Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 11 February 2025
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 20-Year Sentence for Albuquerque Drug Trafficker Following Jury ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man with a history of felony convictions was sentenced to 248 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses after being found guilty at trial of possessing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on February 20, 2021, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person in Albuquerque's South Valley. Deputies observed Jaime Valdez, 36, matching the description and noticed him acting nervously. Upon approach, Valdez began reaching into his pockets and a duffle bag, prompting deputies to secure him.
A search revealed a loaded pistol in Valdez’s pocket and approximately $2,560 in cash, two packages containing 859.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, and drug packaging materials and a scale in the duffle bag.
Valdez, who had three outstanding felony warrants and was previously convicted of felony charges including False Imprisonment and Child Abuse, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Upon his release from prison, Valdez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nora Wilson and Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case.
# # #
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Sentencing for Violent Confrontation That Turned Nearly FatalRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 102 months in prison for shooting a victim multiple times and leaving him seriously injured.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Robert Abeyta, 51, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, went to John Doe’s residence located on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo armed with a loaded pistol and confronted Doe. When Doe, who has law enforcement experience, attempted to disarm Abeyta, a struggle ensued during which Abeyta shot Doe multiple times in the head, neck, and shoulder.
Witnesses reported that Abeyta continued to assault Doe after the shooting. Neighbors intervened, disarming Abeyta and restraining him until law enforcement arrived. Doe's girlfriend and young child were inside the home during the shooting and witnessed its immediate aftermath.
Upon his release from prison, Abeyta will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department and Santa Clara Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Two women sentenced for attempting to smuggle Mexican child into U.S.Read the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two U.S. citizens have been ordered to federal prison for attempting to bring a 7-year-old Mexican minor into the United States for personal financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Sisters Naidelyn Yuliana Vielma Jimenez, 22, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Bianca Jackeline Vielma Jimenez, 23, Laredo, pleaded guilty Sept. 17 and Oct. 17, 2024, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a 36-month-term of imprisonment for both sisters to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On July 9, 2024, both women arrived at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge at Laredo along with their 16-year-old sister and a 7-year-old male. At that time, they all purported to be one family unit and that the male was their 15-year-old brother.
They showed authorities a video and photograph allegedly depicting the boy with their family. They also presented a copy of their 15-year-old brother’s documents as additional proof to convince them the child was their brother.
However, law enforcement did not believe the boy was the same one depicted and that the child in the vehicle was much younger. Further investigation revealed that the child was not related to the women.
The two older sisters ultimately admitted they had made an agreement to smuggle the Mexican child into the United States and transport him to San Antonio for a fee of $3,000.
“Prior open border policies have inflicted an incalculable human toll, much of which has unfortunately fallen upon innocent children,” said Ganjei. “The Department of Justice, and, in particular, the Southern District of Texas, will do whatever it takes to destroy the market for the trafficking and smuggling of children. For those who profit off this misery, you will be found and prosecuted.”
Both women were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future
Customs and Border Protection conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted this case.
Two Arizona Department of Economic Security Employees Convicted of Receiving Bribes to Approve Unemployment Insurance ClaimsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jacqueline Espino, 53, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty last week to one count of Bribery Concerning a Program that Receives Federal Funds. Sentencing is scheduled for May 5, 2025, before United States District Michael T. Liburdi. In a separate case, Brandilyn Lorenzen, 48, of Gilbert, was sentenced on January 22, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 30 months in prison for Bribery Concerning a Program that Receives Federal Funds. Lorenzen was also ordered to pay over $2.9 million in restitution. Lorenzen pleaded guilty to that charge on November 6, 2024. (CR 24-01749-PHX-DJH)
Both Espino and Lorenzen were employed by the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) as adjudicators who evaluated claims for both unemployment insurance (UI) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Between 2020 and 2022, when DES was facing a higher volume of UI and PUA claims as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Espino and Lorenzen each accepted bribes to approve UI and PUA claims for individuals who were not qualified to receive such assistance. In addition, both Espino and Lorenzen admitted that they embezzled large sums money from DES for their own benefit and for the others.
“These defendants didn’t just accept bribes,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “When public employees cheat, they damage the credibility of their colleagues across the country. In a time of unprecedented attacks against the integrity of public servants, it’s important for us all to recognize the patriotic service of federal and state employees, and their key role in protecting and cherishing Arizona and America.”
“Government employees are entrusted to protect the integrity of these crucial aid programs. Those who betray that trust will be held accountable,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D. said. “We appreciate the continued partnership between DHS OIG and our law enforcement partners in bringing these individuals to justice.”
Espino admitted in her plea agreement that she received bribes related to 9 UI/PUA claims, which caused DES to pay $140,298 in claims that were not properly adjudicated by DES. During the same period of time, Espino also embezzled $600,672 in DES funds for her own benefit and others.
Lorenzen admitted in her plea agreement that she received bribes related to 24 UI/PUA claims, which caused DES to pay $532,964 in claims that were not properly adjudicated by DES. During the same period of time, Lorenzen also embezzled $2,461,520 in DES funds for her own benefit and others. At her sentencing, Lorenzen was ordered to pay $2,994,484 in restitution to DES.
The U.S Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in these two cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: CR 24-01749-PHX-DJH (Lorenzen)
CR 25-00009-PHX-MTL (Espino)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-015_Espino and Lorenzen# # #
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.Twenty Defendants Indicted in Akron Drug Trafficking and Firearms ConspiracyRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 51-count superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 17 Ohio residents of operating a large-scale drug trafficking scheme based in Akron. The Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) is alleged to be responsible for trafficking distribution quantities of controlled substances in the Summit County, Ohio area including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as Alprazolam, which is more commonly known under the brand name Xanax. Three other defendants were indicted separately for their involvement in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, the investigation that led to the indictment began in December 2023 and continued to around August 2024. The alleged leader, Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, 41, of Akron, was believed to be the center of the DTO that distributed illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio. He was regularly supplied by co-conspirators who funneled drug inventory from sources connected to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel). Sanders-Taylor developed a drug distribution process that employed a number of individuals to serve as drug dealers throughout the Northeast Ohio region.
Court documents show that Sanders-Taylor used a network of associates to re-sell the drugs, assist with financial transactions, or act as lookouts while drug deals took place. Several co-defendants and other members of the conspiracy maintained and used residences in Summit County, Ohio, to store and distribute their drug supplies, or to manufacture controlled substances. Members of the conspiracy also possessed firearms to further their illegal business activities and protect their drug inventory.
Sanders-Taylor was arrested on June 10, 2024, after he engaged in a pursuit by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Interstate 77 in Summit County. As he fled from police, he threw two loaded firearms with high-capacity magazines from the vehicle. Sanders-Taylor crashed the vehicle and then fled on foot and attempted to carjack two separate vehicles with people still inside. Sanders-Taylor was later discovered to have prior federal convictions which prohibits him from possessing firearms. Further investigation of the incident determined that he also possessed distribution amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The remaining defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests.
The superseding indictment charges the following 17 defendants:
- Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, aka Red, 41, Akron
- Brooke Marie Logan, aka Bee, 29, Akron
- Tyrell Jerome Jennings, aka 50, 35, Cleveland
- Christopher Michael Andrews, aka Blondy, 28, Akron
- Crystal Marie Harris, 50, Akron
- Ronald Oscar Clark, 58, Akron
- Chelsey Marie Connelly, 35, Akron
- Angela Grace Wade, 47, Akron
- Demardre Leshawn Johnson, aka Icey, 37, Akron
- Denetris Condra May, aka D-May, aka Mayday, 38, Akron
- John P. Burton, 41, Akron
- Brian Keith Hinkle, aka Hizzle, 38, Akron
- Joshua Lee Hackney, aka Country, 38, Akron
- Matthew Dion Inman, 54, Akron
- Thomas Franklin Casanova, 27, Akron
- Donnie Keith Eugene Schaffer, 30, Akron
- Julia Francesca Stavole-Habimana, 26, Richfield
The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, all Schedule II controlled substances, and Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
In addition, three other defendants involved with this drug trafficking and firearms conspiracy were charged in a separate superseding indictment:
- Robert Parham, 54, Akron
- Laverne Fortson, 50, Akron
- Jeffery Goldbach, 54, Ravenna
According to court documents, in July 2024, Parham had 28 firearms, which included a machine gun, distribution amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in his possession at his apartment in Akron. Fortson and Goldbach also possessed distribution amounts of narcotics at their residences.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the superseding indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI Akron Field Office, with assistance from the Akron Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Girard Police Department, Barberton Police Department, Liberty Police Department, and the University of Akron Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
- Towanda, Illinois, Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison for Paying Adults to Sexually Assault Children During Online Video Chats
Tiptonville, Tennessee, Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Tiptonville, Tennessee, man, Jerry Braddy, 45, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, to ten years in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor. He also must register as a sex offender once he is released.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the government established that between June 2, 2024, and June 12, 2024, Braddy communicated via an online platform with an individual he believed to be the stepfather of a nine-year-old child. Braddy agreed to meet the child and stepfather in Bloomington, Illinois, in order to engage in a sexual encounter with the minor. Federal law enforcement agents, with assistance from the McLean County Sherriff’s Office, arrested Braddy when he arrived at the location.
Braddy was charged by criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted five days later. Braddy pleaded guilty in August 2024. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for attempted enticement of a minor are a minimum of ten years to life imprisonment, followed by a minimum of five years to a maximum life term of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Braddy was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Three-time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 42 Months for Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Firearm on a District PlaygroundRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ezra Griffith, 34, a twice convicted felon from Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 42 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession on a District playground of a Glock loaded with 30 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Griffith was found guilty by a jury on September 19, 2024, of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 42-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Griffith to serve 36 years of supervised release.
According to the evidence presented to the jury, on November 15, 2023, about 8:40 p.m., members of the MPD’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team entered the parking lot of the Rosedale Recreation Center in Northeast Washington, D.C. Officers observed a small group of people congregating inside the fenced-in playground next to the recreation center building. The park was closed. In fact, there was a sign next to the playground’s only entrance noting that it was open from dawn to dusk. The officers went to make contact with the group.
As officers approached the fenced-in playground, Griffith immediately sat down on a concrete partition and moved his hands near the front of his waistband, appearing to adjust an object in his lap. Subsequently, Griffith got up and sprinted along the inside fence line of the playground. Officers briefly lost sight of Griffith before stopping him moments later inside the playground area.
Officers canvassed Griffith’s flight path and recovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber semiautomatic firearm loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. Griffith has two prior felony convictions in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for carrying a pistol without a license and for attempted robbery.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
Police recovered a black Glock 27 .40 caliber semi-automatic loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition in a thirty-round magazine and one round in the chamber.
23cr0227
Three Charged for Their Role in Major Theft Organization Targeting Luxury VehiclesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Michel Serrano (34, Lehigh Acres) with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles and the sale and possession of stolen motor vehicles, as well as two counts of interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. If convicted on all counts, Serrano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Julio Sanchez (35, Redwood City, California) and Angel Mares (56, San Jose, California) were also charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles and the sale and possession of stolen motor vehicles. If convicted on this count, Sanchez and Mares each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Serrano, Sanchez, and Mares that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture for any property, real or personal, which is traceable to the proceeds of the crimes, and an order of forfeiture in the amount of the proceeds of the crimes.
According to the indictment, beginning at least as early as June 2020 and continuing through May 2021, Serrano, Sanchez, Mares, and their co-conspirators stole high-end vehicles from throughout the state of Florida. Vehicles were stolen from car dealerships, residences and residential parking garages, and other businesses. The conspirators altered the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) on the stolen motor vehicles, then transported the stolen vehicles on semi-trucks across state lines with the intent to sell them. The conspirators then sold the stolen motor vehicles to purchasers. For an additional fee, the conspirators would provide the purchaser a full vehicle registration and title within the state of California. The conspirators were paid by the purchasers through cash and checks for the stolen vehicles.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Highway Patrol, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Dade City Police Department, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Bradenton Police Department, Cape Coral Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany E. Fields.
South Carolina Drug Trafficker Helping Move Kilograms of Cocaine Sentenced to More than Six YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A South Carolina man who was part of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) moving kilogram quantities of cocaine in the United States was sentenced to 78 months in prison. On October 31, 2024, Gerardo Calzada, age 34, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and aiding and abetting.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2020, officers with the Apex Police Department began an investigation into an individual trafficking drugs in the area. As the investigation progressed, other agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) became involved. Calzada was identified, along with others, as an individual who was provided drugs to distribute on behalf of the DTO. During a surveillance operation on July 26, 2023, Calzada was observed driving another DTO member to a meeting behind a local Food Lion, where the other DTO member was handed a paper bag. After Calzado and his passenger departed the parking lot, they were stopped by Johnston County Sheriff’s deputies. A consensual search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine found inside two cereal boxes, a digital scale, a drug ledger, and money transmittal receipts to Guerrero, Mexico, and to Cortes, Honduras. During an interview with agents, Calzado admitted to travelling from South Carolina to purchase cocaine and also indicated that he had met with couriers on at least ten occasions.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The DEA, the Apex Police Department and the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00133-D-RJ.
###
Somerset County Woman Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, woman was arrested and charged with bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
Ciara Brascom, 39, of Skillman, is charged by complaint with one count of bank robbery. She had her initial appearance on February 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 28, 2024, Brascom entered a bank in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller, while holding what appeared to be a black handgun. During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank’s alarm was activated. Brascom fled from the bank after taking approximately $60,500.
The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher Tash, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
brascom.complaint.pdfSix Sentenced in Federal Fraud Pandemic Unemployment Benefit SchemeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Six of the 17 defendants charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, commit program fraud, and commit mail fraud in connection to a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits, were sentenced recently in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
Stephanie Amber Barton, 31, and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe, 30, both of Cedar Bluff, Virginia, were each sentenced yesterday to serve 12 months and 1 day in federal prison. Barton previously pled guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and was ordered to pay $28,964 in restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission.
Wolfe previously pled guilty to knowingly making materially false and fraudulent statements and representations on a claim for emergency assistance benefits and was ordered to pay $13,978 in restitution.
Last month, four other defendants were sentenced for their roles in the scheme.
Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with ‘recruiting’ others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution.
Terrence Brooks Vilacha was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was ordered to pay $14,894 in restitution. Joseph Hass was sentenced to 27 months’ incarceration and was ordered to pay $19,316 in restitution. Brian Addair was sentenced to 24 months in prison and was ordered to pay $22,284.
Also charged and awaiting sentencing are Josef Ludwig Brown, Crystal Samantha Shaw, Christopher Kirk Webb, Cara Camille Bailey, Jessica Dawn Lester, Russell Eric Stiltner, Daneil Wayne Horton, Justin Warren Meadows, Jeramy Blake Farmer, and Clinton Michael Altizer, all charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, fraud in connection with emergency benefits, and conspiring to commit mail fraud. One defendant is scheduled for trial in May 2025.
According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.
In all, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief to which they were not entitled.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon and Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.
Rickey Eugene Johnson, Jr., 34, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Johnson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in November 2024.
On May 13, 2024, Johnson was driving a vehicle in Sioux Falls and was stopped by law enforcement and arrested. The officers found a 9 mm handgun in his vehicle. Johnson is prohibited from having firearms based on prior felony convictions. While on pre-trial release in the firearm case, Johnson sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on January 17, 2024.
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.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Johnson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2025.
Len Homelvig, age 55, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 for three counts of Production of Child Pornography. As part of a plea agreement with the United States, he pleaded guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography on October 25, 2024. On February 7, 2025 he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $8,000. Homelvig must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.
The conviction stemmed from an investigation that started in December 2023 when photographs of naked minor females were found on Homelvig’s phone. Upon closer inspection, the photographs and videos were that of the female foster children living in his home. To create the pornography, Homelvig slid his phone under the bathroom door while the minor females were getting dressed or would put his phone over the top of the shower curtain while the girls were showering. Homelvig was able to capture images and videos of the minor females’ private parts. Ultimately, the investigation discovered Homelvig perpetrated on five females living in the home, four of which were minors.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
Homelvig was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sicklerville Man Admits to Conspiring to Commit Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Sicklerville, New Jersey, man today admitted to conspiring to defraud the IRS by working with others to conceal cash wages paid to employees, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Chung “Alex” Lam, 46, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2018, Lam pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes. He received an 18-month prison sentence, which he served during parts of 2019 and 2020. Prior to serving that sentence and upon his release from custody, Lam conspired with the owners of various temporary staffing companies to defraud the IRS. The temporary staffing companies provided temporary workers businesses. As part of their agreements with their customer businesses, the temporary staffing companies were responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers.
Lam received checks that were payments to the staffing companies for labor provided by their employees. Between the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2023, Lam used a commercial check casher to negotiate more than $4,000,000 of such checks. Lam kept a portion of the cash for personal use and caused the rest of the cash to be provided to co-conspirators to pay the temporary workers in cash. As a result, payroll taxes were not collected or paid to the IRS. Lam also filed false individual income tax returns that omitted the income he earned from his role in the conspiracy. Lam admitted that the conspiracy caused a tax loss of approximately $628,351.
The count of conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
###
Defense counsel: John B. Brennan, Esq., of Marlton, NJ
lam.information.pdfSchenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Willie Mills, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty on Monday to possession of a firearm as a felon and distribution of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement.
Mills admitted to possessing an EAA semiautomatic pistol and distributing 895 pills containing fentanyl. As a result of his prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a firearm, Mills could not lawfully possess the pistol.
Mills faces a mandatory prison term of at least 5 years and maximum term of 40 years, a fine up to $5 million, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
DEA is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Paulbeck is prosecuting the case.
San Joaquin County Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Michael Correia, 38, of San Joaquin County, was sentenced today to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, during a traffic stop, Correia was found to be in possession of a loaded .22 Ruger revolver and a box of .22 caliber ammunition. Correia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions, including 2017 and 2021 convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm in San Joaquin County.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Manteca Police Department, the Stockton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Recidivist Violent Gang Member Charged with Alleged Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man appeared in federal court yesterday in connection with charges involving a January 2023 armed robbery of a drug distributor, during which the defendant and another individual allegedly stole approximately $24,000 in drug trafficking proceeds intended for the purchase of a kilogram of cocaine.
Claudio Melo, a/k/a “Blue Drilla,” 33, was charged with one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery). Melo is currently being held on unrelated state charges.
It is alleged that Melo is a Crip Street gang member and, according to court documents, is a convicted felon, having served various state prison sentences including assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, armed robbery, larceny and malicious destruction of property.
According to the charging documents, on Jan. 30, 2023, a drug transaction was scheduled to take place at an apartment in Woburn, during which an associate of Melo was to deliver a kilogram of cocaine in exchange for approximately $24,000. It is alleged that, during the transaction, Melo and another individual entered the apartment and pointed semiautomatic pistols at the drug customer before taking the $24,000 in cash. According to the charging documents, the $24,000 cash was proceeds of drug trafficking activities the drug customer was engaged in, which had been paced in an unmarked soft black lunch box on a table. Melo and the other individual then allegedly forced the drug customer to open a safe in his bedroom, which was empty. Shortly thereafter, both robbers departed with the $24,000 cash.
The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rapid City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and TheftRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Camela C. Theeler, U.S. District Judge, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of one count of Bank Fraud and six counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.
Ashley Viken, 41, was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $50,000 in restitution to Black Hills Federal Credit Union and $69,085.95 in restitution to CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc.
Viken was indicted on one count of Bank Fraud and 28 counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee by a federal grand jury in August 2024. She pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.
Between July 2022 and March 2024, Viken, while employed as an accountant with Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU), devised a scheme to defraud BHFCU for her own personal gain. As part of the scheme, Viken wrote 29 cashier’s checks totaling $119,085.95 on an account owned and controlled by BHFCU and fraudulently documented that she was reissuing cashier’s checks or refunding money to BHFCU members, when she instead was depositing the cashier’s checks into accounts she owned or controlled. After fraudulently taking the money, Viken then falsified bank documents to cover her theft and used the funds for her own personal benefit.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Viken was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.
Raleigh-area Drug Trafficker Who Tried to Flush Drugs Sentenced to over 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fuquay Varina man who was part of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around Raleigh was sentenced to 138 months in prison for drug trafficking after attempting to flush cocaine down his toilet. On November 19, 2024, David Weaver, age 46, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2022, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) initiated an investigation into a DTO which distributed firearms, marijuana, and kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Weaver was identified, along with others, as an individual who was provided drugs to distribute on behalf of the DTO. On May 23, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Weaver’s Raleigh residence. Weaver was encountered as he exited the bathroom after a failed attempt to flush cocaine down the toilet. During the search, the following items were seized: a loaded 9mm pistol; 102 rounds of 9mm ammunition; cocaine; crack cocaine; marijuana; and more than $11,000 in cash.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. ATF and RPD investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00134-D-BM-18.
###
Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 270 Months in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced James Tyra Bowman, age 30, of Appleton, Wisconsin, to 270 months in federal prison following his convictions for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. The Court further sentenced Bowman to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release.
Bowman, while in Wisconsin, used social media applications and the name “Genius_Outlaw” to attempt to convince someone he believed was an 11-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Bowman offered her gifts to entice her to engage in the sexual acts. The 11-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Bowman also sent the undercover officer a picture of himself and his genitals and demanded that she send him sexually explicit videos and images of herself. Bowman also planned an arrangement to train the supposed 11-year-old girl (undercover officer) in illegal sex acts in Wisconsin. Bowman was arrested by law enforcement in January of 2024. Bowman was previously convicted and sentenced for child sexual exploitation crimes in Wisconsin in 2017.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.
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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Previously Convicted Felon from Swissvale Indicted for Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURH, Pa. – A resident of Swissvale, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Robert Prater, 33, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about January 27, 2025, Prater possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Phobos Ransomware Affiliates Arrested in Coordinated International DisruptionRead the Press Release
8Base Seizure Banner
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today unsealed criminal charges against Roman Berezhnoy, 33, and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, 39, both Russian nationals, who allegedly operated a cybercrime group using the Phobos ransomware that victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities in the United States and around the world and received over $16 million in ransom payments. Berezhnoy and Glebov were arrested yesterday as part of a coordinated international disruption of their organization, which includes additional arrests and the technical disruption of the group’s computer infrastructure.From May 2019, through at least October 2024, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly caused victims to suffer losses resulting from the loss of access to their data in addition to the financial losses associated with the ransomware payments. The victims included a children’s hospital, health care providers, and educational institutions.
According to court documents, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others operated a ransomware affiliate organization, including under the names “8Base” and “Affiliate 2803,” among others, that victimized public and private entities through the deployment of Phobos ransomware.
As part of the scheme, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly hacked into victim computer networks, copied and stole files and programs on the victims’ network, and encrypted the original versions of the stolen data with Phobos ransomware. The conspirators then allegedly extorted the victims for ransom payments in exchange for the decryption keys to regain access to the encrypted data by, among other things, leaving a ransom note on compromised victim computers and separately reaching out to victims to initiate ransom payment negotiations.
As alleged, the conspirators also threatened to expose victims’ stolen files to the public or to the victims’ clients, customers, or constituents if the ransoms were not paid. The conspirators are further alleged to have established and operated a darknet website where they repeated their extortionate threats and ultimately published the stolen data if a victim failed to pay the ransom.
After a successful Phobos ransomware attack, criminal affiliates paid fees to Phobos administrators for a decryption key to regain access to the encrypted files. Each deployment of Phobos ransomware was assigned a unique alphanumeric string in order to match it to the corresponding decryption key, and each affiliate was directed to pay the decryption key fee to a cryptocurrency wallet unique to that affiliate.
The charges unsealed today against Berezhnoy and Glebov follow the recent arrest and extradition of Evgenii Ptitsyn, a Russian national, on charges relating to his alleged administration of the Phobos ransomware variant.
In parallel with today’s arrests, Europol and German authorities have announced an international operation involving the FBI and other international law enforcement partners to disrupt over 100 servers associated with this criminal network.
Berezhnoy and Glebov are charged in an 11-count indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, three counts of causing intentional damage to protected computers, three counts of extortion in relation to damage to a protected computer, one count of transmitting a threat to impair the confidentiality of stolen data, and one count of unauthorized access and obtaining information from a protected computer. If convicted, Berezhnoy and Glebov face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud-related count; 10 years in prison on each computer damage count; and five years in prison on each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Thailand, Finland, Switzerland, and Romania, as well as Europol and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, for their cooperation and coordination with the Phobos ransomware investigation. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan for the District of Maryland and Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Former CCIPS Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Jeffrey J. Izant for the District of Maryland provided substantial assistance.
Additional details on protecting networks against Phobos ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov, including Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisory AA24-060A.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Perryton Coach Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Teenage StudentRead the Press Release
A Perryton ISD coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old student was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
Cole Underwood, 29, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted later that same month. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Perryton ISD’s superintendent reached out to law enforcement in May 2024 to report a possible inappropriate relationship between Mr. Underwood and a female student. According to the superintendent, surveillance video allegedly showed Mr. Underwood meeting with the girl alone after hours, despite being given a specific directive not to be alone with her.
Agents reviewed the footage and observed Mr. Underwood propping an exterior door open and then shutting off lights. Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl entered the darkened building through the propped door and walked into Mr. Underwood’s office.
In interviews with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Underwood had sex with her in his office more than a dozen times between February and May.
She said that after she added him as a contact on Snapchat, he established a personal friendship with her, and even invited her to his office to confide in him. She said that Mr. Underwood began messaging her in a flirtatious and sexual manner in December, and eventually used Snapchat to arrange sexual encounters.
A search of the girl’s cell phone revealed multiple late-night conversations – some lasting more than six hours – between her and Mr. Underwood, who allegedly occasionally referred to the child as “wifey” and told her he loved her.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the student detailed how the situation escalated from the defendant acting as a confidant during a stressful period to isolating her and continually pressuring her for sex:
“I had no idea that he was slowly in the process of grooming me, I genuinely thought that he actually cared about me,” she said in a victim impact statement. “I didn't know how to stop it… He convinced me to shut everyone out. I felt like I seriously had no one but him.”
“I hope if there is a girl out there who is going through what I have been through, she has the chance to hear my story to know it's okay to speak up. There are people who want to help,” she bravely added. “Just because you have one bad chapter does not mean your story is over.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency, the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perryton Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Perryton Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
Park Hill Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenny Ray Jackson, age 65, of Park Hill, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The Indictment alleged that on July 29, 2024, Jackson knowingly possessed one .22 caliber, semi-automatic rifle, one .30-.30 caliber, lever action rifle, and one 12 gauge, break open shotgun, together with 54 rounds of assorted caliber ammunition, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Soverly represented the United States.
Owner of Vancouver, Washington tax preparation business that catered to immigrants sentenced to nine months in prison for tax fraudRead the Press Release
Tacoma –The owner of a Vancouver, Washington, business that sought to assist immigrants with a variety of services was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 9 months in prison and 4 months of electronic home confinement for tax fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Saul Valdez was an unlicensed tax preparer who led his immigrant customers to believe he was filling out their tax forms correctly. Instead, from 2016 through 2018, Valdez inserted a variety of false deductions and expenses on tax returns, lowering the customers’ tax obligations. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, ““This is a serious offense…. deterrence drives this case. This sentence should be one that deters you and sends a message to you and others like you that there will be a real penalty, not probation, for this conduct.”
“This defendant built his business by obtaining inflated tax refunds for clients who had little understanding of the U.S. tax system,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Ultimately some of these clients were hit with back tax payments, fees, and penalties because this defendant intentionally filed false tax returns on their behalf.”
“Mr. Valdez abused credits designed to help low-income taxpayers, and his clients incurred over $23,000 in penalties along the way,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We encourage those seeking a tax preparer this season to be vigilant and report dishonest business practices.”
According to records in the case, Valdez operated Conexion Latina and used programs such as TaxAct and TurboTax to prepare clients’ taxes. For tax year 2017, Valdez admits claiming false and fraudulent expenses, donations, and credits on 36 different tax returns. The tax loss on those 36 returns is $54,045. That is the amount of restitution Valdez has agreed to pay.
Using statistical sampling of 50 of some 2000 returns prepared by Valdez from 2016 through 2018, Valdez admits that the total tax loss for his fraud is $1,293,921.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster.
On “Safer Internet Day” U.S. Attorney’s Office Encourages Parents to Talk Frequently and Openly with Children About Their Online ActivityRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – Each year on February 11, more than one hundred countries around the world celebrate “Safer Internet Day.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota takes this opportunity to remind the community that the Internet is often used for the sexual exploitation of children. In 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, prosecuted more than 50 cases involving child exploitation and/or the production or receipt of child pornography originating on the Internet.
For example, in April 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured a conviction against Tyler Grimes, a 26-year-old man from Aldie, Virginia, who used the Internet-based application Omegle and his cellular phone to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit activity. The minor was born in February 2014, making her seven years old at all relevant times. During his communications with the minor, who lived in Rapid City, South Dakota, Grimes repeatedly asked her for nude photos and videos of herself. She complied. After Grimes’ communications were discovered by the minor’s father, the minor was forensically interviewed. Later, many images and videos of child pornography between Grimes and the victim were located on the victim’s iPad. In August 2024, Grimes was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.
In June 2024, October 2024, and February 2025, Justin Preuschl, age 27, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was indicted for federal charges involving the exploitation of minors. The Indictment alleges that starting in December 2022 and continuing into 2024, Preuschl engaged in sexually explicit communications over the Internet with multiple juvenile female victims. The Indictment further alleges that Preuschl pretended to be a 15-year-old male, pressured the victims into sending him sexually explicit materials, and sent pictures of male genitals to the victims. Preuschl was employed as a teacher at Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls at the time of many of the charged offenses.*
It is of vital importance that parents and guardians talk frequently and openly with children about responsible Internet use. It is also essential that the community understands the warning signs of cyberbullying and sextortion, including:
- Sudden changes in behavior, such as becoming withdrawn, anxious, or secretive;
- Abruptly deleting social media accounts or frequently creating new accounts;
- Turning offs or hiding devices in the presence of a parent or other adult;
- Clearing their web browser cache and/or history;
- Unexplained money or gift cards; and
- Spending less time with friends.
If you are concerned about particular online activity, please contact local law enforcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are committed to ensuring a better Internet for all. Find great resources at: https://www.icactaskforce.org/Pages/InternetSafety.aspx and https://saferinternetday.us/
*The charges are merely accusations, and Preuschl is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Oceana County Man Sentenced to 90 Years for Sexually Exploiting A ChildRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced that Brandon Lee Chase, 45, of Walkerville, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was sentenced yesterday to 90 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Chase sexually abused the child of a woman he was dating. The sexual abuse happened repeatedly and continued for years. Chase also recorded explicit videos of the abuse. Chase is a repeat sex offender and has also pleaded no contest to criminal sexual conduct in a separate case that is pending sentencing in Shelby Village.
“Today’s sentencing of Brandon Chase is a decisive victory in the FBI’s unyielding battle against sexual predators who prey on our most vulnerable population,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I am grateful of the tireless investigative efforts of the FBI’s WEBCHEX Task Force, alongside our law enforcement partners at the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Muskegon Justice for Women Task Force. The priority of the FBI in Michigan is to protect our communities and disrupt criminal acts that could harm the residents and visitors of Michigan. Lastly, I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan for their essential partnership in ensuring Mr. Chase is held accountable for his criminal acts and that those who were victimized are a step closer to healing.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Muskegon Township Police Department, and Muskegon Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Doaa Al-Howaishy prosecuted it.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
###
Northfield Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Federal Prison for Attempting to Receive 2 Pounds of Methamphetamine through the United States Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Northfield man was sentenced today in federal court for his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine in New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Joseph Crawford, of Northfield, age 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 72 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. On October 30, 2024, Crawford pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Joseph Crawford used the United States Postal Service in an attempt to smuggle dangerous drugs across state lines into the Granite State,” said Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack. “Individuals using the mail as an avenue to traffic illegal narcotics to New Hampshire will be prosecuted and significantly punished.”
“Joseph Crawford has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and yesterday’s sentence puts him out of business and behind bars for receiving significant quantities of meth through the mail while on parole for two prior state drug convictions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent illegal drugs from hitting the streets in order to make our cities safer.”
"As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Crawford accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to bring this poison to the Granite State.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to keep methamphetamine producers and traffickers out of our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today’s sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort of our local and state law enforcement partners to keep methamphetamine and other drugs out of our communities.”
On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages, which contained over two pounds of methamphetamine in total.
The United States Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske 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.
###
North Country Man Indicted in Alien Smuggling EventRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Bailey Burger, age 38, of Chazy, New York, was indicted last week for alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.
Burger is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for profit and four additional counts of alien smuggling for profit, all of which allege his involvement in a cross-border smuggling event in which he smuggled four citizens of India into the United States, on January 26, 2025. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, Burger faces at least 5 years and up to 15 years in prison, as well as at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Burger was arraigned today, in Plattsburgh, before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro, and continues to be detained until a hearing on February 20.
U.S. Border Patrol is investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Parvinder Nijjar and Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Stitt are prosecuting this case.
Newington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARTIN DELGADO, 30, of Newington, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a narcotics trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s Newington residence and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, and narcotics packaging materials. Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford. Officers located a 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he appeared to have discarded as he fled. Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond.
Delgado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. A sentencing date is not yet scheduled.
Delgado has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2024.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn.
New York Man Indicted for Role in Estranged Husband’s Murder in BrazilRead the Press Release
A New York man was arrested and charged in a superseding indictment unsealed today in the Southern District of New York for hiring someone to kill his estranged husband, who was murdered in Rio de Janeiro in January 2024. Sikkema made his initial court appearance on the superseding indictment today in the Southern District of New York.
According to court documents, beginning in 2023, Daniel Sikkema, 54, of New York City, offered another individual (CC-1) money in exchange for CC-1 killing Sikkema’s estranged husband, with whom Sikkema was involved in contentious divorce proceedings. The victim, who was a U.S. citizen, had amassed a multi-million-dollar estate and often traveled to Rio de Janeiro where he maintained property. In advance of the victim’s murder, Sikkema sent CC-1 money using a stolen identity and intermediaries in an effort to conceal the source of the payments.
The victim was murdered by CC-1 on Jan. 14, 2024.
Sikkema is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a murder-for-hire, one count of murder-for-hire, one count of conspiracy to murder a person in a foreign county, and one count of passport fraud. If convicted, he faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison or death. 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, U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon for the Southern District of New York, and Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Foster and Remy Grosbard for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bycari Jamel Chatman, age 38, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for one count of illegally possessing a firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 9, 2024, Chatman pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on December 16, 2023, Chatman knowingly possessed a 9mm Luger caliber, semi-automatic pistol and 9mm Luger caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Chatman will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis Reagan represented the United States.
Multiple defendants indicted on federal gun chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include charges alleging felons illegally possessed firearms, while other defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“Getting guns out of the hands of those who can’t legally possess them is a vital part of the effort to reduce violent crime,” said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We applaud our law enforcement partners for their diligent work in keeping our communities safe.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted in February include:
- Taron Charleston, 20, of Dublin, Georgia, charged with Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun;
- Shanan Lee Grover, 35, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Timothy Lee Cheeks, 37, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Charles Harmon Porter, 54, of Savannah, charged with Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
Also previously indicted are:
- Stephen Joseph Sala, 33, of Augusta, charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm (referring to a short-barreled rifle); and,
- Jahmz Ransom, 24, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Nathan Sparks, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 130 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Sparks’ waistband during a traffic stop.
- Darnell Harold Miller, 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police in January 2024 found Miller in possession of a pistol while investigating a domestic disturbance.
- Barry Christopher Carpenter, 44, of Gainesville, Ga., was sentenced to 84 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Carpenter was arrested on state charges in Columbia County during a burglary investigation and found to be in possession of two firearms.
- Corinthian Lamar Colonel, 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Officers from the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found two firearms in Colonel’s residence during a September 2023 search.
- Maleak J. Parrish, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police fund a pistol in Parrish’s possession during a traffic stop.
- Eddie Robertson, 30, of Savannah, was sentenced to 52 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found Robertson in possession of a handgun after a December 2023 traffic stop and foot chase.
- Anthony Orlando Jones, 34, of Augusta, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies and the U.S. Marshals found Jones in possession of a semiautomatic pistol in November 2023 while serving him with an arrest warrant on a state felony charge.
- Pedro Walker, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating a reported disturbance found Walker had been in possession of a pistol.
- Willie Dunbar, 45, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Machine Gun. During a January traffic stop, Wheeler County deputies found Dunbar in possession of a Polymer80 “ghost gun” fitted with a device converting it to automatic fire.
- Deleon Alexander Jackson, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies found Jackson in possession of a rifle while investigating a reported disturbance at an Augusta store.
- Stanley Hall, 22, of Savannah, was sentenced to 71 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found Hall in possession of a handgun while investigating a reported attempted vehicle break-in.
- Lemar Neil Robinson, 36, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia state troopers and Savannah police found Robinson in possession of a pistol after a vehicle chase and traffic stop.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Montebello Man Receives 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in Fatal Overdose at Long Beach Drug Rehab ClinicRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Montebello man was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl to a buyer who then distributed it to a victim who the next day suffered a fatal overdose of the powerful synthetic opioid at a Long Beach drug treatment facility in late 2021.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 34, a.k.a. “Johnny G,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr.
A federal jury in July 2024 found Gutierrez guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury. Gutierrez has been in federal custody since May 2023.
“The distribution of fentanyl is causing incredible devastation to families and communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that those who peddle these lethal drugs and fuel this crisis will be held accountable for the destruction they cause.”
“This case underscores the callous and insatiable greed that fuels drug distributors,” said Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Los Angeles Field Division. “They are indifferent to the stories, vulnerabilities, and the struggles of those tunneling through addiction and recovery. DEA is working in lockstep with our federal and local partners to bring to justice fentanyl distributors, who engage in dangerous and deadly activity.”
The evidence presented at an eight-day trial showed that, on December 9, 2021, Gutierrez distributed fentanyl to co-defendant Jayleen Feusier, 37, of South Gate. Previously that night, Feusier agreed to get fentanyl for the victim, a 34-year-old man who was residing at a Long Beach drug treatment facility. In exchange for $60, Feusier agreed to get the fentanyl for the victim from Gutierrez, her longtime fentanyl dealer.
Later that night, Feusier broke off approximately one gram of the fentanyl that Gutierrez provided her, packaged it in a small plastic bag, and placed the bag, a lighter, and drug paraphernalia into a small box. She then placed the small box into another bag with a black t-shirt to mask the contents, ordered an Uber delivery service to Gutierrez’s home, and placed the item on the backseat of the vehicle to be delivered to the victim at the rehabilitation facility. Feusier then sent a link to the victim so he could track the Uber as it traveled to him.
At around 11 p.m. that night, the victim jumped a fence and retrieved the package from the Uber vehicle, then went back inside the drug treatment facility. Approximately six hours later, the victim’s body was discovered inside the facility’s living room. Drug paraphernalia sent by Feusier was discovered nearby the victim.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the victim’s death was caused by a fentanyl overdose.
Feusier, who has been in federal custody since February 2024, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced in August 2024 to 100 months in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy K. Beecher of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section and Danbee C. Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for $3 Million Pandemic Fraud, Witness Tampering, Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a Farmington, Missouri business owner who committed bank fraud, Clean Air Act violations and witness tampering to 108 months in prison.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Christopher Lee Carroll, 55, to pay restitution of $3 million.
Carroll was convicted by a jury in August of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 13 violations of the Clean Air Act and two counts of threatening a witness.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, were owners of a time share exit company called Square One Group LLC. In April of 2020, they submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The loan application falsely stated that the spouses of Reed and Carroll owned the company in order to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. Carroll also used his wife’s name to avoid any potential liability for the fraud, a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors says.
The PPP loan was supposed to help save businesses and jobs, but Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work or keep paying for health insurance for 17 of those employees. Instead, he used it to start a trucking company, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses.
Reed and Carroll later sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million, taking a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company after the loan was approved, the evidence showed.
The Clean Air Act violations relate to emissions control equipment designed to reduce pollutants. Carroll had that equipment taken off Whiskey Dix’s fleet of diesel trucks. Carroll asked one employee to “take the fall” for his crimes and told another that he would stop paying for the employee’s lawyer if he talked to federal agents, evidence and testimony showed. Carroll did stop paying for the lawyer.
Carroll is a “consummate fraudster,” the government sentencing memo says, who ran a company that preyed on elderly victims before committing the pandemic loan fraud and other crimes. Carroll is also “a dangerous, violent person,” the memo says, citing prior convictions including felonious restraint and forcible sodomy and evidence of Carroll’s participation in a murder-for-hire scheme.
“This prosecution reinforces our office’s priority of going after the worst pandemic fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “People like Christopher Carroll took advantage of a once-in-a-generation crisis to enrich themselves at the expense of struggling Americans. This office will continue to make sure that defendants like Carroll are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This latest conviction is the tip of the iceberg for this career criminal,” said FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson. “In addition to defrauding the taxpayer-funded loan program in this latest case, Chris Carroll bailed on customers to line his own pockets with the millions of dollars they paid him to help exit timeshares. Furthermore, Carroll’s violent criminal history includes being a convicted sex offender for forcible sodomy.”
Whiskey Dix was also found guilty of 16 Clean Air Act violations. Judge Pitlyk sentenced the company to three years of probation.
Reed, now 70, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and admitted fraudulently applying for, obtaining and using the two PPP loans. Reed admitted as part of his guilty plea that the company failed to pay a “significant number” of employees, despite the PPP loans, and that Carroll terminated the health insurance benefits of at least 17 employees. Reed was sentenced last month to time served and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.
The FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that John B. Stancil, 37, of Waimanalo, was sentenced today in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 240 months of imprisonment (the statutory maximum) followed by 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy. Stancil pled guilty on January 22, 2024, in the middle of jury selection, to conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through racketeering activity that included participating in the commission of murder-for-hire and acts relating to chemical weapons.
In his plea agreement, Stancil admitted that he and other members of the Miske Enterprise participated in chemical weapon attacks on two Honolulu nightclubs in March 2017, carried out on the orders of codefendant Michael J. Miske. Stancil provided the toxic chemical used in the attacks – a substance called chloropicrin, which can cause death, temporary incapacitation, or permanent harm to humans. Stancil also admitted to joining a murder-for-hire conspiracy with Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Stancil then provided details of where the victim lived to another co-conspirator who agreed to carry out the murder until Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Stancil also admitted he served as the getaway driver for multiple assaults ordered by Miske and on behalf of the Miske Enterprise. According to other information provided to the Court, Stancil also coordinated and participated in numerous robberies on behalf of the Miske Enterprise.
Stancil was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024. Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.
“You cannot run from the facts,” Judge Watson advised Stancil during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Stancil responsible. Judge Watson found Stancil to be “among the most culpable” of those in the Miske Enterprise, describing him as one of Michael Miske’s “key confidantes and lieutenants” and a “key player in terrorizing the citizenry of this city and county for years.” Judge Watson further noted that Stancil deserved an even higher prison sentence that the Court was not permitted to impose by statute.
“Today’s sentence represents the culmination of years of tireless, dogged, skilled, and innovative work on the part of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our outstanding law enforcement partners, the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The court was deprived of the opportunity to sentence Michael Miske due to his untimely death following his guilty verdicts at trial for racketeering and other crimes. But today’s sentence, along with the 18 convictions we have secured against Miske’s henchmen and violent thugs, demonstrates our strong commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and convicting those who violate the law and endanger the safety and welfare of Hawaii’s citizens. Let today’s sentence and the convictions in these cases serve as a stark reminder to those who operate criminal enterprises in Hawaii that we have the tools, expertise, and resolve to bring them to justice.”
“Mr. Stancil was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of racketeering activity involving murder-forhire, robbery, and use of chemical weapons,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”
“Mr. Stancil’s racketeering charge reminds us that organized crime threatens innocent lives for money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Our agency follows the money so we can cut off organized crime at its roots.”
“HSI is committed to ending organized crime in Hawaii. The sentencing of Mr. Stancil underscores the importance of leveraging law enforcement partnerships to safeguard our community,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Our dedication to this cause is unwavering, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminals are held accountable for their actions.”
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligencedriven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
Mingo County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Randall Hinkle, 56, of Delbarton, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography. Hinkle must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2023, Hinkle received multiple images depicting child pornography via Facebook from another user. Hinkle admitted that the child pornography he received on Facebook included images depicting nude prepubescent females with their legs spread to display their genitals. Hinkle further admitted that he possessed approximately 24 videos and 46 images depicting child pornography. Hinkle also admitted that he sent an image depicting a nude minor female with her legs spread to expose her genitals via Facebook to another user on September 25, 2023.
Hinkle solicited another individual online to produce and send him images of child pornography depicting minors in that individual’s custody. However, the other individual never sent the requested photos.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-110.
###
Mexican national who acted as transporter for smuggling conspiracy sentenced to 15 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A transporter for a northern border human smuggling conspiracy was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jesus Ortiz-Plata, 46, of Independence, Oregon, weas arrested May 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington, with three non-citizens who had been smuggled into the United States from Canada. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said it was “callous” to send people across the border in freight cars. “He was a commercial smuggler. He wasn’t doing this for altruistic purposes, he did it for cold hard cash,” Judge Robart said.
“This defendant was a cog in a conspiracy that transported people into the U.S. from across the northern border in an extremely dangerous smuggling scheme loading people into freight cars on trains traveling from Canada into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These transnational smuggling groups charge thousands of dollars and risk the lives of those trying to reach the U.S. We will continue to investigate these smuggling groups to hold members accountable.”
Since late 2022, as Border Patrol and investigators encountered non-citizens who had illegally attempted to cross the border. As part of the investigation, agents frequently encountered a phone number that was later linked to Ortiz-Plata. After substantial investigation, Ortiz-Plata was identified, and law enforcement obtained court permission to track his location. After months of surveillance and monitoring, on May 23, 2024, Ortiz-Plata traveled from his home in Oregon and was surveilled by agents from Seattle to an apartment in Everett. Ortiz-Plata left the apartment with three men – all non-citizens who entered his vehicle. All four were taken into custody. Two had crossed the border in a freight train car and one claimed he had walked across the border and been picked up on the U.S. side.
On November 20, 2024, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport certain aliens for profit.
In asking for the 15-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that the defendant did not run the smuggling ring, but still played an important role in its success. “Ortiz-Plata admits that he knew the noncitizens he picked up were using freight trains to get into the United States; but nevertheless, he proceeded to participate. Even if he, himself, was not the one directing the noncitizens to jump on, Ortiz-Plata continued to facilitate, and thereby promote, this extremely dangerous smuggling route, multiple times, over the course of at least a year.”
Ortiz-Plata will likely be deported following his prison term.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Security Enforcement Team, U.S. Border Patrol, and Border Patrol Air and Marine Group.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Collins.
Mexican National Who Participated in Timeshare Fraud Scheme is SentencedRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHADIA MELISSA AGUILAR SARMIENTO, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to approximately 13 months of imprisonment, time already served, for conspiring with others to defraud owners of timeshare properties.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aguilar Sarmiento and others participated in an advance fee scheme that targeted owners of timeshare properties at various Mexican resorts, including timeshare owners in the U.S. and Canada. The conspiracy operated as a business in Mexico that used several different company names in its communications with timeshare owners, including Club World Travel, Luxury Destinations, DeRemate, and Smart Travel.
As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy contacted timeshare owners, claimed to be representatives of companies that were interested in purchasing timeshares, and offered to purchase the timeshares from the owners. To create the impression that the purchase offers were legitimate, the conspirators referred the timeshare owners to people they indicated were attorneys, who the conspirators indicated would represent the timeshare owners in the transaction. These purported attorneys were real licensed attorneys, including attorneys who practiced in Connecticut, whose names and identities were used without their knowledge or permission. The conspirators, while impersonating the attorneys, emailed purchase agreements on attorney letterhead to the timeshare owners. The purchase agreements listed the purchase price that the buyers were paying the timeshare owners, stated that the buyer would pay any associated fees, and indicated that any additional fees the timeshare owner needed to pay to sell and transfer the timeshare would be added to the purchase price, so that the owner would recoup those additional fees.
Many timeshare owners signed the purchase agreements believing that the purchase offers were legitimate. After a timeshare owner signed a purchase agreement, a member of the conspiracy would contact the timeshare owner falsely claiming to be a representative of a Mexican government agency or another authority requesting payment of fees, taxes, or other costs before the sale could be completed. Many timeshare owners paid these fees and taxes through international wire transfers to bank accounts in Mexico that were controlled by members of the conspiracy. Once the additional money was paid, the conspirators would often inform the timeshare owner of another fee that needed to be paid. Many timeshare owners then paid those additional fees, and the process repeated until the timeshare owner stopped paying the fees.
Timeshare owners never received any sales proceeds.
From approximately December 2018 until January 2021, when Aguilar Sarmiento was involved in the scheme, more than 50 timeshare owners were victimized and lost a total of approximately $2 million.
As part of her sentence, Aguilar Sarmiento was ordered to pay restitution of $2,065,852.85 to the victim timeshare owners.
Aguilar Sarmiento has been detained since January 12, 2024, when she was arrested in San Diego, California, after entering the U.S. on a visitor visa. On November 19, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Mexican Citizen Indicted for Illegal Re-entry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Juan Antonio Lopez Mauricio, 25, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on January 30, 2025, Mauricio was found in this District after having been removed from the United States four times between 2012 and 2015.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Firearms TheftRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and for stealing those firearms.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Ryan Ansart, 22, to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution. Ansart pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024.
According to court records, in April 2022, Ansart and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms.
On February 4, Damiean Marcial-Alexander, (22, Waterville) was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy and theft.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.
###
Mason City Man Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Monroe Thompson, age 40, from Mason City, was sentenced February 7, 2025, to more than 20 years in federal prison after an August 28, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2023, and August 2023, Thompson was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson purchased methamphetamine from sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, officers located counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl.
Thompson has an extensive criminal history including several convictions for possession of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault – inflicting serious injury in Iowa; Absence from custody in Minnesota; possession of controlled substances and/or selling or manufacturing controlled substances, and possession of firearms in Illinois; as well as Burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Wisconsin.
Thompson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 262 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3014.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Marysville Man Charged with Assaulting U.S. Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Edgar Castro, 40, of Marysville, was arrested today, charged by complaint with assaulting a federal employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Castro struck a United States Postal Service employee in the head and neck area while the employee was operating his postal delivery truck at a red stop light in Marysville. Castro had pulled alongside the postal vehicle and shouted, “What … are you looking at?”
Castro exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the postal truck. He reached through the open window and struck the employee. In the process of being struck in the head and neck area by Castro, the employee’s badge and lanyard were thrown into the street. When the postal service employee attempted to retrieve his badge from the street, Castro struck the Postal Service employee in the face causing a fractured nose.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Castro faces a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 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 charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Manhattan Man Charged with Murder-For-Hire Plot Resulting in the Death of His Husband in BrazilRead the Press Release
Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Antoinette T. Bacon, the Supervisory Official for the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of charges against DANIEL SIKKEMA in connection with his role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of his husband in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. SIKKEMA was previously charged in the Southern District of New York for passport fraud. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Daniel Sikkema and his co-conspirator planned and carried out a cold-blooded plot to murder Sikkema’s husband, a United States citizen, in Brazil. This Office will doggedly pursue justice against those who murder United States citizens, whether at home or abroad.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “In the midst of a tense divorce, Daniel Sikkema allegedly financed the premature death of his estranged husband. The defendant allegedly hired a hitman to facilitate the international murder of his husband, and attempted to conceal his involvement in this callous plan. The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate any individual who selfishly and mercilessly orders the end to another's life, regardless of where the crime may occur.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment:[1]
In 2023, SIKKEMA agreed with another individual (“CC-1”) that SIKKEMA would pay CC-1 to kill SIKKEMA’s estranged husband (the “Victim”) in Brazil. At that time, SIKKEMA and the Victim were engaged in contentious divorce proceedings and the Victim regularly traveled to Brazil and owned property in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To facilitate the murder-for-hire plot, SIKKEMA, a U.S. and Cuban citizen, sent multiple payments to CC-1 and CC-1’s romantic partner in Cuba. SIKKEMA also concealed the source of each of these payments by using either a stolen identity or an intermediary to send them.
On January 14, 2024, CC-1 murdered the Victim in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the days that followed, SIKKEMA and CC-1 continued to communicate and SIKKEMA arranged for a payment of approximately $5,000 to be made to CC-1 and promised to make an additional payment at a later date.
On January 18, 2024, CC-1 was arrested by Brazilian law enforcement for his involvement in the commission of the Victim’s murder.
* * *
SIKKEMA, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death, one count of murder-for-hire resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to murder and maim a person in a foreign country, and one count of passport fraud. If convicted, he faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison or death.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Foster and Remy Grosbard for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Los Angeles Attorney Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Evading Payment of More Than $7.2 Million in Income Tax over Two DecadesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Milton C. Grimes, a long-time Los Angeles lawyer, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for evading the payment of more than $7.2 million in federal and state taxes over a period of more than two decades.
Grimes was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also ordered him to pay $7,236,556 in restitution, both to the IRS and to the California Franchise Tax Board.
In October 2024, Grimes pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion relating to his 2014 taxes and admitted that he failed to pay $1,690,922 to the IRS.
“Despite being a respected attorney, Mr. Grimes also made the deliberate decision to cheat on his taxes for decades, evading the payment of millions of dollars in tax that all citizens are required to pay,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Tax fraud has a corrosive effect on society’s foundations, and we thank our partners at the IRS for their diligence in bringing this defendant to justice.”
“As a successful attorney and owner of a law practice, Mr. Grimes was well aware of his income tax obligations, which he repeatedly chose to evade,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Despite multiple attempts by the IRS to help him settle his tax obligations, Mr. Grimes continued to obfuscate his income. Unfortunately for him, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are the best financial investigators in the world, and now he will feel the repercussions of his actions.”
Grimes did not pay federal income taxes due for 23 years, 2002 through 2005, 2007, 2009 through 2011, and 2014 through 2023. The amount owed totaled $5,921,260, including tax, penalties, and interest owed to the IRS. Grimes also admitted he did not file a 2013 tax return with the IRS.
In addition to the federal tax evasion, Grimes admitted that he owed over $1,313,231 in delinquent state taxes to the Franchise Tax Board from 2014 to 2023.
Beginning in September 2011, the IRS attempted to collect Grimes’ taxes by issuing more than 30 levies on his personal bank accounts. However, from at least May 2014 to April 2020, Grimes willfully evaded the payment of the outstanding income tax owed to the IRS by not depositing income he earned from his clients into his personal bank accounts that were subject to levy.
Instead, Grimes purchased approximately 238 cashier’s checks totaling $16 million to keep the money out of the reach of the IRS. Grimes would routinely purchase cashier’s checks and withdraw cash from his client trust account, his Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), and his law firm’s bank account, rather than pay the IRS.
For example, on December 5, 2018, Grimes purchased nine cashier’s checks worth approximately $1,001,961, following the deposit of the same amount and on the same date into his IOLTA bank account.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Valerie L. Makarewicz and Sarah S. Lee of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Indiana Real Estate Developer and Property Manager Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Indianapolis man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to defraud real estate investors, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Herbert Whalen, a/k/a “Bert Whalen,” 50, of Indianapolis, Indiana, previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a multi-million dollar real estate investment scheme that took place in Indiana and New Jersey. Judge Madeline Cox Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2016 to July 2018, Whalen, who operated Oceanpointe Property Management in Indianapolis, engaged in a scheme to obtain money from real estate investors by misrepresenting and concealing the poor condition of properties managed by Oceanpointe and by creating fake leases for unoccupied Oceanpointe properties. Investors were promised that, after repairs and rehabilitations were completed, and tenants rented the properties, investors would receive copies of the leases and begin to receive rent payments as their return on investment. In reality, many Oceanpointe properties were not repaired and rehabilitated, and were not ready for occupancy. To conceal these facts from victim investors, Whalen and a conspirator directed Oceanpointe employees to draft fake leases, making it appear to investors that Oceanpointe properties were rented, when, in fact, the properties remained vacant. Whalen instructed Oceanpointe employees to place fake tenant names on leases to send to Oceanpointe investors.
Whalen and others commingled tenant rent payments and selected which investors would be paid from the pool of funds in order to silence investors who voiced concerns and evade detection of the fraud. In order to prevent investors from leaving Oceanpointe and exposing his fraudulent conduct, Whalen directed an Oceanpointe employee to create a false identity and falsely claim, on an online real estate message forum, that the Oceanpointe employee was an investor with Oceanpointe and another company, and that Oceanpointe had addressed all of the concerns regarding the investment property. These misrepresentations and others led to millions of dollars in losses to investors, which Whalen used to, among other things, fund his lifestyle.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Whalen to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit and Ari B. Fontecchio, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit.
###
Defense counsel: John L. Tompkins, Tompkins Law, Indianapolis, IN
Indiana Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – An Indiana man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for online enticement, attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Sheriff Tyler DeArmond of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jason Webster, 30, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for one count each of online enticement of a minor, attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the HSI Bowling Green Field Office and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, the HSI Hammond, Indiana, Field Office, the HSI Indianapolis, Indiana, Field Office, and the Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
XXX
Illegal immigrant convicted as part of India-based fraud conspiracy scheme targeting the life savings of elderly victims in Illinois, Indiana and WisconsinRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A southern Illinois jury convicted an illegal immigrant from India for his involvement in an imposter scam, in which victims across the Midwest were defrauded out of more than $400,000.
The jury convicted Nirav B. Patel, 44, an Indian citizen, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working aggressively to prosecute illegal immigrants who break our laws and exploit elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “An imposter scammer may call, text, or email to convince you they are someone in authority, but government agencies typically initiate conversation with you through the mail. Unexpected contact or demands through any other method are more than likely a scam.”
Patel was convicted of acting on behalf of an imposter scam, in which the fraudsters pose as government officials to manipulate and exploit elderly victims for money. Patel traveled to the victims’ residences to pick up cash and assets to support the conspiracy.
The scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to coconspirators posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping. In reality, the money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India.
In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was also convicted for entering the U.S. illegally. Evidence showed that Patel snuck into the U.S. near Vancouver and moved throughout Washington, Tennessee, Georgia, New Jersey and elsewhere. Patel took the witness stand and testified that he moved to the Chicago suburbs, because he was able to acquire an Illinois driver’s license despite being in the U.S. unlawfully. Soon after, he began driving on behalf of the fraud scheme.
“This conviction represents a significant victory in our fight against fraud schemes that target vulnerable elderly victims,” said HSI Chicago acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel Johnsen. “Patel’s reprehensible actions, along with his illegal presence in our country, underscore the critical importance of our efforts to protect our communities and bring such criminals to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling fraud conspiracies and ensuring that those who exploit others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Patel was arrested in Edwardsville in April 2023 when he attempted to pick up $35,000 in cash from a retiree. In total, Patel personally made six trips picking up, or attempting to pick up, $403,400 from elderly victims in Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Patel could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 for conspiracy and each of the wire fraud counts. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on May 29 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft are prosecuting the case.
Houston resident pleads guilty to laundering proceeds from $40M fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old man has admitted to laundering proceeds from a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Bun Khath admitted that from 2016 to 2021, he conspired with others in a bank fraud scheme involving dozens of loans totaling at least $40 million in fraudulent loan proceeds.
As part of the plea, Khath acknowledged opening and maintaining shell companies and bank accounts to collect money from the scheme and then laundering the fraud proceeds by wiring them to bank accounts other co-conspirators controlled.
Khath and others accomplished the bank fraud by preparing loan applications that contained false and fraudulent information and documents, including fake equipment sales invoices, income tax returns and financial and bank statements.
U.S. District Keith Ellison will impose sentencing April 29. At that time, Khath faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 possible fine or twice the amount involved in the transaction.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Another Houston resident charged in the case - Hugo Villanueva, 70, - is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.