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Friday 21 February 2025
Founder of Haitian Orphanage Convicted for Sexually Abusing Boys in his CareRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Miami convicted a Colorado man yesterday for sexually abusing numerous boys at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Karl Geilenfeld, 73, most recently of Littleton, founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys — a home for orphaned, impoverished, and otherwise vulnerable children in Haiti — in 1985 and operated it for more than two decades. During this time, Geilenfeld repeatedly traveled from the United States to Haiti, where he sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care.
The jury convicted Geilenfeld of one count of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, between 2005 and 2010. Each of the six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place relates to a particular victim who was a child at the time of the offense. Each of the six victims testified about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Geilenfeld, as did four other victims who were not the subject of the charged offenses. Geilenfeld is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each of the seven total counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Miami and the FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Monk for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Indiana Resident Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Michelle L. Bernskoetter, 37 years old, of Wheeling, Missouri, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Bernskoetter was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $402,513.96 in restitution to the victim of the offense.
According to documents in the case, between June 12, 2020, and July 5, 2022, while employed as a financial manager, Bernskoetter devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from her employer. She abused her position of trust by embezzling funds from her employer to pay her own personal credit card debt, resulting in a loss of over $400,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
Former Engineer Pleads Guilty to Possessing Trade Secrets of Oregon Semiconductor ManufacturerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.-- Varun Gupta, 44, who previously lived and worked in Oregon, pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing trade secrets taken from his previous employer.
According to court documents, from July 2010 to January 2020, Gupta was employed as a product marketing engineer for an American technology company headquartered in California, with its largest concentration of facilities and employees located in Oregon. The company is one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers, supplying semiconductor products to companies globally.
As part of his employment, Gupta signed an agreement prohibiting him from disclosing, retaining or making unauthorized copies of proprietary information or trade secrets without authorization from the company. Throughout his employment, Gupta had access to valuable and protected information including pricing structures and strategies and product development and manufacturing capabilities. To secure this information, the company used multiple layers of protection.
In early January 2020, Gupta announced his intent to resign and take a job with a domestic technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. While still employed at the company in Oregon, Gupta downloaded approximately 4,000 files, many of which contained trade secrets and proprietary materials, from his company-issued computer to personal portable hard drives.
Between February and July 2020, while employed by the company in Washington, Gupta possessed and accessed his previous employer's trade secrets and proprietary information without authorization. Gupta accessed information related to customized product design and pricing for significant purchases of computer processors, which Gupta used, as a representative of the Washington company, during head-to-head negotiations with his previous employer.
On December 26, 2024, Gupta was charged by criminal information with possessing stolen trade secrets.
Gupta faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 12, 2025, by a U.S. District Judge.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by William M. Narus, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, Geoffrey A. Barrow, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Anand B. Patel, Senior Counsel for the Criminal Division.
Former Broken Arrow Resident Pleads Guilty to Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Anthony Houser, age 36, formerly of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds and one count of Tax Fraud.
The Information alleged that between July 2016 and ending in February 2024, while serving as a manager for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Gaming Operations Authority Board and later as a manager for the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises, LLC, Houser embezzled and obtained by fraud property owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation valued at $5,000.00 or more. The Information also alleged that Houser willfully filed a 2022 Form 1040 U.S. Individual Tax Return, made under penalties of perjury, which knowingly reported a false Adjusted Gross Income.
The charges arose from an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Houser was released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Former Ambridge Water Authority Manager Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution of More Than $1 Million for Defrauding UtilityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on February 20, 2025, to 27 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,073,185 on his conviction of mail fraud, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Michael Dominick, 44, who pleaded guilty to the mail fraud charge on October 8, 2024 (read the plea news release here).
According to information presented to the Court, Dominick was a former manager at the Ambridge Water Authority (AWA), where, during the period of January 2020 through August 2022, Dominick defrauded AWA of money and property totaling approximately $1,073,185. As manager of AWA, Dominick was responsible for overseeing all daily business and financial activity and had access to AWA’s bank accounts as well as cash and check payments made to AWA for water and related services. Dominick secretly diverted AWA’s money into his own personal bank accounts by writing checks to himself, depositing cash and checks issued to AWA into his personal bank accounts, using the AWA debit card to make purchases of personal items, and adjusting or failing to report the true location of AWA’s funds on critical financial records. As part of his sentencing, Dominick was ordered to pay restitution to the AWA and one of its insurers in the full amount stolen.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that the sentence imposed would reflect Dominick’s significant abuse of public trust in perpetrating the fraud.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators with the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dominick.
Florida Men Indicted for Federal Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that TAVARISS DAVIS (“DAVIS”), age 44, and TOBEY FITCHETT (“FITCHETT”), age 45, of Perry, Florida, were charged in a four-count indictment on February 14, 2025 with violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and Federal Gun Control Act.
According to the filed indictment, on or about August 1, 2024, DAVIS allegedly possessed with intent to distribute, five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine and possessed a firearm, a Taurus Model GC3, nine-millimeter handgun, in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Additionally, DAVIS was previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year in Florida, that prohibited him from possessing that firearm.
On or about August 1, 2024 FITCHETT was previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year in Florida, that, likewise, prohibited FITCHETT from possessing a firearm.
DAVIS was indicted in Count 1 for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted of Count 1, DAVIS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
DAVIS was also indicted in Count 2 for Possession of a Firearm, in furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). If convicted of Count 2, DAVIS faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
FITCHETT was indicted in Count 3 for possessing a firearm, having previously been convicted of a felony. Specifically, FITCHETT is accused of possessing a Taurus Model GC3, nine-millimeter handgun. If convicted, FITCHETT faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
DAVIS was also indicted in Count 4 for possessing a firearm having previously been convicted of a felony. Specifically, DAVIS is accused of possessing a Taurus Model GC3, nine-millimeter handgun. If convicted, DAVIS faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
The defendants also face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the Narcotics Unit.
Florida Businessmen Receive Prison Sentences in COVID-19 Mask and Glove Sale Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Brian H. Sperber and Edmond S. Norkus have received prison sentences for conspiring to commit wire fraud in a scheme in which the men tricked expectant purchasers of personal protective equipment out of more than $14 million.
“Sperber and Norkus cashed in on the unprecedented scarcity and skyrocketing price of personal protective equipment to get rich quick at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was exploding,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Now they justifiably confront prison terms for their cynical, illegal cash grab.”
“These sentences underline the FBI’s commitment to holding those who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain accountable,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Brian H. Sperber became an authorized distributor for a Georgia-based personal protective equipment (“PPE”) manufacturer. Edmond S. Norkus operated warehouse space in Florida and was Sperber’s longstanding business associate. As the pandemic worsened, demand for, and market value of, PPE steeply increased. Even though Sperber was only authorized to sell to customers in a specific geographic sales territory and manufacturers had only extremely limited supplies available, Sperber and Norkus promised to sell large quantities of PPE to a wide range of would-be buyers.
But to make it appear that they could deliver on their promise, Sperber and Norkus diverted and showcased products already earmarked for other customers. They also provided customers with a variety of altered and counterfeit documents, designed to deceive customers into believing the products they had ordered were on the way. Ultimately, there were no products to supply and Sperber and Norkus pocketed the money while providing the victims with nothing.
United States District Judge Michael J. Brown sentenced Brian H. Sperber, 48, of Plantation, Fla., to two years, two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $14,231,605.36. Sperber was convicted on May 28, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
Judge Brown sentenced Edmond S. Norkus, 61, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Norkus was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $13,821,605.36. Norkus was convicted on May 28, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
Sperber used proceeds from the scheme to purchase a multi-million dollar waterfront mansion in Boca Raton, Florida. In a related civil forfeiture action, the United States and Sperber agreed to sell the property, netting approximately $4 million, and resolve the forfeiture in the criminal prosecution. As part of Sperber’s sentence, the district court forfeited Sperber’s interest in the funds. The United States, in Sperber’s plea agreement, agreed to recommend that the funds seized from the sale of the property be restored to the victims named in the restitution order.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alana R. Black and C. Brock Brockington prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Jury Finds St. Paul Felon Guilty of Fentanyl and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, on April 19, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, that Eric Marcel Turner, a.k.a. Xavier Thomas, 39, rented using an alias. In the apartment, officers found over 300 grams of fentanyl and a loaded firearm.
Because Turner has multiple prior felony convictions, including a federal drug trafficking offense, for which he served several years in federal prison, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a three-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court, a jury found Turner guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the West Metro Drug Trask Force, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and Allen A. Slaughter tried the case.
Five People Convicted in $1 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Five defendants who participated in a conspiracy and a fraud scheme involving 401(k) accounts of elderly retired Florida school district employees have been convicted after three defendants pleaded guilty and two defendants were found guilty by a federal jury. Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the convictions of the following defendants:
- Ronald Vargas, 38, of Osteen, Florida, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2024, to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Sarina Levy, 34, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2024, to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
- Lambert Aguebor, 33, of Miramar, Florida, and Floyd Bostic, 42, of Tallahassee, Florida, were both found guilty by a federal jury on February 3, 2025, at the conclusion of a six-day jury trial. The jury found Lambert Aguebor guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Bostic was found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, three counts of Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, 16 counts of Money Laundering, and Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business.
- Grace Aguebor, 36, of Miramar, Florida, pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025, to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Evidence presented at trial and court records show that the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to steal retirement funds from participants in a retirement 401(k) savings program comprised largely of Florida school district employees or prior employees. Between January 2022, and March 2022, Vargas, who worked for the company handling the retirement fund, conspired with the other defendants to have fraudulent withdraw forms faxed to the company requesting that the victims’ retirement funds be transferred to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy. In total, the conspirators withdrew and attempted to withdraw retirement funds from 25 different 401(k) accounts, resulting in a net total of $1.1 million being stolen. Evidence presented at trial also established that Bostic was engaging in money laundering with the stolen funds.
Sentencing hearings for all defendants are scheduled for April 28, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. All defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to three years on supervised release for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Vargas, Levy, Grace Aguebor, and Bostic face a mandatory minimum sentence of two years imprisonment—consecutive to any other prison sentence imposed by the court.
These convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ethete man sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment for second-degree murderRead the Press Release
Kevin Joseph Mendibles, 37, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow for second-degree murder. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 19, in Casper. The court also ordered the defendant to pay $8,983.19 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on Feb. 25, 2024, the BIA Wind River Police Department was dispatched to a residence in Ethete for a woman who had been beaten badly and was barely breathing. Upon arrival, officers found the victim in a room with multiple stab wounds, blunt force injuries, and lacerations. When EMTs arrived, she had no pulse and was declared deceased. The defendant was interviewed and initially denied involvement but stated the victim had given him a place to live. In a follow-up interview, Mendibles admitted he killed the victim by beating and stabbing her. Mendibles was indicted on May 16, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 26, 2024.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Case No. 24-CR-00076
Dominican Republic National Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Yudelkis Portes (43, Dominican Republic) to three years and 1 month in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Portes entered a plea of guilty on December 4, 2024.
According to court documents, Portes was convicted of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft on February 28, 2013, and deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Following her deportation, Portes illegally reentered the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.
Dennis Allen Gaal Sentenced to 25 Years for Engaging in Interstate Travel for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On February 21, 2025, Dennis Allen Gaal, 50, currently of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced to 25 years by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his incarceration, Gaal will be on supervised release for life, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Gaal agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b). Gaal, a registered sex offender from Mississippi, traveled to Chattanooga in December 2023, intending to sexually molest a 10-month-old child. In fact, Gaal had been communicating with a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was posing as a person with access to the child. Gaal noted in the online discussions with the undercover agent that the sexual abuse would be “a dream come true.” He arrived in Chattanooga with gifts for the notional child, including Christmas outfits, a stuffed animal, and a rattle. When Gaal arrived, he was arrested and has remained in custody since his arrest.
“The defendant, while already a convicted sex offender, traveled to Tennessee to sexually molest a 10-month-old child,” said Francis M. Hamilton III, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The facts are outrageous and disturbing. We are dedicated to prosecuting offenders like this to the full extent of the law.”
“Exploitation of children offenses are heinous and leave an immeasurable impact on victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “To protect our children, the FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and bring sexual predators to justice.”
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore.
Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Dauphin County Man Sentenced to 97 Months’ Imprisonment for Receipt of Images Containing the Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dylan Ruppert, age 29, formerly of Halifax, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 20, 2025, to 97 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, for receiving images containing sexual exploitation of a child.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on August 11, 2023, law enforcement recovered approximately 65 electronic files of child pornography from Ruppert’s phone during a search of his home. Law enforcement also recovered electronic communications from Ruppert to another individual in which Ruppert discussed his desire to groom a child to engage in sexual activity.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Varley prosecuted the case.
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Colorado City Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Role in Child Sexual Abuse RingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr., 46, of Colorado City, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to life in prison. On October 2, 2024, a jury convicted Bistline of one count of Receipt of Child Pornography; one count of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; two counts of Persuading or Coercing Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; and two counts of Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity.
Bistline’s charges are based on his participation in a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. Bistline committed his crimes with others, including co-defendant Samuel Rappylee Bateman, the self-proclaimed leader of a religious sect based in Colorado City. Bateman and 10 of his other followers previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy and were not part of the trial against Bistline.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bistline delivered two of his own daughters to Bateman to become child “brides” and be sexually abused when the girls were nine and 11 years old. Bistline and others transported the victims between states including Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona to facilitate the sexual abuse. Bistline also participated in group sexual activity involving children, including one event he watched over a video livestream.
The Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8092-006-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-021_Bistline# # #
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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Carjacker Sentenced to 96-Month Prison Term for Carjacking Valet Driver in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Davese, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for carjacking a valet driver using a taser, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davese pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024, before D.C. Superior Court Judge Heidi M. Pasichow, to one count of carjacking and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to the government’s evidence, Davese carjacked a valet driver on June 7, 2024. The victim had just parked a client’s SUV in the parking garage at 221 Tingey Street Southeast when Davese attacked her from behind, put her in a headlock, and deployed a taser into her neck. After Davese brought the victim to the ground, he took the keys from her and drove away in the SUV. Davese crashed the SUV a short distance later, and was apprehended on the scene by members of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Davese has been in custody since his arrest on June 7, 2024.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, and the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Canadian Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Prison for Transporting Methamphetamine and Cocaine on Behalf of the Wolfpack AllianceRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL HABIB, an associate of the Canadian criminal organization known as the Wolfpack Alliance, was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison for trafficking narcotics. HABIB pled guilty on December 20, 2023, before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, who imposed today’s sentence. HABIB’s sentencing follows the imposition of sentences of 18 years, 17 and a half years, and four and half years on his co-defendants, SURINDER SINGH CHEEMA, BHUPINDER SINGH VIRK, and CHRISTOPHER BURGOS, on December 19, 2024, July 17, 2024, and December 16, 2024, respectively.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Wolfpack and its associates have spread drugs and violence in the United States and in Canada. Michael Habib and his co-conspirators are responsible for transporting thousands of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine across our northern border, ordering drug-related shootings and kidnappings, and attempting to smuggle wanted international hitmen into the United States from Canada. Today’s prison sentence will help protect the public from wanton violence and dangerous narcotics, and demonstrates our resolve to root out transnational criminal organizations like Wolfpack.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “The associates of the Wolfpack Alliance have all been rightly sentenced for establishing an international drug trafficking route to assist the flow of thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine through our country into Canada. This conspiracy caused significant amounts of dangerous drugs to enter the United States, endangering the public’s safety. The FBI will continue to dismantle and hold accountable any criminal enterprise member, regardless of their origin, which utilizes our nation as an economic foothold and throughfare for their illegal operations.”
According to the Indictment, public filings, and statements made in court proceedings:
From at least in or about February 2022 through at least in or about November 2022, HABIB, CHEEMA, VIRK, BURGOS and others conspired to distribute narcotics by shipping thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine across the U.S. and into Canada. In or about March 2022, law enforcement seized approximately 400 kilograms of cocaine shipped by the conspirators from a warehouse in New Jersey, and approximately 96 kilograms of cocaine and 86 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vicinity of Kansas City, Kansas. In connection with their guilty pleas, HABIB admitted to conspiring to distribute at least approximately 400 kilograms of cocaine; CHEEMA admitted to conspiring to distribute at least approximately 1.3 metric tons of methamphetamine and 764 kilograms of cocaine; VIRK admitted to conspiring to distribute at least approximately 1.1 metric tons of methamphetamine and 480 kilograms of cocaine; and BURGOS admitted to conspiring to distribute at least approximately 400 kilograms of cocaine.
The defendants engaged in additional criminal activities. HABIB and BURGOS, on behalf of the Wolfpack Alliance, assisted two Wolfpack-aligned hitmen, Gene Lahrkamp and Duncan Bailey, in their attempt to escape Canada and evade Canadian law enforcement, until Lahrkamp and Bailey were killed in an accidental plane crash in Canada on or about April 30, 2022. CHEEMA, in or about the spring of 2024, subsequent to his guilty plea and while awaiting sentencing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, directed his confederates in the greater Toronto, Canada area to conduct shootings and issue threats of violence in connection with drug debts. VIRK was arrested in or about November 2022 in California with three unregistered “ghost” guns and approximately $487,900 in cash.
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In addition to their prison terms, HABIB, 38, of Toronto, Canada; CHEEMA, 31, of Brampton, Canada; VIRK, 31, of Fresno, California; and BURGOS, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, were sentenced to five, four, four, and three years of supervised release, respectively, and were ordered to forfeit $487,900 and a 2020 Mercedes Benz AMG GT63.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mr. Podolsky further thanked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Peel Ontario Regional Police for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett, Jane Y. Chong, and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution.
California Man Indicted for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Rigoberto Rios Gallardo (31, Los Angeles, California) with three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, Rios Gallardo faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on three dates in August and September 2024, Rios Gallardo used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. Between August and December 2024, Rios Gallardo knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the North Port Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Brazilian Extradited from Switzerland to the United States to Face Indictment Charging Involvement in $290M+ Cryptocurrency Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SEATTLE – A citizen of Brazil appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle today, after being extradited from Switzerland to face a 13-count indictment for wire fraud and conspiracy regarding his bitcoin investment scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Douver T. Braga, 48, lived in Florida between approximately 2016 and 2021 during the bulk of the alleged fraud. The indictment alleges Braga operated a bitcoin investment scheme that was really a Ponzi scheme, as well as an illegal multilevel marketing scheme.
The grand jury returned the indictment in October 2022. It was unsealed last week following Braga’s arrest in Switzerland. Today Braga pleaded “Not Guilty,” and trial was scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on April 28, 2025.
“Mr. Braga allegedly ran a fraud scheme that harkens back more than a century, but he updated his ‘Ponzi’ scheme with the hot new thing: bitcoin,” said U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “The victim investors have waited years to see justice. I commend our federal partners at the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation for their diligent work on this case.”
According to the indictment, Braga conspired with others to create a cryptocurrency trading platform called Trade Coin Club (TCC) with an office in Belize. As early as 2016, Braga worked with others to promote TCC, claiming that investors would make money because the TCC had a sophisticated software program that allowed investors to profit on the fluctuating price of bitcoin. Braga also promised that investors could make money by referring other investors to the platform. In reality, there was no investment platform and no sophisticated software. Those who invested early were paid off by later investors as in a Ponzi scheme.
Braga traveled the world promoting TCC: In Thailand in March 2017, in Nigeria and Macau in May 2017. TCC was promoted on social media and in videos. At various events Braga claimed TCC had as many as 126,000 members in 231 different countries.
Through his false promises of sophisticated investments and high returns, Braga induced tens of thousands of people to entrust over 82,000 bitcoin, valued at over $290 million at the time of investment, and to deposit it with TCC. Braga continued the false representations, creating an “online portal” where investors could track the supposed activity of their investment accounts. The site was a fiction as there was no trading activity.
Braga withdrew and misappropriated investor funds. Between December 2016 and July 2019, at least $50 million in bitcoin was transferred to accounts Braga controlled.
However, by late 2017 and early 2018, investors had trouble accessing their funds. In January 2018, TCC announced to investors that it was ceasing to operate in the United States and was cancelling their accounts. Many investors were located in the Western District of Washington.
Braga allegedly profited handsomely, while failing to report the earnings to the IRS. In 2017, he received bitcoin worth $30.5 million, but only reported income of $152, 298. In 2018, he reported $73,473 in income but got $13.1 million in bitcoin and in 2019, reported $72,870 in income while he received $10 million in bitcoin.
“The type of scheme Mr. Braga is charged with operating is not new, he just used the allure of a flashy new technology to obscure the well-worn scam.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “While the victims in this case waited and wondered about the fate of their investments, he siphoned off millions of dollars for his personal use. This case demonstrates the determination of the FBI and our partners in IRS Criminal Investigation to hold fraudsters accountable, no matter where in the world they may be.”
“The charges against Mr. Braga and his co-conspirators reflect a well-designed scheme to solicit investment in a fake cryptocurrency trading platform from victims around the globe,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI), Los Angeles Field Office. “Furthermore, Mr. Braga is alleged to have knowingly ignored and circumvented laws regulating multi-level marketing programs in the U.S.- laws that exist to protect investors from becoming victims in pyramid schemes. Despite the complexity of this scheme, IRS Criminal Investigation and our partners at the FBI successfully uncovered the evidence necessary to bring forth these charges.”
Braga is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud reflecting 12 wires investors sent to TCC for deposits in their “accounts.” Braga is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the IRS-CI and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Phillip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition.
braga_indictment.pdfBradenton Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Star Stewart (39, Bradenton) to eight years and nine months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Stewart was convicted following a bench trial on November 20, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, on November 4, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service Florida Regional Task Force sought to arrest Stewart at a residence in Bradenton pursuant to a state warrant. When the officers arrived, they observed Stewart on the back patio. Stewart fled inside the house, but was quickly located and arrested. The officers recovered a Glock 19 with an extended magazine containing 33 rounds of ammunition left behind where Stewart had been seated on the back patio. Stewart later admitted that he had possessed the firearm. As a convicted felon, Stewart is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Charlie D. Connally. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Atlanta VA Doctor Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting a Female Veteran PatientRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Rajesh Motibhai Patel has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for violating his patient’s constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under color of law and for the offense of abusive sexual contact.
“Patel used his position of trust as a VA physician to sexually assault his female veteran patient who had honorably served our country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “His crimes were an egregious breach of that trust and an abuse of his power. This sentence prevents Patel from causing future harm to veterans who seek care from the VA.”
“This sentence holds Dr. Patel accountable for the vile acts he committed while serving as a VA physician,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “VA employees are entrusted with keeping our nation’s veterans safe while receiving care. Acts of violence against veterans in VA facilities are reprehensible and erodes that trust. The VA OIG commends the dedicated prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was convicted of sexually assaulting a female veteran patient during what should have been a routine medical exam in January 2020. During the exam, Patel unlawfully touched the victim’s body, including her breast and vaginal area, in ways that violated her consent and for no legitimate medical purpose.
Rajesh Motibhai Patel, 69, of Lilburn, Ga., was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Patel is prohibited from practicing medicine while on supervised release. Patel was found guilty by a jury on November 5, 2024, of violating his patient’s constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under color of law and of the offense of abusive sexual contact.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Erin N. Spritzer and Jennifer Keen prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Armed Robber Who Also Assaulted a Correctional Officer Gets 104 Month Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnell Godfrey, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, to 72 months in prison for robbing a stranger at gunpoint and a consecutive 32 months in prison for assaulting a D.C. Department of Corrections officer while incarcerated at the D.C. Jail, for a combined sentence of 104 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Godfrey pleaded guilty to one count of robbery while armed with a firearm in May 2024 and one count of assault with significant bodily injury in November 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 21, 2023, at approximately 3:27 a.m., Godfrey and two other individuals approached a stranger on a residential street. The victim was parking his car and had just exited his vehicle. Godfrey and the two other individuals, all armed with firearms, pointed their guns at the victim and demanded his property. Godfrey and the two other assailants stole the victim’s phone and car keys, demanding that he unlock his phone and let them into his home. The victim refused. Godfrey and the two other assailants returned to their vehicle with the victim’s stolen phone and drove away. The victim tracked his stole phone to a nearby location, where the officers apprehended Godfrey and a co-defendant. A black Glock pistol, the victim’s phone, and keys to a Nissan vehicle were recovered from Godfrey’s pockets. The victim positively identified Godfrey as one of his assailants. Officers canvassed the area near the location where Godfrey was apprehended and located a Nissan Maxima, which was reported stolen the prior day, November 20, 2023, during a gunpoint armed carjacking.
Furthermore, on April 24, 2024, while incarcerated at D.C. Jail on the above-mentioned armed robbery case, Godfrey assaulted a correctional officer. The officer was monitoring inmates during an education period when Godfrey attempted to turn on a television. When the officer instructed Godfrey not to turn on the television, Godfrey responded by retrieving a broom, despite having no custodial duties at the time. After remarking that he should smack the officer, Godfrey proceeded to hold the broom like a baseball bat and swung it directly into the officer’s face. The blow caused the officer to suffer a fractured orbital bone in his left eye socket area and a fractured jaw, requiring two surgeries and additional treatment, during which the officer was unable to work for months.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Department of Corrections. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun, Valerie Tsesarenko and Ariel Lieberman, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.
Armed Drug Cartel Member Sentenced to over 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Hundreds of Kilos of Cocaine and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Mexican national and armed member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 20 years and 10 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that distributed large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine destined for the United States.
“For at least five years, Edgar Fabian Villasenor-Garcia took up arms to carry out the CJNG’s criminal activities, including trafficking enormous amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These highly addictive drugs and the violence associated with the CJNG’s criminal operations have devastated communities in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere. Today’s sentence sends another clear message to members of the CJNG and other Mexican drug trafficking organizations: We are committed to working tirelessly with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to eradicate Mexican cartels.”
“Eliminating the cartels responsible for the deadly drug crisis in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s top operational priority, and Edgar Fabian Villasenor-Garcia’s sentencing today — as an armed CJNG operative — brings us a step closer to our goal,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The CJNG is responsible for fueling the deadly drug crisis in the United States, as well as unprecedented violence in Mexico, our neighbor. The DEA is relentlessly committed to defeating the CJNG and other cartels, and we will exhaust every tool in the justice system to fight back, to save American lives, and to bring these cartels to justice.”
According to court documents, Edgar Fabian Villasenor-Garcia, also known as Gary and El Monje, 54, was responsible for trafficking at least 450 kilograms of cocaine and at least 780 kilograms of methamphetamine for importation into the United States on behalf of the CJNG, one of the most powerful, violent, and prolific drug cartels in Mexico. The CJNG kills, tortures, corrupts, and traffics hundreds of tons, if not more, of cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs into the United States and other countries. The CJNG also uses its drug proceeds to fund its violence, and by doing so, ravages communities and imperils countless lives.
Villasenor-Garcia joined the CJNG before 2017 and carried a firearm in furtherance of the CJNG’s criminal operations. In November 2024, he pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and admitted that CJNG members used firearms and violence to advance their mandate, including to protect drugs and drug proceeds, to control the CJNG members, to fight rival cartels, and to escape capture by law enforcement.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian and Douglas Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations also provided significant assistance.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Armed Carjacker Indicted on 35 Counts for 2024 Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lamontee Fowler, 21, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today on a 35-count indictment filed on February 19, 2025, relating to an armed carjacking spree that occurred in April and May 2024 in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Fowler was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of armed carjacking, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, endangerment with a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and related charges.
According to the government’s evidence, Fowler engaged in a spree of armed carjackings on April 27, 2024, May 2, 2024, and May 8, 2024, all within blocks of each other in Southeast Washington, D.C. On April 27, 2024, he knocked on the window of the victim’s Toyota Rav 4 with the handle of a firearm, ordered the victim out of the driver’s seat, fired the gun, took the victim’s car keys, and fled the scene in the car. On May 2, 2024, he ran up behind the victim after she had exited her Honda Civic, pointed a firearm at the victim’s stomach, demanded her keys, and then fled the scene in her car. On May 8, 2024, he approached the victim after she had parked her Nissan Rogue on the street, brandished a firearm, grabbed her keys, and fled in her car. Then, on May 10, 2024, after arriving at his then-girlfriend’s residence in the carjacked Nissan Rogue, he fired a shot near his then-girlfriend’s father through the driver’s side window of the car. In a search warrant executed at his residence two weeks later, on May 24, 2024, the Metropolitan Police Department found a 9mm ghost gun with a 31-round capacity extended magazine underneath Fowler’s pillow.
At the arraignment today, Fowler was ordered detained by Judge Robert Salerno.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Claire Hoover and Sabena Auyeung of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Armed Career Criminal Convicted for Possession of Firearms Linked to Miami-Dade Shootings, HomicideRead the Press Release
MIAMI – After a three-day bifurcated trial, a Miami federal jury found Nathaniel Martin, 45, guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Later that same day, the jury found that Martin qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his criminal history, including prior convictions for robbery, cocaine trafficking, and armed robbery.
Based on the evidence at trial, police responded to a market in Miami Gardens based on a tip that a person of interest in an open investigation was camped out in the alley behind that market. When police arrived, they observed Martin sitting in a chair at the end of the alley rifling through a bookbag. Surveillance footage from the interior and exterior of the market showed Martin handling the bookbag, a plastic bag, and other belongings in and around the market. Police later recovered the bookbag, which contained fourteen rounds of live ammunition, and the plastic bag, which contained two semiautomatic pistols and additional ammunition.
Additional evidence at trial included text messages from the day of the arrest in which Martin asked if he could hide his guns under a friend’s bed, DNA evidence for each of the firearms, and recorded jail calls from the day of the arrest in which Martin lamented that police had recovered “the weapons.”
According to other filings in the case, one of the pistols recovered from Martin returned ballistic matches to shell casings recovered from a December 2023 shooting in Miami Gardens and a January 13, 2024 homicide in Miami Gardens.
U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez presided over the trial. Martin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years of imprisonment, and a maximum term of imprisonment up to life. The sentencing hearing has been set for May 2, 2025. Judge Martinez will sentence Martin after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge John F. Dion, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the verdicts.
The ATF and the Miami Gardens Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sterling M. Paulson and Altanese Phenelus are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr- 20065.
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Arizona Woman Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Tyla Griffin, age 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, to 92 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and distribution of fentanyl.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Griffin relocated from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Phoenix, Arizona in or about January 2020. Once settled in Arizona, she and co-conspirator, Davon Beckford, developed a relationship with an Arizona source of supply for fentanyl pills. Griffin then conspired with Beckford and others to sell fentanyl pills to drug dealers formerly known to them throughout Luzerne County. Griffin distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills via the U.S. Postal Service to drug associates in Pennsylvania from Arizona.
Griffin was indicted by a grand jury in Scranton on February 15, 2022. She appeared in federal court in Scranton on February 28, 2023, and plead guilty to her role in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Davon Beckford was sentenced by Judge Mariani on January 24, 2025, to a term of 240 months in prison. Beckford plead guilty to the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Arizona Man Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Theft of $1 Million in Federal Grants for HIV ProgramsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Yesterday, a complaint was unsealed charging an Arizona man for his role in a conspiracy to misappropriate government funds used to support low-income individuals with HIV, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Brent Lee, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of theft of government funds. Lee appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine in the District of Arizona.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2023, a municipality in Hudson County, New Jersey, issued five checks totaling approximately $1M to a nonprofit charitable organization. The funds for four of the checks originated from a federal grant program that funds a comprehensive system of primary medical care, medications, and essential support for low-income people with HIV. Yet, as alleged in today’s complaint, the nonprofit organization never received the checks.
Instead, as alleged, in February and March 2023, Lee conspired with others to use a fraudulent business entity to misappropriate nearly all of the funds derived from the checks. In February 2023, Lee filed articles of incorporation in Wyoming for a business entity with a name nearly identical to the nonprofit’s, and opened a bank account for that entity. From February to March 2023, the checks were deposited into that account, and Lee paid himself, a family member, and various other individuals nearly all the proceeds via cash withdrawals, cashier’s checks, and wire transfers. As a result, the bank recorded a loss of approximately $1M.
The charge of bank fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The charge of theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and members of the FBI’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Unit in Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, and the New Jersey Field Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hardin of the U.S. Attorney’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense Counsel: Jazmin Alagha, Esq.
lee.complaint.pdfAlleged Member of Cartel Enforcement Group Extradited from MexicoRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Edgar Perez Villa, an alleged member of a Tijuana-based enforcement group for the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, commonly known as CJNG, was extradited from Mexico to the United States on Thursday and made his first appearance in federal court in San Diego today.
Perez Villa was indicted along with other alleged Mexican drug cartel enforcers in connection with their alleged violent support of heroin and methamphetamine trafficking.
At today’s hearing, Perez Villa was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt. The government asked that Perez Villa be detained on grounds that he is a significant flight risk. Judge Burkhardt scheduled a detention hearing for February 27, 2025, at 2 p.m. before Judge Michelle Pettit. The Court also set March 28, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. for a motion hearing/trial setting before U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia A. Bashant.
The superseding indictment, returned on March 6, 2020, plus a related indictment returned on March 16, 2021, collectively charged Perez Villa, aka Cabo 89, along with other alleged cartel leaders - including Edgar Herrera Pardo, aka Caiman; Carlos Lorenzo Hinojosa Guerrero, aka Cabo 96; and Israel Alejandro Vazquez-Vazquez, aka Cabo 50, among others. They are charged with drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, the defendants were leaders of a violent group of cartel enforcers known as “Los Cabos” who operated in Baja California to secure control of the region for CJNG.
Los Cabos allegedly employed rampant violence to ensure that CJNG maintained the ability to traffic drugs through Tijuana and into the United States through San Diego. According to the indictment, investigators learned through judicially-authorized interceptions that the leaders of Los Cabos planned more than 150 murders, the majority of which took place in Tijuana, according to the filings.
Los Cabos allegedly engaged in this violence in support of CJNG, one of the most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world. The cartel has its hands in trafficking multiple deadly substances. It is responsible for moving tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl-laced heroin into the United States. CJNG is also a prolific methamphetamine producer and chemical importer, using precursors procured from China and India. CJNG is one of the most powerful Mexican cartels operating within the United States.
“For far too long, violent cartels have inflicted untold suffering through violence and drug addiction,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Our fight against this reign of terror will not waver.”
“Cartels use violence and intimidation to control the areas they terrorize,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “As an alleged member of Los Cabos, Perez-Villa spent years destroying the community through drug trafficking and violence. One by one, the DEA will hold these criminals accountable and bring them to justice.”
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Perez Villa.
DEFENDANT
Case Number: 19CR1274-BAS
Edgar Perez Villa, aka Cabo 89, aka Nier Age 35 Tijuana
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963
Maximum Sentence: Mandatory minimum ten years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846
Maximum Sentence: Mandatory minimum ten years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
*An indictment or complaint is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
Thursday 20 February 2025
West Hartford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Participating in Catalytic Converter Theft RingRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that YANQUEE RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Yankster Rodriguez,” 28, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a catalytic converter theft conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The investigation revealed that Alexander Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford. Kolitsas and Downpipe Depot purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Rodriguez, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey. Kolitsas instructed his suppliers on the types of converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale, and he would often meet with them and transact business at his home in Wolcott late at night or behind a family member’s restaurant in Middlebury after hours.
Business records seized during the investigation revealed that Rodriguez was one of Downpipe Depot’s largest suppliers of stolen catalytic converters. Between January 2021 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Rodriguez $411,845 for catalytic converters. Kolitsas paid Rodriguez and his other catalytic converter suppliers a total of more than $3.3 million during that time.
Rodriguez was arrested on November 15, 2023. On June 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
Rodriguez, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 19.
Kolitsas pleaded guilty to related charges and awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Vice President of Health Care Software and Services Company Pleads Guilty to $1B Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to operating an internet-based platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion.
According to court documents, Gregory Schreck, 50, of Johnson County, admitted that he and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to provide their personally identifiable information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Schreck and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items for these beneficiaries. Schreck, a vice president of the company that operated DMERx, admitted that he offered to connect pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders that were transmitted using the DMERx platform. Schreck and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid for them. The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in reality, purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity and based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary, or sometimes no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders generated through DMERx billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1 billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these false and fraudulent claims.
Schreck pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Southeast Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Inmate with Assaulting Detention OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A To’hajiilee man is facing a new charge for allegedly assaulting a federal detention officer at the Cibola County Correctional Facility while awaiting trial on another federal case.
According to court documents, on November 5, 2024, Antonio Chaco, 41, while in custody at the Cibola County Correctional Facility awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder and kidnapping resulting in death, assaulted a detention officer and employee of CoreCivic, Inc. The assault occurred while the detention officer was assisting the U.S. Marshals Service with the supervision of federal detainees. During the assault, Chaco struck, pinned down, and choked the officer.
If convicted, Chaco faces up to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Chaco is scheduled to stand trial for second-degree murder and kidnapping resulting in death on April 21, 2025. If convicted of those charges, Chaco faces life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and David Barnett, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico, made the announcement today.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting both cases.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Firearm Assault CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon after an incident that left one of the victims requiring medical treatment for facial injuries.
According to court documents, Jerome Weaver, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, admitted to intentionally assaulting two victims using a firearm with the intent to cause bodily harm. As a result of the assault, one of the victim’s required medical treatment for facial injuries.
Weaver will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Weaver faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Sentencing for Fatal DUI Crash on Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 75 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, stemming from a fatal drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation in November 2022.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on the evening of November 25, 2022, Jane Doe and John Doe were driving from Colorado to visit family in Tse Bonito, NM when their sedan broke down. Jane Doe’s family members came to assist, and her nephew began towing the sedan with his SUV.
As the group traveled on Navajo Route 12, Olan Jumbo, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, who had been drinking alcohol while driving, crashed his speeding truck into the back of the sedan. The collision caused severe damage to the sedan, resulting in Jane Doe’s death at the scene and serious injuries to John Doe. Jumbo fled the scene but was apprehended two days later.
Investigation revealed Jumbo was driving between 74-82 mph in a 45-mph zone at the time of impact and had multiple prior drunk-driving related convictions. Open containers of alcohol were found in Jumbo's vehicle after the crash.
Upon his release from prison, Jumbo will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe for the Southern District of Illinois departs from postRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Rachelle Aud Crowe, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, who has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, has departed from the position, effective Feb. 18. She releases the following statement:
“It has been my honor to serve the Southern District of Illinois as the United States Attorney. Announcing my departure accompanies many emotions, but my heart is full of gratitude.
Working for the Department of Justice and leading an office of talented attorneys, dedicated legal staff and supportive administrative employees has been a lifelong dream. It was my privilege to guide the Department on matters of policy, procedure and management as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.
I have been fortunate to partner with the local, state and federal law enforcement officers to seek justice for victims and improve public safety. In addition to prosecuting hundreds of criminal cases, the office represented the government effectively in civil lawsuits and recovered millions of taxpayer dollars.
I will cherish the time I spent at the federal courthouses. I’m thankful to the district judges for their judicial oversight, it’s been my honor to work with and learn from them. The future for the office is bright, and I’m confident the employees will continue to exceed their high standard of excellence, integrity and functionality.
Thank you for the encouragement during my service.”
“From the beginning, USA Crowe has been a champion of the FBI mission,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The combination of the FBI’s investigative efforts and the Southern District of Illinois’ commitment to uphold the law has brought justice for victims and made our communities a safer place to live.”
“It’s been a pleasure working alongside U.S. Attorney Crowe,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “She’s been a tremendous partner and we’re grateful for her service. Her commitment to helping remove the threat of drugs and those who distribute them across Southern Illinois has been invaluable.”
"U.S. Attorney Crowe has been a tremendous partner for the Illinois State Police," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. "U.S. Attorney Crowe supported our Public Safety Enforcement Group and its work, bringing charges and winning convictions in numerous criminal cases, and was instrumental in holding people accountable and bringing them to justice."
“United States Attorney Rachelle Crowe has been an engaged and dedicated law enforcement partner, and we thank her for her dedication in the support of ATF’s mission in Southern Illinois,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shannon Hamm. “ On behalf of the men and women of ATF, we wish nothing but the best for United States Attorney Crowe now and into the future.”
Ali M. Summers is the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. She joined the office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2012.
Two Men and Woman Charged in Grand Jury Indictment Alleging Armed Robbery Spree of a Dozen Southern California BusinessesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has returned a 12-count superseding indictment charging two San Fernando Valley residents and one Long Beach resident with committing armed robberies of smoke shops, donut shops, and convenience stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties during a two-week crime spree last year, the Justice Department announced today.
The following defendants were charged Wednesday by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery:
- Antonio Lamar Bland, 36, of North Hollywood;
- Ronnie Tucker, 23, of Long Beach; and
- Abigail Luckey, 49, of North Hollywood.
Bland and Tucker also have been charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Bland also is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The defendants’ arraignment is expected in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. There is a May 6 trial date scheduled in this case. All three defendants have been in federal custody since last year.
“Members of the community should not have to think about being subjected to violence when they walk into a convenience store or business. The defendants’ pattern of violent conduct described in the indictment put innocent lives at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Violent crime is a top priority for the US Attorney’s Office, and we are grateful for the teamwork of federal law enforcement and our local police departments to bring charges against these defendants.”
"Any time someone takes a gun into a place of business to rob it, victims are traumatized and there is a potential for tragic consequences," said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. "If convicted, these individuals face significant prison time. Moreover, the FBI and our partners remain committed to pooling resources, intelligence, and skills that allow us to remain focused on one goal: keeping our communities safe."
“Investigators from the Burbank Police Department spent hundreds of hours investigating this robbery series,” said Burbank Police Chief Michael Albanese. “The Burbank Police Department is grateful for the assistance from our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office for their work in holding these individuals accountable for their actions. Our community is safer because of it.”
According to the superseding indictment, from January 29, 2024, to February 14, 2024, Bland, Tucker, and Luckey robbed 12 businesses in Los Angeles and Orange counties: one smoke shop in Tustin, nine 7-Eleven stores in North Hollywood, Burbank, Torrance, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Glendale, and Pasadena, and two donut shops in Los Angeles and Downey.
These commercial robberies typically occurred late at night and usually involved Bland and Tucker who entered each business wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks. In several of the robberies, a getaway driver, Luckey, waited outside for Bland and Tucker to complete the robbery and fled the scene in a white four-door sedan owned by Luckey when they returned to the vehicle.
In the midst of the 12 robberies, on February 6, 2024, Bland and Luckey drove to Las Vegas and were legally married before returning to Southern California for their next robbery on February 8, 2024.
The armed robbery spree ended after Bland, Tucker and Luckey committed an attempted robbery of a donut shop in Downey during the early morning hours of February 14, 2024, court records show.
Once the subjects entered the donut shop, one yelled, “Open the cash register!” The employee noticed that one of the subjects, believed to be Bland, had what appeared to be a handgun tucked into his front waistband with the handle visible. Fearing that the subjects were going to harm him, the employee ran toward the rear kitchen area from behind the main sales counter. The subjects jumped the counter in pursuit of him. The employee retrieved his own firearm to defend himself. To deter the suspects from attacking him, he fired at least one shot, hitting a wall of the building.
After the employee fired, Bland and Tucker ran out of the store. Law enforcement witnessed the attempted armed robbery and, shortly afterward, pulled over a car containing Bland, Tucker and Luckey, and later retrieved a firearm from the vehicle.
In February 2024, Bland allegedly illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition. He is not legally allowed to possess them because of previous felony convictions in Los Angeles Superior Court for carjacking and possession of drugs in prison.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Bland, Tucker and Luckey would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each Hobbs Act robbery-related count. Bland and Tucker would face a statutory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison for each count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Bland would face up to 15 years in federal prison for each count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The FBI and the Burbank Police Department are investigating this matter with assistance from the Tustin, Torrance, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Los Angeles, and Downey police departments.
Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Roldán of the General Crimes Section and J’me K. Forrest of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Tempe Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Animal CrushingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Thomas Scionti, 36, of Tempe, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Scionti pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person and Animal Crushing in two separate cases on October 3, 2024.
On January 18, 2023, pursuant to a search warrant, federal agents seized six firearms and 1,826 rounds of ammunition from areas of a residence controlled by the defendant. Scionti had previously been convicted of multiple Arizona state felonies and was consequently prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On September 29, 2023, federal agents received authorization to search records and information associated with Scionti’s email account. During that search, agents seized approximately 168 videos and 89 digital photographs depicting Scionti torturing and mutilating live pigeons.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigations in these cases. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00600-PHX-JJT
CR-24-00890-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-019_Scionti# # #
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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tampa Man with Prior Conviction for Trafficking in Cocaine Pleads Guilty to Possession of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Jose Pabon (45, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Pabon faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. This enhanced penalty is due to Pabon’s prior conviction for trafficking in cocaine in 2013. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on May 13, 2024, a detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office acting in an undercover capacity (UC) contacted Pabon’s co-conspirator by phone. The co-conspirator agreed to sell the UC a kilogram of cocaine for $21,000. The next day, through an exchange of calls and text messages, the co-conspirator and the UC agreed to meet to conduct the kilogram cocaine transaction at a location in Tampa. During the preceding communications, the co-conspirator told the UC that he was waiting on a source of supply to provide the kilogram of cocaine prior to being able to distribute it to the UC.
Prior to meeting with the UC, DEA agents observed the co-conspirator meeting Pabon. Surveillance footage from the transaction location showed Pabon and the co-conspirator having a short conversation outside Pabon’s vehicle. After this conversation, agents observed the co-conspirator retrieve an object from Pabon’s car, return to his own vehicle, drive across the parking lot to the UC’s location, and emerge from his vehicle holding a kilogram of cocaine. The cocaine was tested by the DEA laboratory and confirmed to be 1,012 grams of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
Straw purchaser sentenced for unlawfully supplying firearms to illegal aliensRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 54-year-old Baytown resident has been ordered to prison for his role in firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Eduardo Hernandez pleaded guilty Oct. 31, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Hernandez to serve 151 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about Hernandez’ activities, including his purchase of several firearms from a licensed dealer in the Houston area. He had also sent photos of the firearms to an individual in Michoacan, Mexico, to provide confirmation of the transaction. During his allocution, Hernandez apologized for his offense against the United States. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane responded by commenting that the victim of this offense is really Mexico and how the people of that country suffer at the hands of cartel violence.
“Illegal aliens are prohibited from possessing firearms, period,” said Ganjei. “Hopefully Hernandez’s conviction and sentence will serve as a warning to others who would consider supplying guns to those illegally in the country.”
On Nov. 1, 2023, as part of an on-going criminal investigation involving the unlawful purchase, transfer and exportation of firearms and ammunition, authorities conducted a search of a residence. At that time, they discovered and seized multiple firearms from an individual unlawfully present in the United States who admitted the firearms were intended to be transported into Mexico.
The investigation revealed Hernandez had purchased two of the seized weapons - both rifles.
At the time of his arrest, Hernandez admitted to purchasing approximately 50 firearms from licensed dealers and private sellers and transferring those firearms to aliens unlawfully present within the United States. Hernandez also admitted having transported tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition to a home near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Hernandez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This case is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division are conducting the OCDETF operation with the assistance of the Baytown Police Department. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Lance Watt and Brittany Jensen are prosecuting the case.
Statement from Justice Department Chief of Staff Chad MizelleRead the Press Release
“Today the Department of Justice determined that multiple layers of removal restrictions shielding administrative law judges (ALJs) are unconstitutional.
Unelected and constitutionally unaccountable ALJs have exercised immense power for far too long. In accordance with Supreme Court precedent, the Department is restoring constitutional accountability so that Executive Branch officials answer to the President and to the people.”
St. John the Baptist Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
Correction: Continued investigation by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that FREYRE-SOTO conspired with co-conspirators to conduct large-scale cocaine transactions utilizing a boat off the coast of the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico).
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDEL FREYRE-SOTO (“FREYRE-SOTO”), age 54, a resident of Laplace, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 18, 2025, to conspiracy to possess, and possession with intent to distribute, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A) and 846, as well as possession, with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A) before United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
For each of the counts, FREYRE-SOTO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on September 10, 2023, members of the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office seized 69 kilograms of cocaine from FREYRE-SOTO at his residence in Laplace, LA. Continued investigation by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that FREYRE-SOTO conspired with co-conspirators to conduct large-scale cocaine transactions utilizing a boat off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. On March 19, 2024, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized 85 kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator’s residence in Laplace that had been smuggled in through the Grand Isle marina.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
South Florida Lobbyist Guilty of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Correction: This press release was updated on February 25, to reflect that the sentencing hearing is set for May 14, at 11:00 a.m., rather than May 16. The May 16 date was an error.
MIAMI – Eston Eurel Melton III of West Palm Beach, Florida, has pled guilty to tax evasion, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201.
Melton is a lobbyist specializing in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County governments. According to court documents, Melton failed to pay approximately $1.2 million in taxes for tax years 2005 through 2014. By July 2019, his tax debt, including penalties and interest, was approximately $1.7 million. He evaded the Internal Revenue Service’s efforts to collect the taxes in multiple ways. First, to dissuade the IRS from seizing his residence, he represented to the IRS that he was attempting to sell the residence himself, but then undermined his realtor’s efforts to make the sale. Second, Melton owned a lobbying business, Global Projects, Inc. Melton signed approximately $67,000 in checks to himself from Global Projects and the checks were negotiated for cash. A close family member, identified in the court papers as Individual 2, then deposited the same or similar sums in cash into her account shortly Third, Individual 2 opened a lobbying business, Gryphon Partners, Inc., apparently competing with Global Projects. Gryphon Partners’ revenue rose while Global Projects’ fell, and many of Global Projects’ clients transferred to Gryphon Partners. Although Melton continued to provide almost all the lobbying services, Global Projects and Gryphon Partners paid him almost nothing after 2019, instead making all distributions to his family member. Fourth, Individual 2 bought a new home in West Palm Beach, where Melton and Individual 2 lived together. Individual 2 represented to the closing agent that Melton should not be on the deed because Individual 2 was buying the home with her own money. In fact, approximately two thirds of the cash to close was proceeds of Melton’s lobbying work at Global Projects and Gryphon Partners. Fifth, after December 2018, Melton had no checking account. Finally, Melton transferred four life insurance policies, with a total cash value of approximately $51,000, to Individual 2, as well as title to two cars.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 14, 2025, at 11:00 AM. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne for the Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the case. IRS-CI, Miami Field Office investigated it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-80001.
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Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 10+ Years in Federal Prison for Robbery Committed While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
A serial bank robber who robbed three banks while on supervised release for a prior bank robbery conviction was sentenced Thursday to more than 10 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
Taurick Demon Walker, 43, was charged via criminal complaint in August 2023 and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty in October 2024 to bank robbery and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 105 months for the bank robbery plus 24 months for violating the conditions of his supervised release – which prohibited committing any felonies – for a total of 129 months in federal prison.
According to court records, Mr. Walker was convicted of bank robbery in March 2018 and sentenced to six years in federal prison. He served his time and was released in March 2023.
Just five months after his release, on Aug. 10, 2023, Mr. Walker entered a Regions Bank in Irving, passed a teller a note, and demanded “all your money now.” The teller handed over a wad of cash and Mr. Walker fled the scene.
Eight days later, on Aug. 18, Mr. Walker robbed two other banks: a Truist Bank in Dallas and a Wells Fargo in Garland. On both occasions, he approached a teller and pressed a note against the glass that read “Bank Robbery 20,000.”
Investigators were able to link Mr. Walker to both robberies using a network of FLOCK license plate readers.
In an interview with law enforcement, a family member told police she recognized a cowboy hat worn during one of the robberies as Mr. Walker’s.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas, Garland, and Irving Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Withers prosecuted the case..
Saint Paul Man and Mounds View Woman Sentenced to Prison for Armed Carjacking in MinneapolisRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Saint Paul man has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, and a Mounds View woman will serve 41 months in prison for their respective roles in aiding and abetting a Minneapolis carjacking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on October 6, 2023, Carvon Antonio Saine, 19, and his co-defendant Isis Martinaz Brent, a.k.a. Jayda Marie White, 20, approached an elderly victim who had just parked a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu on the street in South Minneapolis. Brent brandished a Carl Walther 9mm semiautomatic pistol and demanded the victim’s keys. During the carjacking, an associate of Brent’s forcefully snatched the victim’s bags, causing the victim to fall and suffer bodily injury on their hands and knees. The Malibu experienced mechanical issues and was later found abandoned. A short time later, Brent and Saine approached a second victim in a parking lot on Chicago Avenue South. Brent knocked on the window, demanded the victim’s keys, and again brandished the Walther semiautomatic pistol at the victim. The second victim was able to escape the attempted carjacking.
Saine and Brent were sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim, each on one count of aiding and abetting a carjacking.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green prosecuted the case.
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Jordan Anthony Hughes, 24, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to production of child sexual abuse materials, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in September 2022, Hughes knowingly used a child under the age of 12 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct, in Sacramento. Hughes committed hands-on violations of the minor victim and took videos and pictures of that abuse. Hughes’ abuse of the child dated back to at least 2017. In addition, Hughes used the internet to convince other underage victims to send him images and videos depicting themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hughes did this in part by posing as an underage male himself. Hughes also distributed images of child sexual abuse conduct, often under the guise of helping or teaching his victims how to perform certain sexual acts. At the time of his arrest, Hughes possessed voluminous child sexual abuse materials.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as well as Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case.
Hughes is in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on July 10, 2025. Hughes faces a mandatory statutory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Sacramento Man Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Bank Fraud and Pandemic Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment last week against Akash Kumar Singh, 48, of Sacramento, charging him with four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Singh’s arrest today.
According to court documents, Singh fraudulently obtained more than $3 million in Paycheck Protection Program loan funds intended to help small businesses maintain payroll and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Singh obtained at least two PPP loans for a Sacramento software development company he purported to lead called Kryptoblocks. Singh falsely claimed that Kryptoblocks generated millions of dollars in revenue and paid millions of dollars in employee wages in 2019 and 2020. In reality, Kryptoblocks generated little to no revenues and employed no individuals in the United States during this time.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million or of twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in each money laundering count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Russian and Uzbek Nationals Charged with Conspiracy to File False Voter Registration ApplicationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL — A Tampa grand jury has returned an indictment charging Dmitry Shushlebin, 45, a citizen of Russia living in Miami Beach, and Sanjar Jamilov, 33, a citizen of Uzbekistan living in St. Petersburg, with conspiring to submit fraudulent voter registrations and four counts of submitting fraudulent voter registrations. The indictment further charged Shushlebin with two counts of false statements. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to court documents, Shushlebin and Jamilov conspired to submit 132 fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in February and March 2023. These applications were submitted in names other than their own, in envelopes with return and address labels that were identically formatted, including containing the same typographical error, and bore various indicia of fraud including, among other things, repeating dates of birth and addresses and nearly sequential Social Security numbers. Change of address forms were also submitted to the U.S. Postal Service to route mail to the names and addresses on the fraudulent applications to three locations that Shushlebin and Jamilov allegedly controlled.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This case began after a referral from the Florida Department of State, Office of Election Crime and Security.
Trial Attorney Leo J. Wise of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Rockland County Man Sentenced to over 21 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Six Poisonings, Including Multiple DeathsRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JUSTIN TURNICK was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern to over 21 years in prison. TURNICK previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. In his plea agreement, TURNICK took responsibility for distributing fentanyl that resulted in three fatal fentanyl poisonings and three non-fatal fentanyl poisonings of teenagers and young adults between February 2020 and April 2022 in Rockland County, New York.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Justin Turnick’s actions didn’t just facilitate addiction—they fueled a crisis that has claimed lives and inflicted unimaginable suffering. The career prosecutors of this Office and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and in local law enforcement remain resolute in our mission to combat the fentanyl epidemic and to seek justice for those who have suffered.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, Court filings, and statements made in Court:
TURNICK engaged in the regular distribution of narcotics to members of his community in Rockland County, New York, including his friends, partners, and acquaintances. TURNICK knowingly distributed fentanyl — a deadly and highly potent opioid — in various forms, including fentanyl that had been packaged into pills, pure fentanyl, and fentanyl-laced powder.
TURNICK distributed fentanyl that resulted in three fatal and three non-fatal poisonings:
- On or about February 3, 2020, Gustaf Olsen died at age 19 as a result of fentanyl received from TURNICK.
- On or about July 11, 2020, Jonathan Shashoua died at age 22 as a result of fentanyl received from TURNICK.
- On or about January 5, 2021, an 18-year-old girl experienced a non-fatal poisoning as a result of fentanyl received from TURNICK.
- On or about July 30, 2021, Ione Koenig experienced a non-fatal poisoning as a result of fentanyl received from TURNICK.
- On or about July 31, 2021, Ione Koenig died at age 18 as a result of fentanyl received from TURNICK.
- On or about April 19, 2022, a 23-year-old man experienced a non-fatal poisoning as a result of fentanyl received from TURNICK.
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In addition to the prison sentence, TURNICK, 26, of Congers, New York, was sentenced to 5 years of supervised release.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clarkstown Police Department, and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office. He also thanked the Ramapo Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department, the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office for their support and assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution.
Rochester man pleads guilty to arsonRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced today that Jermaine Fields, 38, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to arson, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that on April 17, 2024, the Rochester Fire Department received an alarm call from the Abundance Co-Op Market on South Avenue in Rochester, for a fire in the men’s bathroom. When firefighters arrived, they entered the bathroom and smelled an odor of burning rubber, but there were no flames visible. Firefighters did observe burned debris with burn patterns on the floor and on the wall behind the toilet. Law enforcement reviewed security camera footage from the store, which depicted a person later identified as Fields, walking throughout the store and entering the men’s bathroom and then exiting. The store fire alarm activated seconds later. Fields was arrested several days later and charged with arson. Fields has also admitted to starting papers on fire in one of the stairwells at the Hall of Justice on Exchange Boulevard in Rochester on April 5, 2024.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Fire Department, under the direction of Chief Stefano Napolitano, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Chad Allen Pease (49, Fort Pierce) to 22 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Pease guilty on November 20, 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. Pease drove 18 miles to the meeting location and conducted counter-surveillance before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement identified Pease, reconstructed his activities that evening, and later arrested him at his residence.
Pease was previously convicted of a sex offense in 2008, after sending explicit photographs and traveling to have sex with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since.
"This predator intentionally singled out a child, devised a plan, and executed it with the sole purpose of harming the most vulnerable in our community” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Providence Woman Sentenced in Conspiracy to Smuggle Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman who previously admitted to a federal judge that she provided contraband that made its way into the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, RI, was sentenced today to two years of federal supervised release, the first six months to be served in home detention with GPS monitoring, and fined $1,500, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Yahaira Cristina Contreras, 32, admitted that in early 2021, she conspired with others to provide 201 suboxone strips containing buprenorphine that made its way to a Wyatt Detention Center correctional officer and into the facility. Contreras admitted that she provided the contraband and that she transferred $3,000 from her bank account to another person’s account to facilitate getting the suboxone strips inside the Wyatt Detention Center.
Contreras’ sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose.
Former Wyatt Detention Center correctional officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones, 30, of Smithfield, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to a charge of providing contraband to an inmate. He was sentenced on November 19, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of federal supervised release - the first six months to be served on home confinement.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center.
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Pelahatchie Man Sentenced to nearly Five Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pelahatchie man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Brad O’Neal Lee, 41, sold firearms to a pawn shop in Jackson, Mississippi. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was alerted to the sale. Lee is a convicted felon, and therefore is prohibited by federal law from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Lee’s previous felony convictions on the date of the illegal possession were for residential burglary, false pretense, and uttering a forgery, for which he served several years in state prison.
Lee was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 6, 2023. He pled guilty on October 3, 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.