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Friday 10 January 2025
McAlester Resident Sentenced for Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Arlo Christopher Jordan, age 26, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for illegal possession of ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
On July 16, 2024, Jordan pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition. According to investigators, on January 11, 2024, officers discovered Jordan in possession of 270 Winchester ammunition. Jordan possessed the ammunition despite knowing that he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Jordan will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Robinson represented the United States.
Matthew W. Cheney Appointed as Acting U.S. Trustee for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
Matthew W. Cheney has been appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia (Region 4) effective Jan. 11. Cheney replaces Gerard R. Vetter, who continues to serve as the Assistant U.S. Trustee for the Baltimore office of the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
Cheney joined the USTP in 2015 as the Assistant U.S. Trustee for the office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and will remain in that role while overseeing Region 4. He is co-chair of the USTP’s Quarterly Fees Working Group, which develops guidance for the USTP’s collection of quarterly fees in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and provides support for litigation involving chapter 11 fee issues. He also serves the Program as a member of the Data Integrity Group, which monitors the accuracy and integrity of the USTP’s information collection systems. Previously, as an attorney in private practice in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Cheney represented clients including a private chapter 7 trustee and creditors in complex bankruptcy cases and other litigation.
Cheney received a bachelor’s degree in social science from Michigan State University and a law degree from Ohio Northern University, where he was managing editor of the law review. After law school, Cheney clerked for Judges E. Stephen Derby and James F. Schneider of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.
The Executive Office for U.S. Trustees made the announcement.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Man Arrested After Threats to “Hunt Down” Corporate Executives and Their FamiliesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wendell man was arrested on a criminal complaint for the interstate communication of threats toward executives at Advanced Auto Parts.
“Whether targeting a kid in a classroom or a boss in a boardroom, we won’t normalize violent threats meant to intimidate workers or strike fear in families. Threats to kill are not how we resolve differences in America, and it’s a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We’ll take swift action against anyone threatening an American anywhere in the world for what they believe, how they pray, or where they work. Period.”
According to court documents, on December 6, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was contacted by Advance Auto Parts about threatening messages sent through the company’s website demanding the company change the “moron who administrates your app and webpage” and provided a deadline of December 25. If the company did not comply, the customer stated threats such as:
“I live in Raleigh and am an expert sniper…I vow that I will hunt down your entire executive board and put bullets in their FAMILIES…there will be no stopping me from punishing your executives by murdering their families for refusing to improve the accuracy of your website search function.”
The complaint alleges that, through investigative means, law enforcement determined that Edward Scott Huffman, 46 of Wendell, sent the messages. The complaint alleges that Huffman was interviewed and admitted to sending the messages. The complaint further alleges that, during a search of Huffman’s cellphone, law enforcement found a picture of a rifle mounted with a scope and a text message conversation in which Huffman stated he would have murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, if he was given $50,000 and a rifle that couldn’t be traced back to him.
Huffman is charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The FBI and Wendell Police Department are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Low-Income Housing Employee Sentenced for Stealing Rent MoneyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman was sentenced today to 14 months in federal prison for stealing rent money for government-assisted low-income housing.
According to court documents, Shannon Caruso, age 48, of Mobile, was employed as a property manager by two different government housing authorities that providing affordable housing to low-income individuals in the Mobile area. Caruso admitted that while working for both housing authorities, she fraudulently convinced renters that they needed to make rent checks out to her or to give her their rent checks with the payee line blank. Rather than depositing this rent money with her employer, Caruso stole the money for her own use. The two housing authorities absorbed the losses due to Caruso’s theft and did not evict any of the renters who reasonably believed they were properly paying rent by giving their checks to Caruso.
U.S. District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer expounded on how utterly selfish Caruso’s crimes were and how they likely affected innocent people who were already living in a difficult financial situation. Accordingly, Judge Moorer sentenced Caruso to 14 months in federal prison, which was the high end of her advisory sentencing guidelines range.
“Shannon Caruso admitted to using her position as a property manager to exploit the vulnerability of elderly and low-income individuals by stealing their monthly Housing Choice Voucher rent payments and depositing them into her personal bank account,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable individuals who prey on vulnerable members of our community.”
“Stealing the rent money of vulnerable victims was a particularly egregious way for this crook to earn her sentence in federal prison,” said Sean P. Costello, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will hold to account anyone who takes advantage of the citizens of south Alabama.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Birmingham Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Angela Marie Bryant, age 46, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Bryant to 37 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bryant’s release from prison, she will serve a 2-year term of supervised release.
In March of 2024, confidential informants working with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force purchased meth from Bryant’s husband, Maurice Bryant, on two occasions for an estimated total of one ounce. On April 2, 2024, a search warrant was executed at the Bryants’ Lincoln residence, and investigators found a total of approximately 59 grams of meth. Angela Bryant agreed to talk to investigators and admitted selling meth in the Lincoln area to multiple customers. She said she obtained the meth she was selling from her husband.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Arnaldo L. Rodriguez Santini, age 37, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for distribution of fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Rodriguez Santini to 216 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rodriguez Santini’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On the morning of June 21, 2022, a Lincoln man was found dead at a Lincoln halfway house. A spoon containing a blue/white substance, a broken pill, and a syringe were found in the man’s room. Two additional blue pills were found in his wallet. Testing at the Nebraska State Patrol laboratory showed the pills found in the victim’s wallet and the substance on the spoon all contained fentanyl. After an autopsy was conducted, it was determined the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.
Text messages in the victim’s phone led investigators to suspect Rodriguez Santini and his wife, Regina Rodriguez, were the sources for this fentanyl. Rodriguez Santini was interviewed by Lincoln Police officers in August of 2022 about the text messages. He admitted to providing five fentanyl pills to the victim on the day prior to the victim’s death.
Regina Rodriguez was sentenced to 240 months in prison on a related charge in September of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Last Member of Wire Fraud Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Bead Chan, age 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced January 8, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Chan to 4 months’ imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months’ imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 28 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After Chan’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release on both charges.
A task force of Sarpy County, Douglas County, and Pottawattamie County agencies was assembled to investigate a significant spike in the Omaha and Council Bluffs metro areas in burglarized vehicles. The modus operandi of the thefts was that one member of the conspiracy would drive a vehicle slowly through a residential neighborhood while other members of the conspiracy, called “runners,” would enter vehicles parked in driveways or parked on the street outside of the residence and steal property like credit cards, identification, computers, money, and other valuables.
Bead Chan was identified as a member of this conspiracy through his Paypal account, which was linked to several unauthorized transactions using stolen victim cards.
The members of the conspiracy would take the stolen cards from the vehicles to area stores like Wal-Mart and other retailers and buy drinks, food, and prepaid cards that they would load up with money from the stolen cards. They would also purchase money orders to further conceal the source of the proceeds and the money orders would be deposited back to bank accounts or bitcoin accounts belonging to the members of the conspiracy.
Law enforcement was able to identify and arrest all five members of the conspiracy.
Co-conspirator Hassan Mohamed was sentenced on June 12, 2024, to 20 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 44 months.
Co-conspirator Hazem Sarmin was sentenced on June 14, 2024, to 18 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 42 months.
Co-conspirator Ian Betkie was sentenced on December 5, 2024, to 4 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 28 months.
Co-conspirator and ringleader Abas Ali was sentenced on November 8, 2024, to 27 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 51 months.
This case was investigated by the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lake Charles Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Joseph Carlton Etienne, 40, of Lake Charles was sentenced this week in the Lake Charles Division of the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Etienne to 71 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm.
According to information presented in court, on or about September 7, 2022, Etienne was located at a Dollar General by detectives with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for outstanding warrants. Etienne attempted to leave the Dollar General after observing law enforcement there and he was stopped and arrested. Law enforcement officers found Etienne in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun and ammunition inside his vehicle. Etienne has several prior felony convictions, including possession of controlled dangerous substances, resisting an officer, and attempted possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment in March 2024 charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Etienne pleaded guilty to the charge on September 6, 2024, and admitted to possessing the firearm and ammunition knowing he was prohibited from doing so.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey N. Richmond.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Kenton County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Kenton County man, Frank Long, 53, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to his plea agreement, on November 1, 2024, law enforcement responded to a call for service, after someone identified a man urinating in public. Upon arriving at the scene, officers identified Long and his vehicle and approached him, detecting a strong odor of alcohol and finding a handgun in between the center console and the front passenger seat. Long was arrested for alcohol intoxication and a further search of his vehicle found five loaded firearms.
An investigation then revealed that Long has an active Domestic Violence Order, from Scott County, Kentucky, that was issued on April 20, 2022 and effective for three years.
“The defendant was in possession of several loaded firearms, despite the fact he was subject to a domestic violence protective order, a dangerous and potentially deadly combination,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The critical teamwork of several law enforcement partners will now hold him accountable for his violation of federal law, and will inspire our combined efforts to make our communities safer.”
“Outcomes like this clearly show the continued importance of collaboration in protecting Kentucky families,” said Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General. “I’m proud of our colleagues from the Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who worked with federal and local law enforcement to apprehend this dangerous suspect before he could further harm our Commonwealth.”
United States Attorney Shier; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Attorney General Coleman; and Chief Kyle Rader, Erlanger Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and Erlanger Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Long is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2025. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Kearney Woman Sentenced to over 5 Years for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jade Summers, age 42, of Kearney, Nebraska was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of distribution of 5 grams or more of meth. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Summers to a total of 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Summers’ release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On April 4, 2023, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) set up a controlled purchase of meth from Jade Summers. Summers agreed to sell ¼ pound of meth. Law enforcement provided the CI with $1,600 to purchase the meth and video/audio recording devices for the controlled buy. The purchase occurred in Grand Island, Nebraska. The CI purchased the meth from Summers and the meth was packaged in three baggies. The State Crime Lab confirmed that the substance was meth and that it weighed over 100 grams. The largest baggie was confirmed to have a purity of 100% and to contain at least 55 grams of meth actual.
This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
KC Sex Offender Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to child pornography.
Bryan Keith Rice, 50, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Rice is required to register as a sex offender due to his prior felony conviction for possessing child pornography.
The federal indictment charges Rice with three counts of transporting child pornography across state lines, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
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."
Justice Department Sues to Block Global Business Travel Group’s Proposed Acquisition of CWT HoldingsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today to stop Global Business Travel Group Inc. (Amex GBT), the largest business travel management company in the world, from acquiring its rival, CWT Holdings LLC (CWT), the third-largest business travel management company in the world. The complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that the proposed $570 million transaction — Amex GBT’s fifth acquisition of another travel management company since 2018 — would harm competition for business travel management services to U.S. global and multinational businesses.
“American businesses rely on travel management companies to connect employees, control travel costs, make travel booking and expense management easier, and ensure their employees’ safety during travel,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This acquisition is the latest in a series of acquisitions by Amex GBT that will further consolidate an already consolidated market with only a handful of competitive options capable of serving customers with the most need for travel management services. American businesses will face the consequences, seeing higher prices, less innovation and fewer choices.”
As alleged in the complaint, Amex GBT and CWT anticipated that the proposed acquisition would harm competition and benefit the merged firm at the expense of its customers. The complaint alleges that senior Amex GBT executives viewed the acquisition as an opportunity for “consolidation” of the market for business travel management services for global and multinational customers and a respite from its recent customer losses to CWT. The complaint further alleges that Amex GBT recognized that its valuation of the proposed acquisition should reflect the financial benefit of avoiding future loss business to CWT. For example, its CEO wrote to its president that the company “need[ed] to consider how much we might lose to [CWT] each year in a [business as usual] scenario.” During deal negotiations, CWT’s owners likewise believed Amex GBT should pay a higher price for CWT in recognition of the increased revenues Amex GBT would enjoy post-merger due to the reduction in “price pressure” from “removing [a] big competitor.”
The complaint alleges that the combination of Amex GBT and CWT would combine two of the three largest players in business travel management services for global and multinational companies located in the United States, giving the combined firm a significant share in a market that one of the largest owners of CWT has acknowledged is “oligopolistic.” Few other companies can effectively provide travel management services to global and multinational companies located in the United States at the scale of Amex GBT and CWT.
Today, Amex GBT and CWT compete fiercely to provide travel management services for large businesses and those with complex travel needs. CWT had recently begun pursuing new and innovative strategies to improve service and reduce prices in order to win over business from Amex GBT. As a result, Amex GBT recently lost several significant bid opportunities for large business customers to CWT. If Amex GBT is permitted to acquire CWT, this intense competition would be lost, risking higher prices, less innovation and fewer choices — costs that will be borne by the many businesses and employees for whom these services are critical to their productivity and operations.
Amex GBT is a publicly traded Delaware corporation with its principal executive office located in New York City and its operational headquarters located in London. In 2023, Amex GBT managed a total transaction value of approximately $28.2 billion, earning revenues of $2.29 billion.
CWT is a privately held company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. In 2023, CWT managed a total transaction volume of approximately $14 billion, earning revenues of about $850 million.
Justice Department Secures Civil Forfeiture of over $20M in Foreign Bribery and Money Laundering Proceeds from Venezuelan Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 8, U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian entered a final judgment forfeiting to the United States over $20 million in foreign bribery and money laundering proceeds, including interest.
On Aug. 9, 2023, the Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint against approximately $21,248,434.25 in U.S. currency alleging that the funds were proceeds of foreign bribery and money laundering offenses. As alleged in the complaint, from 2008 to 2014, a Venezuelan national, Naman Wakil, controlled a number of companies that sold food products to Venezuela’s state-owned food agency, Corporacion de Abastecimiento y Servicios Agricola (CASA). To obtain these food contracts, Wakil paid tens of millions of dollars in bribes to multiple presidents of CASA. As a result of those bribes, Wakil, through his companies, obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds into accounts he controlled in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland. Wakil laundered the proceeds from the scheme into South Florida and elsewhere.
“This forfeiture is a reminder that the United States is prepared to uphold the integrity of the U.S. financial system against those who elect to launder ill-gotten gains by depositing and transferring those funds through U.S. financial accounts and acquiring assets in an attempt to cover their tracks,” said Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
“This significant forfeiture underscores the HSI Miami El Dorado Task Force’s commitment to safeguarding the U.S. financial system from illicit activities. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who seek to launder money through our financial institutions are held accountable," said José R. Figueroa Acting Special Agent in Charge Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami.
“This announcement underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in foreign bribery and money laundering,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Hipkins of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office. “This forfeiture of more than $20 million demonstrates our resolve to disrupt criminal networks and ensure their corrupt practices do not go unpunished. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to combat financial crimes that undermine the rule of law and global stability.”
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of HSI Miami, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Hipkins of IRS-CI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Miami Field Office and IRS-CI Miami Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón, Michael Berger, and Joshua Paster prosecuted this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cv-22987.
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Justice Department Announces Results of Review and Evaluation of the Tulsa Race MassacreRead the Press Release
Note: View Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke's remarks here.
The Justice Department issued a report today on the Tulsa Race Massacre. The report documents the department’s findings, made during its review and evaluation of the Tulsa Race Massacre, undertaken pursuant to the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act. The Civil Rights Division previously announced it was undertaking this review during a Cold Case Convening held on Sept. 30, 2024.
“The Tulsa Race Massacre stands out as a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “In 1921, white Tulsans murdered hundreds of residents of Greenwood, burned their homes and churches, looted their belongings, and locked the survivors in internment camps. Until this day, the Justice Department has not spoken publicly about this race massacre or officially accounted for the horrific events that transpired in Tulsa. This report breaks that silence by rigorous examination and a full accounting of one of the darkest episodes of our nation’s past. This report lays bare new information and shows that the massacre was the result not of uncontrolled mob violence, but of a coordinated, military-style attack on Greenwood. Now, more than 100 years later, there is no living perpetrator for the Justice Department to prosecute. But the historical reckoning for the massacre continues. This report reflects our commitment to the pursuit of justice and truth, even in the face of insurmountable obstacles. We issue this report with recognition of the courageous survivors who continue to share their testimonies, acknowledgement of those who tragically lost their lives and appreciation for other impacted individuals and advocates who collectively push for us to never forget this tragic chapter of America’s history.”
The report documenting the department’s findings on the Tulsa Race Massacre, examines events that occurred between on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when white Tulsans mounted a concerted effort to destroy a vibrant Black community, remembered today as Black Wall Street. During the massacre, hundreds of Black residents were murdered, their businesses and homes burned to the ground and their money and personal property stolen. Survivors were left without resources or recourse. In the aftermath, the City of Tulsa resisted offers of meaningful help to the victims and utterly failed to provide necessary aid or assistance, and efforts to seek justice through the courts foundered.
Despite the gravity of the department’s findings, it is clear that no avenue of prosecution now exists for crimes that occurred during the massacre — the youngest potential defendants would today be more than 115 years old, and the relevant statutes of limitations expired decades ago. Nevertheless, as the federal government’s first thorough reckoning with this devastating event, our review officially acknowledges, illuminates and preserves for history the horrible ordeals of the massacre’s victims. As antilynching advocate Ida B. Wells said, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” This report aims to do just that.
The Nature of the Review
A team of career lawyers and investigators from the Emmett Till Cold Case Unit of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division conducted the review. Members of the unit spoke with survivors and with descendants of survivors, examined firsthand accounts of the massacre given by individuals who are now deceased, studied primary source materials, spoke to scholars of the massacre and reviewed legal pleadings, books, and scholarly articles relating to the massacre. The team produced a thorough, 123-page, sourced report.
Factual Findings
The review revealed that, on the night of May 31, 1921, a violent attack by as many as 10,000 white Tulsans destroyed Greenwood, a uniquely prosperous Black community. The attack was so systematic and coordinated that it transcended mere mob violence. The review found that the trigger for the violence of the Tulsa Race Massacre was the kind of unfounded condemnation that, at the time, was commonly employed to justify unspeakable treatment of Black men; a white man alleged that a Black man, 19-year-old Dick Rowland, assaulted a white woman who operated an elevator he used. After Rowland’s arrest, a local newspaper then sensationalized the story and, soon, a mob of white Tulsans gathered outside the courthouse, demanding a lynching.
The local sheriff called on Black men from Greenwood, many recently returned from service during World War I, to come to the courthouse to prevent a lynching. The white mob saw this effort to protect Rowland as an unacceptable challenge to the social order. The mob grew. A confrontation broke out, and when someone fired a shot, horrific violence erupted. The Tulsa police deputized hundreds of white residents, many of whom — immediately before being awarded a badge — had been drinking and agitating for Rowland’s murder. Law enforcement officers helped organize these special deputies — as well as other white Tulsans — into the forces that would eventually ravage the Greenwood community.
Violence was initially unorganized and opportunistic. But at daybreak on June 1, a whistle blew, and the violence and arsons that had been chaotic became systematic. White Tulsans, many of whom had recently drilled together as the “Home Guard,” formed to replace members of the National Guard who had gone overseas during the Great War, became organized and efficient in their destruction. They looted, burned and destroyed 35 city blocks while Greenwood’s residents tried desperately to defend their homes. As the fires consumed Greenwood, many Black families fled for their lives, leaving behind their homes and valuable items. White residents chased them across and beyond the city, taking into custody men, women, children, the elderly and the infirm, and looting the homes they left behind. The destruction of the district was total. The survivors were left with little to nothing.
Law enforcement officers (both from the Tulsa Police and the National Guard) disarmed Black residents, confiscated their weapons and detained many in makeshift camps under armed guard. In addition, there are credible reports that at least some law enforcement officers did more than arrest and detain Black men; some participated in murder, arson and looting. After the devastation, city officials promised to help Greenwood rebuild, but the government of Tulsa not only failed to do so, it put up obstacles to residential reconstruction. White local leaders rejected outside aid, claiming they could handle the recovery, but then provided little to no financial support. Instead, claiming the area was best suited for industrial use, they imposed harsh new fire codes that priced residents out of the area.
Legal Findings
The department’s report concludes that, had today’s more robust civil rights laws been in effect in 1921, federal prosecutors could have pursued hate crime charges against the massacre’s perpetrators, including both public officials and private citizens. In addition, if modern interpretations of civil rights laws were in effect in 1921, police officers, public officials and any who acted in concert with such persons could have been prosecuted for willfully violating the civil rights of massacre victims. Many of these legal avenues, however, were not available in 1921. The few avenues for federal prosecution that were available in 1921 were not pursued.
Now, the statute of limitations has expired for all federal civil rights offenses. Moreover, the team could find no living perpetrators, and prosecution under any law (federal or state) would almost certainly be foreclosed by the Constitution’s Confrontation Clause, which requires the government to provide live witnesses who can be cross examined by the accused. Such witnesses would need to have sufficient knowledge to prove a particular defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The report recognizes that some may find the department’s inability to prosecute a painful or dissatisfying outcome. However, the review recognizes and documents the horrible events that occurred as well as the trauma and loss suffered by the residents of Greenwood. While legal and practical limitations prevent the perpetrators of the crimes committed in 1921 from being held criminally accountable in a court of law, the historical reckoning continues. Legal limitations may have stymied the pursuit of justice, but work continues to ensure that future generations understand the scale and significance of this atrocity.
Following issuance of the report, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will convene with members of the Greenwood District, survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tulsa civil rights community and other stakeholders.
For further information please contact the Office of Public Affairs. If you have information about a civil rights cold case, meaning a hate crime or other civil rights offense that resulted in death and that occurred on or before Dec. 31, 1980, please contact the Civil Rights Division’s Cold Case Unit at [email protected].
James M. Warden, Longest-Serving Assistant U.S. Attorney in the History of the Southern District of Indiana, Retires After Nearly 40 Years of Public ServiceRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana issued the following statement on the retirement of Assistant United States Attorney, James M. Warden.
“Jim Warden is one of the finest and most dedicated public servants I’ve had the privilege to know. Throughout his career he has demonstrated tremendous commitment to the protecting the public, and holding offenders accountable for the harm they cause in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “Jim took on many of the most complex and serious prosecutions our office handled, working to master technical issues while representing the United States with unfailing civility and wit. Several generations of prosecutors, professional staff, and agents have benefited from his mentorship, wise counsel, and generosity with his time. I wish Jim and his family nothing but the best in his next chapter and am fortunate to call him a friend.”
Mr. Warden is a native of Bloomington and began serving as an U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana on May 20, 1985, after being selected by then-U.S. Attorney John D. Tinder. Warden retires as the longest-ever serving attorney in the Office’s ninety-seven-year history. His tremendous career spanned seven different Presidentially appointed U.S. Attorneys and twelve Presidentially appointed Attorneys General.
As a federal prosecutor, Warden led investigations and prosecutions of a wide variety of offenses, specializing in prosecution of criminal tax violations, complex frauds, violent crime, and public corruption. Throughout his illustrious career, James Warden has led the Office in prosecuting many ‘firsts,’ including the office’s first money laundering and currency transaction structuring cases.
In 1999, Warden secured the district’s first car-jacking conviction. Warden prosecuted numerous bank robbers, including the Curry Brothers, who robbed four Indiana banks in 2008 and stole over a million dollars before being convicted and sent to federal prison—Daniel Curry was sentenced to 90 years after his conviction at trial.
Warden secured major convictions against many public officials, including former Marion County Chief Deputy Prosecutor David Wyser, who accepted a $2,500 bribe in exchange for approving the early release of a convicted killer in 2013. Warden also served for many years as the office’s lead prosecutor for criminal offenses arising from the Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, including murders, assaults against staff, official corruption, and trafficking of weapons and other contraband offenses.
In addition to his accomplishments as a federal prosecutor Warden founded and chaired the Indiana Bank Fraud Working Group for 35 years, led several other financial crime task forces, and mentored and trained many colleagues and investigators along the way.
Warden earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University-Bloomington in 1974, and his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis in 1977. He began his legal career as a municipal court public defender in Marion County, before serving for two years as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Hancock County. He served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Marion County from 1979 until joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he held several supervisory and leadership positions, including as lead prosecutor for the white-collar crime unit and grand jury division. Warden proudly and honorably served his country for over thirty years in the United States Navy, rising to the rank of Captain and serving as a military judge.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years as an Armed Career CriminalRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jucory Randell Kirtsey (44, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing of a firearm as a convicted felon. Kirtsey qualified for an enhanced sentence as an Armed Career Criminal. He entered a guilty plea on September 5, 2024.
According to court documents, on September 6, 2023, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Kirtsey’s residence due to narcotics activity. Officers located a loaded Taurus pistol inside the home. Kirtsey later admitted to possessing the pistol. As a convicted felon, Kirtsey is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Kirtsey’s criminal history includes more than 10 felony convictions involving narcotic sales and trafficking.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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.
Independence Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man who led police officers on a high-speed chase has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing methamphetamine and four firearms.
Clinton W. Davis, 36, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The federal indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Davis on Dec. 23, 2024.
The federal indictment charges Davis with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Independence police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop at approximately 2:23 a.m. on Dec. 8, 2024. Davis, who was driving a Honda Accord with an expired temporary license, accelerated and led officers in a high-speed chase that reached speeds up to 105 miles per hour on 23rd Street in Independence.
Shortly after Davis drove the Honda over stop sticks, or tire deflation devices, at 23rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff, his vehicle was found in the grassy area near the entrance ramp to I-435 northbound from 23rd Street. The Honda had four flat tires and Davis, according to a passenger in the vehicle, had fled on foot. Davis could not be located. Officers searched the Honda and found body armor and a backpack that contained a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic firearm and a Ruger .22-caliber semi-automatic firearm. The backpack also contained methamphetamine, mushrooms, and a drug ledger.
On Dec. 20, 2024, officers were conducting surveillance of Davis and followed him as he drove a BMW, which officers later learned had been stolen during a residential burglary, to a gas station. The SWAT team moved in after Davis parked at a gas pump, with law enforcement vehicles blocking his escape by pulling in behind and in front of the BMW. Davis, who initially attempted to drive away, refused to get out of the vehicle. Officers deployed several rounds of CS gas into the vehicle, shattering the windows, as well as one bean bag that struck Davis in the arm. Davis eventually got out of the car and was taken into custody.
Officers searched the BMW and found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic firearm shoved between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers also found a backpack that contained a loaded Ruger .45-caliber semi-automatic firearm that had been reported stolen, a box of .40-caliber ammunition, and methamphetamine.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Davis has two prior felony convictions for assault, as well as prior felony convictions for possessing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges contained in this indictment 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Hudson County Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and an Extended MagazineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man has been indicted for a firearms offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Richard Sharp, 25, of Bayonne, New Jersey and known on social media as “Famous Richard,” is charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. He was arrested earlier today and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 4, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of an incident at a gas station in Bayonne, New Jersey. The investigation revealed that during an altercation at the gas station, Sharp had brandished a firearm with an extended magazine and threatened to shoot other people who were at the gas station. Several days later, Sharp posted a video on social media showing him dancing while holding a firearm equipped with an extended magazine.
Subsequently, on July 12, 2024, following a judicially authorized search of Sharp’s residence and vehicle, law enforcement recovering a loaded Beretta M9 semi-automatic handgun with a defaced serial number and an extended magazine that contained approximately 24 rounds of ammunition.
The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Division under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, with the investigation. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez and the Bayonne Police Department under the direction of Police Chief Robert Geisler.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Areeb Salim, Esq.
sharp.indictment.pdfHastings Man Sentenced to over 2 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jesse S. Flanagan, age 36, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Flanagan to a total of 28 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Flanagan’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
On September 23, 2023, Flanagan was travelling on Interstate 80 with another individual. Shortly before 4:00 a.m., two Nebraska State Troopers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Flanagan was identified as the driver and there was another individual in the front passenger seat. Flanagan and the other individual were separated while the troopers asked questions. The front seat passenger admitted that Flanagan had handed her a bag of fentanyl pills to hide from the troopers as they were getting pulled over. The bag was seized, and it was determined that the bag contained 656 pills. The State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the pills contained fentanyl and that the combined weight of the pills was 69.67 grams.
This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Hampton Woman Pleads Guilty to $161 Million Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Kimberly Johnson has pleaded guilty for her role in a mortgage fraud scheme spanning more than three years and resulting in the approval of approximately 450 mortgage loans based on fabricated documents and false information. Many of the loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), resulting in claims being paid for mortgages that have defaulted.
“The defendant and her co-conspirators brazenly manipulated the real estate lending process out of sheer greed,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan. “Criminals like Johnson, who engage in mortgage fraud, threaten the soundness of the real estate market in our communities. Our office is committed to prosecuting these bad actors who abuse the system for their personal gain and to safeguard the mortgage lending system for those who rely on this financial support.”
“Kimberly Johnson engaged in a massive mortgage fraud scheme, fabricating material documents on over 450 loans to falsely qualify individuals for loans they would not have otherwise qualified for,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “When individuals commit fraud against federally funded programs, it creates significant risks to the programs and limits the financial resources available to assist hard working individuals realize the American dream of homeownership. HUD OIG will continue to work with its prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.”
“Ms. Johnson’s guilty plea is the result of our commitment to hold anyone who exploits the mortgage lending system for personal gain fully accountable,” said Edwin S. Bonano, Special Agent in Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Southeast Region. “This case highlights the importance of collaboration between our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the housing market and prevent fraud that undermines public trust.”
“The defendant in this case pleaded guilty for her role in altering and fabricating supporting documents in fraudulent mortgage loan applications, as part of a scheme that resulted in the approval of approximately 450 mortgage loans,” said Kyle A. Myles, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta Region. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement colleagues to investigate those who commit fraudulent acts and threaten to undermine the safety and soundness of our nation’s financial system.”
“The FBI will vigorously investigate criminal offenses that impact the integrity of the residential mortgage market. In this case, Johnson had the duty to conduct business honestly but instead chose to engage in mortgage fraud, securing mortgages for individuals who otherwise would not have qualified for one,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the effort to prosecute anyone who engages in this type of misconduct.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Kimberly Johnson participated in a conspiracy in which homebuyers and mortgage brokers submitted fraudulent loan applications to induce mortgage lenders to fund mortgages. Johnson’s role in the scheme was to alter or fabricate the supporting documents for the loans, including bank statements, pay stubs and Forms W-2. Over the course of more than three years, Johnson helped approximately 450 homebuyers to commit mortgage fraud by obtaining loans for which they were unqualified. The fraudulent loan applications were submitted to numerous mortgage lenders, and some of the mortgage brokers who worked on obtaining the loans were part of the conspiracy. These fraudulent loans totaled approximately $161 million. Many of those loans have already defaulted.
Kimberly Johnson, 55, of Hampton, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in a mortgage fraud scheme and, as part of her plea, has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracy, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which insures many of the residential mortgages in the United States. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Prout is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Guthrie Man Sentenced to Serve 16 Months in Federal Prison for Communicating ThreatsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, JEFFREY ADAM WINDBIGLER, 32, of Guthrie, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 16 months in federal prison for communicating a threat, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 20, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment against Windbigler, charging him with four counts of communicating a threat. According to the Indictment, in January 2024, Windbigler posted several threatening messages on social media, where he threatened to kill children and threatened to “shoot up” the Edmond public library, an Oklahoma school, and a Texas school.
On October 31, 2024, Windbigler pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment, and admitted he communicated a threat to kill children, shoot up the Edmond library, and shoot up a school, and that he knew the communication would be viewed as a threat.
At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Windbigler to serve 16 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Friot noted Windbigler’s history and characteristics, including his apparent obsession with violence. Judge Friot further noted that his sentence was based, in part, on the need for adequate incapacitation and to deter similar conduct.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Dillon is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Granite City Postal Carrier Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Credit Cards from the MailRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A southern Illinois district judge sentenced a postal carrier in Granite City to 32 months in federal prison after she admitted to stealing credit cards from the mail and using for personal expenses.
Lakeatra E. White, 32, of Granite City, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of theft of mail by postal employee, one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to imprisonment, White will serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $15,209.11 in restitution.
“Mail carriers are entrusted public servants, and postal workers who steal from their customers choose to break that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to partner with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General to hold employees committing fraud accountable.”
While employed as a city carrier assistant at the Granite City Post Office, White stole several mail items from customers on her route containing gift cards, credit cards and credit card information.
According to court documents, she stole credit cards belonging to two victims, in which she tried to rack up personal charges estimated at nearly $27,000. During the investigation, White turned over 115 pieces of mail she had stolen to law enforcement.
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination. The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed prosecuted the case.
Four Chicago Residents Charged in Federal Court as Part of Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A drug trafficking investigation centered on the Northwest Side of Chicago has resulted in federal narcotics and firearm charges against four individuals.
The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Chicago Police Department, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down an open-air drug market in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. As part of the investigation, law enforcement on Wednesday executed a court-authorized search of a residence in Chicago and discovered multi-kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine packaged for distribution.
Charged with federal drug offenses are JAUAN BROWN, 38, BRIUANNA MOORE, 26, and EYANNA ROSS, 21, all of Chicago. Charged with illegal firearm possession are Brown and WILLIAM DAVIS, 38, of Chicago. The four defendants made their initial appearances on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago.
In addition to the federal charges, 20 individuals were charged in state court as a result of this investigation.
The federal charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI in Chicago, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of CPD. Valuable assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian F. Williamson and Kate McClelland represent the government in the federal cases.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
ross_complaint.pdf moore_complaint.pdf davis_et_al_complaint.pdf brown_complaint_2.pdf brown_complaint.pdfFort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Zavian I. Kizer, 23 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after he pled guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Kizer was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, from 2020 through 2022, Kizer obtained fentanyl pills in Arizona for transportation and distribution in the Northern District of Indiana. He had recruited various individuals to transport the pills to Indiana and thereafter ship the money back to Arizona.
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 Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Former Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A former senior partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm based in New York, N.Y., that last month agreed to pay $650 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations into the firm’s consulting work with opioids manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, L.P., pled guilty today to obstructing justice related to his work on Purdue matters.
Martin Elling, 60, a U.S. citizen residing in Bangkok, Thailand, waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty today to a one-count Information charging him with knowingly destroying records with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice.
“Today’s guilty plea moves us forward in holding accountable not only those corporations responsible for the opioid crisis in America, but also the executives that have exacerbated the tragedy,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “This prosecution would not have been possible without the efforts of many- including the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Boston and here in the Western District of Virginia, but also the countless hours of work by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Justice Civil Division, FDA, HHS, the Veteran’s Administration-OIG and the FBI. A matter this significant takes a team and we had a great one. I am thankful to each and every person who put in the time to make this prosecution happen.”
“Mr. Elling’s guilty plea is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to address the full scope of misconduct that fueled the opioid epidemic. By attempting to obstruct and influence the investigation into McKinsey’s work with Purdue Pharma, Mr. Elling sought to undermine justice and shield evidence about his and McKinsey’s role in this devastating public health crisis,” said Joshua S. Levy, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in our resolve to ensure that those whose conduct contributed to this epidemic are held fully accountable for their actions.”
“Knowingly destroying records and documents to impede a government investigation into the unlawful prescribing of opioids impairs the ability of law enforcement to do its job and endangers the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to thwart these important investigations and whose actions put profits over patient safety.”
“On the heels of a historic $650 million judgment against the world's largest consulting firm, I am pleased to see that those who knowingly obstructed justice will share in both the culpability and be held accountable for their actions,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “The victims deserve to know the full truth and not a limited and antiseptic version of what happened. Justice deserves transparency and I am thankful to the US Department of Justice and Virginia's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their continued and exemplary work.”
According to court documents, in May 2013, Purdue engaged McKinsey to recover lost OxyContin sales. Purdue retained McKinsey to conduct a rapid assessment of the underlying drivers of OxyContin performance, identify key opportunities to increase near-term OxyContin revenue and develop plans to capture priority opportunities. This 2013 effort was called Evolve to Excellence, or “E2E,” and included McKinsey advising Purdue on how to “turbocharge” the sales pipeline for OxyContin by, among other strategies, intensifying marketing to High Value Prescribers.
Elling served as the director of the client services team for approximately 30 of McKinsey’s engagements with Purdue. He had a senior, relationship-focused role with respect to the E2E engagement and was involved in securing the engagement for McKinsey.
On July 4, 2018, Elling emailed another senior partner: “Just saw in the FT that [Purdue board member] is being sued by states attorneys general for her role on the [Purdue] Board. It probably makes sense to have a quick conversation with the risk committee to see if we should be doing anything other [than] eliminating all our documents and emails. Suspect not but as things get tougher there someone might turn to us.”
According to court documents, forensic analysis of Elling’s McKinsey-issued laptop found that Elling in fact deleted materials related to McKinsey’s work for Purdue from the laptop, as well as a Purdue-related folder from his Outlook email account. On August 22, 2018, Elling emailed himself an apparent to-do list, with the subject line, “When home.” The items listed included: “delete old pur [Purdue Pharma] documents from laptop[.]” Forensic analysis of Elling’s laptop by the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section determined that between approximately April 2018 and September 2018, Elling removed a folder titled “Purdue” (which included a subfolder entitled “Strategy”) from his Windows operating system that contained more than 100 items for whom the filenames indicate they were from as far back as 2004 and included the name of the Purdue Pharma CEO at the time of the origination of the Purdue Pharma engagements with McKinsey. The CEO was among the former Purdue Pharma executives who, in 2007, pled guilty and was convicted of misbranding in United States District Court in Abingdon.
On August 25, 2018, Elling emailed himself the following, “Remove Pur[due] folder from garbage[.]” Elling was aware of the investigations into Purdue Pharma’s conduct and knowingly deleted folders, documents, and emails from his McKinsey-issued laptop knowing these documents would be pertinent to those investigations.
Elling is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4 at 1:00 p.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The criminal case against Elling and McKinsey is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia; Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda P. Masselam Strachan and William B. Brady of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Senior Trial Counsel Kristen M. Echemendia of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section); Trial Attorneys Jessica Harvey and Steven R. Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; and Special Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Attorneys General Kristin Gray and Kimberly Bolton of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Office of Personnel Management, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section.
Former President of Asphalt Paving Company Pleads Guilty to Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
The former president of a Michigan asphalt paving company pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Timothy Baugher, former president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), conspired with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor. Baugher participated in the conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.
Wednesday’s guilty plea is the 10th in the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into collusion in the Michigan asphalt paving industry. Baugher’s former employer, ASI, and another former ASI executive also pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy with Allied in January 2024. Allied and two of its executives previously pleaded guilty in August 2023 for their participation in the conspiracy. On Aug. 15, 2024, ASI was sentenced to pay a fine of $6,500,000.
Under the terms of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts.
“Americans deserve to pay a fair, competitive price to fix transportation infrastructure,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable executives who cheat consumers by undermining the competitive process.”
“Fair and open marketplace competition is essential in providing consumers and taxpayers the integrity expected in procuring contracts funded with public dollars” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “Corporate executives who collude to fixing prices and rigging bids will be held accountable.”
“Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “The guilty plea in this case represents a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served."
Baugher pleaded guilty to one count of violating Section 1 of the Sherman Act. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for the charge. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Wednesday’s guilty plea resulted from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the Offices of Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Former Police Commissioner and Former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget Charged in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging Ray Martinez, the former police commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, the former director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget, with participating in a bribery and money laundering conspiracy. Both defendants made their initial court appearances today in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to court documents, Martinez, 56, and O’Neal, 53, both of St. Thomas, accepted bribes from a then-government contractor, David Whitaker. The indictment alleges that the scheme began in at least November 2022 and continued until June 2024, with O’Neal joining the scheme no later than January 2024. The defendants also allegedly conspired to launder proceeds from the bribery scheme through a monetary transaction to pay rent on O’Neal’s coffee shop. In exchange for the bribes paid by the government contractor, Martinez and O’Neal, among other official acts, allegedly agreed to approve fraudulently inflated invoices and assist with obtaining payment for those invoices by the Virgin Islands to Whitaker. Martinez also agreed to assist Whitaker in obtaining a $1.48 million contract to provide services to the VIPD in October 2023. Additionally, after the investigation was originally made public, Martinez allegedly obstructed the investigation by encouraging Whitaker to destroy evidence associated with Martinez’s criminal activity and produced falsified documents in response to a subpoena.
Martinez and O’Neal are each charged with five counts of honest services wire fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Martinez is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the District of the Virgin Islands; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Steve Loew of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands 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.
Former Police Commissioner and Former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget Charged in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging Ray Martinez, the former police commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, the former director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget, with participating in a bribery and money laundering conspiracy. Both defendants made their initial court appearances today in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to court documents, Martinez, 56, and O’Neal, 53, both of St. Thomas, accepted bribes from a then-government contractor, David Whitaker. The indictment alleges that the scheme began in at least November 2022 and continued until June 2024, with O’Neal joining the scheme no later than January 2024. The defendants also allegedly conspired to launder proceeds from the bribery scheme through a monetary transaction to pay rent on O’Neal’s coffee shop. In exchange for the bribes paid by the government contractor, Martinez and O’Neal, among other official acts, allegedly agreed to approve fraudulently inflated invoices and assist with obtaining payment for those invoices by the Virgin Islands to Whitaker. Martinez also agreed to assist Whitaker in obtaining a $1.48 million contract to provide services to the VIPD in October 2023. Additionally, after the investigation was originally made public, Martinez allegedly obstructed the investigation by encouraging Whitaker to destroy evidence associated with Martinez’s criminal activity and produced falsified documents in response to a subpoena.
Martinez and O’Neal are each charged with five counts of honest services wire fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Martinez is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the District of the Virgin Islands; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Steve Loew of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands 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.
Former Office Manager Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $1 Million from a Family-Owned Business in GreenfieldRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Jennifer Lynn Horton., 49, of Shepherdsville, Kentucky has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2022, Jennifer Horton worked as the office manager for a family-owned contracting company located in Greenfield, Indiana. In that role, Horton was responsible for managing payroll, customer invoices, and company credit cards.
Beginning around January 2016, and continuing through December 2022, Horton devised and executed multiple schemes to brazenly defraud her employer of over a million dollars. First, by inflating her salary on 466 separate occasions, for a total of $515,000, without approval. In addition, in December 2020, Horton added her husband to the company’s payroll even though he had not been hired as a salaried employee. During that time, Horton stole an additional $107,000 under the guise of her husband’s name.
To conceal her conduct, Horton edited the company’s payroll data to make it appear that she was being paid her agreed-upon salary and to delete the payments to her husband. After the edited data was approved, Horton reverted the payroll system to make the unauthorized payments to herself and her husband. Horton misled her boss about the company’s financial reports, resulting in significant financial strain on the company when the true information was discovered.
Horton also redirected credit card payments made by the company’s customers into her own personal bank account over 185 times. She concealed the theft by altering the company’s accounting records to delete invoices or falsely mark them as being paid in full to the company.
Finally, Horton abused the company credit card to pay personal bills and make personal purchases, including a house, cars, and clothes. In total, Horton stole approximately $1,116,258 from her employer.
In addition to her prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of her interest in four vehicles—a 2022 Ford F350, a 2022 Ford Mustang, a 2021 Ford Mustang, and a 2020 Ford EcoSport—and that she pay a judgment of $1,002,2680.
“This criminal abused her friendships and position of trust to swindle a family-owned company out of over a million dollars,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Family entrepreneurs are a critical driver of our economy, and fraud schemes against them harm those companies, their employees, and our community as a whole, and this serious federal prison sentence should send the message that this conduct will not be tolerated. My thanks to our partners in Hancock County and at the FBI for ensuring that there is accountability for economic crimes.”
“Holding individuals accountable for financial crimes like this is essential to protecting the integrity of our businesses and communities,” said Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton. “This case serves as a reminder that accountability for the defendant and justice for the victim are crucial in preventing fraud. I would like to thank the dedicated staff of the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office and Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Detective Douglas Cook for their exceptional work and collaboration on this case.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin Houston, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Massachusetts Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Counterfeit Luxury Watches Imported from ChinaRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KLEVIS NAKO, 24, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 60 days of imprisonment, followed by 18 months of supervised release, for his participation in a conspiracy to sell counterfeit luxury and designer brand watches imported from China.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2020 to April 2024, Nako conspired with other individuals to sell counterfeit luxury watches to customers across the United States. He illegally imported the counterfeit watches from China or obtained them from a co-conspirator in New York, and then advertised and sold the watches on the internet and through social media accounts he operated on Facebook and Instagram. During the investigation, law enforcement officers made multiple undercover transactions in which they purchased counterfeit Rolex watches from one of Nako’s Instagram accounts for approximately $100 to $300 per watch.
Between February and July 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized approximately 16 parcels containing a total of 138 counterfeit Rolex watches and five counterfeit Audemars watches that were addressed to Nako’s residence. Between April and June 2022, CBP seized three parcels, containing a total of 11 counterfeit Rolex watches and one counterfeit Movado watch, which were addressed to an office that Nako had rented in Holden, Massachusetts. The seized counterfeit watches had a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of approximately $3 million had the watches been authentic.
Judge Oliver ordered Nako to forfeit $271,585 in proceeds of his crime.
Nako was arrested on April 3, 2024. On that date, a court-authorized search of Nako’s residence revealed more than 60 counterfeit luxury watches, as well as counterfeit watch boxes and shopping bags. On August 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods.
Nako was employed as a police officer with the Framingham State University Police Department in Framingham, Massachusetts, at this time of his arrest.
Released on $50,000 bond, Nako is required to report to prison on February 13.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Shan Patel.
Former Fugitive Found Guilty at Trial of Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Billy Ruiz (46, California) guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ruiz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2025.
Ruiz was indicted on April 6, 2017. After his indictment, Ruiz evaded law enforcement for years, but he was ultimately arrested, then arraigned in the Middle District of Florida on July 12, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ruiz sold large amounts of methamphetamine in March 2016 to a lower-level drug dealer for redistribution in central Florida. Ruiz operated out of southern California and, along with one or more co-conspirators, shipped methamphetamine to Orlando by overnight delivery. The methamphetamine was then repackaged and distributed in central Florida. The evidence presented at trial showed that Ruiz sold two batches of methamphetamine, each of which weighed approximately two pounds.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lake Mary Police Department, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Sowell and Chauncey Bratt.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Former Cruise Line Employee Guilty of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 8, 2025, ABDUL ROUVOOF SHAIK (“SHAIK”), age 30, a Republic of India national, pled guilty to Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). SHAIK faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a period of supervised release of up to life, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, SHAIK was previously employed by Carnival Cruise Lines and was arrested in July 2024 after special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, found SHAIK in possession of child pornography at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for April 16, 2025 before United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle.
These cases were 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 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Florida Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Stealing COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Fredrick Mendez, 45, of Boca Raton, Florida, was sentenced to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,589,565.75 after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
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. The CARES Act also expanded the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (“EIDL”) to provide funding to help small businesses recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the plea agreement, from approximately March 2020 through November 2021, Mendez prepared and submitted fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications on behalf of the following business entities: SkyWorth Technical Solutions Inc., Northern Technology Inc., Acumen Energy Group Inc., and Acumen Holding Group, LLC. These applications contained materially false statements, including false representations about the entities’ number of employees, gross revenues, and cost of goods sold; Mendez further falsely certified that the information provided in the EIDL applications was true and accurate and that the funds would be used for working capital and other normal operating business expenses when, in fact, he used the bulk of the proceeds for his personal benefit.
“This defendant lied and stole government funds meant to help people struggling in the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. “Our office continues to identify and prosecute people who stole taxpayer dollars during a time of crisis.”
“This prison sentence and forfeiture order should serve as another strong deterrent against pandemic-related fraud,” said Marc DellaSala, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Denver Field Office. “Our pursuit of criminals stealing from government aid programs intended for struggling small businesses and families will not tire. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our Pandemic Fraud Task Force partners for their continued dedication to protecting America’s financial infrastructure.”
The defendant was sentenced by United States District Court Judge S. Kato Crews. 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
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a sex trafficking conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Angelo Dominic Lombardo, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2025. In May 2022, Lombardo was indicted by a federal grand jury.
“Mr. Lombardo deceived his victims with promises of a better life, and then he delivered the exact opposite. He forced them into a life of sexual servitude, all for his own personal gain,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Human trafficking is a deplorable crime and this office will continue to hold individuals like Mr. Lombardo accountable for their deplorable conduct.”
“What Angelo Lombardo admitted to doing today is horrific—using force, fraud, and coercion to traffic vulnerable women for his own financial benefit, even going as far as threatening one at gunpoint,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Mr. Lombardo came to Boston because he thought it would be easy to stay off law enforcement’s radar, but he was clearly wrong. We want victims to know that we will work very hard to make sure they receive the services they need and deserve, and our Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force will do everything it can to ensure that anyone who profits from the detestable exploitation of human beings will be brought to justice for perpetrating these egregious crimes.”
From in and around June 2020 to July 12, 2021, Lombardo conspired with others to traffic four victims to engage in commercial sex acts by physically assaulting the victims, coercing the victims psychologically, making false promises of a better life and making explicit threats to one of the victims with a firearm, among other things.
In June 2020, Lombardo recruited a victim in Florida to work for him engaging in commercial sex in various states, including Massachusetts, where she engaged in commercial sex at Lombardo’s direction. Lombardo promised the victim a better life, however the money that she was paid engaging in commercial sex was turned over to Lombardo. On multiple occasions, Lombardo was violent with the victim who reported that she did not feel able to leave him because she would leave with nothing.
Another victim recruited by Lombardo in or around October 2020 in Florida, travelled with Lombardo to other states, including Massachusetts, to engage in commercial sex. Lombardo threatened the victim that if she did not do what she was told, she would not see her family again. On one occasion when the victim did not want to participate in any more commercial sex dates, Lombardo confiscated her license and punched her repeatedly.
Around May 2021, Lombardo met a homeless victim in Portland, Ore., provided her with a place to stay and then advertised her on commercial sex websites. Lombardo would set up dates and drive the victim who travelled to Boston, Mass. on two occasions to engage in commercial sex. In addition to taking the money, he verbally abused the victim and on one occasion put a gun to the victim’s head and told her to go and make more money.
Finally, another victim was recruited to work for Lombardo in June 2021, in Portland, Ore., shortly after she turned 18 years old. Lombardo promised the victim financial stability and a better life if she worked for him. In reality, Lombardo kept the money that the victim was paid, for himself. The victim reported that Lombardo was verbally abusive toward her.
Ultimately, one of the victims went to the police and reported that Lombardo was trafficking her in July 2021. On July 12, 2021, following a traffic stop in Boston, Lombardo was arrested on state trafficking charges. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo had approximately $3,310 in his possession. A subsequent search of a hotel room in Revere associated with Lombardo resulted in the recovery of a firearm with a laser attached matching the descriptions provided by two of the his victims, and a loaded large capacity magazine with 20 live rounds of ammunition. Due to at least one prior felony conviction, Lombardo is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this individual or alleged crime should contact [email protected]. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources.
The charge of sex trafficking conspiracy provides for up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen and BPD Commissioner Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Revere and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.
Five Defendants Plead Guilty for Bid Rigging Conspiracies on Commercial Roofing Projects in Central FloridaRead the Press Release
As part of an ongoing investigation, four individuals and one company have pleaded guilty for their roles in bid-rigging conspiracies throughout central Florida.
Glenn Bailey and Douglas Sutter each pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to participating in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids on commercial roofing projects in violation of the Sherman Act on Jan. 8 and 9, respectively. Kenneth Cody and Christopher Rakos also pleaded guilty to the same crime on Oct. 3 and Dec. 6, 2024, respectively. Service Works of Fort Lauderdale LLC, also pleaded guilty to the same crime on Oct. 3, 2024, and was sentenced on Jan. 6.
According to the plea agreements, each of the defendants knowingly entered into a conspiracy to restrain trade by rigging bids for commercial roofing services in the Middle District of Florida. The commercial roofing services included the installation and repair of flat and sloped roofs on commercial and other facilities. The rigged bids impacted a variety of projects, including roofing services for schools, religious buildings, condominiums and retail stores.
“Safe, affordable roofing is critical to Florida communities that are prone to hurricanes and other harsh weather conditions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The guilty pleas secured today further demonstrate our commitment to protecting the competitive bidding process that is essential to constructing and maintaining America’s infrastructure.”
"Today's guilty plea reflects the FBI's unwavering commitment to holding those accountable who undermine fair competition through bid-rigging conspiracies," said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. "The actions of these individuals manipulated competitive processes, harmed taxpayers and the integrity of the marketplace. The FBI will continue to protect businesses and consumers from those who try to abuse the system for their own personal gain."
“These individuals thought they could game the system and would not get caught. They were wrong,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John Carlo of the Department of Education Office of Inspector General (OIG)’s Eastern Regional Office. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. America’s taxpayers and students deserve nothing less.”
The FBI and Department of Education OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland Jr., Ronald P. Fiorillo II., Vijay N. Rao and Sumaiya F. Ismail of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation or other anticompetitive conduct in the roofing should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Federal Jury Finds Windsor Locks Man Guilty of Robbery OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found GEOFFREY SHAPIRO, 44, of Windsor Locks, guilty of committing two robberies in February 2020. The trial before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden began on January 8 and the jury returned its verdicts this morning.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, on February 9, 2020, at approximately 5:20 p.m., Shapiro entered the Dunkin’ Donuts, located at 142 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, placed an order, and then displayed a small handgun and pointed it at the employee at the register. Shapiro stated “Give me the money” two times. The employee gave Shapiro approximately $390. Shapiro said “thank you” and exited the store.
On February 21, 2020, Shapiro entered the Webster Bank located at 141 Hebron Avenue in Glastonbury. When he reached the teller counter, Shapiro handed the teller a note that stated in part “Stay calm” and “I have a gun.” The teller then gave Shapiro $1,837 from her drawer. Shapiro took back the note and exited the bank. Glastonbury Police arrested Shapiro later that day at his residence.
On February 22, 2020, a court-authorized search of Shapiro’s vehicle revealed a handgun, the demand note Shapiro used during the bank robbery, clothes worn by Shapiro during the robberies, and other evidence.
Shapiro was found guilty of one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of armed bank robbery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years.
Shapiro is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Glastonbury, Simsbury, and Westfield (Mass.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Natasha M. Freismuth.
Federal Firearms Licensee Sentenced to Prison for Firearm Trafficking and Straw Purchasing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to illegally traffic and straw purchase firearms.
Cory Daigle, 30, of Revere, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In August 2024, Daigle pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in firearms; one count of illegal possession of a machine gun; one count of receipt or possession of unregistered firearm; one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL; and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL.
Daigle was charged by criminal complaint in January 2023 along with Gustavo Rodriguez and Shakim Grant. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.
“Mr. Daigle utilized his status as a licensed firearms dealer to recklessly amass an alarming number of firearms. He knowingly sold multiple firearms to a person he knew was not eligible to own them he – and then aided in concealing such criminal conduct in the immediate after one of those firearms was then used in the shooting,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This sentence and moreover, this case entirely, should be a warning to other licensed federal firearms dealers in Massachusetts, particularly in the Littleton Mill, that by selling illegal deadly weapons, you’re not only gambling with public safety – you’re gambling with your freedom.”
“The illegal sale and transfer of firearms threaten the safety of our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who exploit firearms laws for personal gain will be held accountable. ATF will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt these dangerous networks and uphold the integrity of lawful gun ownership.’”
Daigle was a licensed firearms dealer doing business as Steelworks Defense Solutions in Littleton. In late 2022, Rodriguez – a previously convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms – asked Grant if he would purchase a number of firearms for him. Rodriguez proposed to make the purchases through Daigle, whom Rodriguez knew to be an FLL and with whom Rodriguez had an existing relationship. Grant knew that Rodriguez – a known Wood Avenue gang associated – was prohibited from possessing firearms, but agreed to purchase the firearms nonetheless. At some point prior to Oct. 27, 2022, Rodriguez and Daigle agreed upon the firearms that would be purchased and Rodriguez paid Daigle for the firearms.
To complete the purchase and obtain the firearms, Rodriguez later accompanied firearms-licensee Grant to Steelworks Defense Solutions. There, Daigle presented Grant with three firearms intended for Rodriguez, which Rodriguez had previously selected and paid for: a Glock 23, .40 caliber pistol; a Glock 29, 10mm pistol; and a Glock 19X, 9mm pistol. Daigle then provided Grant with paperwork required to be maintained by an FFL, documenting the sale of the three firearms. This included a required Firearms Transaction Record to be completed by the buyer, in which Grant falsely claimed that he was the actual buyer of the firearms. Daigle signed the form, knowingly endorsing the false claim.
Less than two weeks later, on Nov. 6, 2022, one of the firearms that Daigle had sold to Rodriguez was used in shooting outside of Rodriguez’s apartment. During a search of Rodriguez’s apartment, a Glock 23 pistol and the Glock 29 pistol were discovered, but only the manufacturer’s box for a Glock 19X pistol – which was later identified as the firearm used in the Hyde Park shooting. That same firearm was subsequently recovered from a juvenile in New Bedford.
During a search of Daigle’s residence in January 2023, multiple firearms were found in numerous safes, on furniture, in bedrooms, in drawers and in open areas throughout the home. An incendiary device was also located. During the search, Daigle attempted to coverup the illegal straw purchase by providing false information to law enforcement. He also stated that if anyone came to take his guns away, he would fight the government until he died. The firearms were immediately seized.
Additionally, at the time of his arrest, Daigle was carrying four tactical/military style knives on his person.
Grant and Rodriguez each pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. On Oct. 18, 2024, Grant was sentenced to three years of probation. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced in February 2025.
U.S. Attorney Levy, ATF SAC Ferguson and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Fall River Man Charged with Shipping Cocaine Through the MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man has been charged in federal court in Boston with a drug trafficking offense arising from his shipment of cocaine through the U.S. mail from California to Massachusetts.
Justin Dupras, 42, was charged by criminal complaint on one count of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. Dupras will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, Dupras mailed a package containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from a Post Office in Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. on Dec. 17, 2024. Dupras then returned to Massachusetts and, on Dec. 19, 2024, drove to the Fall River Post Office. Another individual signed for the package containing cocaine and handed it to Dupras.
The charging document also alleges that Dupras mailed packages containing cocaine from California to Massachusetts on multiple prior occasions. For example, on Sept. 17, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing more than two kilograms of cocaine from Chino Hills, Calif. to Fall River, Mass.. On Oct. 29, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. Flight records show Dupras returning to Massachusetts on the same day that he mailed the two packages.
The charge of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to life and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. The Fall River Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Drug Dealer with History of Violence Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
A drug dealer with a history of violence who fled a traffic stop was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Antonio Rockwood, age 26, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an August 13, 2024, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Drug User, and a Misdemeanant Domestic Abuser.
Evidence in the case revealed in September of 2023, officers with the Sioux City Police Department attempted a traffic stop on a Silver Chrysler 300, for dark window tint, that was known to be driven by Rockwood. The vehicle fled officers. Officers went to a nearby address Rockwood was known to frequent. The vehicle was found abandoned and high-centered, where it had collided with two parked vehicles. A neighbor advised officers Rockwood was the driver and had fled into a nearby residence. While officers were clearing the vehicle, they observed a handgun stuck between the driver’s seat and center console. Officers also located a backpack containing a crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 153 grams. Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and found Rockwood hiding in a crawl space in the attic.
Rockwood has previous felony convictions for theft and controlled substance violations, as well as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, all in Woodbury County, Iowa.
Rockwood was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rockwood is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4082.
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Cryptocurrency Investment Firm Founder Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Thousands of Investors of over $9M in Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a cryptocurrency investment fraud conspiracy.
According to court documents, Travis Ford, 35, of Glenpool, was the CEO, co-founder, and head trader of Wolf Capital Crypto Trading LLC (Wolf Capital), a purported cryptocurrency investment firm. From January 2023 through August 2023, Ford solicited investments through Wolf Capital’s website and other social media and internet-based promotion activities. Ford held himself out as a sophisticated trader able to deliver high returns of 1-2% per day (approximately 547% per year). Ford admitted that he did not believe those promised investment returns were possible to achieve consistently. Ford made such false promises to induce members of the public to invest money in the company. Ford misappropriated and diverted investor funds to benefit himself and his co-conspirators, to the financial detriment of investors. In total, Wolf Capital raised $9.4 million from approximately 2,800 investors through fraudulent conduct.
Ford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, for which he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigation Group made the announcement.
The USPIS is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys John J. Liolos and Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felons Illegally Possessing Firearms Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Bahamian fugitive and a Georgia jail escapee were sentenced to prison this week on federal gun charges resulting from separate Project Safe Neighborhoods investigations in the Middle District of Georgia.
Byron Bradley Demeritte, 31, a Bahamian citizen residing in Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Jan. 8. Demeritte previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a machinegun on Aug. 26, 2024.
Chavis Stokes, 31, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Jan. 8. Stokes previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Oct. 9, 2024. Stokes, who is serving significant state sentences, was ordered to serve his time consecutively to already-imposed sentences.
U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell presided over the cases. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize federal prosecutions against illegally armed, dangerous criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I salute the excellent investigative and prosecutorial work in these Project Safe Neighborhoods cases, which endeavor to make our communities safer.”
According to the plea agreement and other statements referenced in court in the Demeritte case, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle Demeritte was driving on I-75 for improper license plate and erratic driving on May 3, 2023. The officers smelled a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle, and Demeritte showed the officers his marijuana cigarette and a small bag of marijuana. Demeritte told officers he was traveling to Miami, Florida, to retrieve his passport. Demeritte and his passenger, Darriyo Saunders, of the Bahamas, were asked to exit the vehicle so a search could be conducted for drug possession, and Saunders attempted to remove a backpack. Saunders then took off running while being pursued by another deputy and was later taken into custody at a nearby Wal-Mart. Inside the backpack, deputies found six firearms and extra magazines (one extended and one drum), one of which was a stolen Glock Model 21 .45 caliber modified to fire as a machinegun. In addition, officers found MDMA tablets and multiple small bags of marijuana inside the backpack. Demeritte is a fugitive from the Bahamas wanted on a pending and active murder warrant issued on March 27, 2023.
According to the plea agreement and other statements referenced in court in the Stokes case, the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) located Stokes—who had escaped from the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center—in Montezuma, Georgia, on Oct. 26, 2023. He was alone at a single wide trailer on Shiloh Church Road. Stokes surrendered without incident; inside, SERFTF agents saw a bag on a table with an AK style magazine sticking out of it and found two firearms in a back bedroom: a semiautomatic pistol and a rifle. Agents found loaded magazines for both firearms as well as 29 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 68 rounds of assorted 7.62 caliber ammunition. Additionally, agents located multiple phones and a half a kilogram of suspected marijuana.
These cases are 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results.
The Demeritte case was investigated by ATF and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Criminal Chief Leah McEwen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McCullers.
The Stokes case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the FBI, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom.
Commissioner of Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation and Co-Conspirator Charged in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging Calvert White, the commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation (SP&R), and Benjamin Hendricks, a local businessman, with participating in a bribery scheme. Both defendants made their initial court appearances today in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to court documents, White, 49, of St. Thomas, solicited and accepted a bribe from a then-government contractor, David Whitaker, through Hendricks, 62, also of St. Thomas, who acted as an intermediary. The indictment alleges that the scheme began in at least December 2023 and continued until June 2024. In exchange for the bribe paid by Whitaker, White allegedly agreed to assist Whitaker in obtaining a $1.43 million contract with SP&R. White, amongst other acts, allegedly provided confidential bid information to Whitaker and took official action to encourage the awarding of the contract to Whitaker. Hendricks allegedly served as a middleman for the payments and facilitated the bribery scheme.
White and Hendricks are each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the District of the Virgin Islands; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Steve Loew of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands 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.
Commissioner of Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation and Co-Conspirator Charged in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging Calvert White, the commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation (SP&R), and Benjamin Hendricks, a local businessman, with participating in a bribery scheme. Both defendants made their initial court appearances today in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to court documents, White, 49, of St. Thomas, solicited and accepted a bribe from a then-government contractor, David Whitaker, through Hendricks, 62, also of St. Thomas, who acted as an intermediary. The indictment alleges that the scheme began in at least December 2023 and continued until June 2024. In exchange for the bribe paid by Whitaker, White allegedly agreed to assist Whitaker in obtaining a $1.43 million contract with SP&R. White, amongst other acts, allegedly provided confidential bid information to Whitaker and took official action to encourage the awarding of the contract to Whitaker. Hendricks allegedly served as a middleman for the payments and facilitated the bribery scheme.
White and Hendricks are each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the District of the Virgin Islands; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Steve Loew of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands 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.
Cleaning Service Owner Charged with Employment Tax Scheme and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned an indictment earlier this week charging a former Nevada business owner for not paying employment taxes, not filing personal tax returns and obstructing justice.
According to the indictment, Deborah Meadows, formerly of Las Vegas, owned and operated A to Z Employment Services LLC, which provided carpet, upholstery and roadside cleaning services in Nevada. Meadows allegedly was responsible for all financial matters related to the company, including for filing the company’s quarterly employment tax returns and withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from her employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS, as well paying the Social Security and Medicare taxes the company owed.
From at least the fourth quarter of 2018 through the fourth quarter of 2020, Meadows allegedly withheld taxes from her employees’ wages, but did not pay over all those taxes to the IRS. In addition, from 2018 through 2021 Meadows also allegedly did not file his own personal tax returns as required by law.
After the grand jury began its investigation, Meadows allegedly responded to a grand jury subpoena by providing altered bank records and inaccurate tax records. The altered bank records allegedly showed that AZ-TEC Restoration LLC, another company Meadows owned and operated, had made tax payments to the IRS, when in fact the company had not done so. She also provided inaccurate individual and employment tax returns that allegedly showed taxes paid to the IRS, when in fact Meadows knew at the time that this did not happen.
If convicted, Meadows face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each employment tax charge, a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each failure to file an individual tax charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each obstruction charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Regina Jeon and Assistant Chief Eric Powers of the Tax 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.
Chairman of High Times’ Parent Agrees to Plead Guilty in Scheme to Give Undisclosed Payments to Analyst Touting its Securities OfferingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The founder and chairman of Hightimes Holding Corp., the company that publishes High Times magazine, has agreed to plead guilty to joining a criminal conspiracy to pay more than $150,000 in undisclosed compensation to an analyst for an investment newsletter that touted its stock and assisted Hightimes in raising at least $6 million.
Adam Levin, 45, of Marina Del Rey, was charged last month with one count of conspiracy to tout securities for undisclosed compensation. In a plea agreement filed December 20, Levin agreed to plead guilty to that felony offense.
Levin is scheduled to appear January 14 in United States District Court to make his initial appearance in this case.
Levin is the fourth defendant to be charged in this scheme in which companies paid the analyst at “Palm Beach Venture,” an investment newsletter with subscribers nationwide. That analyst, Jonathan William Mikula – along with his associate, Christian Fernandez, who acted as a money launderer for the scheme; and Raj Beri, the CEO of a Beverly Hills company who brokered deals for undisclosed payments by other issuers, each received a portion of the payments. Mikula, Fernandez and Beri each pleaded guilty last year and are scheduled to be sentenced in July.
The payments made by executives such as Levin were in exchange for Palm Beach Venture publishing promotional pieces for securities offerings, according to court documents.
Federal law requires full and public disclosure from anyone who has received payment – directly or indirectly – from an issuer for publishing, publicizing or circulating any advertisement or communication that describes the issuer’s security offered for sale.
According to Levin’s plea agreement, in 2020 and 2021, “Hightimes raised approximately $20 million from more than 10 investor-victims, with at least $6 million in investment proceeds associated with Palm Beach Venture’s promotion.”
In exchange for the favorable articles in the newsletter, Levin admitted he paid $150,000 via wire transfers, as well as tens of thousands of dollars for entertainment expenses.
To conceal the scheme, Levin entered into a sham “marketing agreement” and routed the payments through a Canadian bank to a shell company in Canada, according to the plea agreement.
Mikula then caused Palm Beach Venture to promote Hightimes’ securities offering on April 6 and September 23 in 2020 in articles that falsely stated, “Neither the Palm Beach Research Group nor its affiliates receive compensation for bringing this deal to you,” the plea agreement states.
Levin also admitted that he lied to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission when he denied knowing that he entered into a “pay-for-play arrangement.”
The FBI is investigating this matter.
The SEC filed a civil action against Hightimes that was resolved in 2023 with Hightimes agreeing to a cease-and-desist order and paying a penalty of $558,071.
Any investors who believe they are a victim of the crimes in this scheme are encouraged to go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/united-states-v-jonathan-william-mikula-christian-fernandez-and-amit-raj-beri for further information and updates regarding this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force is prosecuting this case.
California Couple Sentenced for Defrauding Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – On January 9, 2025, Senior United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright sentenced Christopher A. Mazzei, 46, and Erin V. Mazzei, 43, both of Arroyo Grande, California, to 36 months and 27 months of imprisonment, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud the government of forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds intended for Coronavirus-related relief. The Mazzeis pleaded guilty to two counts of an Indictment on August 28, 2024.
According to court documents and the statements of counsel at sentencing, Christopher and Erin Mazzei, who are husband and wife, submitted applications for PPP funds to Bank of Hawaii and two other banks on behalf of three purported businesses, each time utilizing interstate wires. For each application, the Mazzeis created false Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax returns and payroll records, which they presented as authentic and submitted to the banks to support their claims for PPP loan funds. The Mazzeis admitted that as a result of the false and fraudulent applications, they received $1,365,000 in PPP loan funds, which they then used for personal purposes, such as to purchase multiple sport utility vehicles and a home in Kapolei, Hawaii, among other things. In addition, the couple spent approximately $164,796 to film a promotional trailer for a television project entitled “Ohana,” that they hoped to produce in the State of Hawaii, and that they hoped would attract the attention of film producer and actor Dwayne Johnson.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds had to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
Referring to the PPP as “crisis-based legislation,” Judge Seabright called the fraud conduct here “particularly blatant and egregious.” In pronouncing his sentence to both defendants, Judge Seabright remarked, “greed drove both of you.”
“The Mazzeis perpetrated a gross fraud to obtain critical resources intended for members of our community experiencing devastating hardships as a result of the pandemic,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “The sentences appropriately condemn their conduct, and our office remains committed to bringing these prosecutions to ensure accountability for such bad acts and to protect the public fisc.”
“This scheme diverted emergency relief that could have paid 25 Americans an average salary,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “While small businesses shut down all over the country, the Mazzeis lived in excess on the taxpayer’s dime.”
“Christopher and Erin Mazzei falsified loan applications to fraudulently obtain PPP loan proceeds earmarked to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mazzeis actions not only defrauded the PPP Loan Program, but also disadvantaged business owners who were entitled to the benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG). “The FDIC OIG is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to protect the Nation’s financial system and hold accountable those individuals, like the Mazzeis, who steal benefits designated to help those in need.”
“Christopher and Erin Mazzei defrauded the federal government of pandemic relief funds for their own personal gain and have now been brought to justice for their actions,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold Mr. and Mrs. Mazzei accountable.”
The investigation was conducted jointly by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, with assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Beaver County Resident Sentenced to Prison for Role in Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Rochester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on January 8, 2025, to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Roberto Muniz Sanchez, 46.
According to information presented to the Court, Sanchez was a member of an organized drug trafficking group that obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine via United States Postal Service parcel from Puerto Rico and then sold them in western Pennsylvania and elsewhere as part of an ongoing drug trafficking conspiracy. From approximately October 2023 to March 2024, Sanchez knowingly conspired with the leaders of the drug trafficking organization to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine in and around Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, with Sanchez having purchased quantities of cocaine on several different dates during that period for both distribution to others and personal use.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to Sanchez’s conviction in this case in close collaboration with the Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Castle City Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Department of Agriculture, Union Township Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Lawrence County is one of six western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
Armed Robber from New York Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A New York man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for robbing Lowest Price Tobacco and Vape in Knightdale. On September 19, 2024, Mekhi Marquise Hooi pled guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mekhi Hooi, 20, entered the Lowest Price Tobacco and Vape in Knightdale. Hooi then charged the clerk while brandishing a 9mm firearm, and demanding the clerk put money and tobacco products in a bag. During the robbery, Hooi threatened to shoot the clerk if he did not move faster. Hooi fled the scene and was ultimately apprehended in New York City and extradited to North Carolina to face his charges here.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Knightdale Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Loeser prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-62-D-RN.
Armed Bank Robbery Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for More Than a DecadeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, AKIN ZHON WOFFORD, 29, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 135 months in federal prison for armed bank robbery and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment against Wofford, charging him with armed bank robbery and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On August 21, 2024, a federal jury convicted Wofford on both counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, on November 7, 2022, Wofford entered a branch of City National Bank and Trust in Oklahoma City. After he waited several minutes in the lobby, Wofford pulled out a firearm, jumped over the teller counter, pointed it at a bank employee, and demanded money. Wofford then opened the teller drawer and grabbed handfuls of cash before he exited the bank. An investigation into the vehicle used during the bank robbery ultimately led authorities to Wofford. He was arrested on November 18, 2022.
At the sentencing hearing on January 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Wofford to serve 135 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the circumstances of the offense, including the risk of danger caused by the robbery, and Wofford’s history of violence.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Stanley J. West 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.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Albany County Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Taykwun Smoaks, age 32, of Albany, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for receipt of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Smoaks admitted that from February to March 2023, he received and possessed images and videos of child pornography on his computer and external hard drive. Smoaks admitted that he downloaded more than 600 videos and 22,000 still images, including images of prepubescent minors, images that involved sadistic and masochistic conduct, and images involving the sexual abuse of toddlers and infants.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered Smoaks to serve a 15-year term of post-incarceration supervised release; to pay restitution of $3,000 to each of 15 victims for a total amount of $45,000 in restitution; and to forfeit the electronic devices used to commit the offense. Smoaks will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
HSI and NYSP investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.