual basis, Miltenberger was the office manager for Cameron Fisheries LLC, a seafood processing and wholesale company located in Cameron. Her responsibilities included maintaining office records of all sales and other business transactions. From January 2016 until about February 2017, Miltenberger embezzled $91,846 from cash seafood sales. Instead of depositing certain cash sales into the company’s bank account, she kept the money for her personal use. She then falsified business records to cover her abuse. When company officials in Seattle became concerned about account balances, they asked Miltenberger to prepare end-of-year financial statements. In response, she created fraudulent financial reports and sent them to her supervisors to continue to conceal her scheme.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Willis prosecuted the case.
Former Bowling Coach Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The former coach of a South King County bowling team pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to production and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. TY LEE TREDDENBARGER, 54, of Burien, Washington, admits he photographed and saved images of his molestation of minor victims between the ages of 13 and 16. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on January 15, 2019, TREDDENBARGER faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison.
According to records filed in the case, in March 2017, a young victim disclosed the abuse to a parent. The Des Moines Police Department and King County Prosecutor’s Office requested assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. HSI and the Seattle Police Department executed court authorized search warrants at TREDDENBARGER’s residence, seizing electronic devices that contained images of the sexual abuse of children. Law enforcement was able to identify two additional victims. TREDDENBARGER is charged with three counts of production of child pornography -- one count for each of the victims -- and possession of child pornography.
Some of those victimized by TREDDENBARGER have not been identified. Authorities are asking anyone who has information to contact HSI Seattle at (206) 442-1469 or email information to [email protected]
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson. Ms. Gregson is a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation cases in federal court.
Five Defendants Plead Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Armed Robbery SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced that five defendants—SIRA ABASSI, KENLEE GALVEZ, DAVID BRADFORD, JEREMIAS MUNOZ, and LUIS MONSANTO-GERMOSEN—pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery during August and September of 2017. Each defendant pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Deborah A. Batts.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “During August and September of 2017, a rotating crew of armed robbers committed nearly a dozen armed robberies in New York City, victimizing businesses and homes alike. During one home invasion robbery in the middle of the night, a victim was stabbed in the torso. Thanks to our law enforcement partners, this robbery crew has been dismantled and all five defendants in this case have admitted to taking part in this brazen scheme.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “This crew conducted nearly a dozen armed robberies. They preyed on local businesses for their own greedy gain and used physical force whenever they deemed necessary. HSI’s El Dorado Task Force, which includes task force officers from the Westchester County DA’s office, worked closely with the NYPD and ATF to apprehend these criminals, ensuring that they face justice for their criminal actions.”
ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan M. Benedict said: “The defendants were members of an organized ring of armed robbers that committed numerous brazen acts of violence all across the city. Thanks to the investigative work of the ATF/NYPD Joint Robbery Task Force and the collaborative efforts of our state and federal partners, they will no longer prey on the innocent in their community. ATF remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting citizens from violence and the lasting effects it has on communities. I would also like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O'Neill said: “Today’s guilty pleas reflect the highly-effective work of our NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners at the Southern District, whose precise focus on the real drivers of crime in New York City is relentless. It is imperative that we continue to strongly collaborate in this way — that is how we will keep New Yorkers safe in every neighborhood.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint, the Superseding Indictment to which each defendant pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
For approximately two months—August and September of 2017—a rotating crew of robbers committed at least 11 successful armed robberies in New York City and attempted several more. They targeted primarily Asian-owned businesses in Brooklyn and Queens, such as billiards halls and internet cafes. They also committed home invasion robberies of at least two residences in Queens believed to be locations of gambling operations. The robbers typically conducted these robberies at night. For each robbery, they were armed with at least one knife and BB-gun, which they brandished and pointed at victims. At times, they forced victims to open cash registers at knifepoint, while clutching a victim’s neck.
During these robberies, the robbers physically injured at least two victims. During a home invasion robbery, one victim—who was asleep when the robbers entered—woke up, resisted, and was stabbed in the torso during the ensuing scuffle; his bloodied shirt, and his doubling over in pain, are visible on video surveillance. Second, during a robbery of a commercial establishment, a perpetrator hit a resisting victim in the head with a BB gun. Over the course of the conspiracy, the robbers used force, and the threat of force, to take the following items from victims: a total of more than approximately $20,000, approximately 20 cellphones, credit cards, a wallet, driver’s licenses, a social security card, and other electronic devices. They took cellphones so that victims could not call 911.
The scheme continued until the night of September 29, 2017, when four defendants—ABASSI, GALVEZ, BRADFORD, and MUNOZ—were caught red-handed en route to another robbery. They were found in possession of, among other things, a BB-gun, two screwdrivers, three masks, two pairs of gloves, backpacks to fill with robbery proceeds, attire that matched that of the robbers on video from a robbery earlier that week, and a spiral notebook containing handwritten notes (e.g., “gold,” “straight cash,” “doctor,” and “drugs!”) including names, addresses, and physical descriptions of apparent robbery targets.
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SIRA ABASSI, 21, of Bayside, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
KENLEE GALVEZ, 23, of Flushing, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and to Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
DAVID BRADFORD, 31, of New York, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
JEREMIAS MUNOZ, 19, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
LUIS MONSANTO-GERMOSEN, 23, of Corona, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by Judge Batts. Sentencings are scheduled for different dates in 2019.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF, the Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension (“SPARTA”) Task Force, the NYPD, and HSI.
If you believe you were a victim of this offense, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Victim/Witness Coordinators at (212) 637-2200.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Greenwood and Michael D. Neff are in charge of the prosecution.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Casino Cashier CageRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A felon who disguised himself by applying dark colored makeup pleaded guilty Tuesday to armed robbery of a casino floor cashier cage at New York-New York Hotel and Casino, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada.
Cameron James Kennedy, 27, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware, II to one count of interference with commerce by robbery. He faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, at the December 13, 2018 sentencing hearing.
This is Kennedy’s second federal conviction. He was placed on federal supervision starting June 23, 2017, after serving a 63-month sentence for two bank robberies he committed in 2012. During those robberies, he threatened to kill a bank teller and displayed a BB gun painted to look like an actual gun. On January 9, 2018, less than seven months into his supervision, Kennedy cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet and absconded from court-ordered home confinement. About three hours later, at about 12:45 a.m. on January 10, Kennedy – while wearing makeup that darkened his skin tone – demanded money from a casino floor cage cashier at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. He lifted his jacket to display what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband and told the cashier: “I want all your hundreds and don’t mess around.” He fled with approximately $23,367 in stolen cash. Kennedy was identified in spite of his attempt to conceal his identity, in part because of his unique gold mouth grill, which is a type of jewelry worn over a person’s teeth.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Lopez and Alexandra Michael are prosecuting the case.
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Federal jury finds members of ‘Block Boyz’ gang guilty on RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal jury in Shreveport found five members of the “Block Boyz” gang guilty on RICO and drug trafficking offenses, as well as firearm offenses.
The five Shreveport residents found guilty were: DeMarcus D. Morris, 29; Jimmie R. Durden Jr., 29; Lonnie D. Johnson, 24; Gary J. McCain, 24; and Larshanda C. Davenport, 45. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial that started Monday, September 17, 2018 and ended today. The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before returning the verdict. All of the defendants were named as part of a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization or RICO conspiracy in the indictment, which was filed in July of 2017.
The defendants were found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Distributing Crack Cocaine, and Distributing Powder Cocaine.
The “Block Boyz” gang has terrorized the Queensborough neighborhood for too long,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “Today’s verdict will bring some peace to the citizens in Shreveport, and sends a clear message to drug dealers and gangs that this type of violent crime will not be tolerated - you will go to federal prison. These defendants were given a fair trial, and now they will face their consequences. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the citizens of our communities to rid our streets of violent crime, and make our communities a safer place to work, live and play.“
“I applaud the jury’s decision and thank them for their hard work and sacrifices throughout this trial,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal stated. “I also commend the great work put forth by all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to locate, apprehend, and bring the “Block Boyz” to justice. Without a doubt, the residents of Shreveport will feel much safer now and hopefully be able to reclaim their neighborhoods.”
Evidence admitted at trial revealed that beginning in 2012, the defendants took part in a criminal organization known as the “Block Boyz” and the “Get Money Boyz” or “GMB.” The organization distributed controlled substances, murdered, robbed, possessed firearms illegally and conducted other crimes primarily within the Queensborough and Ingleside neighborhoods of Shreveport. Gang members were charged with at least 66 acts that members of the organization committed to further the RICO conspiracy. The acts include threats, sale of drugs and shootings. The organization sold crack cocaine, powder cocaine, roxicodone, marijuana, ecstasy and alprazolam.
Gang members sold illegal drugs and committed armed robberies. They maintained and circulated a collection of firearms for use in their criminal activity and used cell phones to operate their criminal enterprise. Members of the organization bragged about their illegal activity, such as their possession of firearms, and took pictures of themselves with firearms and money to intimidate others and increase their position in the community.
As a result of their conviction on the RICO count, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. In addition to the RICO penalties, four of the five defendants face additional penalties for the drug and firearm offenses. The defendants also face fines up to $5 million and forfeiture of property seized in the case.
Frank J. Morris, 25; Ravion M. Alford, 23; Rodrick R. Hicks, 24; and Golanda W. Atkins, 41 all of Shreveport, were also indicted as part of the conspiracy. Alford pleaded guilty on December 21, 2017 to the RICO count. The court set sentencing for October 17, 2018. Hicks pleaded guilty on January 29, 2018 to the RICO count with a sentencing date of October 17, 2018. Morris pleaded guilty on August 30, 2018 to the RICO count with a sentencing date of January 4, 2019. Atkins was dismissed from the indictment on September 7, 2018.
The FBI Northwest Louisiana Violent Crimes Task Force, ATF, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Shreveport Police Department participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and Tennille M. Gilreath are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Returns Drug Conviction in Under Five MinutesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal jury took less than five minutes on Tuesday to convict a Birmingham man of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against NICHOLAS FAUSTO CISNERUS, 29, after two days of testimony before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler. A sentencing date has not been set.
“Our message to drug dealers is unmistakably clear: you will go to federal prison,” Town said. “This jury underscored that message with a quick, decisive, and unanimous verdict. Cisnerus was given a fair trial...now he will be given bed space in a federal prison.”
“Nicholas Cisnerus rolled the dice by going to trial. He hoped that at least one of the 12 jurors wouldn’t believe the mountain of evidence obtained during this year-long investigation,” Hamilton said. “Luckily for the citizens of the Northern District of Alabama, the jurors in this case applied common sense to their duties and now Cisnerus will be second-guessing his gamble for many years to come in federal prison, where he belongs.”
Evidence at trial showed that, in 2017, Cisnerus was a member of a conspiracy distributing multiple kilograms of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine in Jefferson and Blount counties. Cisnerus had supplied the conspiracy with methamphetamine and had trafficked in cocaine and heroin, according to testimony. DEA obtained a federal wiretap, which captured Cisnerus speaking with another drug trafficker in coded drug language.
In late September 2017, a DEA agent, acting undercover, purchased half a pound of methamphetamine from another member of the conspiracy. Surveillance showed that member traveling to Cisnerus’s house to obtain the drugs, then returning to his house to deliver payment from the sale. Agents subsequently searched Cisnerus’ house and found drug packaging and scales, among other items.
DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin Shutt and Mohammad Khatib are prosecuting.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the October 2018 Federal Grand Jury.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in an indictment returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
George Lee Brown, Jr. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. George Lee Brown, Jr., 34, of Tulsa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which included a Glock 23 pistol. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Tulsa Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations are the investigative agencies.
Barbarito De Leon-Compean. Reentry of Removed Alien. Barbarito De Leon-Compean, 53, of Tulsa, was charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on March 19, 2015, from Brownsville, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Mario De Leon-Meza. Reentry of a Removed Alien. Mario De Leon-Meza, 41, of Tulsa, was charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on February 25, 2015, at Del Rio, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Nickolaus Antwann Douglas. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Nickolaus Antwann Douglas, 37, of Tulsa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which included a Taurus, PT709 Slim, 9mm pistol. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.
Blaine Clinton Ford. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Blaine Clinton Ford, 27, of Bixby, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, including a Taurus, PT111 Millennium G2, 9mm Lugar pistol; possession with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million dollar fine for each possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charge; and a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of possession of a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime. The Bixby Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.
Bobby Joe Hurt, III. Felon in Possession of Firearms. Bobby Joe Hurt, III, 25, of Sapulpa, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms, including a Heritage, Rough Rider, .22 caliber revolver and a Smith & Wesson 13-1, .357 caliber revolver. If convicted, he faces maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Creek County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.
Aaron Michael Jackson. Theft of Mail by United States Postal Service Employee; Possession of Stolen Mail. Aaron Michael Jackson, 28, of Tulsa, was charged with stealing items contained in letters, packages, and mail intended to be sent through the mail system, and with being in possession of those stolen items. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge. The Office of the Inspector General, United States Post Office, is the investigative agency.
Gerardo Regalado-Cuevas. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Gerardo Regalado-Cuevas, 63, of Tulsa, was charged with failing to register as a sex offender from 2014 to present. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The United States Marshals Service is the investigative agency.
Kerry Sloan. Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. Kerry Sloan, 55, of Harker Heights, in the Killeen, Texas area, was charged with knowingly transporting a minor with the intent that the minor would engage in sexual activity with him. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Killeen Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Raelyn Briana Sutton. Conveying False and Misleading Information Concerning an Explosive Device. Raelyn Briana Sutton, 26, of Spavinaw, Oklahoma, was charged with intentionally conveying false and misleading information in a phone call to the Rogers County Court Clerk’s Office by claiming that a bomb would go off in five minutes. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand River Dam Authority Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.
Levi William Welker. Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography; Enticement; Tampering With a Victim- 2 counts; Tampering With Documents. Levi William Welker, 27, of Tulsa, was charged with knowingly possessing and distributing child pornography; enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity; attempting to persuade another person to destroy evidence; interfering with reporting of an offense; and destruction of evidence. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Additionally, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the enticement charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each tampering with a victim charge and tampering with a document charge. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Travis Christian Wilbur. Drug Conspiracy. Travis Christian Wilbur, 29, of Miami, Oklahoma, was charged with conspiring to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and $10 million dollar fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.
John Andrew Williams. Possession of Fifteen or More Counterfeit Access Devices; Possession of Device-Making Equipment; Wire Fraud. John Andrew Williams, 47, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was charged with possessing 15 or more counterfeit gift cards and with using credit card encoder equipment to re-encode the depleted gift cards fraudulently with bank account and identification information belonging to other persons, which he had obtained illegally from the “dark web.” Williams was also charged with purchasing U.S. postage stamps from kiosks throughout the United States and selling the stamps on Craigslist by means of wire communications. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of fifteen or more counterfeit access devices charge; 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the possession of device-making equipment charge; and 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for the wire fraud charge. The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Service are the investigative agencies.
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District Man Pleads Guilty for 2003 Sexual Assault of Woman in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Richardson, 37, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman in September 2003, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Richardson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon seven-year prison term. Richardson also will be required to register as a sex offender for life and serve a term of supervised release. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 21, 2003, at approximately 8:20 p.m., Richardson pulled the woman into a wooded area in the 4600 block of Blue Plains Drive SW, and raped her at knifepoint, after engaging her in conversation and offering to walk her home. Richardson then brandished the knife, told her to do as he said, and sexually assaulted her. The victim screamed for help and tried to run, but was unsuccessful. When the assault was over, Richardson threatened to kill the victim if she reported the assault. He again offered to walk the victim home, but she told him to leave her alone and ran back to her residence.
The victim made an immediate report to police, and was transported to an area hospital, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination.
Richardson was developed as a suspect in this offense by MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit in September 2018. On Sept. 18, 2018, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed a complaint and warrant authorizing Richardson’s arrest. The warrant was executed on Sept. 19, 2018, two days before the statute of limitations would have run on this case. Richardson has been in custody ever since.
When detectives discovered this case in September 2018, the investigation revealed that Richardson had been convicted in two prior sexual assault cases, one that occurred in 2000 in Baltimore, and one that occurred in 2003 in the District of Columbia.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit and officers from the Seventh District, as well as the Deputy Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Paralegal Specialist Tameka Garcia.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky and Jennifer Loeb, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Dinwiddie County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Dinwiddie County man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison and ordered to pay $97,500 in restitution for producing images of child sexual abuse involving two local minor victims.
“The nature and circumstances of Burke’s conduct are nothing short of horrendous,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His predation on these two minor survivors is likely to have personal and public reverberations for decades to come. I want to thank and applaud our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for ensuring that Burke will now be in a place where he cannot sexually abuse minors. Our office has a long history of engaging with our state, local, and federal partners outside of the immediate Richmond area and we will continue to fight crime no matter where the conduct is occurring within the Eastern District of Virginia.”
According to court documents, throughout 2017, Thomas James Burke, 34, sexually abused two minors under 11 years of age and produced images of the sexual abuse with his cell phone. Federal agents executed a search warrant at Burke’s Dinwiddie County residence after the images he produced were discovered by Australian law enforcement on the computers of an Australian individual who was being investigated for child pornography offenses. Burke had sent the images, as well as other child pornography, to the Australian defendant over the “Kik” application on his cell phone. An additional image produced by Burke was also recovered off of an individual’s phone in Oregon after he was arrested for child pornography crimes.
“Those who think they may conceal their heinous crimes behind technology and across international borders are sorely mistaken,” said Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “Our highly trained investigators will continue to identify and locate these offenders wherever they are hiding to ensure Thomas Burke and criminals like him answer for their actions and cannot victimize another child.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Fishel 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-19.
Des Moines Sex Trafficking Defendants Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Seven defendants charged with sex trafficking and related offenses pleaded guilty during the month of September announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in January and February 2019 before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.
According to court documents, Darren O. Coleman, age 29, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking Victim 4 (“V4”) by force, fraud, or coercion. Sarina Ann Williams, age 26, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of V4. Coleman admitted he recruited V4 in late June of 2017, and sent V4 to Williams, who was in South Dakota at the time. Williams, at Coleman’s direction, advertised V4 on online escort websites for the purposes of prostitution; harbored V4 in hotel rooms that served out of state customers; and arranged for V4 to engage in commercial sex acts. Coleman admitted he knew V4 was engaging in commercial sex acts as a result of force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion. Coleman monitored V4’s contact and interactions with family and friends. He also verbally threatened V4 and others, to intimidate V4. Coleman admitted he fraudulently promised V4 substantial money and things of value of which V4 never received.
Coleman also pleaded guilty to coercing and enticing Victim 1 (“V1”) to cross a state line for purposes of prostitution. Stephen Kalu Cobb, age 27, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking V1 by force, fraud, or coercion. Sarina Williams pleaded guilty to transporting V1 across a state line for purposes of prostitution. According to Cobb’s plea agreement, Coleman threatened V1 with physical violence in March 2017 after V1 found and disposed of a firearm Coleman had purchased. V1 then engaged in commercial sex acts due to threats of violence from Coleman. Cobb also physically assaulted V1, threatened her with violence, and verbally demeaned and insulted V1 to cause V1 to engage in commercial sex acts. Cobb transported V1 to different locations in Des Moines to engage in commercial sex acts, and received money from those sex acts. Cobb admitted to splitting the money he obtained from the trafficking of V1 with Coleman and Mark Phillip Carter II, as they arranged for the commercial sex acts and communicated the places and locations for the commercial sex acts to Cobb. Mark Phillip Carter II, age 26, admitted to advertising V1 on online escort websites, in addition to other individuals.
Carter entered a plea of guilty to sex trafficking a minor. According to the plea document, between May and July 2017, Carter recruited and enticed a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts. He advertised the minor—who was 16 years old at the time—on online escort websites, and transported the minor to motels and other locations in the Southern District of Iowa, knowing the minor victim would engage in commercial sex acts at those locations. Carter received money from those sex acts. Furthermore, Cater admitted to possessing a firearm in July 2017, and the minor victim knew he had a firearm. Carter also admitted to advertising two additional individuals, Victim 2 and Victim 3 (“V3”), on online escort websites for the purpose of prostitution. Carter additionally was charged with conspiring with three other individuals to commit the crime of sex trafficking V3; according to his plea agreement, that charge and others will be dismissed at the time of sentencing.
Julyen Xavier Singleton, age 21, admitted to using a facility of interstate commerce—in this case, Facebook—to promote prostitution. Singleton admitted that, in late June 2017, he contacted V3 on Facebook and solicited V3 to come to Des Moines to engage in prostitution. He then provided V3 to another individual for the purpose of advertising V3 on online escort websites, arranging for V3 to engage in commercial sex acts, and transporting V3 to commercial sex acts. Singleton thereafter received proceeds from those sex acts.
Ronzell Montez Williams, age 26, and Breeanna Lynae Brown, age 26, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking V3 by force, fraud, or coercion. According to their plea agreements, Carter left V3 with Ronzell Williams in late June 2017. Brown then obtained V3 and took her to her home. Both Brown and Williams transported V3 to engage in commercial sex acts. Williams admitted Brown told V3 she could perform commercial sex acts as a way to get enough money to leave Des Moines in order to fraudulently induce V3 to continue to perform commercial sex acts for Brown’s financial benefit.
Coleman and Cobb are subject to a fifteen-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for sex trafficking up to life imprisonment. Carter is subject to a ten-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for sex trafficking a minor, up to life imprisonment. Sarina Williams, Ronzell Williams, and Brown, for their pleas to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, are subject to a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Singleton is subject to up to five years in prison for using a facility of interstate commerce to promote prostitution.
This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department, Vice and Narcotics Control Section. Analytical support was provided by the Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Department of Public Safety, as well as the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center. The Polk County Attorney’s Office assisted with the prosecution. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Department of Justice announces more than $70 million to support school safety and $64 million to improve state criminal record systems - Includes $500,000 to the West Virginia Department of EducationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – U.S. Attorney Bill Powell joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $500,000 for the West Virginia Department of Education.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“Children are our most valuable resource. This funding couldn’t go to a more worthy cause. I look forward to seeing our schools improve in security and mental health services in the coming year, thanks, in part, to this funding,” said Powell.
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million. The WV Department of Education funding falls under this category.
The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
Department of Justice Reminds the Public to Be Aware of Fraud When Disaster Strikes and Report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud - (866) 720-5721Read the Press Release
RALEIGH – The Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region, which opened opportunities for criminals to exploit people during vulnerable times. The NCDF, a national coordinating agency within the Department’s Criminal Division, operates a call center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and serves as a centralized clearinghouse for disaster fraud complaints and information relating to both natural and man-made disasters. The NCDF seeks to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for victims of such fraud. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows them to forward complaints to the appropriate agency for investigation.
“In the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Florence the affected communities and citizens of Eastern North Carolina should be on guard against disaster fraud schemes,” said Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “As FEMA and other federal, state, and local relief agencies work tirelessly to support those who have suffered losses as the result of this natural disaster, we can be certain that criminals will target those impacted and attempt to profit from the suffering of others. The Department of Justice is committed to detecting and stopping this type of fraud. Through the National Center for Disaster Fraud, and in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we are working to aggressively prosecute the offenders.”
While compassion, assistance, and solidarity are generally prevalent in the aftermath of natural disasters, unscrupulous individuals and organizations also use these tragic events to take advantage of those in need. Examples of illegal activity being reported to the NCDF and law enforcement include:
- FEMA fraud;
- Identity theft;
- Contractor fraud;
- Charity fraud; and,
- Impersonation of government officials.
The NCDF reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims and before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of disaster victims. The public is also reminded to be extremely cautious before providing personal identifying or financial information to anyone, especially those who may contact you after a natural disaster.
Unfortunately, criminals can exploit disasters, such as Hurricane Florence, for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions. Tips should be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to [email protected], and information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707.
Learn more about the NCDF at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud and watch a public service announcement from United States Attorney Higdon here. Within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Deputy Criminal Chief Felice Corpening serves as the Disaster Fraud Coordinator. Working with the NCDF and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, Deputy Criminal Chief Corpening oversees the federal prosecution and investigation of disaster fraud matters impacting Eastern North Carolina. Violations of North Carolina state disaster fraud laws are handled by the North Carolina Department of Justice’s (NCDOJ) Consumer Protection Division. The NCDOJ Consumer Protection Division may be contacted at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (1-877-566-7226) or by visiting www.ncdoj.gov/complaint.
Tips for the public on how to avoid being victimized by fraud are available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/tips-avoiding-fraudulent-charitable-contribution-schemes.
Department of Justice Collaborates with Canadian and Mexican Partners on Programs and Best Practices to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Indigenous Women and GirlsRead the Press Release
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio traveled to Mexico City on Tuesday to lead the U.S. delegation in the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico as a result of the commitments from the North American Leaders Summit (NALS) in 2016.
During the meeting there was an exchange of experiences and best practices between representatives, experts and indigenous young women and advocates from Canada, Mexico and the United States to prevent and address gender violence and the challenges for their access to justice. Indigenous women shared their experiences and perspectives, contributing to the development of outcomes for the working group.
“In the United States, violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women is an urgent problem; indeed, it is a crisis,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the entire Department of Justice are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety in Native American communities. The United States has increased funding, launched innovative programs, and aggressively investigated and prosecuted these crimes. Cooperative efforts between our three nations will help us end the scourge of abuse and empower indigenous women and girls. Justice demands it, the victims deserve it, and we must deliver it.”
As head of the U.S. delegation, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio met with Gina Wilson, Canada’s Deputy Minister of the Status of Women; Roberto Serrano Altamirano, Director General of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples and Ambassador Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, Mexico’s Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Department of Justice delegation also included U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme of Montana, U.S. Attorney John Anderson of New Mexico, Acting Director Katharine Sullivan of the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), OVW Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs Sherriann Moore and Rachel Bissex, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Associate Attorney General.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio discussed Department of Justice efforts to prosecute and prevent violence against indigenous women and girls, including the doubling of grant funding for public safety and victim services in Native American communities. He also discussed improvements to OVW’s Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys program.
The Working Group also discussed the significance of economic empowerment for indigenous women and girls, as well as inclusive economic growth for families, communities and countries. The Working Group addressed the importance of supporting youth leadership in indigenous communities as a means to promote and protect their human rights.
“Comprehensive respect for the human rights of indigenous women and girls is an obligation for States and is also fundamental for the well-being of their families, communities and countries,” said Ambassador Ruiz Cabañas. “Therefore, for the Government of Mexico, Indigenous women’s human rights are approached with a double perspective: the individual dimension, in which human rights are inherent prerogatives of women […]; and the collective dimension, since indigenous women are subject of enforceable human rights within the framework of their peoples and communities.”
“Canada, along with our North American partners, is committed to ending violence against Indigenous women and girls and to addressing the systemic factors that feed this violence,” said the Honorable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. “In the spirit of collaboration, we will continue to seek the vision, support and guidance of Indigenous leaders, elders, women, and youth to promote the economic rights and empowerment of indigenous women and girls. I also wish to congratulate Gina Wilson and the rest of the Canadian delegation for their hard work during this meeting.”
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio’s visit supports the Justice Department’s continuing efforts under the Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety.
This is the third meeting of the trilateral working group. The first was hosted by the United States in October 2016 and the second was held in Ottawa on November 2017.
A 2016 National Institute for Justice study concluded that more than half of all Native women have experienced sexual violence and physical violence by an intimate partner, and that 84 percent have experienced some form of violence in their lifetimes.
The Group will continue to foster efforts supporting the work of indigenous women of the three countries at the margins of the trilateral annual meeting, particularly at the international fora such as the Human Rights Council, the Commission on the Status of Women and the United Nation Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFI).
Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Record SystemsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $223,092 for the Anchorage School District in Alaska.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“We all have a responsibility to protect the children in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder. “While taking law enforcement action against violent offenders is part of that responsibility, making our schools safer is also vital. With these grants, specifically the grant to the Anchorage School District, the Department of Justice is helping to safeguard the youth of Alaska.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Record SystemsRead the Press Release
Spokane - Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $150,000 to fund the Ellensburg School District and $49,750 to fund the Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101 in the Eastern District of Washington. Overall, schools in the State of Washington will get more than $1 million through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program and the STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
Joseph H. Harrington said, “The award made to the entities in the Eastern District of Washington are welcomed with exuberance. These grants will better protect students, teachers, faculty, law enforcement officers, and first responders”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
• BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
• The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
• The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Record SystemsRead the Press Release
ARIZONA – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security. These grants will help to educate and train students and faculty, as well as support law enforcement officers and first responders on the scene of a school violence incident. The recipients of these grants in Arizona are:
1. Humbolt Unified School District - $250,000
2. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community Schools - $95,000
3. Gilbert Unified School District 41- $96,614
4. Kyrene Elementary School District 28 - $230,000
5. Pinal County School Office Education Service Agency - $159,738
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update school curriculums to better support training programs. Together, these grants will help protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the thoroughness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems which, in turn, will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“Every child in Arizona should be able to attend school without the threat or fear of violence,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “We want our students and educators to feel safe in their schools every day, and these recent grants will further support and enhance our mission of protecting our communities, and particularly our schools, against targeted violent attacks.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the thoroughness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-127_ STOP School Violence
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Record SystemsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $200,000 for the Jefferson Parish School System, $250,000 for the St. Tammany Parish School System and $499.911 for the City of New Orleans. These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“With the allocation of this funding, Eastern District of Louisiana school personnel, students and law enforcement will have the necessary capital to develop strategies to ensure the safety of our educational institutions, students, administators and first responders.” said U.S. Attorney Strasser. “We continue to do whatever is necessary to keep all schools safe and communities confident that their children are in a safe environment.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
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Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Records SystemsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $70,000,000 in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $500,000 for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, $215,383 for Niagara County, and $150,000 for Wayne County in the Western District of New York.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64,000,000 to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70,000,000 in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“With this announcement providing our District more than $865,000, the Department of Justice is doing more than simply denouncing school violence—it is providing resources to allow us to take measures to prevent it,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Those measures include improved reporting and response systems, increased mental health intervention programs, and additional training and resources to harden targets. Through our Safe Schools initiative, this Office has long been a leader in the community in not only raising awareness of the causes and common characteristics of school violence, but in exploring ways to prevent it. These funds will only enhance that enduring commitment and effort.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
• BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19,000,000. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website. Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES will receive $250,000.
• The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28,000,000. Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES will receive $250,000, and Wayne County will receive $150,000.
• The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25,000,000 to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency. Niagara County will receive $215,383.The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64,000,000 to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43,000,000 in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21,000,000 will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1,000,000 in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For more information on these grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
# # # #Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Record SystemsRead the Press Release
Includes $372,986 to fund the COPS School Violence Prevention Program in Ben Hill County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Charles E. Peeler joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $372,986 for the 2018 COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) in Ben Hill County, Georgia.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“Keeping our schools safe is a top priority in every community across our state, and I want to congratulate Ben Hill County leaders for securing these grant dollars to help better protect our most innocent citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Charles Peeler.
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on Tuesday’s grant announcements, you can visit the following websites at www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
Department of Justice Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School Safety and $64 Million to Improve State Criminal Record SystemsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – U.S. Attorney David J. Freed joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $37,550 for the County of York to fund STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program and $1 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the Middle District of Pennsylvania to fund STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“With today’s awards, the United States Department of Justice continues to dedicate substantial resources to areas of critical need,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “These funds will improve assessment and reporting capabilities in York County, and support prevention and mental health training efforts throughout the District. Too many times, incidents of school violence are the end result of inadequate or ineffective mental health intervention and treatment. While we at the United States Attorney’s office will always remain focused on our mission of law enforcement and public protection, we know well that prevention and treatment can stop incidents before they start.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
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BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
-
The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
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The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For additional information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
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DOJ Announces More Than $70 Million to Support School SafetyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox joins the Department of Justice in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident – including more than a million dollars in grants for several awardees operating in the Northern District of Texas.
Grants to entities in NDTX include:
- $500,000 to Tarrant County (STOP Prevention grant)
- $499,997 to the City of Arlington (COPS grant)
- $249,992 to Amarillo ISD (STOP Prevention grant)
- $80,000 to O’Donnell ISD (STOP Prevention grant)
- $15,885 to the City of Benbrook (COPS grant)
- $1 million to the statewide Texas Education Agency (STOP Threat Assessment grant)
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“As the chief federal law enforcement officer in North Texas -- and mother of three students – few things are as important to me as the safety and security of our school children,” said Nealy Cox. “This significant investment by the Justice Department will go a long way to ensure the safety of students and educators in the Northern District of Texas”
The Office of Justice Program’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
Conway Man Indicted After Firing Multiple Shots in Local Post OfficeRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Thomas L. Noyes, Inspector in Charge, Fort Worth Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, announced today the indictment of Stephen Gregory Potts, 46, of Conway, after he allegedly fired multiple shots in a Conway post office.
A federal complaint charging Potts was first issued on Monday. A federal grand jury then returned an indictment against Potts on Tuesday for one count of assaulting a United States Postal Service employee, one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possessing a firearm in a federal facility. Potts is currently in custody and will be seen by a United States Magistrate Judge at a later date.
According the allegations in the complaint affidavit, on September 29, 2018, Potts, armed with a handgun, entered the Conway Main Post Office around 12 p.m. when there were four employees on duty. According to witnesses at the scene, Potts initially appeared to be filling out a mailing label. Potts then tried to follow two employees through a workroom door, past the counter. When told he could not go through the door, Potts pulled out a gun and climbed over the counter. At that point, a supervisor stepped between Potts and the two employees, who left to call 9-1-1 and then hid in a bathroom.
Potts then fired the first shot and attempted to light some mail on fire. According to the complaint affidavit, Potts eventually fired five or six shots, striking no one, but missing the supervisor’s shoulder by six inches. When Potts walked behind some equipment, the supervisor ran out of the building. Eventually Conway Police officers arrived and took Potts into custody, where he remains.
The maximum penalty for assaulting a United States Postal Employee, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1), is not more than 20 years in prison, not more than three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), is not less than 10 years in prison, consecutive to the underlying charge, not more than five years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for possession of a firearm in a federal facility, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 930(b), is not more than five years in prison, not more than three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Conway Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews. An indictment or complaint contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter: @EDARNEWSConvicted Meth Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – Don Lamont Wilkerson was sentenced yesterday to 240 months in prison. On March 30, 2018, a federal jury found Wilkerson, 44, of Charleston, guilty of three counts of distributing methamphetamine. He has been in federal custody since September 26, 2016. United States Attorney Stuart commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“An oxycodone dealer turned meth dealer, convicted felon, repeat offender,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Wilkerson won’t be dealing any illicit drugs in our communities for a very long time.”
Wilkerson sold a total of five ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on three separate occasions in September 2016. The drug deals took place in retail parking lots in the South Hills and Kanawha City neighborhoods of Charleston.
Wilkerson committed these crimes while he was serving a term of supervised release for his 2010 conviction of distribution of oxycodone. In addition to the sentence for his new criminal convictions, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release. His sentences will run consecutively, for a total of 22 years in prison.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gabriele Wohl and Steven I. Loew handled the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Colquitt Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Possession of A Firearm by A Convicted Felon Under Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
ALBANY: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Jarrod Sims, age 38, of Colquitt, Georgia, pled guilty today to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon before U.S. District Court Judge Leslie J. Abrams in Albany.
Had the matter gone to trial, the Government expected the evidence to show that on May 8, 2018, officers with the Colquitt Police Department discovered a Hi-Point 9mm rifle in Mr. Sims’ vehicle during a lawful traffic stop for suspected impaired driving. Mr. Sims admitted to the officer that the firearm belonged to him and that he was a convicted felon. Mr. Sims was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a December 5, 2012 conviction for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Albany Division.
Sentencing for Mr. Sims will take place in approximately 90 days. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on the charge.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Colorado Receives over $6,000,000 in Grant Awards to Combat Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
DENVER – The Justice Department as part of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, and U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, announced that Colorado will receive $6,227,854 in funds to combat the opioid crisis. This comes at a time when the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office is taking a comprehensive approach to fighting illegally dispensed prescription drugs. Nationally, the Department issued over $320 million to address the opioid crisis. The unprecedented funding will directly help those most impacted by the deadliest drug crisis in American history, including victims, children, families, and first responders.
In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues.
October marks two important anti-drug events: Red Ribbon Week and National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. Red Ribbon Week takes place every year between October 23-31 and encourages students, parents, schools, and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 27 aims to provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent overdose deaths and drug addictions before they start. DOJ expanded on DEA's Drug Takeback Days and collected more than 2.7 million pounds of expired or unused prescription drugs since April 2017.
AWARDS
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program to support our nation’s law enforcement officers and other first responders: The City of Longmont -- $499,922
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program to provide staffing and treatment resources within our nation’s jails and upon reentry to the community: Boulder County -- $861,569
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program to support public safety by information sharing by leveraging information from a variety of public health and safety data sources: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment -- $1,000,000
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program to facilitate collaborations among criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse programs: CO-MO Boulder County -- $346,512
Enhancing Community Responses To the Opioid Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims to help youth impacted by the opioids crisis: Illuminate Colorado -- $749,491
Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program: Southern Ute Indian Tribe -- $327,822
Veterans Treatment Courts: Colorado Judicial Department -- $1,581,248
Drug Treatment Courts to Enhance Existing Family Drug Courts: Colorado Judicial Department -- $861,290
In response to the opioid crisis, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has taken a novel approach to identify and pursue those prescribers and pharmacies whose abuses contribute to the opioid epidemic in Colorado. First, the office created an internal Opioid Initiative Working Group, with attorneys and staff members from both the Criminal and Civil Divisions, that works strategically to make the most of the office’s civil and criminal tools and expertise. Second, the office has undertaken a unique project to gather, combine, and analyze extensive data to identify unlawful conduct by prescribers and pharmacies.
This opioid working group has prioritized gathering and analyzing data to identify possible patterns of overprescribing and drug diversion. A primary goal is to use data to determine potential targets whose conduct may be unlawful and where pursuit of that target would have a significant impact on opioid abuse in Colorado.
The group has worked to identify “red flags” in the data that might show that a prescriber or pharmacy was writing or filling a medically unnecessary prescription. For example, analysis of the data allowed us to identify prescribers and pharmacies that prescribe or fill the largest number of pills for highly abused prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, or fentanyl.
“The Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office is a national leader in using data to identify those in the opioid supply chain who cause the most harm to our citizens, and bringing them to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.
The Attorney General has been resolute in the fight against the drug crisis in America. The Department assigned more than 300 federal prosecutors to U.S. Attorney’s offices and hired more than 400 DEA task force officers; announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas; and created a new data analytics program called the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit to assist 12 prosecutors sent to drug “hot spot districts.” In addition, the Department charged more than 3,000 defendants with trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, or prescription drugs in FY 2017, announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking, and scheduled variants of fentanyl to prevent illicit drug labs from circumventing the law. In addition, DOJ executed the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action charging more than 600 defendants and proposed rules consistent with President Trump's "Safe Prescribing Plan," requiring a reduction of ten percent in 2019 in manufacturing quotas. The Department dismantled AlphaBay, the largest criminal marketplace on the Internet and has already generated prosecutions in the fight against online drug trafficking through the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team (J-CODE).
OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at: www.ojp.gov.
Coffee County Partnership Awarded Nearly $500,000 from Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Southern District U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $468,537 for a partnership of Coffee County agencies including the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas Police Department, Wiregrass Technical College Police Department, the Coffee County School System and two private schools.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“Our office is dedicated to eliminating violent crime throughout the Southern District of Georgia, and early intervention is a key component of reducing violence,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District. “This substantial grant will provide valuable assistance in Coffee County as we work to make our schools safer and thus help make all our communities safer.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions, including Coffee County, for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, also managed by BJA, will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing more than $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on these grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Brandenburg Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Child Exploitation, Distribution of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – U.S. District Judge David J. Hale sentenced Jeffrey Adam Stone to 10 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of Supervised Release today for two child exploitation offenses, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman. Stone will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
“We will continue to deploy every lawful investigative tool, and every law enforcement partnership, to protect our kids,” said United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Stone, 31, of Brandenburg, Kentucky in Meade County, admitted in a Plea Agreement in May to online communications with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for the purpose of meeting her to engage in sexual conduct. He also admitted to sending obscene material to the girl.
According to the Plea Agreement and other court records, law enforcement officials became aware of Stone’s conduct as the result of an online undercover operation. In November 2016, an investigator with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations placed an ad on Craigslist. That same day, Stone responded to the ad. During their initial communications, the investigator advised that he was a 15-year-old girl. Stone continued the communications and directed them to a sexual nature. Specifically, on numerous occasions, he requested to meet the girl to engage in sex acts. He also sent sexually explicit pictures of himself to the person he thought was a 15-year-old girl.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case. The Kentucky Office of Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the United States Secret Service.
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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.
Bennett Woman Sentenced to Thirty Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Pay Taxes on Stolen MoneyRead the Press Release
A woman who failed to pay taxes on more than $1.5 million she stole from her former employer was sentenced October 2, 2018, to 30 months in federal prison.
Bobbie Hora-Guill, age 46, from Bennett, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 4, 2018, guilty plea to making and subscribing a false tax return. At the plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Hora-Guill admitted she made and signed a false tax return for at least 2013 because she failed to report all of her income. Overall, Hora-Guill failed to report as income and pay taxes on more than $1.5 million she stole from her former employer.
Hora-Guill was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Hora-Guill was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. She was also ordered to pay the United States’ bill of costs. She must also serve a 1-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hora-Guill was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Internal Revenue Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-cr-00023-LRR.
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Bellevue Man Sentenced for Bank TheftRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Manuel Torres-Zapien, age 23, was sentenced in federal court Monday in Omaha, Nebraska, for one count of bank theft. The Honorable Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Mitchell to three years’ probation.
Torres-Zapien was formerly employed by Rochester Armored Car. On September 5, 2017, while employed as a driver, he took a bag of currency bound for a Bucky’s Gas Station ATM. The money belonged to Security National Bank. Rochester was supposed to have 61 bags of currency that day and when they checked their logs they discovered there were only 60. Torres-Zapien admitted to taking the bag containing $20,000 and returned it in full.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Beckley Felon Sentenced on Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W. Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Beckley man was sentenced to 36 months in prison on federal drug and gun charges. Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Beckley Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Yet another meth dealer and convicted felon in possession of a firearm,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “State and local law enforcement agencies are working closely with ATF to identify guys like Harvey in every southern West Virginia community and we are prosecuting them as part of our Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.”
Anthony Harvey, 43, pled guilty in June to distributing methamphetamine and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On June 14, 2016, Harvey sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Beckley Police Department. On August 16, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Harvey’s home. At that time Harvey was a twice-convicted felon and was in possession of firearms. Specifically, he possessed a .22 caliber pistol and a .25 caliber revolver. He was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of two prior convictions, one for assault with a firearm in California in 1995, and the other for sale of marijuana in California in 2004.
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
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 Justice 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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Beaver Falls Man Charged with Robbing New Brighton BankRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Ernest Dewayne Taylor, 50, of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 17, 2018, Taylor robbed the Huntington Bank located at 921 3rd Avenue, New Brighton, Pennsylvania. As a result of the robbery, Taylor obtained $600.00 in U.S. currency.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Brighton Area Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bath Man Charged with Enticing A Minor OnlineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that William C. Read, 33, of Bath, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with online enticement of a minor, and distribution and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Read utilized a social media application in an attempt to meet a nine-year-old child for sex. The defendant was intercepted by members of the New York State Police and Department of Homeland Security on October 1, 2018, while on his way to meet the child. At the time of his arrest, Read was found to be in possession of condoms and candy, which he intended to give to the child. The complaint also alleges that the defendant distributed and possessed images of child pornography from a cell phone in his possession.The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Marian W. Payson, and is being held pending a detention hearing October 3, 2018.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
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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Aurea Vázquez-Rijos Found Guilty of the Murder of Her Husband Adam Joel Anhang UsterRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Today, after a 24-day jury trial, a jury found Aurea Vázquez-Rijos, a.k.a. “Beatriz Vázquez/Aurea Dominicci;” her sister Marcia Vázquez-Rijos and Marcia Vázquez-Rijos’s ex-boyfriend José Ferrer-Sosa, guilty of the murder of Adam Joel Anhang Uster, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez. Adam Anhang was murdered on September 22, 2005.
The trial is a result of an investigation that caused the release from state prison of a man who was wrongly convicted of the murder of Adam Anhang. On or about October 2007, Jonathan Román-Rivera was convicted of the murder of Adam Anhang and sentenced to 105 years in prison. In June 2008, the federal investigation into the murder of Adam Anhang resulted in Román-Rivera’s release, and the arrest of Alex Pabón-Colón. On June 4, 2008, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a two-count indictment charging Aurea Vázquez-Rijos and Alex Pabón-Colón, a.k.a. “Alex el loco/Dante” for the murder of Adam Anhang. Pabón-Colón pleaded guilty on June 13, 2008. Aurea Vázquez-Rijos moved to Italy in 2008, in an effort to avoid prosecution. She was arrested in Spain in 2013 and extradited after contested proceedings in 2015. On August 15, 2013, a Federal Grand Jury returned a second superseding indictment charging José Ferrer-Sosa and Marcia Vázquez-Rijos, along with Aurea Vázquez-Rijos with the murder-for-hire of Adam Anhang. Charbel Vázquez-Rijos, Aurea and Marcia’s brother, is facing a charge for perjury before the Grand Jury and is pending trial.
More than 20 witnesses testified in the Government’s case. During trial, the government proved that Aurea Vázquez-Rijos, José Ferrer-Sosa and Marcia Váquez-Rijos met with Alex Pabón-Colón on September 21, 2005, to propose that Pabón-Colón murder Adam Anhang in exchange for the amount of three million dollars. Aurea Vázquez-Rijos made approximately ten telephone calls to Adam Anhang in order to induce him to have dinner with her at a restaurant in Old San Juan, and to facilitate his murder by defendant Pabón-Colón. On September 22, 2005, Alex Pabón-Colón received a call from José Ferrer-Sosa, who informed him that defendant Aurea Vázquez-Rijos and her husband were dining at a restaurant in Old San Juan and that Adam Anhang had to be murdered that evening.
After dinner, Pabón-Colón murdered Adam Anhang at the corner of San Justo and Luna streets in Old San Juan as Adam Anhang and defendant Aurea Vázquez-Rijos were returning to the parking garage to pick up Adam Anhang’s car. The murder was carried out, as previously discussed, and pursuant to the instructions Pabón-Colón had received from defendants Aurea Vázquez-Rijos, Jose Ferrer-Sosa, and Marcia Vázquez-Rijos. Pabón-Colón stabbed Adam Anhang on multiple occasions and forcefully hit him in the head area with a cobblestone, while his wife observed the fatal attack. Adam Anhang fought Pabón-Colón and tried to protect his wife from the assailant. Adam Anhang never knew his wife was the one who ordered the murder.
At trial, witnesses testified that Aurea Vázquez-Rijos watched as her husband got murdered; his last words were directed to her: “Run baby, run!” At the same time, she reminded Pabón-Colón that he needed to inflict an injury on her, in order to create the impression that she was blameless in the incident, and in order to perpetuate the idea that Adam Anhang’s death resulted from a robbery.
Evidence showed that Pabón-Colón wrote letters attempting to collect money from the defendants for the murder of Adam Anhang. Defendant Marcia Vázquez-Rijos received the third letter Pabón-Colón sent to them and she advised the person who delivered the letter to tell Pabón-Colón that they did not have the money to pay him. The jury found the defendants guilty of all counts including conspiracy and the use an interstate facility in murder-for-hire.
“Today’s verdict is the culmination of 13 years of tireless work by investigators, agents, and prosecutors. Their dedication has brought long-awaited justice to Adam Anhang’s family and friends,” said United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “I am immensely proud of our prosecution team and our law-enforcement partners for this successful prosecution; with the convictions of these defendants, the victim’s family will hopefully find some closure from this senseless crime.”
Murder for hire is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys José Ruiz-Santiago and Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega.
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Arizona Truck Driver Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter for Causing Bus Crash that Left One Man Dead on Fort Irwin Army BaseRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – An Arizona man has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his role in a fatal bus crash that happened after he parked his truck – without any lights or warning cones – on a highway on the Fort Irwin Army Base in the Mojave Desert.
Steven Kilty, 51, of Apache Junction, Arizona, was found guilty of the federal offense late Tuesday, which ended a five-day trial in United States District Court.
On the evening of June 1, 2014, Kilty was delivering a military tactical truck to the Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin. Kilty had arrived at the base the night before his scheduled delivery, and he parked his tractor-trailer in the right lane of the road on Fort Irwin property. Kilty turned off the lights on the truck and, instead of putting out any safety triangle reflectors or turning on his hazard lights, he went to sleep in the berth of his truck – while the truck was still parked in the middle of the roadway.
Just after 5:00 a.m. on June 2, prior to sunrise, a Victor Valley Transit Authority bus transporting commuters to Fort Irwin collided with the parked truck. As a result of the collision, one man was killed and seven people suffered significant injuries, including an arm amputation.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Kilty was “grossly negligent” because his truck was blocking traffic on the roadway and he failed to place any warning reflectors, both of which are violations of the California Vehicle Code.
Kilty is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal on January 7, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.
Kilty was indicted in this case in March 2016. He was initially tried in this matter in late 2017, but a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, and a mistrial was declared.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Highway Patrol, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and the Fort Irwin Police Department.
This matter was tried by Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul D. Levers and Assistant United States Attorney Jerry C. Yang of the Riverside Branch Office.
Alleged Drug Dealer Charged with Overdose Death in ManhattanRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of MICHAEL JONES and the unsealing of an Indictment charging him with distributing the heroin and fentanyl that resulted in the death of Diana Haikova in Manhattan on December 7, 2017. The Indictment also alleges that JONES distributed heroin in Manhattan on February 14, 2018. JONES was arrested this morning in Miami, Florida, by the DEA and NYPD, and will be presented tomorrow in federal court in Miami.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, the heroin and fentanyl Michael Jones distributed resulted in the tragic overdose of 29-year-old Diana Haikova. Even more abhorrent, Jones allegedly continued to sell the same drugs that contributed to Haikova’s death. Working with the NYPD and DEA, we will continue to target and charge drug dealers that profit from the lethal opioid epidemic that is killing so many people.”
DEA Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt said: “This investigation led us into the underbelly of emo rap and its glorification of opioid use. Today, a team of DEA agents and NYPD Detectives arrested Michael Jones, known as the ‘realnewjerzeydevil’ for allegedly distributing a fatal dose of fentanyl mixed with heroin. Behind every lethal overdose is a victim whose death becomes a catalyst for raising awareness of the dangers of opioid misuse. The DEA extends condolences to the victim’s family and reemphasizes our commitment to bringing drug dealers to justice to face the consequences of their crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made during court proceedings in this matter [1]:
On December 7, 2017, Diana Haikova was found dead in her apartment in Manhattan, New York. Following an investigation by the NYPD and DEA, law enforcement agents identified JONES as the person who distributed heroin and fentanyl to Haikova on December 5, 2017, that resulted in her death.
As further alleged in the Indictment, JONES continued to distribute narcotics in Manhattan after Haikova’s death, and distributed heroin on February 14, 2018.
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JONES, 24, of Camden, New Jersey, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin. JONES faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison based upon his alleged distribution of the heroin and fentanyl that resulted in Ms. Haikova’s death.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and DEA in this case. Assistance was provided by the DEA’s Miami Field Division and the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad-NY, comprising agents from the DEA, the NYPD, the New York State Police, New York State Department of Financial Services, and New York City Department of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Thane Rehn is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
ATF Hattiesburg Undercover Operation Nets Prison Time for Drug and Illegal Firearms OffendersRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – Santoria L. French, 41, of Hattiesburg, and Lemont Antoine Jackson, 33, of Jackson, were sentenced yesterday to multiple years in federal prison by District Judge Keith Starrett for federal drug and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
From 2016-2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") conducted an undercover operation in Hattiesburg targeting persons selling illegal drugs and firearms. Between October 17, 2016 and February 9, 2017, French sold a confidential informant cocaine and firearms on at least 12 different occasions. On July 17, 2018, French pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced yesterday to 4 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
On May 25, 2017, Jackson, three time convicted felon, sold a Yugoslavian 7.62 caliber rifle with two 30-round magazines to an undercover agent for $530. On July 17, 2018, Jackson pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced yesterday to 86 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.