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Wednesday 15 January 2025
Arizona Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Alexander J. Short, 26 years old, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Short was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, from 2020 through 2023, Short engaged in a conspiracy to supply fentanyl pills to a distribution group in the Northern District of Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department, the Glendale (Arizona) Police Department, and the Allen County (Indiana) Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
This case 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, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Arcadia Felon Pleads Guilty to Selling Firearms to Undercover ATF AgentRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Roger Clayton (41, Arcadia) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clayton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2022, Clayton directed an ATF agent, acting in an undercover capacity, to meet him in Arcadia where Clayton offered several firearms for sale, including a Ruger Mini-14 .223 caliber rifle, a Mauser 6.5 caliber rifle, a VZ24 6.5 caliber rifle, a Tokarev 7.62mm caliber pistol, and a Romarm-Cugir 7.62mm pistol. Clayton advised that he could also facilitate the sale of silencers as well as “ghost guns,” which are privately manufactured and untraceable firearms. At the time, Clayton had multiple prior felony convictions including grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, trafficking in stolen property, possession of a place for the purpose of trafficking, fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, and robbery. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael J. Buchanan.
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.
Tuesday 14 January 2025
United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers Announces His DepartureRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers announced today that he has tendered his resignation to the President and the Attorney General and will conclude his service effective January 18, 2025.
“It has been a privilege to lead this office of talented professionals who strive every day to make the public safer, hold lawbreakers accountable, and ensure that our rights are protected,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “The rule of law is not self-executing. It requires the hard work and sacrifice of public servants acting with dedication and fairness. Alongside our outstanding law enforcement partners, we sought to maximize our impact for the public’s benefit and always strove to do the right thing the right way. I am so very proud of all we accomplished together and know that the office will continue to do extraordinary work on behalf of the people we serve. I am deeply grateful to the President for nominating me, and to the Attorney General, Senator Young, Former Senator Braun, and Congressman Carson for their support. Serving on behalf of the United States has been the professional honor of a lifetime.”
Under Myers’ leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office successfully implemented his strategic plan, focused on maximizing the impact of the office by bringing cases against the most serious offenses and offenders, expanding the office’s resources, working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and increasing community outreach:
Combatting Gun Violence and Other Violent Crimes
Combatting gun violence has been a top priority for the office throughout U.S. Attorney Myers’ tenure. The office has focused on bringing impactful cases against offenders who engage in serial gun crimes and who continue to illegally arm themselves notwithstanding a significant, violent criminal history.
During Myers’s tenure, the office has successfully prosecuted the murders of a mail carrier during the pandemic, a victim of a series of online marketplace robberies, and fellow inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute. The office has focused on gun trafficking as a source of violence, prosecuting two brothers who manufactured and distributed machine guns intended for ISIS, and offenders who illegally trafficked guns to violent criminals in Indianapolis, Chicago, and allegedly Mexico. The office responded to the illegal proliferation of “Glock switches” and “ghost guns,” securing significant federal prison sentences against criminals who illegally manufactured and trafficked the weapons in Evansville, Franklin, and Indianapolis. U.S. Attorney Myers secured a partnership with the City of Indianapolis to create three Special Assistant U.S. Attorney positions to increase the resources available to federally prosecute armed, violent criminals in the city.
U.S. Attorney Myers prioritized the office’s LEATH Initiative, a partnership initiated in 2020 to focus federal prosecution resources on illegally armed domestic abusers in honor of IMPD Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call. Over the past three years, the office has brought significant cases, securing serious federal prison sentences for illegally armed domestic abusers. U.S. Attorney Myers and prosecutors in the office have increased outreach to better inform domestic violence service providers, law enforcement, and local prosecutors and judges about federal gun laws and the office’s commitment to addressing domestic gun violence through federal prosecution.
Disrupting the Trafficking of Deadly Drugs
The acceleration of drug overdoses caused thousands of deaths and tremendous suffering in Indiana and nationwide, largely fueled by the explosion in the availability of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, manufactured by cartels based in Mexico and smuggled into the United States. Under U.S. Attorney Myers, the office has focused its efforts on disrupting the trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly drugs by targeting the traffickers causing the most harm in our communities. Working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the office successfully dismantled prolific drug trafficking conspiracies, took down a drug trafficking outlaw motorcycle gang, and prosecuted traffickers responsible for pumping poisons into neighborhoods from Kokomo, to Indianapolis, to Evansville. The office targeted significant traffickers who were responsible for bringing fentanyl from Mexico into our communities, armed themselves with arsenals including with machineguns, and engaged in violence including dog fighting.
Working closely with our partners at the DEA and other law enforcement agencies, the office sought justice for deaths resulting from fentanyl trafficking, including drugs sold through social media, and allegedly causing the death of a toddler and near-fatal overdose of an infant. U.S. Attorney Myers worked closely with our community and law enforcement partners on numerous community outreach and engagement efforts to spread awareness of the dangers of counterfeit fentanyl pills, and that “One Pill Can Kill.”
Fighting Hate and Discrimination
As U.S. Attorney, Myers prioritized protecting federal civil rights, significantly expanding staffing and outreach to prosecute hate crimes and stop illegal discrimination. Myers and the office’s civil rights attorneys have led the United Against Hate initiative, educating communities across the district about the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts and how to report hate and bias incidents. Under U.S. Attorney Myers, the office successfully prosecuted a violent hate crime against an Asian-American student and antisemitic death threats against offices of the Anti-Defamation League. The office also secured court orders halting unlawful discrimination against a police officer with HIV and a Muslim group seeking to build a religious seminary and residential housing.
Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
U.S. Attorney Myers prioritized prosecution of heinous criminals who sexually exploited and trafficked our children. Under his leadership, the office worked closely with Indiana’s nationally-renowned Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and other law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the predators who seek gratification through abuse of the most vulnerable. Under U.S. Attorney Myers’ leadership, the office prosecuted pedophiles who identified and groomed their victims using online platforms and games including Roblox, Snapchat, Instagram, and Kik. The office secured decades-long prison sentences against a man who solicited a hitman to murder his child victim and her family, two predators who conspired to sexually exploit a child they drugged with methamphetamine, parents who recorded themselves sexually abusing their baby, and a couple who conspired with Jared Fogle to sexually exploit children.
U.S. Attorney Myers and the office’s prosecutors also worked to expand the office’s efforts to fight human trafficking, bringing impactful prosecutions against pimps and abusers who trafficked children for sex, and investing significant resources in outreach including hosting a two-day training seminar for law enforcement and victim organizations.
Holding Public Officials Accountable for Violations of Public Trust
Government officials who engage in corruption betray the public’s trust in furtherance of personal gain. Law enforcement officers who violate Hoosiers’ civil rights betray the public’s trust and erode support for their sisters and brothers who serve honorably. Under U.S. Attorney Myers, federal prosecutors successfully disrupted a culture of public corruption in Muncie’s City Hall and held three former Indiana state legislators accountable for taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from casino companies.
U.S. Attorney Myers’ significantly increased the resources dedicated to investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officers engaged in police brutality, and under his leadership the office secured serious prison sentences for five Muncie police officers responsible for a series of illegal beatings and their attempted coverup, an IMPD Sergeant who stomped on the head of a defenseless arrestee on Monument Circle, and a New Castle police Lieutenant who assaulted three defenseless men causing serious injuries, including a fractured spine.
Combatting Frauds Against Individuals, Businesses, and the Government
Under U.S. Attorney Myers’ leadership, the office prioritized criminal prosecution and civil enforcement of fraud and abuse targeting government programs, small businesses, and vulnerable individuals. The office worked with its law enforcement and Justice Department partners to bring indictments in an alleged $45 million fraudulent virtual school scheme, dismantle a nationwide “grandparent scam,” hold an insurance broker accountable for a multi-million dollar “Ponzi” scheme, and aggressively pursue civil enforcement including recovering $345 million from a hospital system alleged to have illegally overpaid doctors to incentivize referrals.
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During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Myers served in additional leadership roles including as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Cyber and Intellectual Property and as a member of various committees and working groups developing policy and addressing issues relating to cybercrime and technology. Myers regularly spoke to public and private sector groups about cybercrime, cybersecurity, and the importance of working with federal law enforcement in responding to a critical cyber incident.
Before assuming office as U.S. Attorney, Myers spent more than a decade as an AUSA in the Southern District of Indiana and the District of Maryland focused on cyber- and technology-facilitated offenses. He earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, graduate degree from George Washington University, and law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Myers worked in the private sector and on Capitol Hill. Myers grew up in Indianapolis and is the first Black person to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the district.
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Upon U.S. Attorney Myers’ departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Childress will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act.
Mr. Childress first joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2001. He previously served as both First Assistant United States Attorney and Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and the Central District of Illinois.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office and Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Employee Reach Settlement to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A former employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory has agreed to pay the United States a total of $67,500 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment for time allegedly worked and expenses allegedly incurred during business trips.
The settlement resolves allegations that William Monford Wood submitted 23 false claims between July 12, 2016, and December 20, 2017, for trips to various locations in California, including Oakland, Livermore, and Santa Barbara. The United States contends that these claims were for time not actually worked and expenses not actually incurred or without a legitimate business purpose during the period from June 19, 2016, to December 9, 2017.
As part of the settlement, Wood has agreed to pay $67,500, of which $38,549.83 is restitution. In addition to the monetary settlement, Wood has agreed to never seek employment with, or work for, the federal government, its contractors or subcontractors in any capacity funded by or through the federal government, and to never seek a federal government security clearance.
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie and Auditor Phillip Stella.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing of Belen Couple for Theft from Isleta Pueblo BusinessRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Belen couple were sentenced for stealing $10,420.63 from a general store on the Isleta Pueblo, after pleading guilty to federal theft charges involving a coordinated burglary captured on surveillance footage.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2023, Frank Hernandez, 44, entered the business office of Chical Haystack, a general store located within the Isleta Pueblo, and stole $7,285.75 in cash and a check for $3,134.88 from the store’s safe.
Frank in the store’s safe
His wife, Eva Hernandez, 46, acted as a lookout during the incident.
Eva (highlighted) acting as lookout
Surveillance footage showed Frank’s distinctive neck tattoo, which aided in his identification.
Frank’s neck tattoo, visible in another mugshot.
Following an anonymous tip on February 7, 2023, an Isleta Pueblo Criminal Investigator identified the suspects through social media and vehicle-registration searches. Frank and Eva Hernandez were arrested on February 13, 2024.
During police interviews, Frank Hernandez admitted to the theft, stating he used the money to purchase drugs. Eva Hernandez denied knowledge of the theft but admitted opiate use.
Frank Hernandez was sentenced to 257 days incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Mandatory conditions of Frank’s supervised release include substance-abuse treatment, mental-health treatment, community service, and full restitution to Chical Haystack. He cannot return to the Isleta Pueblo.
Eva Hernandez was sentenced to six months of home confinement with GPS monitoring. She will thereafter be under supervision for 2.5 years, with mandatory conditions to include substance-abuse treatment, community service, and full restitution to Chical Haystack. She cannot return to the Isleta Pueblo.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Isleta Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Belen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones and Brittany DuChaussee are prosecuting these cases.
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U.S. Attorney's Office and Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office Secure Sentencing in Albuquerque Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition following an incident at Adam Food Market in Albuquerque.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on the night of January 24, 2024, officers from the Albuquerque Police Department responded to reports of a man brandishing a handgun during an argument at Adam Food Market on Central Avenue. Surveillance footage from APD's Real Time Crime Center captured most of the incident.
During the altercation, the other individual involved produced a knife. Despite opportunities to disengage, Arthur Steven Stewart retrieved a small pistol and reapproached the other individual, pointing the firearm at him. APD officers arrived on scene and apprehended Stewart, recovering a loaded pistol from his pocket.
Stewart, who was on probation for a previous robbery with a firearm enhancement conviction, initially claimed he had found the gun in the street and was attempting to return it to its owner.
Upon his release from prison, Stewart will be subject to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the announcement today.
The Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.
The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Pleas in Albuquerque Fentanyl CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Albuquerque drug dealers pleaded guilty to federal charges after attempting to sell 30,000 fentanyl pills, containing approximately 3,200 grams of the drug, to an undercover law enforcement agent.
According to court documents, on December 6, 2023, Miguel Antonio Ramirez, 23, and Isaiah Anthony Aragon, 24, conspired to sell approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills for $30,000 to an undercover law enforcement agent.
That day, Ramirez drove to Aragon's residence in Albuquerque, where Aragon delivered a tan plastic bag containing the fentanyl pills to Ramirez's vehicle. When DEA agents approached the vehicle, Aragon attempted to flee, but was apprehended shortly after. A subsequent search of Aragon's residence yielded $61,024 in cash, an electronic money counter, and a digital scale.
Laboratory analysis confirmed that the seized pills contained fentanyl with a net weight of 3,217 grams.
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 Albuquerque Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada to Leave Justice Department After Serving as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the Largest District in the NationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Martin Estrada announced today that he will resign his position as the chief prosecutor for the nation’s most-populous federal district, the Central District of California. While serving as the top federal law enforcement officer in the Los Angeles-based district since September 2022, Mr. Estrada oversaw more than 500 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff who serve almost 20 million people in the seven counties that comprise the district.
Mr. Estrada tendered his resignation to the President and the Attorney General today, and he will conclude his service as United States Attorney on January 17.
“As the child of immigrants from Guatemala, neither my family nor I could ever have believed that I would one day have the opportunity to serve as United States Attorney in service to the greatest country in the world,” Mr. Estrada said. “To say that serving in this position has been an honor would be a profound understatement. Giving back to the community where I grew up and that I love so dearly – and doing so alongside such talented and generous attorneys and staff – has been the greatest privilege of my life.”
During his tenure, Mr. Estrada prioritized protecting the public by taking on the most significant and impactful cases, outreach to the community, and recruiting the best lawyers in the country to continue the office’s excellent service to the nation.
Notable Casework
With regard to casework, Mr. Estrada focused on matters addressing hate crimes, civil rights, violent crime, national security, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, public corruption, corporate fraud and financial crimes, and protecting vulnerable communities and environmental justice.
Hate Crimes
In one of the most diverse regions in the country, Mr. Estrada collaborated with other civic and law enforcement leaders in numerous events to highlight the community’s unity against hate and prejudice of all types. Delivering on this message, the office aggressively prosecuted hate crimes in the district, including by convicting and obtaining a 35-year prison sentence against a man who attempted to murder two orthodox Jewish men in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles; carrying out the largest-ever takedown of a Neo-Nazi organization, involving 68 members and associates of the San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods and Aryan Brotherhood; convicting an active-duty Marine and his conspirators who firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic, sought to attack Dodger Stadium during “Pride Night” and conspired to attack the power-grid system to start a race war; obtaining a 98-count indictment against the shooter who murdered one congregant and attempted to kill 44 others at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods; and convicting a man who drove his car through a “stop Asian hate” rally in Diamond Bar.
Civil Rights
In the field of civil rights, under Mr. Estrada’s leadership, prosecutors charged a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy who allegedly, along with his former law enforcement and military accomplices, unlawfully held an Irvine family as part of a multimillion-dollar business dispute; convicted a former FBI agent who accepted bribes from an organized crime figure; and convicted an LASD deputy for using excessive force against a teacher and then attempting to cover up the act.
Lawyers in the office’s Civil Division obtained the largest redlining settlement in the history of the Department of Justice – $31 million – against City National Bank; secured a settlement with the County of Los Angeles to ensure access for voters with disabilities; filed a lawsuit against LA Fitness, the largest fitness club chain in the country, alleging disability discrimination at its fitness clubs; and initiated an investigation into allegations of sexual assault and harassment at the two women’s state prisons in California.
Violent Crime
To address violent crime, Mr. Estrada built greater federal and local partnerships throughout the region. In particular, he launched Operation Safe Cities, an enhanced collaboration with local police and sheriffs’ departments to address the most violent gun criminals, particularly those involved in commercial robberies, kidnappings, extortion and gun offenses. Through Operation Safe Cities, the office has filed dozens of cases subjecting dangerous gun criminals to enhanced federal penalties.
Other notable violent crime results under Mr. Estrada’s leadership include decades-long prison sentences against three gang members who murdered an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer while he was shopping for a home with his girlfriend; a life sentence against a gang member who murdered the son of a former federal agent; a racketeering indictment targeting the leadership of a gang allegedly responsible for the murder of two El Monte Police Department officers; the indictment of a car-rental business and its operators who allegedly facilitated more than 120 burglaries by South American crime tourists; the indictment of a man who shot at a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputy responding to a domestic violence call; and the indictment of Grammy-winning Chicago rapper Durk Banks, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” for allegedly conspiring to murder a rival rapper and killing his cousin.
In September 2024, Mr. Estrada was joined by Mayor Karen Bass, City Attorney Heidi Feldstein-Soto and other law enforcement officials to announce the Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative, a multi-agency initiative to address the sexual exploitation of children and young people along Figueroa Street, a notorious prostitution hub. With this initiative, prosecutors were able to obtain major sentences against pimps trafficking in children.
National Security
In the national security area, prosecutors obtained a life sentence against a Long Beach man whose bomb attack in Orange County killed his ex-girlfriend and injured two other victims; prison time for a U.S. Navy officer who transmitted sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer; convictions and prison time for weapons traffickers who illegally exported military items to Russia; the indictment of a Chinese national who allegedly worked to illegally ship firearms, ammunition and sensitive technology to North Korea; and the indictment of a former member of the Chinese military who allegedly illegally operated as an agent for the People’s Republic of China and sought to influence the U.S. political system.
Prosecutors also worked to protect the cybersecurity of the nation with notable cases, including indicting the leaders of the cybercriminal group known as Anonymous Sudan that launched more than 35,000 cyber attacks in one year against U.S. government agencies, major corporations and foreign governments; dismantling the massive, global botnet known as Qakbot, which was tied to ransomware attacks around the world; and indicting four individuals connected to the Scattered Spider network, which was responsible for more than $11 million in losses.
Synthetic Drugs
With fentanyl becoming the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45 and wreaking havoc on the streets, Mr. Estrada focused major resources on combating this epidemic. As for large-scale drug traffickers, prosecutors filed critical cases, including matters against a Chinese laboratory and its staff for allegedly selling fentanyl precursor chemicals; a Canadian and former Olympic snowboarder and his conspirators charged with trafficking tons of drugs from Mexico to the United States and Canada; Mexican cartel members and Canadian truckdrivers moving hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine throughout the United States and Canada; an alliance alleged between the Sinaloa cartel and money launderers in the People’s Republic of China; and numerous fentanyl traffickers operating on the dark web.
Mr. Estrada also directed the office to put significant focus on charging drug-traffickers who cause the death of another person, cases which carry 20-year mandatory minimum sentences in federal prison. Partnering with local law enforcement and district attorney’s offices in the region, the office filed over 70 “death-resulting” cases during Mr. Estrada’s tenure, by far the most of any office in the country. Among these was the prosecution of five individuals, including two doctors, responsible for the death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023.
Public Corruption
Mr. Estrada led the office to continued success in combating public corruption. Among other matters, prosecutors obtained a RICO conspiracy conviction and 13-year prison sentence for former Los Angeles city councilman Jose Huizar; a 12-year prison sentence for former Los Angeles deputy mayor Raymond Chan; a bribery and fraud conviction and 3½-year prison sentence against longtime politician Mark Ridley-Thomas; a five-year prison sentence for a real estate executive who bribed a San Luis Obispo County supervisor; and convictions of the former Commerce city manager and Baldwin Park city attorney for a bribery scheme concerning cannabis permits. Prosecutors also secured the guilty plea of Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do to charges of bribery involving more than $10 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
Corporate Fraud and Financial Crimes
To put greater focus and resources on fraud by executives and insiders, Mr. Estrada launched the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, a section dedicated to prosecuting complex corporate crimes, abuses by company insiders, and offenses that impact the nation’s financial system. Among other cases, prosecutors charged Fat Brands Inc., its former CEO, and former CFO on fraud charges; indicted an activist short seller with multiple counts of securities fraud; and convicted the former CEO and chairman of a health care company of securities fraud and insider trading.
Financial fraud prosecutors also brought criminal charges against those involved in illegal gambling, including Ippei Mizuhara, the former translator for Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Protecting Vulnerable Communities and Environmental Justice
Mr. Estrada placed great emphasis on protecting vulnerable victims. To do so, he launched the Vulnerable Communities Task Force, which addresses scams aimed at groups that historically have had less legal recourse to address offenders targeting them, such as immigrants, indigent individuals, and older adults. With this initiative, prosecutors have convicted and sentenced numerous individuals and groups involved in “pig butchering” scams and other fraud. Prosecutors also convicted celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi, who stole from his clients in their greatest time of need.
Recognizing the need to combat environmental violations in the nation’s most populous and diverse district, Mr. Estrada created the position of Environmental Justice Coordinator and bolstered the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section of the office. The section indicted Phillips 66 Company for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act by illegally discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of contaminated wastewater; convicted the captain of the Conception dive boat for a fire that killed 34 people; and secured a landmark $20 million settlement with the City of Los Angeles for the discharge of millions of gallons of wastewater from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant into Santa Monica Bay in 2021.
Community Outreach and Recruitment
Mr. Estrada, the first U.S. Attorney of Central American heritage and a native of Southern California, prioritized outreach to allow the community to better understand the work of the office. A fluent Spanish speaker, Mr. Estrada made it a point to provide Spanish-language segments in the over four dozen press conferences and interviews he provided to reporters. Mr. Estrada also created the Community Service and Outreach Committee to direct the office’s outreach efforts. Among other events, the office organized court visits for youth nonprofits in South Los Angeles, met with Tribal leaders and youth, organized civil rights roundtable events with public-interest and faith-based organizations, partnered with AARP and local leaders at fraud-prevention events for older adults, and participated in Adoption Day. To expand outreach at local schools, the office partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, to educate students about cyber safety and other cybersecurity dangers. In launching this partnership, Mr. Estrada served as “Principal for the Day” at LAUSD’s Whitman High School in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles.
Additionally, Mr. Estrada strengthened private sector-public sector collaboration through a series of summits attended by federal and local law enforcement, private companies, and non-profits. Among these were the Power Grid Security Summit, the Semiconductor Security Summit, and the Public Interest Summit.
In the area of criminal justice reform, Mr. Estrada established one of the first federal conviction integrity committees and created an executive position of Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review. The new committee and position allowed for expedited review of innocence claims, ethical issues, and requests for commutation or pardon. Further, working with the district court, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Estrada announced the expansion of the Conviction and Sentence Alternatives (CASA) program, which is being made available to a wider group of defendants by expanding admission criteria to include defendants facing federal charges who have demonstrated an ability and willingness to make significant and meaningful changes in their lives.
To move the office toward better reflecting the diversity of the region, Mr. Estrada also significantly expanded recruitment efforts, sending attorneys to speak at law schools throughout the country and personally visiting dozens of law schools. Mr. Estrada also spoke to bar organizations throughout the country to discuss the work of the office and encourage applicants from nontraditional backgrounds to apply to become AUSAs.
In addition, Mr. Estrada recruited federal investigators to create the office’s first-ever Investigative Division, which will help the office bring more meritorious cases.
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On June 6, 2022, President Biden nominated Mr. Estrada to be U.S. Attorney, and he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on September 13, 2022. He was sworn in as U.S. Attorney on September 19, 2022.
Mr. Estrada received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated magna cum laude, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he graduated with distinction.
Mr. Estrada, who served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 2007 to 2014, is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He also was an Adjunct Professor for Loyola Law School’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic, part of the Alarcón Advocacy Project, where his teams achieved success for indigent clients.
Mr. Estrada served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert J. Timlin of the Central District of California and Judge Arthur L. Alarcón of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten Announces DepartureRead the Press Release
Highlights Office’s Work to Uphold the Rule of Law, Keep the District Safe, and Protect Civil Rights
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced his departure effective Monday, January 20, 2025. President Biden nominated Totten on November 12, 2021, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him on April 27, 2022. He took the oath of office and began service on May 5, 2022.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work my team and I have done to protect the public, especially our more vulnerable citizens like children and seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Over the past few years, we’ve secured major wins in our fight against gun violence, child exploitation, public corruption, hate crimes, consumer fraud, drug poisonings, and other threats. I’m so grateful to have served alongside the amazing team in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the privilege I’ve been given to advance our mission.”
WATCH: Message from U.S. Attorney Mark Totten
Over the past few years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan has furthered its mission to uphold the rule of law, keep the District safe, and protect civil rights in several important ways:
- Gun violence. In 2021 the nation and Michigan had one of highest violent crime rates in three decades and gun violence became the #1 cause of death among children. To help address this spike, the Office focused on two primary drivers of violence: firearms traffickers and shooters. Cases included the prosecution of Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance (who kidnapped a Dunham Sports manager in Benton Harbor and stole 123 guns); the prosecution of Craig Hunnicutt, Jr. (a Grand Rapids man who opened fire and shot multiple victims in the parking lot of a convenience store); and the prosecution of Avis Coward (a Lansing man who illegally possessed a gun that a two-year-old child used to accidentally kill himself). In addition, the Office ran the Safe Summer programs in 2023 and 2024, pledging to prosecute all cases that involved a crime gun to address the rise of gun violence during the warmer months.
- Violence against women. The Office also prioritized the prosecution of firearms offenders who committed violence against women. Cases included the prosecution of Mitchell Pierce (Muskegon man who stalked his ex-wife and threatened to torture and kill her); and Alexander Dominic (Grand Rapids man who beat and choked multiple domestic partners).
- Crimes against children. Access to cell phones and the internet has rendered children more vulnerable than ever, including to criminal networks around the world. The FBI’s investigation and the Office’s successful prosecution of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, who ran a sextortion scheme from Nigeria that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette, Mich., created a new benchmark for how law enforcement responds to this ever-growing threat. Other cases protecting children included the prosecution of Richard Densmore (member of violent 764 terror network who manipulated children to create sexual images and commit self-harm); Arisknight Winfree (Lansing-based sexual predator who preyed on au pairs, including gagging and raping at least one victim); and Rashad Trice (Lansing man who kidnapped and killed 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith, leaving her body in a Detroit alley).
- Public corruption. The Office’s mission to uphold the rule of law includes rooting out public corruption. The prosecution of Rick Johnson, former Speaker of the Michigan House, for brazenly soliciting and accepting bribes as Chair of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board, was one of the largest public corruption cases in state government in a generation.
- Civil rights. In 2023 the Office announced the creation of a Civil Rights Team, hired an additional Assistant U.S. Attorney dedicated to civil rights cases, and launched the United Against Hate program to educate the public about federal hate crimes. The Office backed-up this commitment with two successful hate crimes prosecutions: Nathan Weeden (member of a white supremacist group convicted at trial for hate crimes targeting Black and Jewish people and defacing a Michigan synagogue with Neo-Nazi symbols); and Seann Pietila (Pickford, Mich. resident who plotted a mass-shooting attack on a synagogue in East Lansing). In addition, the office also prosecuted Joshua Brereton (committed arson against the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kalamazoo) and secured a civil settlement with Darrell Jones (Muskegon landlord who the Office alleged repeatedly sexually harassed his female tenants).
- Consumer fraud. These criminals prey on senior citizens and their crimes can lead to financial ruin for their victims. The Office successfully prosecuted several consumer fraud cases including one against Irfan Gill (international telemarketing scheme that defrauded over 1,500 seniors with cable and satellite television).
- Environmental crime. In addition to direct crimes against people, the Office also prosecuted environmental crimes, protecting air, water, and public lands. In the Diesel Freak case, the office prosecuted and convicted multiple companies and individuals involved in a scheme to disable emission-control systems on semi-trucks. These schemes can drastically increase emissions of harmful air pollutants associated with serious health risks. This major Clean Air Act case represented one of the largest aftermarket deletion schemes ever prosecuted in the United States.
- Illegal drugs. Lastly, the Office worked to dismantle the regional-level pipelines that bring drugs into Michigan communities. This work was especially important over the past few years as the number of drug-related deaths reached the highest number ever recorded both in the United States and here in Michigan, driven primarily by the spread of fentanyl. An example of this effort is the prosecution of James Smith, a supplier responsible for the distribution of fentanyl in Kalamazoo that resulted in the death of at least 6 people during a 24-hour period in April 2023.
In addition to these and other cases, U.S. Attorney Totten prioritized efforts to strengthen relationships with law enforcement, community partners, and the eleven federally recognized Tribes in the District. During his term, Totten visited all 49 counties in the Western District of Michigan, meeting with county sheriffs, county prosecutors, and other community partners. In 2023, for example, Totten participated in 311 meetings and other events as part of his community outreach efforts.
U.S. Attorney Totten was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lives today. He previously served as Chief Legal Counsel in the Executive Office of the Governor for the State of Michigan from 2019-2022. Prior to entering government service, Totten was a law professor at Michigan State University from 2008-2018, where he taught criminal law and criminal procedure. From 2011-2013 he served part-time as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney handling criminal appeals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. He was a judicial law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and began his career as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Appellate Staff, in Washington, D.C. Totten received his B.A. from Cedarville College and his law degree and a Ph.D. in ethics from Yale University.
The U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Michigan. The District covers 49 counties, including the western half of Michigan’s lower peninsula and the whole of the upper peninsula. The main office is in Grand Rapids, but the District also has a staffed office in Marquette and unstaffed offices in Lansing and Kalamazoo. As U.S. Attorney, Totten managed a team of approximately 42 attorneys and 48 support staff. At the national level, Totten served as a member on several U.S. Department of Justice bodies: the Terrorism & National Security Subcommittee; the Civil Rights Subcommittee; and the Environmental Justice Subcommittee.###
- Gun violence. In 2021 the nation and Michigan had one of highest violent crime rates in three decades and gun violence became the #1 cause of death among children. To help address this spike, the Office focused on two primary drivers of violence: firearms traffickers and shooters. Cases included the prosecution of Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance (who kidnapped a Dunham Sports manager in Benton Harbor and stole 123 guns); the prosecution of Craig Hunnicutt, Jr. (a Grand Rapids man who opened fire and shot multiple victims in the parking lot of a convenience store); and the prosecution of Avis Coward (a Lansing man who illegally possessed a gun that a two-year-old child used to accidentally kill himself). In addition, the Office ran the Safe Summer programs in 2023 and 2024, pledging to prosecute all cases that involved a crime gun to address the rise of gun violence during the warmer months.
U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger Announces Resignation from the District of MinnesotaRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger officially announced his resignation as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, effective 11:59 p.m. on January 15, 2025. His resignation marks the close of U.S. Attorney Luger’s second stint as the top prosecutor and federal law enforcement executive in the state of Minnesota. He was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden and sworn in on March 30, 2022, as the 37th United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. He was previously appointed by President Barack Obama and served as Minnesota’s United States Attorney from 2014 until 2017.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said: “I have been honored to lead this office for the second time. In March 2022, I set us on the path to address violent crime to meet the challenge our community faced. I am so grateful to the people of this Office and our many law enforcement partners for the work we have done to bring violent criminals to justice. We have also taken aggressive action against child predators, for which I am proud.”
Under U.S. Attorney Luger’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized the prosecution of crimes related to gun and gang violence, narcotics trafficking, child exploitation online, human trafficking and smuggling, and financial fraud and public corruption. Carrying out the U.S. Attorney’s violent crime initiative, the United States Attorney’s Office charged over 100 gang members, brought first ever RICO cases against Minneapolis gangs, charged 70 defendants in the Feeding Our Future scandal and charged 5 people with attempting to bribe a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial. The Office brought charges against a defendant for an attempted arson at a Mosque, won a conviction in the sex trafficking case against Tony Lazzaro, and indicted a woman for s straw purchasing firearms used in fatal shooting of three first responders in Burnsville, Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Luger’s direction, the Office also revamped and expanded its work in Indian Country, opened an office in Duluth with the first-ever full-time federal prosecutor outside of the Metro and expanded its civil enforcement and investigation of civil rights cases.
U.S. Attorney Luger’s vision and innovative approach to combatting violent crime in the Twin Cities and beyond recently earned him commendation from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and the Minneapolis Police Department. Last September, U.S. Attorney Luger received an Honorary Award of Appreciation from the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for his “innovative strategy of both targeting those who are committing firearm violence and disrupting the supply of firearms to criminals in Minnesota” and support of the overall mission of the ATF.
U.S. Attorney Luger was also appointed by Attorney General Garland to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, and he chaired its Violent Crime Subcommittee, leading over 30 U.S. Attorney’s in developing and implementing innovative strategies to address violent crime around the nation.
Upon Mr. Luger’s resignation, Lisa D. Kirkpatrick, who currently serves as First Assistant United States Attorney, will become the Acting United States Attorney. Ms. Kirkpatrick is a veteran federal prosecutor who previously served as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Appellate Chief.
“I thank President Biden for nominating me as United States Attorney, and Attorney General Garland for leading the Department and supporting the District of Minnesota during my tenure. I was privileged to work closely with Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. It has been an honor to serve the American people,” U.S. Attorney Luger commented in closing.
Two Romanian Men Plead Guilty to Possession of Device Making EquipmentRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe, and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, both nationals of Romania, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of device making equipment, also known as skimming devices.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on June 21, 2024, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division began receiving reports from various agencies regarding the discovery of skimmer devices being located at various stores in central Mississippi. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that would determine the location of installed skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Gheorghe, 28, and Neacsu, 29, could be seen on surveillance video at various stores throughout the Southern District of Mississippi placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in June and July 2024. The skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers.
Included in the information skimmed or stolen by these defendants were SNAP benefits totaling over $80,000. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. These stolen SNAP benefits were used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and can be traced back to the skimming devices in Mississippi.
Gheorghe and Neacsu are scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025, and face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
The Cyber Fraud Task Force offered the following tips to keep your bank card data safe:
1. Use terminals that offer tap to pay or chip read capabilities. Avoid swiping cards, if possible.2. Look at the terminal prior to inserting or using your card in relation to other terminals in the store. Do they look the same? Overlay skimmers will add to the overall dimensions of a terminal.
Two Altoona Residents Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of narcotics trafficking related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Tonya Settlemyer, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, while Andrew Stowell, 67, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that Stowell sold a quantity of methamphetamine to an undercover officer on December 12, 2022. The Court was also advised that Settlemyer assisted an Altoona-based narcotics dealer who distributed large quantities of methamphetamine to various individuals throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for both defendants for May 15, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1 million, or both for Settlemyer and not less than 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both for Stowell. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The Court ordered that Settlemyer remain detained and Stowell remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of the case, which also included the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police.
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.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $400,000 from Maine Couple While They Were on VacationRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to four counts of wire fraud.
According to court records, in October 2022, the FBI began an investigation after a Maine couple reported a loss of nearly $400,000 via unauthorized wire transfers and purchases from their bank account. The couple stated that after returning from a vacation, they unsuccessfully attempted to log into their bank account and called the bank to request their username and password be reset. Once able to view the account, they found multiple wire transfers on the statement.
The investigation showed that in August 2022, an unknown person called the bank pretending to be the account holder, requesting the account balance and updating the contact phone number. Shortly after, they also changed the contact email address. Over a two-week period, several transfers were made between the victims’ home equity line of credit account to their savings account. Multiple wire transfers were then made to a Texas bank account held by Kyle Lawless Pollar, 27. The four wire transfers totaled $360,880. $66,000 from one wire transfer was transferred to a jeweler also located in Texas. Pollar withdrew funds from his account in cash and cashier’s checks, and the cashier’s checks were deposited in other Texas bank accounts in his name. Security cameras captured him making deposits and withdrawing funds.
Pollar faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each of the four counts, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jack Rocker (19, Tampa) pleaded guilty on December 16, 2024, to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Rocker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Rocker will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to the victims. The government is also seeking forfeiture of Rocker’s cellphone, thumb drive, and laptop which were used to commit the offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 14, 2025.
According to court filings, Rocker was a member of a network of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists called “764.” Members of “764” use online social media communications platforms as mediums to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and CSAM.
On January 19, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search at Rocker’s home and seized his cellphone, thumb drive, and laptop, all of which contained CSAM. At the time, the FBI determined that Rocker’s devices contain more than 8,300 images and videos of CSAM, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, masochistic sexual behavior, and bestiality.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa Spergel and Karyna Valdes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Stratford Man Pleads Guilty to Committing Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, DONAVEN LEE NOTARO, 24, of Stratford, pleaded guilty to committing child abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On December 27, 2024, Notaro was charged by Superseding Information with child abuse. According to public record, between January 1, 2024, and April 16, 2024, Notaro willfully injured or harmed the health, safety, or welfare of three children for whom he was responsible.
Yesterday, Notaro pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted he willfully injured or harmed the health, safety, or welfare of the victims. After his plea, Notaro was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals.
This case is in federal court because Notaro is a member of the Creek Nation and the crimes took place within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation.
At sentencing, Notaro faces up to life in federal prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Stratford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
St. Louis County Man Admits Defrauding Online Sellers with Prop MoneyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County on Tuesday admitted using movie prop money to defraud at least 13 online sellers of vehicles and other property, costing them $229,200.
Aaron Montgomery, 41, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and four counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. He admitted that beginning in August 2022, he targeted those who were selling vehicles or other property online. Montgomery contacted the sellers, negotiated a price and then arranged a meeting, often at a bank to make it appear as if he was using real money. Montgomery provided them “motion picture money,” or prop money, often inside a bank envelope or bag. Montgomery would then take the property, which included cars, SUVs, trucks, five pairs of Air Jordans and audio equipment, before the sellers discovered that he had not provided them with real money.
Montgomery transported at least five of the stolen vehicles from the states where the sellers lived, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, back to Missouri.
Montgomery’s sentencing is scheduled for May 22. Both sides agreed to recommend 51 months in prison and full restitution to all victims.
Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Missouri law enforcement agencies that investigated include the Lake St. Louis Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland Heights Police Department, the Kansas City Police Department, the Barry County Sheriff's Office and the Richmond Heights Police Department. The Glen Carbon (Illinois) Police Department, the Palatine (Illinois) Police Department, the Holland (Michigan) Police Department and the Gahanna (Ohio) Police Department also investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Indicted for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a stolen firearm that has been connected to two shootings.
Jayden Isaac Simmonds, 18, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Simmonds on Dec. 20, 2024.
The federal indictment charges Simmonds with one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Simmonds’s father turned in a Smith & Wesson 10mm semi-automatic pistol to the Springfield Police Department on Aug. 23, 2024. The pistol, which investigators later learned was stolen during the theft of a motor vehicle in December 2023, had been taken from Simmonds while he was asleep.
Investigators test-fired the pistol and submitted the 10mm cartridges to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) for analysis. The test-fired cartridges, the affidavit says, were a presumptive match to shell casings recovered from two separate shootings in Springfield in August 2024. The first shooting occurred on Aug. 4, 2024, on West Brower Street. An occupied residence was shot multiple times by unknown suspects. At least 17 rounds stuck the residence, but there were no injuries. The second shooting occurred on Aug. 14, 2024, on North Prospect Avenue. A disturbance resulted in shots being fired. One residence was struck, but there were no injuries reported.
Following his arrest, the affidavit says, Simmonds told investigators he had been using marijuana daily since he was 11 or 12 years old, and that he was addicted to opioids and had been using fentanyl.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Shanelle Booker Becomes Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A life-long Georgian who has served as a federal prosecutor for the Middle District of Georgia in most of its major leadership roles—including as its Criminal Division Chief and First Assistant U.S. Attorney—is the new Acting U.S. Attorney, the first time a Black person and a Black woman has led the office.
C. Shanelle Booker became the Acting U.S. Attorney on Jan. 12, 2025, by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act, and has served the citizens of the Middle District of Georgia as a federal prosecutor since 2015.
“It is an honor for me to serve the citizens of the Middle District of Georgia in this leadership role, and to ensure the good work of the office continues seamlessly,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “Upholding justice and ensuring the safety of all is our office’s utmost objective, alongside our strong law enforcement and community partners across the Middle District of Georgia.”
Ms. Booker has prosecuted high-profile violent crime, child exploitation, sex trafficking, public corruption and fraud cases in the Middle District of Georgia. Since joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2015, Ms. Booker has held nearly every major leadership role, including Elder Justice Coordinator, Criminal Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Coordinator, Deputy Criminal Division Chief, Criminal Division Chief, Acting Administrative Officer and as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
A resident of Macon, Georgia, Ms. Booker is active in the community with a special focus on volunteering with young people, including mentoring juvenile girls committed to the Macon Regional Youth Detention Center through the Girl Squad Mentoring Program and the United Way of Central Georgia’s Read United Program, a comprehensive literacy program focused on school-based, grade-level reading support and tutoring. Ms. Booker also works with Just the Beginning Foundation to inspire law careers among underrepresented students and volunteers with the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition. She is a member of Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a former board member of the Central Georgia Empowerment Fund, a philanthropic fund that seeks to build capacity and financial sustainability of non-profit organizations that serve the Black community and address the most pressing needs facing Blacks in the Central Georgia region.
Ms. Booker is an adjunct professor at Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she has taught criminal justice classes since 2020. Ms. Booker also regularly leads critical training for the law enforcement community on topics including firearm conversion devices and machineguns; fentanyl and armed drug trafficking; hate crimes; elder abuse and other major areas of concern, sharing her expertise as a seasoned prosecutor.
Raised in Riverdale, Georgia, and a graduate of Clayton County Public Schools, Ms. Booker received her B.A. from Hampton University, magna cum laude, and J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. After law school, Ms. Booker clerked for U.S. District Judge Brian Miller of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Following her clerkship, Ms. Booker served as a state public defender and managing attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit Defender’s Office where she represented indigent people charged with felony crimes in Brunswick, Georgia.
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Ms. Booker is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Middle District of Georgia, which covers 70 of Georgia’s 159 counties, includes Albany, Athens, Columbus, Macon and Valdosta, and has a population of approximately 2,045,000 people. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the District, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, fraud, firearms, illegal gangs and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
San Diego Man Pleads Guilty to Supplying Fentanyl that Resulted in Deaths of Two in North Park HomeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO –Scott Anthony Sargent of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied the fentanyl that caused the fatal overdoses of a 40-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man in North Park in 2022.
San Diego Police officers, along with investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team, responded to a 911 call at a home in North Park in the very early hours of November 10, 2022. When law enforcement officials arrived, they found four individuals unresponsive in the home. Two of the individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, while Sargent and another individual were treated with Narcan and transported for medical attention and recovered.
According to the plea agreement, Sargent admitted that he distributed the fatal mix of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl (a common fentanyl analogue) to the two victims, causing their deaths.. Investigators linked Sargent to the overdoses through the fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl mixture found at the overdose location and in a subsequent law enforcement search of Sargent’s storage locker.
Sargent’s backpack was found at the site containing 318 grams of methamphetamine, 26.2 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl, and 13 bags of a tan powdery substance weighing 437.9 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl. Sargent’s duffel bag, also recovered from the bedroom, contained 30.4 grams of methamphetamine and 11.3 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.
Sargent’s storage locker was searched following his arrest. Inside, officers found two 40 mm semi-automatic handguns, 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.44 grams of cocaine, and 113.4 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.
“This result is another reminder that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is tackling the fentanyl crisis at all levels: from suppliers to traffickers to street-level distributors,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Even dealing personal use amounts of fentanyl can result in a federal conviction.”
“A guilty plea cannot undo the lives lost, but it can stand as a stark reminder that those who distribute these drugs will face severe consequences,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “Investigating and bringing to justice those who choose to harm our community is exactly what DEA and our partners are committed to doing.”
“Our department, along with federal and local partners, proudly brought justice to the victims of this heartbreaking crime,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “Let this case be a warning to anyone dealing these dangerous drugs in our communities. We will find and prosecute you, just as we did in this case.”
Sargent’s sentencing hearing is set for April 4, 2025, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Robert Huie.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Gordon and Sarah Goldwasser.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team led the investigation. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr807-RSH
Scott Anthony Sargent Age: 63 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
California Department of Health Care Services
La Mesa Police Department
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Repeat Gun Offender Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clarence Minor, 30, a previously convicted felon from Washington D.C. , was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for illegally possessing after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered that Minor serve three years on supervised release when he is released from prison.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives- Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Minor pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 46-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Minor to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on June 17, 2023, a citizen called 911 to report having seen a young man pull a handgun from his backpack and place it his waistband on his right side. The caller provided details about the physical description, clothing, location, and direction of travel to the 911 operator. Within 10 minutes, MPD officers observed a man, later identified as Minor, wearing the same clothes walking in the area described by the 911 caller.
Officers conducted a lawful stop of Minor, patted the right side of his waistband, and recovered a Glock19, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with one round in the chamber and ten rounds in a 31-round capacity magazine. At the time of the stop, Minor was carrying a small child on his right hip, directly over the top of the loaded handgun.
A review of Minor’s criminal history revealed that he was on supervised release in D.C. Superior Court for a prior gun conviction when he was arrested in this case. Minor had only been back on the streets for four months before his arrest.
This case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
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Registered sex offender gets 30 years for using social media to distribute child pornographyRead the Press Release
GALVESTON – A 46-year-old Alvin resident has been ordered to federal prison after his convictions of transportation and possession of child sexual assault material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
David Lopez Jr. pleaded guilty June 27, 2024.
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown sentenced him to 360 months on each of the two transportation counts and 120 months for each of the two possession counts. They will run concurrently for a total 360-month-term of imprisonment. The court heard additional evidence regarding his lengthy criminal history and his sexual interest in children which dated back to 2014.
Judge Brown considered how Lopez committed this offense while he was registering as a sex offender for his 2006 convictions for sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. The court also took into consideration the victims through their impact statements read in court. He considered how his conduct affected those minors of whom he had collected images and videos that were found in his collection.
Lopez was furthered ordered to pay restitution to the victims and will be on supervised release following the completion of his prison term for the rest of his life. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet.
“This is an individual who has a deep-seated sexual interest in children that cannot be deterred,” said Hamdani. “After two decades of sexually exploiting children by his hands-on offenses and trading child pornography, he must be stopped. The only way to do that is by giving him to a lengthy prison sentence which is what the court did today.”
“With today’s sentencing we have removed a dangerous predator from the community who has shown absolutely no remorse for his heinous actions two decades ago when he sexually assaulted a young child and destroyed an innocent life,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Instead, while registered as a sex offender, he has actively engaged in trafficking the sexual abuse materials that force child victims to relive their worst nightmare in perpetuity. HSI Houston is committed to continuing to aggressively pursue anyone who preys on the vulnerability of our children and will not rest until we have eradicated southeast Texas of this pure form of evil.”
In 2016, Lopez came to the attention of law enforcement after learning he was using social media to distribute files depicting CSAM. From 2016 until 2020, Lopez used multiple sites to upload CSAM to his accounts between Feb. 19, 2016, and Jan. 14, 2020.
Authorities arrested Lopez in February 2020 for failure to comply with his sex offender registration. At that time, he admitted to viewing child pornography. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Lopez’s phone and found 100 images and 60 videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images and videos depicted babies/toddlers and acts of violence such as the penetration of the victims, bestiality, bondage and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
After serving his sentence for the failure to comply with his sex offender registration and possession of a controlled substance, Lopez began transporting, distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography again. Lopez was arrested in October 2022 and once again admitted to trading and viewing child pornography.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations - Galveston conducted the investigation with the assistance of Pearland Police Department, Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Prior felon going back to prison for 16 years on fentanyl and gun chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Walter H. Bennett, 34, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 192 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that Bennett, a two-time convicted felon, was a leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed significant quantities of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl (a lethal fentanyl analogue), and cocaine in the Rochester, and Augusta, Maine, areas. Bennett and his co-conspirators operated a drug house on Woodward Street in Rochester, where they sold these drugs. They also stored controlled substances, firearms, magazines, and ammunition, at houses on Argo Park and Clairmount Street. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered approximately 158 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, and 580 grams of cocaine, along with more than $20,000 in drug proceeds, six firearms, including two stolen firearms and a defaced handgun, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and seven magazines.
Co-defendants Tyrik Edwards, Ray C. Mack, Jr., and Steven Jackson were previously convicted and were sentenced to serve 160 months, 135 months, and 48 months in prison respectively.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, under the direction of Chief David M. Smith.
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Pharmacy Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Medsinbox Pharmacy LTC LLC d/b/a Farmacia San Antonio (“Medsinbox”), a pharmacy located in Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that it never dispensed, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
The United States alleged that, from January 1, 2019, through January 24, 2022, Medsinbox caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that Medsinbox did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill all the prescriptions billed to these federal health care programs.
“Pharmacies play an important role in maintaining the safety and accuracy of prescribed medications, and allegedly billing for medications not actually dispensed undermines that role and defrauds our healthcare programs. The government will continue to pursue entities that engage in fraud and abuse at the taxpayers’ expense.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna
“Health care providers defraud federal health care programs when they bill for goods or services that they did not provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who improperly seek to profit from taxpayer funded programs.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Toll and Kruti Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
medsinbox.settlement_agreement.pdfOhio Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Other NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 45 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on William McCree, 21, also ordering McCree to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that McCree was responsible for trafficking 35 grams of fentanyl, five grams of fluorofentanyl, 50 grams of cocaine, and 30 grams of methamphetamine between May 2021 and October 2022. McCree was on bond with a pending state drug trafficking charge in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, during part of that time period.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McCree.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Hamlett, 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hamlett was in possession of a stolen firearm during a traffic stop on the interstate in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Hamlett is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony drug and firearms convictions.
Hamlett will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Court Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Non-Profit A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc. to Pay $677,634 to Resolve PPP Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $677,634 to settle allegations that the organization violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a $338,817 second-draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Act Program of the CARES Act Disaster Relief Program, and when it further applied for and was granted forgiveness of the entire amount of the loan.
The agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and U.S. Small Business Administration General Counsel Therese Meers.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses and other entities, including non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under the applicable provision of the CARES Act, a business concern or other entity, including a nonprofit organization, is not eligible to receive a second draw loan if it is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, which shall include any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public document.
At the time it applied for the second draw PPP loan, A Jewish Voice for Peace certified to its lender and the SBA in the loan application that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” It further certified in the loan forgiveness application that it met the conditions for receiving the second draw PPP loan. The investigation revealed that A Jewish Voice for Peace was primarily engaged in political activities. A Jewish Voice for Peace contends that any misstatements in this application were inadvertent.
“The Paycheck Protection Act Program existed to help businesses survive a devastating global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “When business owners unfairly drain those funds – either by not reading the eligibility requirements or disregarding them – they put the entire program at risk. In the end, those who are harmed are the businesses that actually qualified for and needed the money, and the taxpayers who funded the program.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Therese Meers.
Under the False Claims Act, a party found to violate the Act must pay three-times the amount of damage to the United States. Had A Jewish Voice for Peace been found liable to the United States under the False Claims Act, it would have been ordered to pay three times the amount of the loan and lost interest, along with civil penalties for each false certification made in the loan application and forgiveness application. In connection with this settlement, A Jewish Voice for Peace agreed to pay an amount equal to two-times the loan amount, or $677,634.
The settlement announced today stems from a Federal investigation that was initiated when another public interest group, TZAC, filed a whistleblower complaint pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.
The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen DeGenaro and Auditor Timothy Hurley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. U.S. Attorney Graves commended Attorneys Kandace Zelaya and Arlene Messengerlerner of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and settlement negotiations. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. TZAC v. A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc.
Tips and complaints regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
New York Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Felix Baez Munoz, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Baez Munoz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Baez Munoz was identified as a drug and money courier for a DTO that trafficked kilograms cocaine from Puerto Rico through the mail. The cocaine inside these packages was typically hidden inside innocuous consumer goods, such as air fryers. The packages were addressed to various addresses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In May 2020, federal agents surveilled Baez Munoz as he transported a duffle bag from Massachusetts to New York. After stopping Baez Munoz in New York, he consented to a search of the duffle bag, which resulted in the seizure of $387,030 of suspected drug proceeds.
U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Mexican Business Owner Settles Allegations of COVID-19 Relief Fund Misuse with U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A New Mexico business owner has agreed to pay $3.2 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds received through the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was expanded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The United States contends that Leonard Vandenberg, who owns and operates several restaurants in New Mexico and Texas, applied for and received three EIDL loans totaling $2,795,700.00 for his businesses. These loans were intended to be used for working capital and expenditures necessary to alleviate economic injury resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after receiving the funds, Vandenberg allegedly moved the majority of the money into his personal investment accounts.
As part of the settlement, Vandenberg will pay $3,281,825.62, of which $2,731,750.26 is restitution. This amount will be applied to the balances of the EIDL loans and associated advances. Additionally, Vandenberg has agreed not to seek any assistance or support from or participate in any Small Business Administration program for a period of five years.
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie and Auditor Phillip Stella.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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New Jersey Resident and Business Owner Admits $3,400,000 Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester, County, New Jersey man admitted to willfully evading more than $3,400,000 of taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
Jose Camilo Perez, Jr., 54, of Sewell, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Perez controlled a company that digitized medical records for hospitals and other healthcare entities. From 2016 through 2023, the business received more than $8,000,000 for the services it performed. Perez attempted to evade the assessment of federal income taxes by cashing checks payable to the business at a check cashing business rather than depositing those checks into the business’s bank account or his personal bank account, and then he used the cash for personal expenses and to pay payroll. From 2016 through 2023, Perez did not report any of the income he received from the business to the IRS. As a result, Perez evaded income taxes of more than $3,400,000.
The tax evasion charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for May 20, 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 the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
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Defense counsel:
Brian J. McMonagle Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
josecamiloperez.information.pdfNew Jersey Pharmacy Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
Medsinbox Pharmacy LTC LLC, doing business as Farmacia San Antonio (Medsinbox), a pharmacy located in Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $625,000.00 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that it never dispensed.
The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2019, through Jan. 24, 2022, Medsinbox caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that Medsinbox did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill all of the prescriptions billed to these federal health care programs.
“Health care providers defraud federal health care programs when they bill for goods or services that they did not provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who improperly seek to profit from taxpayer funded programs.”
“Pharmacies play an important role in maintaining the safety and accuracy of prescribed medications, and allegedly billing for medications not actually dispensed undermines that role and defrauds our healthcare programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey. “The government will continue to pursue entities that engage in fraud and abuse at the taxpayers’ expense.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll for the District of New Jersey handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
New Haven Gang Member Involved in 2021 Murder Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
QUAYMAR SUGGS, 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 250 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent New Haven street gang and his murder of an associate of a rival gang in May 2021.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Suggs and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
On July 1, 2024, Suggs pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on May 19, 2021, he shot and killed an 18-year-old associate of a rival gang. Suggs also admitted that in 2021, he and other Exit 8 members broke into a Connecticut state trooper’s car and stole the trooper’s duty bag.
Suggs has been detained since March 24, 2023.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 3+ Years for Selling Fake Pills Laced with Fentanyl to Undercover Informant, OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portsmouth, New Hampshire man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for distributing fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jerome Hovey Leclair, 39, to 38 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Leclair pleaded guilty on July 11, 2024.
According to court records, in April 2023, under the direction of the Berwick Police Department, a cooperating source met with Leclair at his Portsmouth residence to discuss a future purchase of counterfeit Oxycodone pills. While in the apartment, the informant noted multiple plastic bags filled with small, blue pills, and Leclair gave the informant one pill as a sample. In June 2023, Leclair agreed to sell the informant 100 pills, offering to add 25 for free so that they could make more money selling them. The phone call was recorded, and investigators established surveillance in advance of the controlled purchase at Leclair’s residence and near the agreed-upon meeting location. An undercover officer drove the informant to the buy.
In July 2023, an undercover officer contacted Leclair by text and negotiated the purchase of pills, meeting in Kittery to complete the transaction. The meeting was captured on video and audio. On July 7, 2023, the New Hampshire State Police stopped Leclair’s vehicle in Seabrook, N.H. Investigators recovered 500 blue circular pills from the vehicle along with approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine. In August 2023, the informant again contacted Leclair, negotiating and completing two more buys in New Hampshire.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Berwick Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police.
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Moscow Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Joshua Jay Downer, 39, of Moscow, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, in early 2024, law enforcement received Cybertips from an email provider indicating that somebody who was using their email service was distributing child sexual abuse material from multiple related email addresses. Law enforcement traced the email addresses to a Moscow address where Downer, a registered sex offender on federal supervision for a prior conviction related to child sexual abuse material, lived. In February 2024, law enforcement searched Downer’s home and found a tablet in Downer’s bedroom. Downer was prohibited from possessing this tablet while on federal supervision. A forensic analysis of the tablet revealed numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as evidence indicating that Downer was using the tablet to distribute child sexual abuse material to others.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ordered Downer to serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay $12,000 in restitution to four victims in the images he possessed. Downer will be required to continue to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
“The defendant in this case earned every day of his sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Together with our law enforcement partners, our office remains focused not only on holding accountable anyone who would distribute child sexual abuse materials, but also supporting victims and seeking restitution on their behalf.”
“Every time child sexual abuse material is shared and viewed on the internet, it revictimizes the child,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Kelly of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Any form of child abuse leaves a profound and enduring effect on an innocent victim. The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting children from such harm and exploitation.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of Moscow Police Department, the Latah County Sheriff’s Office, the Lewiston Police Department, the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Monroeville Dogfighter Sentenced to Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Gecoby Penn, age 37, was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison after entering guilty pleas to seventeen counts of possessing a dog for the purpose of having the dog participate in an animal fighting venture. Penn entered his guilty pleas on May 3, 2024.
According to court documents, on Saturday, July 29, 2023, law enforcement with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that there had been a dogfighting event on Thursday, July 27, 2023, hosted by Gecoby Penn. The source reported that there were multiple dog fighting matches and as a result many dogs had been injured. The source was able to describe lacerations to the dogs’ bodies and one dog had a gaping laceration to the head and facial area. On August 3, 2023, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on Penn’s property. The officers seized thirty-eight dogs. Twenty-one of the dogs had injuries and/or scarring consistent with dogfighting. The dogs were tied-up outside without access to shelter or water, and temperatures on that day were in excess of 100 degrees. Also seized during the search warrant were modified treadmills (manual and electric) for dog fight conditioning, injectable veterinary canine medications and syringes, a weighted dog vest, chains and weighted collars, a 4-wheeler mounted running collar, a Flying Jinny rotary runner, a training pool, a dogfight corral with bloodstains, a wooden arena, and canine remains. The blood stains on the wooden arena were sent for laboratory testing and were confirmed to contain canine DNA. The remains on the property were examined by a veterinarian and confirmed to be canine remains. The thirty-eight seized dogs were treated by veterinarians. Twenty-two of them had to be euthanized.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed a 24-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release upon Penn’s discharge from prison. During his term of supervised release, Penn will not be permitted to own or possess any dogs. Penn was ordered to pay $62,408.06 in restitution to the Monroe County Animal Shelter, $2,348 to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and $1,700 in special assessments.The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Monroe County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Recording Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a Missouri man who recorded himself having sexual contact with a minor to 30 years in prison.
Russell Alan Pirkey, now 54, of Linn County, used his cell phone to record his sexual exploitation of a 10-year-old girl. But the abuse lasted months, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman said in court Tuesday. The victim said the abuse began in August of 2022, after Pirkey began grooming her, Chapman said. She was 9 years old at the time.
Pirkey’s crime was discovered on April 8, 2023, when someone with concerns about his contact with the victim contacted the Brookfield Police Department.
Pirkey pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child.
The FBI, the Brookfield Police Department and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Minnesota Man Sentenced After Self-Reporting COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jacob Schneider, 42, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and $555,292.88 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud after self-reporting his own COVID-19 related fraud to authorities.
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which provided emergency assistance to small business owners suffering adverse economic effects caused by the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. The CARES Act created Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), a program administered by the Small Business Administration that provided loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2021, Schneider prepared and submitted a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application for “Piddonkadonk, LLC,” in which he fabricated the entity’s payroll and falsely represented that the PPP funds would be used to pay eligible business expenses, when, in fact, the bulk of the proceeds were used for his personal benefit. Schneider obtained $530,567 in fraudulent PPP funds.
“This case is another example of someone who stole benefits intended for struggling taxpayers and used them for personal gain,” said United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. “The difference in this case is that the defendant voluntarily took responsibility, and that action is reflected in his sentence. I encourage others to self-report COVID-19 related fraud.”
“We will take all means to safeguard financial relief programs from exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Marc DellaSala, U.S. Secret Service, Denver Field Office. Through a whole-of-government approach, we continue working with task force partners to pursue the arrest of those who undermine our nation’s financial security. This sentencing demonstrates yet another example of the unwavering support we receive from prosecutors and the federal court system in this endeavor.”
United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing. The United States Secret Service handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cassidy handled the prosecution.
On July 11, 2023, the Attorney General selected the District of Colorado’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of five national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-results-nationwide-covid-19-fraud-enforcement-action.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Minnesota Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Assault Against Black ManRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man was arrested last week and charged with federal hate crime offenses for assaulting a Black man outside of a bar.
According to the indictment that was unsealed yesterday, on or about Feb. 3, 2024, Justin Anthony Kudla used force or the threat of force to injure, intimidate and interfere with the victim — a Black man identified in the indictment as Victim 1 — because of Victim 1’s race, color, religion and/or national origin, and because Victim 1 was enjoying the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations of a local bar. The indictment also charges Kudla with willfully causing bodily injury to Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s actual and perceived race.
If convicted, Kudla faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each offense and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota and Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the Belle Plaine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gilead for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorneys Katherine G. DeVar and Briana M. Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division 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.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm After Illegally Returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Julio Parra-Moralez, age 41, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry following a conviction for a felony offense and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien.
In a plea agreement, Parra-Moralez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Parra-Moralez was deported in September 2010. Parra-Moralez had previously been convicted in September 2002 of forgery, a felony. On February 18, 2024, immigration officials learned Parra-Moralez had illegally returned to the United States and found Parra-Moralez at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on state charges. On April 1, 2024, Parra-Moralez was convicted in state court of possession of methamphetamine, third offense, and sentenced to five years on probation.
Parra-Moralez also admitted that he unlawfully possessed a firearm in April 2023 while being illegally present in the United States. On April 10, 2023, Parra-Moralez’s vehicle was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy on I-380 in Black Hawk County, Iowa. During the traffic stop, the deputy found a Smith & Wesson 38 Special with an obliterated serial number on the rear passenger floorboard. The firearm was later analyzed, and Parra-Moralez’s DNA was found on the firearm.
Parra-Moralez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Parra-Moralez was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Parra-Moralez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2020.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who used a fraudulent social security card was sentenced today to more than five months in federal prison.
Valentin Munoz-Lopez, age 35, a citizen of Mexico residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.
At the guilty plea, Munoz-Lopez admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing an alias name to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in February 2024 at a business in Lime Springs, Iowa. The number on the Social Security card was assigned to the person whose name was on the Social Security card. Social Security cards are documents prescribed by statute or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States. As an alien unlawfully in the United States, Munoz-Lopez was not authorized to work in the United States. Munoz-Lopez also used the fraudulent Social Security card when he applied for work at businesses in Limes Springs and Cresco, Iowa, in June 2020, January 2022, April 2022, and May 2022.
Munoz-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Munoz-Lopez was sentenced to 161 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Munoz-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transferred to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2034.
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Mendenhall Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Mendenhall man was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Koda Tye Williamson, 40, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a firearm by the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department during the execution of a search warrant on his home for narcotics distribution and illegal firearms possession. Federal law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Williamson has previous felony convictions for manslaughter and methamphetamine possession.
Williamson pled guilty on July 30, 2024. He will not be eligible for parole because there is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Member of 5-9 Brims Street Gang Sentenced to Life in Prison for Retaliatory Gang MurderRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marvin Pippins, also known as “Mukk,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to life imprisonment for murdering a rival gang member by shooting at him six times. Following a three-week trial in April 2023, Pippins was convicted by a federal jury of racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy, murder in-aid-of racketeering, drug conspiracy and related firearms charges. Pippins was also sentenced today to a concurrent term of 30 years for racketeering conspiracy and to a consecutive term of five years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, among other things.
Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Marvin Pippins will deservedly spend the rest of his life in prison for this cold-blooded murder, undertaken in service of a years-long gang war,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny. “Pippins committed predatory and deadly crimes on behalf of a violent street gang that, for years, polluted the streets with drugs, preyed on unsuspecting victims of financial fraud and subjected rivals and innocent civilians alike to acts of violence. My Office is focused on dismantling violent criminal organizations, and today’s sentence should send a message that the most serious of crimes will be met with the most serious of consequences.”
Ms. Pokorny expressed her appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work on this investigation.
“In 2015, Marvin Pippins, a 5-9 Brims gang member, ruthlessly murdered a rival associate in a twisted attempt to restore the gang’s honor and thwart future attacks,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “Pippins’ myriad of crimes strengthened the gang’s presence across Brooklyn and fueled persisting territorial disputes. May today’s lifelong sentence reflect the FBI’s renowned commitment to disrupting all criminal enterprises plaguing our city with violence and illicit substances.”
Between 2012 and 2020, Pippins was a member of the 5-9 Brims—a violent set of the Bloods street gang, responsible for sophisticated fraud schemes, prolific narcotics trafficking and violent crimes, including gunpoint robberies, shootings and murders. This crew of 5-9 Brims was also known as “Breadgang.” Pippins and his fellow members operated principally in and around the Marlboro Houses in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn. Pippins personally engaged in a broad array of criminal activity and earned a reputation as a “shooter” and as someone who generated money for the gang. He participated in financial fraud on behalf of the gang, sold drugs and carried guns to protect the gang’s criminal rackets. Pippins was also convicted of several crimes related to the gang’s violent rivalry with “Real Ryte,” a Canarsie-based rival crew. In September 2015, the defendant’s brother Melvin Pippins, also known as “Melly,” was murdered. The defendant and his fellow gang members blamed Real Ryte for the murder, and there was an “expectation” that members of the 5-9 Brims would retaliate against Real Ryte with violence. On December 19, 2015, Pippins murdered Sean Peart, a member of Real Ryte, while the victim was alone and unarmed in his parked car on Dean Street outside the Weeksville Gardens housing development. Peart tried to speed away but crashed his car before succumbing to his injuries. After the murder, Pippins bragged to fellow members and associates of the gang admitting that he “did boy dirty.” In rap lyrics, the defendant described Peart’s murder in detail, including references to the victim “hanging out the window” and giving him “shot after shot.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey R. Oken and Dana Rehnquist are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas J. Moscow and Drew G. Rolle.
This case 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.
The Defendant:
MARVIN PIPPINS (also known as “Mukk”)
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-378 (PKC)
McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Marcus Edward Lee, age 33, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The Indictment alleged that on or about May 20, 2024, Lee knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which Lee accessed from the internet with intent to view.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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. Lee was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Orchestrating $1.5 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in Chicago that bilked multiple financial institutions out of more than $1.5 million.
LEE HOLLIDAY, 66, of Schererville, Ind., pleaded guilty last year to a federal bank fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on Friday sentenced Holliday to three years and three months in federal prison.
Holliday admitted in a plea agreement that he engaged in mortgage fraud in 2011 and 2012 in connection with the purchase of multiple properties on the West and South Sides of Chicago. Holliday recruited buyers and provided them with funds for the down payments, which were only 3.5% of the purchase price since the loans were insured by the Federal Housing Authority. Holliday worked with the buyers to purchase homes at inflated prices and then split the proceeds with both the buyers and sellers. Although Holliday promised the buyers that the properties would provide rental income, the promises proved to be false and most buyers eventually fell behind on their mortgage payments. Seven properties went into foreclosure proceedings. In all, Holliday caused the lenders to lose a total of approximately $1.53 million through the submission of false and fraudulent loan applications.
In addition to the mortgage fraud scheme, Holliday also admitted in his plea agreement that he engaged in Covid-relief fraud in 2020 and 2021, fraudulently obtaining $391,869 in Paycheck Protection Program funds to which he was not entitled.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Chicago Field Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Stern and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney.
“FHA loans are intended to help people who could not otherwise afford a home,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “In this case, the money that was supposed to help those people and improve their neighborhoods instead went into the defendant’s pockets.”
“Lee Holliday repeatedly engaged in an egregious mortgage fraud scheme causing borrowers to falsely represent critical income and asset information to qualify them for loans they would not have otherwise qualified for,” said HUD-OIG SAC Jindra. “When people take advantage of HUD-insured mortgage programs, it limits opportunities for hard-working individuals trying to achieve the American dream of homeownership. HUD-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate individuals who jeopardize the integrity of FHA mortgage programs.”
Lynchburg Store Owner Arrested on Federal Food Stamp Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The owner of the Taste of India, a medium-sized grocery store in Lynchburg, Virginia, was arrested today on criminal charges related to his alleged fraud regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. SNAP was established by the United States Government to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among low- and middle-income families by increasing their food purchasing power and ability.
In a criminal complaint filed today, Rajan Babbar, 59, of Lynchburg, is charged with food stamp fraud and wire fraud. Babbar was arrested earlier today without incident.
According to court documents, in 2016 Babbar filed paperwork with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for Taste of India to become a SNAP retailer. In approximately December 2016, FNS approved Babbar’s application.
In approximately September 2018, FNS noticed that Taste of India had some unusual activity with its food stamp redemptions. Subsequently, FNS placed Taste of India on their “watch list” to further monitor the store’s activities.
Scrutiny of Taste of India led to a civil investigation and penalty in 2020. On four out of five separate encounters between March 2019 and February 2020, undercover investigators with FNS made unauthorized purchases of ineligible items using SNAP EBT cards, primarily for cosmetic and hygiene products. Based on that, FNS determined that Taste of India was in violation of program rules. Babbar ultimately paid a $1,932 civil penalty in lieu of a six-month disqualification. However, he was allowed to continue to operate as a SNAP retailer.
According to the criminal complaint filed today, USDA-OIG agents began to review the food stamp redemptions for Taste of India and noticed the redemptions seemed unusually high for this type of store and location. The dollar amount of SNAP redemptions skyrocketed at Taste of India during a relatively short span. In January 2018, the store completed approximately $2,500 in monthly SNAP transactions; that figure was more than $30,000 by May 2021. By February 2023, Taste of India was redeeming more than $104,000 in SNAP funds. Throughout this period, Taste of India remained at the same location and in the same sized building.
USDA-OIG, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lynchburg Police Department, proceeded to conduct undercover operations at Taste of India in the spring of 2023. On three occasions between April and September 2023, an undercover source entered Taste of India and another store then operated by Babbar and attempted to exchange SNAP benefits for cash. On all three occasions, Babbar agreed to the exchange and provided cash to the undercover source. No product or merchandise was sold.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the USDA-OIG, and Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement today.
The USDA-OIG, FBI, and Lynchburg Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Littleton Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Littleton man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his involvement with a conspiracy to traffic cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area.
Alan Robinson, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for April 15, 2025. Robinson was arrested on Nov. 3, 2023.
Robinson engaged in a controlled purchase with a cooperating witness to sell four firearms – which included two ghost guns, one of which was an assault rifle, knowing that the cooperating witness was a prohibited individual. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at Robinson’s residence, where approximately 3.3 kilograms of powdered cocaine was recovered, as well as several firearms and accessories including a ghost gun assault rifle.The charge possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, The charge of knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization That Distributed Fentanyl Linked to Eight Overdose Deaths in the Bronx Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JESUS CABRERA, a/k/a “Gee,” was sentenced today to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald for leading a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that sold deadly fentanyl in the Bronx. CABRERA previously pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, and to a related firearms count. As part of his guilty plea, CABRERA admitted that the DTO’s drug trafficking resulted in the August 2021 death of Malik Rahman, and that the DTO’s product was recovered from the scenes of seven other fatal fentanyl poisonings in 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Jesus Cabrera led a drug trafficking organization that sold enormous amounts of deadly fentanyl in New York City, which led to the deaths of at least eight victims in the Bronx in 2021, and affected countless others in our community. Today’s sentence and those imposed to date on Cabrera’s co-conspirators send a loud message to fentanyl traffickers that their actions will be met with dire consequences in this District. I commend the work of the DEA, NYPD, and the career prosecutors and investigators of this Office who have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those who seek to flood our community with this deadly drug and to profit from addiction and tragedy.”
As alleged in the charging instruments, court filings, and statements in the public record:
Between approximately 2019 and February 2022, the DTO operated principally from a block on 142nd Street between Brook Avenue and St. Ann’s Avenue in the Bronx (the “Set”), where its members sold glassines of fentanyl in bulk to dealers who then re-distributed the DTO’s product on the Set and in other areas of the Bronx. Members of the DTO also sold individual glassines to users struggling with addiction who lined up on the Set on an almost daily basis. CABRERA was the undisputed leader of the DTO, and co-defendant MICHAEL AMAYA, a/k/a “Miz,” worked as CABRERA’s second in command, managing and overseeing the DTO’s various street-level dealers, baggers, and lookouts, including the other defendants charged in this case. Every day, members of the DTO, at CABRERA’s direction and often in his presence, packaged the DTO’s product in residential apartments for distribution on the Set. The DTO then relied on a roster of street-level dealers to push massive amounts of its deadly product into the community. Indeed, in the fall and winter of 2021 alone, the DTO distributed an estimated five to six kilograms of fentanyl per month, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit for the DTO.
The DTO frequently used a signature “stamp” on the glassines of fentanyl it sold—a step CABRERA took to continue making money at the expense of the victims and families affected by the DTO’s drug dealing and the opioid epidemic in this country. For many months, the DTO stamped its glassines with a “Supreme” logo. Starting in or around December 2021, the DTO began using an “Off White” logo, and then switched to a “Thriller” logo. Despite CABRERA’s awareness of the potential deadly impact of fentanyl, he and the other DTO members continued pushing the DTO’s product. Indeed, when CABRERA was asked by another DTO member whether people were overdosing from the DTO’s product, Cabrera laughed it off and said, “na man, people hating, they don’t want us making money.”
On or about August 25, 2021, one of CABRERA and AMAYA’s co-defendants, Alberto Concepcion, sold a quantity of loose “Supreme”-stamped glassines to an individual on the Set (“Individual-1”), who subsequently provided one of those glassines to Rahman. Rahman died from an overdose shortly after ingesting the substances in the “Supreme”-stamped glassine, the residue of which later tested positive for, among other things, fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. Both CABRERA and AMAYA were directly involved in overseeing Concepcion’s narcotics sales at that time. Indeed, in the days leading up to Rahman’s fatal overdose, CABRERA and AMAYA exchanged text messages referencing certain quantities of narcotics that were going to Concepcion for resale on the Set, as well as the cut of the over $110,000 in recent DTO proceeds they were going to provide to Concepcion.
Including Rahman’s fatal overdose, between in or around March 2021 and in or around December 2021, there were at least eight confirmed fatal overdoses in the Bronx at which the DTO’s “Supreme”-stamped glassines were found on the scene.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, CABRERA, 46, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Many of CABRERA’s co-defendants, who were also members of the DTO, have also been sentenced after having been convicted of participating in the same fentanyl trafficking conspiracy to which CABRERA pled guilty. AMAYA, who managed the DTO’s daily operations and reported to CABRERA, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. WILLIE HARRIS, a/k/a “Light,” who was one of the DTO’s armed lookouts and dealers, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. FRANKIE CAPELLAN, a/k/a “Nitty,” who helped package the DTO’s product with CABRERA and others, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and JOSE FIGUEROA, a/k/a “Chelo,” one of the DTO’s street-level dealers, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for support and assistance in this matter. He also thanked the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in the case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. King, Kaylan E. Lasky, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution.
LeFlore County Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brian Jene Sullivan, age 66, of Shady Point, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
The Indictment alleged that between July 2023 and July 21, 2024, Sullivan knowingly failed to register and update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Sullivan is required to register as a sex offender after having received a felony conviction from the State of Oregon in 2007 for Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston Police Department of Douglas County, Oregon.
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 Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Kidnapping for ransom in Mexico sends Pharr man to prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old Pharr man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of hostage taking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sixto Gonzalez Jr. pleaded guilty May 15, 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Gonzalez’s prior violent criminal history and attempts to bribe a correctional guard while he was in custody for the instant offense. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the crime, injuries the victim sustained and Gonzalez’s continued engagement in criminal conduct.
“The victim in this case was lured into Mexico because Gonzalez assumed that authorities wouldn't bother to invest resources into a kidnapping that occurred there,” said Hamdani. “The United States will continue to work with law enforcement authorities around the world to protect American citizens abroad and bring to justice those that think foreign ground is a safe haven from prosecution.”
“U.S. citizens deserve to be safe from violence, no matter where they are,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI relentlessly works to protect the American people whether they are here or abroad - and we do so with vigor, commitment and determination. We hope this sentence provides the victim some measure of comfort. As always, the public is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online at tips.fbi.gov if they have information about violent crimes or other crimes against Americans overseas.”
Gonzalez admitted he unlawfully detained a 19-year-old Alamo man to force a ransom to be paid for his safe return.
On June 23, 2021, Gonzalez lured the victim into Mexico by purporting to have a potential job opportunity to give him. Gonzalez picked the victim up after the victim crossed into Mexico on foot. When they arrived at a house located in Reynosa, Mexico, Gonzalez and several co-conspirators beat and restrained the victim. Between June 23 and June 25, 2021, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators demanded $5,000 and a firearm in exchange for his return.
When the family could not immediately obtain the funds, conspirators sent a video to the victim’s family with footage of him being beaten with a wooden board until the board fractured.
Law enforcement eventually determined the location of the house where he was being held. They conducted a search of the home and found the victim bound with zip ties, covered with a blanket and with bruises throughout his body. They also discovered Gonzalez located inside the house.
Gonzalez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Reynosa State police in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colton Turner and Roberto Lopez prosecuted the case.
KCMO Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in two separate and unrelated cases for drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms. A Kansas City, Kansas, man is also charged in one of those cases with illegally possessing a firearm.
Daroy L. Thomas, 25, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a four-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 6, 2024.
In a separate and unrelated case, Thomas and Shannon J. Price, 29, of Kansas City, Kan., were charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 6, 2024.
Both of these indictments were unsealed and made public today following the arrests of Thomas and Price.
The first indictment charges Thomas with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
The indictment alleges the drug-trafficking conspiracy lasted from Dec. 20, 2022, to April 14, 2023. Thomas allegedly was in possession of methamphetamine to distribute, as well as two Glock pistols and a Draco semi-automatic pistol, on April 14, 2023.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Thomas has prior felony convictions for robbery and armed robbery.
The second indictment charges Thomas and Price with one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas and Price each allegedly were in possession of Glock pistols on July 28, 2023.
Price has prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Both of these cases are being prosecuted by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Baker. They were investigated by the FBI.
KC Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for sharing child pornography over the internet and possessing more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography.
Dennis Bruce Bean II, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bean to serve 15 years of supervised release following incarceration and to pay $16,000 in restitution to his victims. Bean has been in federal custody since his arrest.
On July 17, 2024, Bean pleaded guilty to one count of transporting child pornography across state lines and one count of possessing child pornography. Bean has a prior felony conviction for criminal sexual conduct and has been required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received three CyberTipline reports associated with Bean. In one of those reports, Google reported on Jan. 31, 2024, that approximately 1,442 files of child pornography had been uploaded to Bean’s Google Photos account during the prior two months.
On April 5, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bean’s residence. Bean was arrested after he was found hiding in the back yard. Officers seized two cell phones and a one terabyte thumb drive. Investigators found at least 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse or child erotica on the phones. The thumb drive had more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse and child erotica.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
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."