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Thursday 13 February 2025
Mescalero Man Charged with Assault by U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man faces federal charges for allegedly assaulting a woman and causing severe injuries.
According to the complaint, Myron Edward Blake, Jr., 39, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, allegedly assaulted Jane Doe, causing serious bodily injury. Jane Doe suffered severe head trauma and other injuries consistent with being struck by blunt objects.
Blake remains in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Blake faces up to 5 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
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Man receives 60+ years after committing series of armed robberies of Houston-area fast-food restaurantsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON –A 25-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Caleb Pickens guilty Nov. 8, 2024, following a four-day trial.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Pickens to serve 722 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, the court heard evidence of Pickens’ conduct while in jail and immediately after trial. Following the verdict, Pickens exhibited obstructive behavior by grabbing a full water bottle and slinging it at the prosecution table. He then threw the water bottle at the lead case agent. Pickens also fought with officers in the courtroom.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted Pickens’ abhorrent behavior, his lack of remorse, the court’s need to protect the public from him and his propensity for violence, as well as his violence towards officers while performing their duties. Judge Hittner said he believes Pickens to be a true danger to the public and recommended he be placed in a maximum security prison.
“Today’s sentence appropriately accounts for defendant’s violent nature and the seriousness of his offense,” said Ganjei. “Day after day, case by case, the Southern District of Texas and its law enforcements partners are striving to make Houston a safer place to live and work.”
In early January 2024, law enforcement began investigating a series of armed robberies at McDonalds and other fast-food restaurants and convenience stores which occurred during the month of January. This eventually led them to Pickens.
At trial, the jury heard Pickens had worn either a red Nike sweatshirt or a black hooded jacket while committing a series of armed robberies at McDonald’s locations. He also brandished a pistol. Occasionally, he had held the gun to victims’ heads, backs or stomachs and demanded money from the safe. In one incident at a local McDonald’s, he fired his pistol into a microwave oven.
During the robberies, Pickens would order the manager to hand over the money from the safe before exiting through the restaurant’s back door. He then fled the locations in a stolen black Chevrolet Tahoe that had a broken left rear window, used scissors to start the ignition and drove away.
Law enforcement located the vehicle and began conducting surveillance. On Jan. 23, 2024, the Chevy Tahoe arrived at a McDonald’s in Houston where Pickens again committed another armed robbery. Authorities arrested him on scene. At that time, he was wearing the same Nike sweatshirt and hooded jacket from previous robberies and was in possession of a pistol.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury the government had not proved a robbery of McDonald’s affected interstate commerce. They did not believe those claims and found Pickens guilty as charged.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department’s Violent Crime Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Brian Hrach are prosecuting the case.
Man Who Escaped Federal Prison Camp in Colorado, Evaded Capture for Five Years, Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Allen Todd May, age 60, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of escape, and one count of aggravated identity theft. May’s sentence is to be served consecutive to the approximately seven years he must serve on a sentence imposed in the Northern District of Texas, which he was serving when he escaped. May was also ordered to serve three years on supervised release after completion of his prison sentence and to pay $9,113,375.49 in restitution, and forfeit the fraud proceeds and assets he obtained during the scheme.
According to the plea agreement, between mid-2016 and December 2018, while serving a 20-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Englewood, Colorado, May devised a scheme to falsely and fraudulently claim that he and entities controlled by him were entitled to oil and gas royalties that had not yet been claimed by the true owners. May was able to participate in this scheme through an unlawfully obtained iPhone he purchased from a fellow inmate at the Federal Prison Camp. Throughout the course of this scheme, May obtained more than $700,000 in royalties to which he was not entitled.
At the Federal Prison Camp, May worked as a facilities clerk where he drove vehicles on prison grounds. On December 21, 2018, May drove off the Federal Prison Camp Compound and eluded capture by federal law enforcement for nearly five years. While on the run, May engaged in the same fraudulent oil and gas royalties scheme and netted $8 million in funds to which he was not entitled and used these funds to support his extravagant lifestyle. He stole the identities of inmates serving long sentences, presented himself as those individuals, and conducted his fraud in their names.
The United States Marshals Service arrested May in August of 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he had been living under an alias.
“The people of Colorado and Florida are safer today because Allen Todd May is back behind bars,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “The Federal Government will not rest when it comes to pursuing fraudsters and fugitives.”
“This repeat offender demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law. While in federal prison, he orchestrated a $700,000 fraud scheme, audaciously escaped, and continued to victimize unsuspecting Americans while on the run for five years,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Thanks to the tireless work of the U.S. Marshals Service, he was apprehended, and his criminal activities were stopped. The defendant's actions leave no doubt that he is a threat to society and deserves to remain incarcerated.”
“On behalf of the U.S. Marshals, I want to recognize and thank the anonymous tipster for the information they provided that directly led to the arrest of this unorthodox fugitive,” said District of Colorado U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor. “I would also like to thank and recognize the incredible tenacity of the Deputy U.S. Marshals who pursued every lead over the years in the District of Colorado, culminating in the arrest in the Southern District of Florida. Their relentless pursuit of this fugitive and the coordination of the agencies involved is a true testament to the U.S. Marshals Service.”
United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the sentencing.
The United States Marshals Service and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Martha Paluch and Tonya S. Andrews handled the prosecution.
Man Illegally in United States Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Trafficking in MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Nicolas Garcia Hernandez (27, Shelbyville, TN) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia Hernandez pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024.
According to court documents, Garcia Hernandez, who had illegally entered the United States from Mexico around 2020, made two trips from Tennessee to the Middle District of Florida to deliver methamphetamine. In December 2023, Garcia Hernandez delivered nearly three kilograms to an informant. In May 2024, he was on his was to make a delivery to the same informant when a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol stopped his car on I-75 in Hillsborough County. After a police canine alerted to the vehicle, Garcia Hernandez fled on foot across I-75, requiring troopers to chase him into the median through oncoming traffic.
After safely apprehending Garcia Hernandez, troopers located 5.9 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle and additional methamphetamine in Garcia Hernandez’s wallet. The court held Garcia Hernandez responsible for approximately 8.8 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.
MS-13 member sentenced to 50 years in prison for his participation in three murdersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national and member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for conspiracy relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including three murders.
According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2018, Henry Leonel Barrera Ayala, aka Cusuco, Centinela, and Lil Player, 26, Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, 27, and other members of MS-13’s Uniones Locos Salvatrucha (ULS) clique met in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to murder an associate of MS-13’s Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique, identified in court records as K.A.C. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador had approved the murder because they believed K.A.C. had betrayed MS-13. That evening, they met K.A.C. at the residence of an MS-13 member in New Bedford. After the group ate dinner together, Barrera Ayala and several co-conspirators beat and strangled K.A.C. to death. The co-conspirators then dismembered K.A.C.’s body, placed his remains in trash bags, and buried the remains in a wooded area near New Bedford.
In June 2019, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray, and other ULS members conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in the clique’s perceived territory in Reston. On June 23, 2019, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray and other ULS members armed themselves with a 9mm firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and two machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. The group murdered an individual, identified as J.L.G.M., shooting him and slashing him with a machete.
On Sept. 17, 2020, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray, and others devised a plan to lure a young woman, identified as I.J.P.G., to Colts Neck Road in Reston under false pretenses and kill her because they believed she was associated with a rival gang and had disparaged MS-13 on social media. Barrera Ayala exchanged messages with I.J.P.G. via Snapchat, pretending to be a member of MS-13’s rival gang. Barrera Ayala and a co-conspirator later picked up I.J.P.G. from her home and drove her to Colts Neck Road, where Alas Candray and another MS-13 member were waiting for them. The four co-conspirators killed I.J.P.G. by taking turns shooting her, primarily in the face.
In addition to the murders, Barrera Ayala also conspired with his fellow MS-13 members to distribute marijuana and cocaine. On multiple occasions, Barrera Ayala sent drug profits to individuals in other states and in Central American countries via money transfer services to benefit the MS-13 enterprise.
On Sept. 18, 2024, Barrera Ayala pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. A federal jury convicted Alas Candray on Oct. 21, 2024, on charges relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including six murders and additional murder conspiracies. On Jan. 30, Alas Candray was sentenced to six concurrent life sentences.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-178.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 90 years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Vincent Watson, age 48, of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 90 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for production of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between October 23 and 24, 2021, Watson produced four videos and one still image of child pornography in Wilkes-Barre. The videos and image showed Watson having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl, posing her in the nude for the camera, and giving her alcohol.
"Our hearts go out to the victim and the family for their harrowing ordeal. The sentence handed down to John Watson is a testament to the relentless efforts and dedication of the entire investigative team and we hope that it brings some comfort knowing that he cannot commit these crimes again,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “The collaboration between HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Plains Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Luzerne County Detective’s Office was instrumental in bringing Watson to justice. Our excellent relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania led to the conviction of an individual who presented a grave threat to public safety, specifically children.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Plains Township Police Department, Kingston Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crime Lab, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
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.
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Lottery Fraud Scheme Against Seniors Lands South Florida Man in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man has been sentenced to 44 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $234,995 in victim restitution for participating in a nationwide lottery fraud scheme targeting seniors. The sentence comes after the defendant pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and to criminal contempt for violating a court order.
From May 2020 to July 2022, Akiel Doman, 34, of North Miami Beach, Florida, and others repeatedly called victims throughout the United States and falsely told them that they had won millions of dollars and often, a car, in a lottery. The caller, falsely claiming to be a representative of the lottery company, told the victims that they needed to first pay fees or taxes to claim their winnings. Others working with Doman gave the victims specific instructions on how, and to whom, to send the purported fees or taxes. In connection with this scheme, the victims sent money, including direct deposits, to Doman’s bank accounts.
Doman also violated a consent decree entered by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 2019 prohibiting him from participating in lottery frauds. United States v. Doman, No. 18-cv-24731.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made this announcement.
USPIS Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani prosecuted 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 24-cr-60133.
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Lawton Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JEREMIAH ALEXANDER DEARING, 20, of Lawton, has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On December 3, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against Dearing, charging him with being a drug user in possession of firearms and with unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal Complaint, on October 9, 2024, Dearing participated in a recorded video jail call with an inmate at the Grady County Jail. During that call, officers with the Lawton Police Department (LPD) observed Dearing display an AK47-style pistol and flash multiple gang signs. As Dearing’s age prohibited him from legally carrying a firearm under Oklahoma state law, LPD detectives sought and obtained a search warrant for his residence. Upon execution of the warrant, law enforcement discovered five firearms in Dearing’s bedroom, including a privately manufactured firearm that did not have a serial number. All of the firearms were chamber-loaded and equipped with high-capacity magazines. Officers also seized a machinegun conversion device (MCD). When installed, the MCD converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 92 fentanyl pills from the residence.
Dearing pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025, and admitted he unlawfully possessed a machinegun. At sentencing, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lawton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly is 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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Katy Man Sentenced to Prison for Striking Border Patrol Agent with Vehicle and Fleeing During Smuggling AttemptRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Katy man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 18 months in prison for one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees.
According to court documents, Kevin Dominguez, 26, drove a sedan to the U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint, located on U.S. Highway 57 on Aug. 1, 2023. A USBP canine alerted the agents to the trunk, revealing an individual inside. Upon the USBP agent noticing the individual, Dominguez backed up and struck the agent with the vehicle before fleeing the checkpoint. A high-speed chase ensued and a USBP helicopter observed two occupants exit the vehicle into an open field. One of the individuals was located and confirmed to be an undocumented noncitizen from Honduras.
Dominguez was indicted in a two-count indictment on Sept. 13, 2023, and was arrested Sept. 14. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Withholding Information in Bankruptcy CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, pleaded guilty today to withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business. Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name after the bankruptcy filing, from February 2023 through February 2024. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. Wells admitted that during the motion hearing, including while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath, he did not disclose the existence of the other three loans. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.
A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations. The lender charged the business $9,700 in fees.
Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.
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Justice Department Secures $360,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against New Mexico Property Manager and Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners and former property manager of a federally subsidized apartment complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico have agreed to pay $360,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the former property manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in March 2024, alleges that for more than a decade, property manager Ariel Solis Veleta (Solis) sexually harassed female tenants at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments, a Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance property with 160 units in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The suit alleges that Solis’s conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, touching female tenants without their consent, locking female tenants in his office to demand sex acts, and threatening to evict female tenants who did not give in to his sexual demands.
“A home should be a place of refuge, not fear,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen P. Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will hold property managers and landlords accountable when they target and exploit vulnerable tenants with sexual harassment.”
“Affordable housing should not come at the cost of tenant’s dignity and personal safety,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “When property managers use their power over housing as a weapon to extort sexual favors from tenants, they exploit one fundamental right in order to violate another. This settlement will protect the sanctity of the home and the basic human rights of tenants, and was only possible because of these courageous women who came forward to tell their stories.”
“No low-income tenant should face the threat of being sexually harassed or abused by a property manager or others who control their housing,” said Acting Inspector General Stephen M. Begg of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “We are grateful to the tenants who came forward to help put a stop to this violative behavior. This settlement demonstrates that the HUD Office of Inspector General will continue to vigorously investigate landlords and property managers who seek to sexually exploit their vulnerable tenants.”
The department’s lawsuit also names as defendants the owners and operators of St. Anthony Plaza Apartments, PacifiCap Properties Group LLC, St. Anthony Limited Partnership, PacifiCap Holdings XXXVIII LLC, and PacifiCap Management, Inc. The lawsuit alleges that these defendants are vicariously liable for the sexual harassment of their agent, Solis. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit.
Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, the defendants must pay $350,000 to tenants harmed by Solis’s harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent decree permanently bars Solis from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment, permanently bars Solis from managing residential rental properties, and mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination at residential rental properties owned or managed by defendants.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment by Ariel Solis or at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments may email [email protected] or call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at [email protected], or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 48 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17.5 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Announces Successful Conclusion of Agreement with Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office to Ensure Constitutional PolicingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced on Tuesday the successful conclusion of the United States’ agreement with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) in Louisiana to end its pattern or practice of conducting arrests in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. After a thorough investigation, the United States found reasonable cause to believe that EPSO had unconstitutionally arrested and held people in jail without obtaining a warrant and without probable cause to believe the detained persons had committed a crime.
Under the 2018 agreement, EPSO made specific reforms to address the constitutional violations. EPSO developed policies, provided training, and improved adequate supervision to deputies to end the pattern or practice of unlawful seizures. EPSO also increased transparency by collecting and reporting data on its Fourth Amendment activities. Because EPSO has demonstrated full compliance with the agreement, the agreement is now terminated and the United States’ investigation is closed. The United States appreciates and acknowledges the effort and industry that EPSO committed to improve policing practices in Evangeline Parish.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of federally-protected rights. The Act also allows the Justice Department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation.
To read the original press release announcing the findings of the investigation, click here. To read the report of the investigation, click here. To read the original EPSO Settlement Agreement, click here. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury Convicts Norfolk Woman for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Causing an OverdoseRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Alexzandra Blanco, 24, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in a jury trial that concluded on February 12, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher presided over the trial. The jury also found that Blanco must forfeit $4,200.00 in United States currency and a 2019 Dodge Ram truck to the United States as drug proceeds. Blanco faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the serious bodily injury charge and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the drug conspiracy charge.
On March 17, 2023, Blanco and her boyfriend, co-defendant Tremain Monroe, were out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. After the bars closed, at approximately 2:00 a.m., several people gathered at an apartment in Norfolk. Blanco was involved in providing fentanyl to a victim who overdosed but was revived by Narcan. Law enforcement then purchased M-30 fentanyl pills from Monroe on three separate occasions in April 2023.
On May 3, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Monroe and Blanco’s residence. Law enforcement seized 221 fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia, and more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine.
Co-defendant Tremain Monroe pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 210 months in prison.
Blanco will be sentenced on May 14, 2025, before Judge Buescher in Omaha.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
John Austin Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that John Austin, 30, a Michigan native who recently has resided in South Burlington, Vermont, pleaded not guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge that he unlawfully possessed a pistol as a convicted felon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Austin be held without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Austin is currently in the primary custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections awaiting trial on a 2023 aggravated assault charge stemming from a shootout in Burlington’s Old North End.
This past November, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment alleging that in April 2024, Austin possessed a semi-automatic pistol. Austin is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has multiple felony convictions in Michigan. According to court records, police officers in Burlington located a rental car that had been reported stolen. Inside, officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol that had Austin’s fingerprints on it.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, Austin faces up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
This case was investigated by the Burlington and South Burlington Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Austin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 220 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – John Gierek, 35 years old, of Streamwood, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to two counts of Using an Interstate Commerce Facility in the Commission of a Murder-for-Hire, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Gierek was sentenced to 220 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between October 2023 and March 2024, Gierek, through a series of telephone calls, solicited an acquaintance to murder multiple individuals in exchange for a quantity of drugs and the partial forgiveness of a drug debt. Gierek also gave the acquaintance tape, pepper spray, and a taser to help carry out the murders.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Allen County Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Streamwood, Illinois Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
Interpol Washington and Canada Sign Historic Partnership to Combat Tren De AraguaRead the Press Release
Lyon, France — INTERPOL Washington Director Jeffrey A. Grimming and National Central Bureau Ottawa Director Marie-Josee Homsy have signed a historic Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to strengthen cross-border law enforcement collaboration against Tren de Aragua (TdA), one of the world’s most dangerous transnational criminal organizations. Exploiting recent migration patterns, TdA has expanded its presence in North America and is now in cities and communities across both countries. This landmark agreement enhances the ability of INTERPOL Washington and NCB Ottawa to combat TdA through robust information sharing, coordinated law enforcement support, and strengthened border security efforts.
“Today, we have taken a great leap forward in our fight to eradicate TdA in the United States,” said Director Grimming. “By bringing our combined law enforcement resources to bear, the United States and Canada have ensured that TdA will find no safe harbor in either of our nations. Together, as partners, we will work in lockstep to disrupt and dismantle TdA and remove their violent criminal operatives from our communities.”
“Tackling Transnational Criminal Organizations like TdA requires transnational cooperation,” said Director Homsy. “These groups threaten security and stability across the Americas. This signing is an example of the strong collaboration that takes place between Canadian and American authorities every day – as well as the power and reach of INTERPOL capabilities. By working together, we can dismantle criminal networks, protect our communities, and reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law.”
According to the MOC, both countries have agreed to take concrete actions within the INTERPOL framework to improve police coordination, information sharing, and operational support against TdA in the United States and Canada. This includes enhancing the timely and secure exchange of criminal intelligence, operational data, and best practices regarding efforts against TdA; coordinating joint investigations and activities targeting TdA; and strengthening mechanisms to detect, prevent, and respond to illicit cross-border TdA activities.
This agreement was signed during Director Grimming’s participation in the INTERPOL Heads of National Central Bureaus Conference in Lyon, France. In addition to the signing, INTERPOL Washington engaged in high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings with key partners in the fight against TdA. Director Grimming also delivered a keynote presentation on U.S. efforts to dismantle TdA, sharing strategies and best practices with law enforcement leaders from over 140 countries.
Head of Commercial Real Estate Investment Firm Pleads Guilty in $62.8M Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty yesterday in the Northern District of Georgia for his role in a scheme to defraud investors in connection with two commercial real estate investments.
According to court documents, Elchonon “Elie” Schwartz, 46, of New York City, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors who sought to invest in commercial real estate through the crowdfunding commercial real estate investing website CrowdStreet Marketplace (CrowdStreet). Beginning May 2022, Schwartz solicited investments through CrowdStreet for a large commercial real estate complex in Atlanta and ultimately raised approximately $54 million from about 654 investors. Beginning in November 2022, Schwartz solicited investments again through CrowdStreet in connection with a mixed-use building in Miami Beach, Florida, and ultimately raised approximately $8.8 million from about 167 investors. In total, Schwartz raised approximately $62.8 million from investors through CrowdStreet.
As part of the investment solicitation process, Schwartz executed agreements that stated, in part, that the funds raised from CrowdStreet investors would be held in segregated bank accounts controlled by Schwartz. In the documentation provided to CrowdStreet investors, Schwartz represented that he would only use the investors’ money to fund the investment in each property and that he had a fiduciary duty to safeguard the funds and to prohibit commingling or use of the money that did not benefit each investment.
Contrary to these representations, however, Schwartz misappropriated and converted the CrowdStreet investor funds for his own use. Schwartz directed substantially all the CrowdStreet investor money into his personal bank, personal brokerage account, and accounts for unrelated commercial real estate investments he controlled. For example, Schwartz used the CrowdStreet investor funds to purchase luxury watches, to invest in stocks and options in his brokerage account, and to pay for payroll expenses for his unrelated commercial real estate businesses. Ultimately, in mid-July 2023, the two corporate entities that Schwartz had formed to receive funds from CrowdStreet investors both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Schwartz pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 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 U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Trial Attorney Matthew F. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Connors for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys David O’Neal and Christopher Huber for the Northern District of Georgia provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claim for Brazilian ResidentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man has pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with a Massachusetts Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claim he submitted in 2020 on behalf of a man who was living in Brazil at the time, and therefore ineligible to receive PUA benefits.
Julio Roncaly Morais, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of false statements before U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs who scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2025. In June 2024, Morias was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Morais filed a Massachusetts PUA claim on June 3, 2020, on behalf of a co-conspirator who was living in Brazil before and after the PUA claim was filed. In the PUA application, Morais certified under penalty of perjury that the co-conspirator was a resident of Massachusetts and was able and available to work in Massachusetts but was unable to due to the pandemic. As a result of this claim, the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance paid a total of $5,202 in benefits before suspending payments.
The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in charge for the Homeland Security Investigations New England Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security and the Woburn and Norwood Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Begg Lawrence, James D. Herbert and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Harrison County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Harrison County doctor, Michael Gainey, 70, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove to the seven counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
According to his plea agreement, Gainey practiced as a family medicine specialist in Harrison County. In that role, Gainey treated and prescribed controlled substances to a number of patients with whom he maintained personal relationships. Gainey knew and intended that the prescriptions he issued to these patients were outside the scope of legitimate medical practice, in part because of the ongoing relationships he maintained with these patients and because Gainey relaxed applicable prescribing standards for these patients. Gainey’s plea agreement lists seven patients that he had ongoing relationships with during the course of his conduct. For each of the patients, he wrote dozens of prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, gabapentin, and other controlled substances.
Paul C. McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Boone is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Gainey is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the seven counts and a fine of $1 million. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Guatemalan and Chinese Nationals Charged with Border-Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Juan Carlos Jacinto-Ramos, a citizen of Guatemala, and Qing Zhu, of China, have been charged by criminal complaint accusing Jacinto-Ramos with bringing three Chinese nationals into the United States at a place other than an open port for entering the United States, and Zhu with entering the country illegally.
On February 10, 2025, the defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Jacinto-Ramos be detained during the pendency of his prosecution. Judge Doyle also ordered that Zhu be detained during the pendency of his prosecution, and also because Zhu is a material witness against Jacinto-Ramos.
According to court records, during the early afternoon of February 9, United States Border Patrol agents observed fresh footprints in the snow indicating that one or more persons had recently travelled south across Ayers Hill Road, in Berkshire, Vermont, about a half mile from the U.S.-Canada border. Following the footprints, agents encountered Zhu (an adult male), and two other Chinese citizens, one an adult female, the other a 10-year-old child. All three were cold and wet, and appeared dehydrated. The area where they were located featured steep and heavily wooded terrain. The three were determined to be a family unit.
Agents also observed a fourth person running south from the location where they encountered the three Chinese nationals. Agents apprehended this individual, later confirmed to be Jacinto-Ramos, after following his footprints for about three hours in cold temperatures and deep snow. Jacinto-Ramos, Zhu, and the other two Chinese nationals were determined to have been in the United States illegally. Agents further determined that Jacinto-Ramos had guided Zhu and Zhu’s family across the border before abandoning them.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Jacinto-Ramos faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Zhu faces up to 6 months if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol agents involved in this matter.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Mathew Lasher. Jacinto-Ramos is represented by Jason Sawyer, Esq. Zhu is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Distributing Meth and HeroinRead the Press Release
A man who distributed approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin was sentenced February 11, 2025, to more than 19 years in federal prison.
Manuel Tomas Gaspar, age 25, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that, between December 1, 2023, and February 14, 2024, Gaspar traveled between Georgia and Iowa transporting significant quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2024, Gaspar delivered 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin to an individual in Cedar Rapids. On February 14, 2024, Gaspar was arrested after delivering an additional 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to the same individual in Cedar Rapids. During that time‑period, Gaspar carried a gun to protect large amounts of drug proceeds and he conducted international wire transfers to the Mexico‑based source of supply.
Gaspar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gaspar was sentenced to 236 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Gaspar is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00029‑CJW.
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Georgetown Woman Sentenced to 18 Years for Lying to FBI During Brittanee Drexel InvestigationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Angel Cooper Vause, 57, of Georgetown, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators about her role in the 2009 kidnapping and murder of Brittanee Drexel.
According to evidence presented in court, Vause concealed the truth of what happened to Brittanee and her involvement for more than 13 years. Vause told investigators that Brittanee willingly joined her and Raymond Moody, that she left Moody and Brittanee at the Pole Yard Boat Landing near Georgetown, and that she did not take Brittanee’s cell phone with her, when in reality, she participated in Brittanee’s abduction and was complicit in her rape and murder. On the night of Brittanee’s disappearance in April 2009, Vause assisted Moody in luring the 17-year-old into their vehicle, promising her a ride to her hotel. Vause left Brittanee alone with Moody at the site of her rape and murder taking her cellphone, her only chance of survival, with her. The judge noted during the sentencing hearing that Vause was a “key participant in this tragedy, facilitating the kidnapping of a child.”
“For more than a decade, Brittanee’s loved ones were left to imagine the worst possible scenario in Brittanee’s disappearance while Vause withheld the truth,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “We hope Brittanee’s loved ones can now have both the closure and a measure of justice that comes with this sentence. May she rest in peace knowing that her mother Dawn was relentless in her pursuit of justice.”
“The FBI is committed to following the evidence to uncover the truth,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “This sentence underscores the gravity of lying during an investigation. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always investigate the facts and hold accountable anyone who distorts the truth to obstruct justice.”
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Vause to 216 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
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Four Arrested for Harboring a Dozen Illegal Aliens in 2 El Paso HotelsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Four individuals were arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy.
According to court documents, agents from the Ysleta Border Patrol Station’s Disrupt Unit were conducting surveillance operations at an El Paso motel when they observed a vehicle outfitted with a temporary license plate. The vehicle had previously been observed at various other hotels known to be used for harboring undocumented noncitizens. Court documents allege that the driver of the vehicle entered the motel lobby briefly before returning to the vehicle and driving away.
Soon after, the agents allegedly observed three individuals cautiously departing from one of the motel rooms and entering a separate vehicle with a temporary license plate. The driver of the vehicle, Yair Alejandro Aguilar-Flores, allegedly admitted to being a Mexican national living in the United States illegally. The two individuals who accompanied him, Angel Eduardo Carrillo-Carrillo and Jorge Alfredo Lopez-Acevedo, were also arrested after the agents determined them to also be illegally present in the U.S. They also acknowledged that additional undocumented noncitizens were inside the motel room.
Upon investigation, the agents located seven more undocumented noncitizens, all of whom were placed under arrest. As agents were concluding their investigation, they noticed the driver of the first vehicle returning to the motel. He approached the room where the migrants had been arrested and knocked on the door. The individual, Jesus David Reyes-Villagran, allegedly admitted to the agents that the motel room was his and that he was returning from dropping off five other undocumented noncitizens at another El Paso hotel.
Aguilar-Flores, Carrillo-Carrillo, Lopez-Acevedo and Reyes-Villagran are charged with bringing in and transporting aliens. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Wang is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Four Admit Selling Machine Gun Conversion Devices, MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four people have admitted selling methamphetamine or multiple machine gun conversion devices to an undercover federal agent.
Reginald Smith, 28, of Jennings, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of possession of one or more machine guns, one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
Three others have also admitted their roles in the case. Delance Bland Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of one or more machine guns. Kevin Burrow, 26, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Tamika Patterson, 45, of Jennings, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
After learning that Smith was selling machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) on Facebook, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an investigation. MCDs, also known as switches or auto sears, convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon.
On Dec. 5, 2023, an undercover ATF agent bought a Glock pistol and two Glock switches from Smith in St. Louis. On December 11, Smith sold another pistol to the agent and introduced him to his mother, Patterson, who said she could sell him meth. On December 13, the agent and Patterson met with Burrow, Patterson’s source of meth, and the agent bought 55.5 grams of the drug. Smith sold the agent a stolen pistol. Smith claimed he and Bland were the main dealers of MCDs in St. Louis, and that they ordered them 10 at a time from China.
The agent then purchased a total of 35 MCDs in a series of transactions.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. The machine gun charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The unlawful dealing of a firearm charge carries a penalty of up to five years. The aiding and abetting the distribution of meth carries a penalty of up to 20 years.
Burrow is scheduled to be sentenced March 19, and Patterson’s sentencing is set for May 7. Bland was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is 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 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.
Founder of Purported Artificial Intelligence-Driven Hedge Fund Pleads Guilty to Investment Adviser FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Mina Tadrus pled guilty at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York to committing investment adviser fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in Tadrus Capital LLC, a hedge fund Tadrus founded and operated, of more than $5 million. Today’s proceeding took place before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. When sentenced, Tadrus faces up to five years in prison. Tadrus was charged in September 2023.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant preyed on the Egyptian-American Coptic Christian community by falsely promising that his purported artificial intelligence-driven hedge fund would earn guaranteed annual returns of 30% or more, and taking advantage of their trust for his own personal gain,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This Office has prioritized protecting and seeking justice for individual investors in our District and beyond.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office for its assistance in this matter.
“The only thing more artificial than Tadrus’ AI-driven hedge fund was his sincerity. He sold a dream to trusting investors and instead of turning their money into profit, he swindled it for his own luxuries. Today’s plea and forfeiture agreements are just a small step forward for his victims to receive genuine justice,” said Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Tadrus marketed interests in Tadrus Capital LLC to investors based on false promises that he would employ artificial intelligence-driven trading strategies that would earn them guaranteed annual returns of 30% or more.
In reality, however, Tadrus did not use investor funds to engage in artificial intelligence-based trading as promised, nor did he engage in any trading activity. Instead, he used investor funds to pay employees, to purchase luxury gifts and expensive meals for himself, and to make Ponzi scheme-like payments to new victim investors.
If you were a Tadrus Capital LLC client and would like to file a complaint, please visit www.iC3.gov. Please reference “Tadrus Capital” or “Mina Tadrus” in your complaint.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney John O. Enright and Special Agent Martin Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Sarah Burn.
The Defendant:
MINA TADRUS
Age: 38
Tampa, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-393 (HG)
Founder and CEO of Non-Profit and Two Others Charged with Fraud, Bribery and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Julio Medina, Christopher Dantzler and Weihong Hu with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest-services wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the Travel Act and the use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of commercial bribery. This morning, Dantzler was arrested on Long Island, Hu in Manhattan and Medina in the Bronx. They will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and charges.
“The defendants’ brazen and illegal kickback scheme stole money from the City of New York that was intended to provide emergency housing and support services during the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Shamefully, the defendants saw the pandemic as an opportunity to line their pockets with stacks of cash, finance a luxury vehicle, purchase homes and pay off personal debts. While New York City was trying to curb the spread of COVID-19, the defendants exploited a nonprofit organization to enrich themselves. My Office will relentlessly pursue those who steal public funds and deprive members of our community of crucial resources.”
DOI Commissioner Strauber stated: “As charged, these defendants, an Executive Director of a City-funded nonprofit and the principals of the nonprofit’s subcontractors, engaged in and concealed a bribery and kickback scheme, pocketing millions of dollars of funds intended to provide emergency housing and support services in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thank the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance for the referral to DOI that prompted this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their partnership and commitment to protect critical public resources.”
“These three defendants allegedly pocketed millions of dollars from public funds allocated for emergency housing during the pandemic,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “This alleged kickback scheme abused a program designed to provide a vulnerable population with healthier, unexposed lodging alternatives, to finance enhancements to the defendants’ lifestyles. The FBI will never tolerate any individual who twists public programs into a mechanism to sell services for personal profit.”
As alleged in the indictment, Medina founded and served as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of a non-profit organization that, among other things, provided various reentry services to formerly incarcerated individuals (the “Organization”). In June 2020, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) contracted with the Organization to administer an emergency transitional housing program (the “Emergency Housing Program”), in partnership with local hotels and other businesses, to combat the spread of COVID-19 in New York City jails. The Organization subsequently entered into agreements with various hotels to operate as reentry hotels under the Emergency Housing Program. In total, between June 2020 and December 2023, the Organization received approximately $122 million in public funds from MOCJ to operate the Emergency Housing Program at these hotels.
Dantzler and Hu each operated or controlled businesses that received tens of millions of dollars in public funds from the Organization under the Emergency Housing Program. Dantzler’s company purported to provide security services at the reentry hotels but was not a licensed security company and did not, in fact, provide security services. Hu operated or controlled two hotels in Queens that operated as reentry hotels under the Emergency Housing Program and was a member of a repurposed catering company that provided food services to formerly incarcerated individuals residing at reentry hotels under the Emergency Housing Program.
Medina solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from Dantzler and Hu in exchange for Medina providing business through the Organization to Dantzler’s and Hu’s respective businesses under the Emergency Housing Program. Among other bribes and kickbacks, Dantzler and Hu purchased Medina an approximately $1.3 million townhouse; Hu, through one of her businesses, financed a luxury vehicle for Medina valued at approximately $107,000; and Dantzler paid to purchase and renovate a house for Medina for approximately $750,000.
As depicted in the following photograph, during an in-person meeting in September 2020, Hu also provided Medina with a stack of wrapped U.S. currency in exchange for two checks from the Organization made out to Hu’s catering company, totaling more than $187,000.
In total, Dantzler and Hu provided Medina with at least $2.5 million in U.S. currency and in-kind benefits in exchange for Medina steering approximately $51 million in public funds from the Emergency Housing Program to Dantzler’s and Hu’s businesses. In turn, Dantzler’s security company received approximately $21 million in public funds from the Organization under the Emergency Housing Program, of which Dantzler personally retained approximately $9 million in public funds. Hu’s hotels received approximately $12 million in public funds from the Organization under the Emergency Housing Program, while her repurposed catering company received approximately $17 million in public funds.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa, Eric Silverberg and Sean M. Sherman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Kavya Kannan and Rebecca Roth.
The Defendants:
JULIO MEDINA
Age: 64
Clifton Park, New YorkCHRISTOPHER DANTZLER
Age: 49
Baldwin, New YorkWEIHONG HU
Age: 59
Manhattan, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-54 (RPK)
julio_medina_et_al._indictment.pdfFort Wayne Woman Sentenced to 36 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lorraina M. Rakes, 24 years old, of Fort Wayne Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady after pleading guilty to providing firearms to a person she knew was a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Rakes was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between April 9 and 26, 2024, Rakes sold or disposed of three firearms to an individual she knew was a convicted felon; a person who could not legally purchase or possess a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Former prison official pleads guilty to taking bribes from an inmate with whom he had a sexual relationshipRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The former Assistant Director of James River Residential Reentry Facility (James River RRC) pled guilty today to taking bribes as a public official.
According to court documents, Marlon R. Jones, Jr., 44, of Portsmouth, had supervisory authority over an inmate, identified as L.C., who was released to home confinement in January 2021. From at least April 2021 through September 2022, Jones had a direct relationship with L.C. that quickly exceeded appropriate boundaries.
In addition to having sexual contact and exchanging sexual messages via telephone and text, L.C. paid Jones on several occasions for assistance with making violations disappear. This was discovered when another supervisor took over James River RRC and found that L.C. had had at least fourteen incidents, only three of which had been properly recorded.
Jones engaged in hundreds of exchanges with L.C., including messages that revealed that Jones both had sexual contact with L.C. and that L.C. paid Jones in exchange for helping L.C. avoid disciplinary consequences for violations.
Jones both received physical currency and electronic transfers from L.C. through his CashApp account. Between Sept. 24, 2021, and March 29, 2022, L.C. paid Jones a total of $650 over five CashApp transactions.
L.C. also referred other individuals to Jones, including his cousin.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy C. Edmiston, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Julie Podlesni prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-3.
Former University Employee Charged with Selling Stolen Apple Products to Folsom ContactRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Tung Pham, 59, of San Jose, with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Pham worked as a facilities and purchasing coordinator for the library of a public university in San Jose. In that position, Pham was entrusted with a university procurement card to purchase necessary items for the library. Pham, however, used the procurement card to purchase, among other things, Apple MacBooks and Apple iPads that he stole and sold to others for personal gain, including a co-conspirator who lived in Folsom. The individual in Folsom resold and shipped the stolen Apple products to buyers outside the State of California.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Pham faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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 charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former U.S. Postal Service employee in Billings admits stealing mailRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A former U.S. Postal Service employee admitted to a theft charge today after he was accused of stealing mail when he tried to sell $850 worth of sports cards to a Billings sports memorabilia business that had attempted to ship the cards to a different customer, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Zachary Louis Simpson, 37, pleaded guilty to theft of mail by employee. Simpson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Simpson was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that between March 27, 2023 and April 3, 2024, Simpson was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and sorted packages at the mail facility in Billings. Simpson had access to and was entrusted with mail during his shifts at the sorting facility. While employed with the Postal Service, Simpson stole packages from the sorting facility and took them home. On March 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General was contacted regarding Simpson. A sports memorabilia business in Billings notified law enforcement that Simpson came into the store to sell $850 of sports cards. The company realized that it had recently attempted to ship those same cards to a different customer through the mail. An investigation determined that the packages containing these cards had transited the postal sorting facility in Billings on a date Simpson was working. Law enforcement conducted a trash pull at Simpson’s residence and found dozens of empty packages in his trash that were addressed to other people at different locations. Investigators executed a search warrant at Simpson’s residence and seized more than 100 additional empty packages that were not addressed to Simpson. Agents also recovered more than 10,000 sports trading cards and other memorabilia. The Postal Service contacted a number of the victims whose packages were found in Simpson’s possession. Many reported that their packages contained sports trading cards that never reached the intended destination.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, conducted the investigation.
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Former Student Doctor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A former student doctor pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Kevin Weiss, 28, admitted to producing an image of child sexual abuse material of a minor under age 18 by employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing that minor. Weiss also admitted he possessed other child sexual abuse material, including some showing very young children.
At sentencing, Weiss faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and not more than 50 years, followed by a minimum of 5 years and up to a term of life of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the 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, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former Springville teacher going to prison for 10 years following child pornography convictionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Frank E. Noeson III, 47, of Holland, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that Noeson, who was then a 5th grade teacher at a local elementary school, engaged in sexual communications with a minor female (Victim) using Snapchat. The Victim was 16 years old when the communications began. During the communications, Noeson persuaded the Victim to create sexually explicit images and videos and send them to him. Noeson also engaged in sexual communications with another minor female victim, who was 15 years-old, using Snapchat. During these communications, the victim sent numerous images and videos of child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Buffalo Office Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the FBI Miami Field Office, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
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Former Louisville Attorney Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Estates and BeneficiariesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A former local attorney was sentenced yesterday to 3 years and 5 months in federal prison for illegally defrauding several estates and their beneficiaries.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Vince Zehme of the FDIC Office of Inspector General made the announcement.
According to court documents, James Carol Worthington, 59, was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for one count of wire fraud. Worthington used his role as a trustee to defraud several estates and their beneficiaries of over $585,000.
Worthington was also ordered to pay restitution to numerous victims in the total amount of $585,028.91.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the FDIC-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser prosecuted the case.
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Former Hawaii CEO Sentenced to 87 Months Imprisonment on Covid-Relief Fraud and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Martin Kao, 51, of Honolulu, was sentenced today in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 87 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised released for COVID-relief wire fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud. Judge Kobayashi also ordered that Kao pay restitution of $12,841,490 to the Small Business Administration, forfeit $12,841,490 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds he obtained through fraud, forfeit the proceeds of his bank fraud after foreclosure of the house he bought by fraudulently obtaining a $3,000,000 loan, and perform 12,800 hours of community service while on supervised release.
According to Kao’s admissions during his guilty plea hearings and other court records, as Chief Executive Officer and 99% owner of a Hawaii-based defense contractor, Kao submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications to at least three banks, including two headquartered in Hawaii, during spring 2020. In his first PPP loan application Kao falsely tripled the number of employees at his company and thereby obtained the maximum loan of $10,000,000 from a Hawaii bank. During the bank’s review of Kao’s application, Kao pressured the bank to expedite approval of the fraudulent application by repeatedly claiming that he had discussed his application with United States Senators and their staffs who would intervene on Kao’s behalf if the bank did not quickly approve his loan.
In his second PPP loan application Kao falsely claimed eligibility for another $2,841,490 and obtained that loan from an Internet-based mainland bank by concealing his company’s receipt of the first PPP loan. Kao then altered the executed promissory note associated with the loan by deleting all references to the PPP to conceal his fraud from others who knew about the first PPP loan. In his third PPP application to a different Hawaii-based bank, Kao again falsely claimed eligibility for another $2,852,839 by concealing his company’s receipt of the first and second PPP loans. When the bank questioned Kao about why payroll records for his employees did not match the tax identification number for the entity identified on the application, Kao falsely described his company’s corporate structure and submitted a revised application, which the bank denied.
Also during spring 2020, Kao submitted a fraudulent mortgage application to a national bank seeking $3,000,000 to purchase a $4,500,000 residence in Kahala. In support of that application, Kao submitted numerous investment account statements and records that he had digitally altered and fabricated to falsely inflate the value of his stock portfolio. In his final submission prior to loan approval, Kao altered the statement to reflect a value of more than 10,000,000 for holdings that in fact were valued at less than $65,000.
“Martin Kao, motivated by greed, chose to repeatedly lie about his assets and prior loans in order to obtain millions of dollars in funds that were intended to help businesses staggered by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson. “Thanks to our outstanding investigative partners, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, we were able to uncover Kao’s web of lies and convict him of bank fraud. Today’s sentence sends the clear, unequivocal message that those who seek to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program through fraud and deceit will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“While so many small businesses closed their doors in 2020, Mr. Kao’s scheme tangled up enough emergency relief funds to cover the average annual income of 175 American households,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We will continue to work to expose abuses of the Paycheck Protection Program.”
“The SBA Office of Inspector General remains focused on identifying and addressing fraud in pandemic relief programs,” said Weston King, Special Agent in Charge of the SBA Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “This case underscores SBA-OIG’s dedication to protecting taxpayer dollars and holding accountable those who seek to exploit federal relief programs.”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds had to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be entirely forgiven for many businesses if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The Justice Department’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force marshals the Department’s resources 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.
The investigation was conducted jointly by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Nolan and Sydney Spector for the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and Tom Tynan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Former Finance Director Admits to Embezzling from Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 44, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with an embezzlement scheme that bilked a District non-profit advocacy organization of more than $320,000, announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 16, 2025.
Lewis was employed by the victim agency between June 2021 and October 2022. According to the statement of facts, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. Lewis was one of three employees at Victim 1 with access to the non-profit’s bank account. It was part of Lewis’s duties to pay bills on behalf of the organization. Lewis was also provided with a VISA card for an account belonging to Victim 1, and was authorized to use the VISA card to incur expenses on behalf of Victim 1 for goods and services related to its operations.
On 32 occasions, Lewis took advantage of his position by accessing Victim 1’s account and causing funds to be transferred to his personal account and for his own personal benefit. The total loss suffered by Victim 1 resulting from these transfers is $309,950.88. Lewis also used the non-profit’s VISA to book and pay for personal travel for himself, his family, and friends, totaling $9, 112. 96. In total, the parties stipulate that Lewis’s scheme to defraud amounts to a total of $321,057.98.
Lewis was arrested on September 5, 2024. He faces a custodial sentence in addition to fines and restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott with the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Former Executive at Masonry Contractor Admits Conspiring to Bribe Amtrak Employee in Exchange for over $50 Million in Extra Work on 30th Street Station ProjectRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donald Seefeldt, 65, of Wilmette, Illinois, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.
As presented in the information, on or about December 10, 2015, a masonry restoration contractor (the “Contractor”) was awarded a $58,473,000 contract by Amtrak to be the main contractor on a façade repair and restoration project at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Federal funding supplied approximately 90 percent of the money Amtrak used to pay the Contractor for the repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station façade.
Defendant Seefeldt was the Senior Executive Vice President of the Contractor with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Lee Maniatis and Khaled Dallo, both charged elsewhere, were Vice Presidents of the Contractor, with responsibility to supervise the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project. Official #1 was the sole owner and a senior officer of the Contractor.
Amtrak Employee #1 was employed by Amtrak as the Project Manager on the repair and restoration project. In that capacity, Amtrak Employee #1 was responsible for communicating with the Contractor about the work being done on 30th Street Station. Amtrak Employee #1 was also responsible for reviewing the invoices, change orders, and requests for payment that the Contractor submitted to Amtrak. Amtrak Employee #1 had the power to approve or reject these invoices, change orders, and requests for payment. Although Amtrak Employee #1 did not have the singular authority to approve Amtrak payments to the Contractor, his approval was a critical step in that process.
The contract between Amtrak and the Contractor prohibited the defendant and other Contractor officials from “offer[ing] to any Amtrak employee, agent, or representative any cash, gift, entertainment, commission, or kickback for the purpose of securing favorable treatment with regard to award or performance of any contract or agreement.”
As alleged in the information, from in or about May 2016 through in or about November 2019, in Philadelphia, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, Seefeldt conspired, combined, and agreed with others known and unknown to the United States Attorney, including Amtrak Employee #1, Maniatis, Dallo, and Official #1, to commit an offense against the United States; that is, to knowingly and corruptly give, offer, and agree to give, a thing of value to Amtrak Employee #1, an agent of an organization which received in each one-year period from 2016 through 2019, benefits in excess of $10,000 under a federal program involving a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, and other form of federal assistance, intending to influence and reward Amtrak Employee #1 in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions involving a thing of value of $5,000 or more.
Specifically, the information alleges, Seefeldt and the others, with the knowledge and agreement of Official #1, provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts and other things of value totaling approximately $323,686, including, among other things, paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, and transportation, to ensure that Amtrak Employee #1 used his power and influence to benefit the Contractor during the performance of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
In return for these gifts and other things of value, Amtrak Employee #1 allegedly used his position at Amtrak to access internal agency information available only to Amtrak employees about the 30th Street Station Project and shared this internal information with the defendant and other officials with the Contractor.
The information further alleges that Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to approve additional, more expensive changes to the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project, thereby increasing the amount and value of the work to be performed by the Contractor. These additional expenses were reflected in a series of change orders or contract modifications. In total, Amtrak Employee #1 approved over $52 million of additional payments from Amtrak to the Contractor. Amtrak Employee #1 and officials with the Contractor, including defendant Seefeldt, falsely inflated the true costs of some of the work to be performed by the Contractor under these change orders, causing Amtrak to be substantially overbilled by over $2 million for the completion of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
Seefeldt is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22 and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Full restitution of as much as $2,062,374, joint and with several other co-conspirators, also shall be ordered.
“Every dollar of federal funding lost to fraud is a dollar less to put toward legitimate programs and projects,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who try to pad their pockets at taxpayers’ and the U.S. government’s expense.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Former Chinatown Walgreens Manager Pleads Guilty in a Series of Inside-Job RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – London Teeter, 21, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to her role in a series of seven inside-job robberies of the Chinatown drug store where she was employed as a store manager.
The plea was announced United States Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Teeter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2025. When she is sentenced, Teeter is eligible for up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
According to court documents, Teeter, and three co-conspirators devised a scheme to carry out armed robberies of the Walgreens store in Chinatown nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either she or her co-conspirator were working. As a store manager, Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. In each robbery, a masked gunman entered the store, forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Teeter or her co-conspirator. The gunman then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit. Teeter and her co-conspirator took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance.
The robberies occurred on July 18, 2023, August 2, 2023, September 2, 2023, November 10, 2023, December 4, 2023, January 9, 2024, and February 11, 2024. Teeter was present in the manager’s office and pretended to be the victim of a robbery during the July 18, 2023, and January 9, 2024, robberies.
In response to the robberies, the Chinatown Walgreens hired armed Special Police Officers to protect the business. Teeter was aware that armed Special Police Officers would be present during the robberies and that a co-conspirator robbed the officers of their firearms during the robberies that occurred on December 4, 2023, and February 11, 2024.
In the plea agreement, Teeter admitted that the co-conspirators stole and split at least $28,983. She also acknowledged that she reviewed surveillance footage from the August 2, 2023, robbery during which a co-conspirator briefly placed his firearm on a chair Teeter acknowledged that she sent a co-conspirator a text message stating: “the vid looks so bad,” “idk why he put the gun down,” and “he can’t do it next time [not gonna lie].”
Law enforcement arrested Teeter on February 22, 2024. During the search of her home that preceded her arrest, law enforcement recovered a loaded Glock 45 pistol loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Trial dates are pending for co-conspirators Michael Robinson, 34, Kamanye Williams, 25, and Gianni Robinson, 27.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin F. Song, Sarah Martin, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov of the Federal Major Crimes Section.
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Former Chief and Captain of Bethany Beach Police Department Plead Guilty to Federal Offense Related to Theft of Overtime FundsRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Del. – Two men, the former Chief and Captain of the Bethany Beach Police Department, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud related to their theft of overtime funds from the Department, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson. The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the pleas.
According to court documents, Michael Redmon, 58, of Selbyville, and Darin Cathell, 49, of Frankford, spent years claiming to work overtime shifts that they did not, in fact, work. Redmon, the former Chief of the Department, falsely claimed at least 174 shifts, totaling at least 760 hours and at least $81,890. Cathell, the former second-in-command of the Department, falsely claimed at least 185 shifts, totaling at least 800 hours and at least $67,970. Some of the funds Redmon and Cathell received were federal grant funds.
Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Taking the oath to protect and serve is a sacred trust. Those that take the oath must follow the law themselves. These officers failed to do that, thereby damaging public trust and confidence in law enforcement as a whole, including the scores of officers who do the right thing each and every day. Just as my Office will always proudly stand with the best of law enforcement, we will not hesitate to hold to account those officers who betray the badge by breaking the law. We thank both the FBI and the investigators at the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, who have been dogged in investigating this abuse of authority.”
"The defendants profited handsomely by abusing their positions and taking advantage of the trust placed in law enforcement. The FBI is committed to rooting out corruption and holding bad actors accountable for violating the oath they swore to uphold,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno.
“Nobody is above the law or beneath justice. Police officers — and especially police leaders — who commit crimes of dishonesty are not just harming the community and taxpayers they serve; they harm every peace officer and every public servant whose work and reputation are undermined when the public’s trust is violated. I’m grateful to the investigators in our office and to the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office who took on this case and who brought these officials to justice,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
Redmon and Cathell each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and both are scheduled for sentencing on August 12, 2025. Chief Judge Connolly will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the Delaware Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 25-CR-01-CFC and 25-CR-02-CFC.
Foreign Nationals Plead Guilty to Illegal Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Mura Kvec, 39, Manix Razmias, 38, and Geto Kvec, 19, all citizens of Romania, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging each of them with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.
According to court records, on February 10, 2025, at approximately 12:45 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents were notified of three individuals walking south on Lake Road in Newport Center, Vermont, a road that borders the United States and Canada. Minutes later, a Border Patrol Agent stopped a car with four individuals traveling south on Lake Road and conducted an immigration inspection. In response to the agent’s questions, the driver was determined to be a U.S. citizen. The other passengers, Mura Kvec, Manix Razmias and Geto Kvec, admitted to being citizens of Romania. None of them possessed the necessary documents that would allow them to stay or remain in the United States legally. Under further questioning, the United States Border Patrol determined the three Romanians had entered the United States at a place other than an open port of entry.
During their initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 11, 2025, each of the three Romanians entered a guilty plea and received a time-served sentence. They had faced up to 6 months’ imprisonment.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Greg Waples. Karen Shingler, Esq. represented Mura Kvec, Michael Straub, Esq. represented Manix Razmias, and the Office of the Federal Public Defender represented Geto Kvec.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson Assumes Role as Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Duane A. Evans, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, has announced his separation from the position as U.S. Attorney effective February 12, 2025.
Evans stated, “It has been the highest honor to serve as U.S. Attorney for the citizens of the Eastern District of Louisiana. This privilege was not taken lightly or casually. I can only hope that the efforts of the outstanding and dedicated employees of this office and the committed and courageous local, state and federal law enforcement professionals that I worked with daily, meet the ideals and standards of the public. We, as public servants, will continue our commitment to the vigorous pursual of justice for the people of Southeast Louisiana.”
First Assistant U.S, Attorney Michael M. Simpson assumed the role as Acting United States Attorney pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, effective February 12, 2025.
“I am extremely grateful to the Department of Justice for this opportunity to serve in a leadership capacity for the citizens of the Eastern District of Louisiana,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. “I vow to continue this office’s legacy of partnering with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to pursue justice for the citizens within our district.”
Michael M. Simpson served as the First Assistant United States Attorney since 2018. Prior to assuming the role as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana for approximately 23 years. Earlier in his career, Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson practiced civil law for many years and began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson obtained his BA and JD from Tulane University.
Federal Indictment in Chicago Charges Two Chinese Companies and Four Individuals with Conspiring to Unlawfully Possess Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two related Chinese companies conspired with former employees of an Illinois facility operated by Philips Medical Systems to unlawfully possess Philips’ trade secrets, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.
Philips owned and operated a facility in Aurora, Ill., that engaged in the research, development, and manufacture of X-ray tubes used in computed tomography (CT) medical imaging machines. The company spent years developing its proprietary X-ray technology and selling devices incorporating this proprietary technology to medical facilities. According to the indictment, China-based KUNSHAN GUOLI ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD. and a Kunshan GuoLi vice president, XIAOQIN DU, 63, of Suzhou, China, helped form a rival X-ray tube development company and headquartered it in Aurora. In 2017, Kunshan GuoLi and Du recruited and hired for the new company three engineers from Philips’ Aurora facility, CHIH-YEE JEN, 69, of Mequon, Wisc., FINCE TENDIAN, 56, of Aurora, Ill., and VLADIMIR NEVTONENKO, 76, of Arlington Heights, Ill.
The indictment alleges that before the end of his employment at Philips, Jen copied, without authorization, Philips’ X-ray trade secret information from internal Philips databases. Jen stole the proprietary information on behalf of Kunshan GuoLi and Du, the indictment states. Jen used the stolen information in connection with his work developing X-ray tubes at the rival X-ray tube development company for Kunshan GuoLi and a related Chinese company, KUNSHAN YIYUAN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD., the indictment states. Jen then shared the information with Tendian, who used it in her work for the new company, the indictment states. Nevtonenko also allegedly possessed and used the stolen information in his work there.
The indictment charges the two Chinese companies and the four individuals with conspiracy to unlawfully possess trade secrets. Jen is also charged with an individual count of possession or attempted possession of a stolen trade secret. Jen, Tendian, and Nevtonenko pleaded not guilty during their arraignments in federal court in Chicago. Arraignments for the companies have not yet been scheduled, and an arrest warrant has been issued for Du. A joint status report on the case will be submitted to U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang by March 31, 2025.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha Babu, Vikas Didwania, and Ramon Villalpando.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
kunshan_guoli_et_al_indictment.pdfFall River Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to stealing Social Security benefits intended for her child.
Nancy Taylor, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds. Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2025. Taylor was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024.
From May 2016 through May 2022, Taylor embezzled approximately $86,994.58 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child. In August 2014, when Taylor applied to receive benefits on behalf of her child as a representative payee, the Social Security Administration (SSA) informed her of her obligation to notify SSA if her child left her custody. However, Taylor did not notify SSA when she lost custody of her child in May 2016. Instead, Taylor called SSA in October 2021 to update contact information for the child so that she could continue receiving her child’s benefits. Further, in June 2022, Taylor visited an SSA field office to reactivate her receipt of her child’s benefits and provided two fraudulent forms claiming that her child still lived with her and that she spent all the Social Security benefits she received for her child’s care. In reality, Taylor used the vast majority of the stolen funds to pay her own bills.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Eleven Defendants, Including Nine Aliens Illegally in the United States, Charged with Possessing over $440,000 of Stolen Nike Shoes in Latest BNSF Train TheftRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On February 11, 2025, an indictment was returned by the grand jury in the case of United States of America v. Noe Cecena-Castro, et al. Noe Cecena-Castro and ten others were indicted for possessing over $440,000 worth of Nike shoes, which had been stolen from a BNSF train in Northern Arizona. This is the latest case addressing a series of thefts from trains in Northern Arizona and California (CR-24-05306-TUC-MAA, CR-08161-PHX-SPL).
Criminal organizations that specialize in stealing from trains, which consist primarily of Mexican citizens with connections to the Mexican State of Sinaloa, have used the technique of cutting air hoses to control where trains with valuable cargo come to a stop. This act is very dangerous and can cause the trains, which travel up to 70 miles per hour, to derail. Once the train is stopped at a location of the organization’s choosing, crews will break into select containers and unload the cargo alongside the tracks. Another crew will then drive box trucks or other cargo vehicles to the location of the stolen goods. This second crew will load the goods into the vehicles for transport to California, where the goods will be sold online.
The initial complaint connected to the most recent indictment alleges that on January 13, 2025, Noe Cecena-Castro and ten other defendants worked together to pack and transport approximately 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nike shoes. Around 11:00 am, a BNSF train was immobilized due to a cut air hose in Perrin, Arizona. Shortly after the emergency stop, a BNSF police officer observed several cases of Nike shoes on the side of the tracks where the train had been forced to stop. Law enforcement later located a U-Haul box truck and a privately owned Ford Econoline truck traveling near the stolen goods. The U-Haul was seen at the site of the Nike shoes where several people loaded the Nike cases into the U-Haul. Both trucks were searched by law enforcement and found to contain 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nike shoes, which are worth over $440,000. A Chevy Tahoe, which had also been seen in the area, was stopped and found to be transporting the rest of the crew that had loaded the Nike cases. All eleven defendants were taken into custody.
Nine of the eleven defendants are Mexican nationals without legal status in the United States. In addition to the charge of possessing stolen goods, the grand jury also returned charges for three of the defendants of Re-entry of Removed Alien and six of the defendants of Improper Entry by Alien.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
All eleven defendants are in federal custody pending trial. The defendants will be arraigned on the charges in the Indictment on February 19, 2025.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Flagstaff is handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Stanley, District of Arizona, Flagstaff, is handling the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Police Team at BNSF, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, and Navajo County Sherriff’s Office for their valuable assistance in this matter.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-8020-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-016_Cecena-Castro# # #
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.Dominican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man, living in Methuen, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Santos Guzman, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Guzman is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In November 2024, Guzman pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021.
Guzman is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States at an unknown date and unknown location. Guzman was convicted in 2019 of two state drug trafficking crimes and, in November 2019, was ordered removed from the United States. On Jan. 7, 2020, he was deported to the Dominican Republic. Thereafter, at an unknown time and place, Guzman reentered the United States and in November 2021, was arrested on a state drug trafficking offense. A copy of his fingerprint from his removal document was compared to his fingerprint taken in connection with his November 2021 arrest and they were identical to each other.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican Man Previously Convicted of Drug Offenses Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawful reentry.
Wilmi Hernandez-Diaz, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William G. Young to 10 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Hernandez-Diaz is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In October 2024, Hernandez-Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry.
Hernandez-Diaz is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who had been previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. Following his conviction, Hernandez-Diaz was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. In May 2024, Hernandez-Diaz was arrested after Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of his unlawful presence in the United States.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tristian Gerrell-Robert Murphy, 36, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to two years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Murphy in St. Albans. Murphy admitted to possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol, found by officers under the driver’s seat of the vehicle, and a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol found by officers in the trunk. Murphy admitted that he had recently purchased the two pistols. Officers also found a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol in the vehicle’s glove box.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Murphy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on October 21, 2021. In that case, Murphy participated in a sophisticated nationwide crime conspiracy responsible for dozens of “smash and grab” robberies targeting jewelry stores throughout the United States. Murphy was convicted for his role in the robbery of a jewelry store in Jacksonville, Florida, as part of this conspiracy. Murphy and his co-conspirators entered the store while armed with hammers, smashed glass counters and stole diamonds and other jewelry. During the robbery, an employee was pushed to the floor and then dragged to another part of the store.
At the time of his current offense, Murphy was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his October 21, 2021 conviction.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-101.
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Darknet Drug Trafficking Couple from Las Vegas Sentenced in D.C. to Federal Prison TermsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Rushan Lavar Reed, 47, and Celeste Nicole Reed, 28, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 51 months and 37 months in federal prison, respectively, for participating in a long-term sophisticated drug trafficking conspiracy that illegally distributed “pharmacy grade- not homemade pressed pills” nationwide across seven online darknet markets.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Phoenix Division, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Schwartz of the Las Vegas Field Office, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Rushan Reed, aka “Double R,” and Celeste Reed, aka “Calileone,” each pleaded guilty October 22, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered the couple to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, for six years the married couple operated an online storefront called “MrsFeelGood” to illegally distribute a variety of narcotics across the United States, including the District of Columbia. They used darknet markets that included Monopoly, Versus, ASAP, AlphaBay, Wall Street, Archetyp, Bohemia, Empire, Dream, and White House. In addition to oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamines, they also sold and distributed MDMA, codeine, Vyvanse, Dilaudid, and marijuana. Operating on the darkweb made it possible for the Reeds to hide their identities, hide the location of their computers, and hide their illegal sales. In addition, they used cryptocurrency to launder their money so that the illegal proceeds of their drug trafficking would be difficult to trace.
On October 11, 2023, law enforcement executed arrest warrants at the couple’s Las Vegas home and arrested them both. Officers recovered, among other things: multiple pills in prescription bottles, packaging materials; gloves; black Ziploc bags; and empty prescription pill bottles with the names of the defendants and other uncharged coconspirators. Officers also recovered an assortment of electronic devices and an AR-15 firearm. The laptop was set up to use an operating system designed to access the darknet and protect against surveillance.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, the USPIS Washington Division, and USPIS Phoenix Division.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter V. Roman with valuable assistance provided by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Isabelle Sun, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Crosby, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Wang.
Convicted Felon Is Sentenced for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Osco Lothario Jackson, 37, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on September 6, 2023, Jackson, shot into a group of people that included a man and several teenagers. Jackson’s shot hit his intended target, the man, in the leg. Jackson has multiple prior convictions for violent and drug-related offenses including Assault on a Government Official/Employee, Possession With Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury, and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, thus he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On June 26, 2024, Jackson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility.
The ATF and CMPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Conover Company Settles Allegations Related to Receiving an Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Taiji Group USA, Inc. (Taiji Group), a paper converter in Conover, N.C., has agreed to pay $460,395.09, to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly providing false information to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to which the company was not entitled, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other expenses. In 2021, Congress offered a second round of forgivable PPP loans through the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify the truthfulness and accuracy of all information provided in their loan applications.
In March 2021, Taiji Group applied for a second round PPP loan and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan. Among other certifications, Taiji Group certified that no “entity created in or organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China” owned or held 20 percent or more of the economic interest in Taiji Group. The company also certified that it did not retain, as a member of its board of directors, a person who was a resident of the People’s Republic of China. At the time of its application, however, both of these certifications were allegedly false. For this reason, Taiji Group was not eligible for the $271,165 second round PPP loan that it received. After receiving the PPP loan, Taiji Group sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan.
“PPP loans were a lifeline for many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron. “Ineligible businesses that improperly obtained federal aid loans harmed the taxpayers who funded these programs and reduced the resources available for businesses that were eligible to receive assistance. Our office is committed to rooting out fraud and holding accountable businesses that wrongfully benefited from these federal programs.”
This matter arose from a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Sidesolve, LLC, v. Taiji Group USA, Inc., W.D.N.C. Case No. 5:24-cv-98.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson.
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.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Colombian Woman Charged with Identity Theft Offenses and Stealing Federal BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian woman residing in Boston was arrested for identity theft offenses and stealing housing benefits.
Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 58, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of false representation of a Social Security number, one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of theft of government money. Orovio-Hernandez appeared in federal court in Boston yesterday.
According to court documents, Orovio-Hernandez, a citizen of Colombia, applied for a United States passport and a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Real ID using the name and other biographical information of another individual. Additionally, Orovio-Hernandez is alleged to have stolen approximately $259,589 in Section 8 housing assistance benefits from October 2011 through January 2025.
The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years of in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of no greater than ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Vicky Vazquez, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.