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Friday 20 December 2024
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced today to 11 years and 7 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service made the announcement.
“I commend the Secret Service and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office for their continuing work and partnership in combatting child exploitation throughout the Commonwealth,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. Federal and state cooperation is crucial to the successful prosecution of those who harm our most vulnerable citizens.”
“Kentucky’s kids will be safer with this predator behind bars,” said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman. “I’m grateful for the zealous collaboration with our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to demonstrate once again the serious consequences for the exploitation of our children.”
Douglas Huelsman, 45, was sentenced to 11 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for one count of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Huelsman used an online messaging application to distribute and receive images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Huelsman was also ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to multiple victims in the case.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Zimdahl prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Louisville Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced yesterday to a total of 27 years in federal prison for numerous felony offenses, including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and escape.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
“This case demonstrates the positive impact that flows from collaborative law enforcement efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships in Louisville are key to making the community safer. I commend the work of ATF and LMPD, as well as the federal, state, and local agencies from across the country who assisted them. The result in this case - the removal of two violent individuals from the streets for a lengthy period - makes the city safer for all who live, work, and visit here.”
According to court documents, Chicoby Summers, 29, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 5 years supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, over 250 grams of heroin, and a mixture of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack cocaine,” possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and escape. Summers was sentenced to an additional 2 years in prison, to run consecutively with the 25-year sentence for a total of 27 years, for violation of his supervised release.
Summers and his co-defendant, Jerlen Horton, were convicted following a seven-day jury trial in July of this year.
In November of this year, Horton was sentenced to serve 29 years and a 6 months, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, over 250 grams of heroin, and a mixture of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack cocaine,” possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF and LMPD investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, Kentucky State Police, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Long Beach California Police Department, Verdigris Oklahoma Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
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.
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Lodge Grass man sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing child on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass man who admitted to sexually abusing a child on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced on Dec. 18 to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Marty Edward Plenty Hawk, 30, pleaded guilty in August to aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact of a child as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
“Plenty Hawk manipulated and subjected the victim, a child, to years of sexual abuse. I am relieved he will serve extensive time in federal prison because his repeated conduct toward this child was unconscionable. Our office and law enforcement partners have no greater responsibility than to protect kids by holding dangerous people accountable. This prosecution shows we won’t hesitate to honor that responsibility, which we will continue to do in the future,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that between 2021 and May 2023 near Lodge Grass, on the Crow Indian Reservation, Plenty Hawk forced the victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, who was under the age of 12, to engage in a sexual act and in sexual conduct. On May 2, 2023, law enforcement arrested Plenty Hawk after a domestic disturbance at his residence. While in custody, Plenty Hawk wrote a confession that he had been carrying on a sexual relationship with Jane Doe 1. A sexual assault examination of Jane Doe 1 noted injuries consistent with child sexual abuse. In an interview with law enforcement, Plenty Hawk again admitted to having a sexual relationship with Jane Doe 1, including sexual intercourse multiple times.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Lee’s Summit Teacher Charged with Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit West High School teacher has been charged in federal court on charges related to child pornography.
Seth Brummond, 37, of Greenwood, Mo., was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, Dec. 19. Brummond will have his initial court appearance this afternoon.
The federal criminal complaint charges Brummond with one count of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography from September 1 to December 18, 2024.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Lee’s Summit police officers received a Cyber Tip on Sept. 8, 2024, that a user (later identified as Brummond) had uploaded 12 videos of child pornography via the Kik Messenger application.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, Lee’s Summit law enforcement officers placed Brummond’s residence under surveillance for the purpose of serving federal search warrants. Officers followed Brummond when he left his house and at about 6 a.m. officers conducted a traffic stop and placed Brummond under arrest. Officers seized his iPhone as well as a computer tower that was in the trunk of his car.
The charges contained in this complaint 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 David Luna. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police 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."
Lawson Sex Offender Sentenced to 17 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lawson, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender has been sentenced in federal court for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Lance M. Berry, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs on Thursday, Dec. 19, to 17 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Berry to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $33,000 in restitution to his victims.
On Aug. 7, 2024, Berry pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet.
Berry has a prior Ray County, Mo., conviction for the deviate sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, which requires him to register as a sex offender.
Berry admitted that he utilized a peer-to-peer file-sharing program on June 1, 2022, to make images and videos of child pornography available to other users over the internet. On that day, an undercover officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol was able to directly connect to Berry’s cell phone and download 14 videos of child pornography.
According to court documents, Berry’s cell phone contained 944 unique images of child pornography, including 19 images of sadistic or masochistic violence against a minor, and 168 images featuring infants or toddlers. There were an additional 40 videos of child pornography, which also included depictions of sadistic or masochistic violence and/or infants and toddlers.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Last Defendant in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Sentenced to 44 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Evan Cutler, age 25, of Queensbury, New York, was sentenced today to 44 months in prison for his role as a ringleader of a bank fraud conspiracy targeting SEFCU. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
According to an indictment returned last year, court records, and statements made by prosecutors in court, between February 2022 and October 2022, Cutler, together with codefendant Allahson Allah, age 54, of Albany, managed a conspiracy targeting SEFCU in which the conspirators obtained customer personal identifying information (PII) and impersonated people to fraudulently obtain cash and credit from SEFCU. The conspirators also applied for loans at SEFCU in the names of individuals whose identities they had stolen and withdrew the proceeds in cash. In total, the conspiracy netted the conspirators $88,800, with intended losses of over $100,000.
Cutler’s sentence concludes the investigation and prosecution of the conspiracy. Previously, the following coconspirators were sentenced as follows:
- Allah was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 3 years’ post-release supervision, with restitution ordered in the amount of $88,800;
- Caeshara Cannon, age 36, of Albany, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, followed by 2 years’ post-release supervision, with restitution ordered in the amount of $77,200;
- Davon Parson, age 20, of Albany, was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration followed by 2 years’ post-release supervision, with restitution ordered in the amount of $9,000; and
- Dnauticah Taylor-Sterman, age 22, of Albany, was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years’ post-release supervision, with restitution ordered in the amount of $25,000.
HSI investigated the case, with assistance from the Bethlehem Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted this case.
Lake County Woman Pleads Guilty to Multi-Kilogram Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tonya Lynn Romero (37, Okahumpka) has pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it. Romero faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is set for April 10, 2025.
According to the plea agreement, law enforcement conducted a narcotics interdiction operation at the Orlando International Airport, which resulted in a canine alerting to the presence of drugs in a suitcase that had been checked in Romero’s name. After Romero took possession of the luggage, law enforcement approached, and she provided consent to search the suitcase. Inside, law enforcement located over 13 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Kilo Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 40 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A New Bern man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for trafficking and distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl for a large-scale drug trafficking operation in Craven County. On August 8, 2024, a Raleigh jury found Lucio Camargo Garcia guilty of the charges.
“Garcia took advantage of Craven County’s most hopeless souls, extracting profit from their pain and addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Too many of our friends, families, and neighbors are battling addiction. The Craven County Sheriff’s Office and New Bern Police won’t stand by and let armed drug traffickers push kilos of fentanyl and meth in our community unchecked, and neither will we. Eastern North Carolina traffickers take note - our partnership is for the long haul, and we won’t let off.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that our community will not tolerate the trafficking of dangerous drugs like methamphetamines and fentanyl,” said HSI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant, HSI Charlotte covers North and South Carolina. “These substances devastate lives and destroy communities. HSI and its partners are committed to holding those who profit from this destruction accountable. This is a warning to those who engage in this illegal activity – we will pursue justice relentlessly.”
“This investigation identified Garcia as a major importer and distributor of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Craven County,” said Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes. “His prosecution, along with his co-conspirators has resulted in a significant reduction in the availability of these dangerous drugs in our communities.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the New Bern Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, and other state and local agencies launched an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for acquiring kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from the southwest border of the United States and distributing the drugs in and around Craven County. Through the use of confidential sources, surveillance, enforcement actions, and controlled purchases, Garcia was identified as the primary distributor of methamphetamine and fentanyl who re-sold the product to both drug users and other area dealers.
From January to October 2022, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Garcia. On October 31, 2022, search warrants were executed at residences associated with the drug trafficking organization, including Garcia’s residence. Law enforcement seized approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine, approximately nine hundred grams of fentanyl (powder and pill form), and a loaded firearm from Garcia’s residence. Most of the drugs were located in a secret compartment in the ceiling of Garcia’s bedroom closet.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
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 DEA, HSI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, New Bern Police Department, and Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Englander and Caroline Webb 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. 4:22-CR-75-D-RJ-2.
Kentucky Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years for his Role in a Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Kentucky man, Larry Beville, 62, was sentenced on December 19, 2024, to 15 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. He will serve five years of supervised release following his release from prison.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless, the government presented evidence that Beville delivered a kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer in the Central District of Illinois and was arrested with another kilogram of methamphetamine in Indiana approximately a month later. In total, Beville was held accountable for trafficking over 600 grams of methamphetamine.
Beville, along with five co-defendants, were charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in an indictment returned in April 2023. Many of his co-defendants are purported members of the Simon City Royals street gang. One of the co-defendants, has pleaded guilty and the other co-defendants are pending trial. Members of the public are reminded that the charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Beville pleaded guilty in August 2024. He has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest in April 2023.
The statutory penalties for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine are not less than 10 years, up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, and Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Beville was part of an investigation of the Simon City Royals street gang and 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Kalispell woman admits fraud, aggravated identity theft charges in scheme that used hospital patient recordsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell woman accused in a scheme to activate and use stolen credit or debit cards with personal information obtained from patient records at Kalispell Regional Medical Center admitted to fraud charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Alecia Mae Leonetti, 50, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Leonetti faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised on the wire fraud charge and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft charge.
U.S. Magistrate Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for April 24, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Leonetti was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that between September 2020 and December 2020, Leonetti’s co-defendant, Krista Hall, was employed at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Because of Hall’s employment, she had access to the hospital’s patient records. Leonetti would obtain stolen credit or debit cards and then contact Hall for Hall to look up the cardholder’s personal identifying information. Leonetti would use the personal identifying information to activate the stolen card and then use the card to make purchases or withdraw cash. In one instance, Leonetti obtained a Glacier Bank credit card belonging to John Doe, obtained Doe’s personal identifying information from Hall and activated the card. Leonetti admitted to law enforcement she accumulated more than $2,400 in charges at several Kalispell businesses over two days in September 2020. Hall has pleaded not guilty to charges in the case and is pending trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Justice Department Sues State of Louisiana for Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release DatesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit today against the State of Louisiana and Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) alleging that the state and LDOC maintain a pattern or practice of confining incarcerated people for weeks and months after they have fully completed their prison sentences and are legally entitled to be released, in violation of the 14th Amendment.
“Every person in the United States, whether incarcerated or otherwise, enjoys certain fundamental rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Foremost among them is the right to individual liberty. The Founders were keenly aware of the potential abuse of power when government can arbitrarily take away a person’s freedom without a lawful court order specifying the period of their confinement. In this context, the right to individual liberty includes the right to be released from incarceration on time after the term set by the court has ended. To incarcerate people indefinitely, as LDOC does here, not only intrudes on individual liberty, but also erodes public confidence in the fair and just application of our laws. The Justice Department looks forward to proving its case in court.”
The lawsuit is the result of a multi-year investigation into allegations of systemic overdetention in LDOC’s system conducted by the department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided the state with written notice of the supporting facts for these alleged conditions, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them in a report issued on Jan. 25, 2023. CRIPA authorizes the department to act when it has reasonable cause to believe there is a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to correctional facilities operated by or on behalf of state or local government.
Today’s lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to remedy deficient conditions identified by the department’s investigation. The lawsuit does not seek monetary damages. While the State has made marginal efforts to address the systemic deficiencies leading to overdetention, these steps are inadequate to address the deficiencies, which are longstanding and well-known to the State.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana are handling the case. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department by phone at 1-833-492-0097 or by email at [email protected].
For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Additional information about the Eastern, Middle and Western U.S. Attorneys’ Offices is available at www.justice.gov/usao-edla, www.justice.gov/usao-mdla and www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Justice Department Proposes New Regulations to Modernize Foreign Agents Registration Act Administration and EnforcementRead the Press Release
The Justice Department submitted to the Federal Register yesterday a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to update and clarify regulations issued under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
FARA requires persons in the United States who are acting as agents of foreign principals and engaged in certain specified activities to make periodic public disclosures of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts, and disbursements in support of those activities. Disclosure of the required information facilitates evaluation by the government and the American people of the activities of such persons in light of their function as foreign agents. The act authorizes the Attorney General to issue regulations, which were last amended in 2007.
The Justice Department’s proposed rule would make changes to key regulations, including those relating to the commercial exemption, the exemption for persons whose activities do not serve predominantly a foreign interest, and the exemption for persons qualified to practice law. The proposed rule also would modernize regulations relating to labeling informational materials in light of the significant technological changes that have occurred since the regulations were last amended more than a decade ago.
In December 2021, the department issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) with 19 questions to solicit comments about regulations on a range of topics, and the proposed rule reflects the department’s careful consideration of views submitted through this process.
An unofficial version of the NPRM is available here; the official version will be published in the Federal Register. Written comments on the NPRM may be submitted within 60 days of its publication in the Federal Register at www.regulations.gov. The NPRM will be followed by final regulations issued later.
Jordanian National Pleads Guilty to Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, of Orlando, pleaded guilty today to four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.
“With this plea, we are holding this defendant accountable for his threats to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by his desire to ‘warn’ businesses because of their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will fiercely protect the right of every person to peacefully express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas, but we have no tolerance for acts and threats of hate-fueled violence that create lasting fear.”
“Today, the defendant is admitting he attacked a solar power facility, damaged a number of Florida businesses, and left a series of threatening messages about perceived support for Israel,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “Violence, destruction of property, and threats are simply unacceptable. The FBI will work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who commit illegal and destructive acts and cause our citizens to fear for their safety and livelihoods.”
According to court documents, beginning around June, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind "Warning Letters."
In his letters, which were addressed to the U.S. government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
Hnaihen's attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen's attacks caused nearly $500,000 in damage.
Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “warning letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. Hnaihen has also agreed to make full restitution to the victims of the offenses. 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.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Jordanian National Pleads Guilty to Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, of Orlando, pleaded guilty today to four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.
“With this plea, we are holding this defendant accountable for his threats to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by his desire to ‘warn’ businesses because of their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will fiercely protect the right of every person to peacefully express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas, but we have no tolerance for acts and threats of hate-fueled violence that create lasting fear.”
“Today, the defendant is admitting he attacked a solar power facility, damaged a number of Florida businesses, and left a series of threatening messages about perceived support for Israel,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “Violence, destruction of property, and threats are simply unacceptable. The FBI will work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who commit illegal and destructive acts and cause our citizens to fear for their safety and livelihoods.”
According to court documents, beginning around June, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind "Warning Letters."
In his letters, which were addressed to the U.S. government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
Hnaihen's attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen's attacks caused nearly $500,000 in damage.
Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “warning letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. Hnaihen has also agreed to make full restitution to the victims of the offenses. 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.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Jewelry Store Robber Sentenced to over 12 Years for East Coast Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger today sentenced Jameise Vaughn Christian (22, Washington, DC) to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies in New Jersey and Florida, and for brandishing a firearm during the robberies.
According to court documents, Christian and his co-conspirators planned and executed a series of jewelry store robberies in New Jersey, Florida, and the District of Columbia. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the group targeted predominantly South Asian jewelry stores along the East Coast. Wearing disguises and armed with firearms, they used hammers to smash jewelry display cases and steal valuable items. These stores were specifically chosen because they sold high-purity gold, which yielded higher proceeds when sold for cash.
On October 25, 2022, Christian, along with Trevor Wright, William Hunter, Keith McDuffie, and an unindicted co-conspirator, traveled in two vehicles from Washington, D.C., to a jewelry store in Paterson, New Jersey. Upon arrival, Christian and two accomplices exited their vehicle wearing masks and carrying firearms and a hammer, while the other two remained outside to serve as lookouts. Inside the store, the group used the hammer to smash display cases and brandished a firearm to force employees to lie on the ground. In less than two minutes, the group stole approximately $1.9 million worth of jewelry before fleeing the scene.
Less than two months later, in early December 2022, Christian and his co-conspirators—Trevor Wright, Avery Fuller, Antonio Tate, and Jaylaun Brown—planned another robbery, this time at a jewelry store in Jacksonville, Florida. To prepare, the group coordinated travel from Washington, D.C., to Miami, Florida, where they rented a black BMW and a white Mercedes. On December 6, 2022, they drove these vehicles to Jacksonville. Upon arrival at the jewelry store, Christian and three others exited the black BMW, entered the store wearing disguises, and brandished firearms. Christian ordered store employees to kneel behind the counter with their heads down while the group used a hammer to smash glass display cases. Meanwhile, two accomplices remained in the white Mercedes to monitor the store’s entrance.
After approximately three minutes, one of the conspirators exited the store and drove the black BMW directly in front of the store, honking the horn to signal the others to exit. Before leaving, Christian approached the store employees kneeling in the corner, pointed his firearm, and stole the store owner’s wallet. The group then loaded the stolen jewelry into the trunk of the black BMW and fled the scene, with the white Mercedes traveling in the same direction. The group stole approximately $880,000 in jewelry from the jewelry store.
Due to the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, this complex investigation resulted in the identification of these six individuals. They were eventually traced back to Miami and observed on surveillance at a Miami condominium, where they were seen exiting their vehicles unmasked and carrying the stolen jewelry.
To date, all individuals involved in the Jacksonville and New Jersey robberies have been arrested and face pending federal cases in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C. In Jacksonville, Delontae Martin and Antonio Tate pled guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the Jacksonville robbery. Martin was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment, and Tate was sentenced to 120 months. Avery Fuller pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robberies in Jacksonville and New Jersey and to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the robberies. He faces a minimum of seven years, up to life, in federal prison. Trevor Wright and Jaylaun Brown are in custody and awaiting trial in Washington, D.C., for robbery and firearm offenses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Miami Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
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.
Jacksonville Technology Architect Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Attempting to Entice and Meet an 11-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Amol Chandrashekhar Khedkar (59, Jacksonville) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Khedkar was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Khedkar was working as an information technology architect for a financial institution when he was arrested on November 29, 2023, in St. Johns County. He has been detained since that time. Khedkar pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024.
According to court documents and evidence discussed in open court, on November 28, 2023, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted a notice in a public chat room of a particular online social messaging application (app). Minutes later, an individual using the app name “drbrownee,” who was subsequently identified as Khedkar, contacted the UC online by private message on the app. After being advised of the “child’s” age, Khedkar confirmed that he would “love to see [the ‘child’].” He asked the UC specific questions about access to the “child” and the “child’s” sexual experience, including “[d]oes she suck,” “[d]o you allow fondling?,” and “[w]hat do you charge?” Khedkar and the UC discussed meeting in person the next day at the “child’s” residence. Khedkar stated, “I’ll show up, … [t]hen you can invite me inside.”
On November 29, 2023, Khedkar and the UC exchanged text messages and arranged to meet at a location in St. Johns County. When Khedkar arrived at the location, he was arrested by FBI agents. During an interview with agents, Khedkar stated that his username was “drbrownee,” that he used his online account to communicate with the UC, and he had asked the UC about sexually abusing the “child.” Khedkar’s cellphone was seized incident to his arrest and a search of its contents revealed at least 25 online conversations between Khedkar and other individuals on the app discussing the sexual exploitation of children, as well as several photos depicting young children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Creating False Military Discharge Form and Using It for Employment Applications and VA Benefits ClaimRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert David Gulledge (59, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a federal agency. Gulledge faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Gulledge created a fraudulent Form DD-214 military discharge document that contained false statements about his service in the United States Marine Corp. Specifically, he falsified several military positions he never held and multiple awards he never received. In 2009, Gulledge first submitted the false form for an Intelligence Analyst position on a government contract, which he received. He submitted the false form again on two more employment applications for government contract positions, one in 2017 and one in 2023. Gulledge also submitted the false form in appealing a denial of a Veterans Affairs disability claim.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Special Investigations, the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
Indiana Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Embezzling Nearly $1.2 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christina Robinson, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today, and pleaded guilty to wire fraud for embezzling nearly $1.2 million from her employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed plea documents and the hearing, from September 2013 to April 2023, Robinson engaged in a scheme to defraud a Charlotte-based company by abusing her position as the company’s controller to embezzle nearly $1.2 million in company funds. During the scheme, Robinson misused her position and access to the company’s bank accounts to carry out the scheme by moving the embezzled funds and withdrawing them in cash. To conceal the theft and to remain undetected, Robison made materially false and misleading accounting entries in the company’s books and records. As Robinson admitted in court today, she used some of the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including more than $330,000 in purchases, over $324,000 in credit card payments, more than $80,000 in loan payments, over $40,000 in mortgage payments, and more than $35,000 in car payments.
Robinson was released on bond following the plea hearing. At sentencing, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud charge. A sentencing date has not been set.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Gainesville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Social Security Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Keith Allen Courtney (53, Gainesville) to 13 months in federal prison for conspiracy. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $71,208, the proceeds of conspiracy. Courtney pled guilty on April 12, 2024.
According to court documents, Courtney conspired to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) by concealing his work activity while applying for and receiving SSA Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB). Based on the false and incomplete information provided by Courtney, SSA approved his application for DIB and issued monthly benefit payments on his behalf. In total, Courtney received $71,208 in DIB to which he was not entitled between February 2016 and May 2020.
This case was investigated by Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 360 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Kendrick D. Bates, 40 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after a jury found him guilty of distributing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and maintaining a drug-involved premises, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Bates was sentenced to 360 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Bates distributed methamphetamine in late 2021 and also maintained a drug distribution house from September 2021 through March 2022. When his residence was searched in March 2022, several firearms were recovered. Since Bates had a previous felony conviction for dealing in cocaine, narcotic drug, or methamphetamine, he was prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Fort Wayne Police Laboratory, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Teresa L Ashcraft.
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.
This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Washington Town Clerk and Town Council Member Sentenced for Stealing More Than $277,000 from Town of CusickRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On December 19, 2024, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Luke Michael Servas, age 38, of Cusick, Washington, to 51 months in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Town of Cusick while serving as a Town Councilman and Town Clerk. Judge Rice also imposed 5 years of supervised release and restitution of $282,208.18.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, between October 2022 and March 2023, Servas embezzled more than $277,000, while employed as the Town Clerk and as a member of the Town Council for Cusick, Washington, , transferring it to accounts owned and controlled by Servas and his spouse.
In March 2023, other town officials expressed concern that the Town’s operating account was almost completely devoid of funds. According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Servas falsely suggested to law enforcement representatives that the elected mayor of Cusick was to blame and attempted to delete the Town’s computer systems to hide the fraud and to misappropriate additional funds from the Town.
“Mr. Servas used his elected position of trust to financially devastate a small community,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Our communities trust public officials to serve others, rather than to use their positions to line their own pockets. I commend the exceptional work done by the FBI and the Washington State Auditor’s Office to root out the fraud. I also commend the hard work done by the Town of Cusick to begin to pick up the pieces and start the hard work of rebuilding the Town’s finances and regaining the public’s trust.”
“The amount of money stolen by Mr. Servas could have a massive impact on a town the size of Cusick.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “What makes this theft even more unconscionable is that it was perpetrated by someone who was given a position of trust by the town and his fellow citizens. Combatting public corruption is a priority for the FBI, and I applaud the efforts of our investigators and partners who ended the scheme and are holding him accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Resident Agency, with investigative and logistical support from the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Auditor’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter.
2:24-cr-00042-TOR
Former Miami-Dade Correctional Officer Indicted for Service in a Continuing Criminal EnterpriseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Dec. 18, Vernell Syrethia Lawson, 33, a former Miami-Dade Correctional Officer, and Gabrielle Nicole Bess-Mills, 35, made their initial appearance in court on a previously sealed indictment containing charges related to a continuing criminal enterprise led by co-defendant Terrance Carter, 31.
According to the indictment, Carter led a drug trafficking organization which relied on the corruption of Lawson and other Miami-Dade Correctional Officers, along with drug trafficking associates, to introduce narcotics and other contraband for sale into Miami-Dade County jail facilities.
Lawson and Bess-Mills are charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, participating in a conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, and racketeering promotion through bribery and drug trafficking. Lawson is also charged with Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right conspiracy. The indictment also charges Carter with operating the continuing criminal enterprise and use of interstate facilities to commit violence in furtherance of racketeering.
The defendants are residents of Miami-Dade County.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Stephanie Daniels, Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Sherea Green, Director of the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, Special Agent in Charge Jefferey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Division, Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Dr. Judith Bernier, Chair of the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust made the announcement.
This case was investigated by a Task Force formed by the Miami-Dade Police and Corrections Departments, with the support of federal, state, and local partners, to combat drug trafficking organizations operating in the Miami-Dade correctional facilities with the assistance of corrupt public officials. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Corrections provided significant assistance.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr. and Trial Attorney Melanie G. Wegner are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Individuals with information about corruption should contact the FBI Miami Area’s Task Force at https://tips.fbi.gov/. Anyone with information related to possible ethics violations is asked to contact the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust at 786-314-9560 or [email protected].
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20543.
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Former Maury County, Tennessee, Corrections Officer Sentenced for Obstructing Civil Rights InvestigationRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer of the Maury County, Tennessee, Jail was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Nashville, Tennessee, to 60 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
James Stewart Justice was previously convicted of falsifying a record in a federal civil rights investigation for a report he wrote in response to allegations that he had sexually abused an inmate in his custody.
“Everyone who serves in law enforcement knows of their duty of candor,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “That duty of candor is at its highest when responding to serious allegations such as the sexual abuse of an inmate in the officer’s care. The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute officers who disregard that duty and obstruct federal civil rights investigations.”
“When he authority that corrections officers are given is abused, it’s not just the civil rights of prison inmates that are threatened, but the public’s trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This sentencing should be a reminder that the FBI will vigorously investigate these kinds of cases and bring to justice any law enforcement officer who violates the constitution and trust of the people."
According to court documents, Justice, formerly known as James Stewart Thomas, wrote an official report for the Maury County Jail in response to allegations that he sexually abused an inmate he guarded in a hospital room while the inmate recovered from major surgery. In his report, the defendant 1) falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at the hospital; 2) falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about those alleged sexual advances by the inmate; and 3) omitted a claim he later made to criminal investigators that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after the inmate’s release from custody.
The FBI Nashville Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani Gilkerson for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Marine Sentenced to 12 Years for Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A former marine was sentenced to 144 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release, and $273,000 in restitution to 29 victims, for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Paul Anthony Reyes, 23, was investigated by the investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services after Instagram reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that one of its users had uploaded contraband to its platform. The IP address used to upload the illegal content was linked to Reyes who was an active duty Marine stationed at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point.
NCIS agents executed a search warrant on the Instagram account which revealed Reyes was willing to trade and distribute child pornography material to other Instagram users. Subsequently, NCIS executed a search warrant on Reyes’ person and barracks. Multiple digital devices were seized and forensically analyzed pursuant to the search warrant.
On those devices, law enforcement found thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Many of them depicted sadistic and masochistic conduct. Reyes possessed multiple images and videos depicting the rape and abuse of infants and toddlers.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing. The Naval Criminal Investigative Services investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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. 4:24-CR-1-BO.
Former Louisville Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Yesterday a former middle school teacher in Louisville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to multiple child pornography charges.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jordan Fautz, 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of distribution of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, one count of production of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court records, Fautz used an online chatting application to distribute child sexual abuse material to an undercover law enforcement officer. Fautz also produced and distributed photoshopped images depicting minors’ faces on the bodies of people engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Agents also found material depicting child sexual abuse on Fautz’s computer and cell phone.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2025. The minimum penalty is 5 years in prison, and the maximum penalty is 120 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the plea agreement in the case is accepted by the court, the defendant will be sentenced to serve 19 years and 7 months in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness is prosecuting this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Former CEO of IT Company Charged with Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Bankruptcy Fraud in Connection with Various Fraudulent SchemesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The former CEO of a Birmingham IT company has been charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud in connection with schemes to defraud his customers and a Covid-19 program, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
A nineteen-count indictment filed in United States District Court charges Thomas Aaron Kane, 44, with twelve counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud customers, five counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to commit Covid-19 program fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of bankruptcy fraud.
According to the indictment, Kane was the owner and CEO of Keep Information Technology Simple, LLC and later Keepitsimple.us LLC, both of which provided IT services and support for businesses, particularly businesses in the healthcare industry. The indictment brings four different types of charges against Kane. First, the indictment alleges that between at least July 2017 and December 2021, Kane devised a scheme to defraud his customers. Kane’s customers would place a credit card or banking information on file to pay for a monthly service fee and any authorized expenses. However, Kane began using his customer’s credit cards and banking information to make unauthorized charges. When confronted about these charges, Kane would make up an excuse—such as claiming that there had been an accounting error. Kane would also often create false invoices that he would send to a customer. The indictment lists twelve different examples of these unauthorized charges.
Second, the indictment alleges that between April 2020 and May 2021, Kane engaged in a scheme to receive unauthorized funds under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from the Small Business Administration. Kane made false representations to obtain three PPP loans totaling more than $625,000 . Additionally, Kane attempted to receive two more PPP loans in the name of his second business, Keepitsimple.us, totaling more than $450,000. Kane made additional false representations in support of these two loan applications and submitted false tax documents with his applications to try and get them approved.
Third, the indictment charges Kane with money laundering based on an unlawful monetary transaction exceeding $10,000. More specifically, Kane used $150,000 in PPP funds to repay a prior victim of his unauthorized-charges scheme.
Fourth, the indictment alleges that Kane committed bankruptcy fraud when he withdrew a cashier’s check in the amount of $20,941.66 from a Keepitsimple.us bank account and deposited these funds into a personal bank account, even though these funds constituted property of the Keepitsimple.us bankruptcy estate and were funds that he was not allowed to use.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison. The maximum penalty for money laundering is ten years in prison. The maximum penalty for bankruptcy fraud is five years in prison.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Trussville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan S. Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Florida Woman Convicted of Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource CentersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Gabriella Oropesa, of Cooper City, Florida, was convicted yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate employees of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the free exercise of the right to provide and seek to provide reproductive health services. The defendant and her co-conspirators selected reproductive health facilities that provided and counseled alternatives to abortion and vandalized those facilities with threatening messages. Caleb Freestone, Amber Stewart-Smith and Annarella Rivera previously pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 2022 and July 2022, Oropesa, Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera engaged in a series of targeted attacks on pro-life pregnancy help centers in Florida. The defendants, in the dark of night and while wearing masks and dark clothing to obscure their identities, spray painted the facilities with threatening messages, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U” and “We are everywhere.”
“The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is clear: no one should have to face threats and intimidation just for doing their job,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to ensure access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services afforded to the public, whether those services include abortion or counseling on alternatives to abortion.”
“Federal law protects providers who render reproductive health care and those who seek their services,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Threats of violence against pregnancy resource centers or those exercising their rights to care will not be tolerated.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2025. Oropesa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Winter Haven, Hialeah and Hollywood Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
Florida Woman Convicted of Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource CentersRead the Press Release
Gabriella Oropesa, of Cooper City, Florida, was convicted yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate employees of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the free exercise of the right to provide and seek to provide reproductive health services. The defendant and her co-conspirators selected reproductive health facilities that provided and counseled alternatives to abortion and vandalized those facilities with threatening messages. Caleb Freestone, Amber Stewart-Smith and Annarella Rivera previously pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 2022 and July 2022, Oropesa, Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera engaged in a series of targeted attacks on pro-life pregnancy help centers in Florida. The defendants, in the dark of night and while wearing masks and dark clothing to obscure their identities, spray painted the facilities with threatening messages, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U” and “We are everywhere.”
“The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is clear: no one should have to face threats and intimidation just for doing their job,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to ensure access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services afforded to the public, whether those services include abortion or counseling on alternatives to abortion.”
“Federal law protects providers who render reproductive health care and those who seek their services,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Threats of violence against pregnancy resource centers or those exercising their rights to care will not be tolerated.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2025. Oropesa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Winter Haven, Hialeah and Hollywood Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
Florida Man Sentenced for Health Care Fraud ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a scheme to defraud insurance providers for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients.
Jeffrey MacEachron, 60, a retired Air Force Colonel and former Inspector General at Hanscom Air Force Base, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three months in prison, to be followed by 27 months of supervised release subject to home confinement. MacEachron was also ordered to pay $335,098 in restitution and a $5,500 fine. In July 2024, MacEachron pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of health care fraud; aiding and abetting.
MacEachron owned and managed PT4U, Inc., a business that operated physical therapy clinics in Bedford and Lexington, Mass. According to the charging documents, from 2013 through 2021, MacEachron caused insurance companies and TRICARE to reimburse PT4U for physical therapy services that were not actually performed. Specifically, MacEachron edited claim forms to add units of service beyond those actually performed and then submitted them to insurance companies and TRICARE for payment.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Chris Averill, Special Agent in Charge of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations; Brian J. Solecki, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert and Christopher Looney prosecuted the case.
First of Multiple Individuals Sentenced for Federal Kidnapping ConvictionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Cortez Blake, 23, of Detroit was sentenced to 16 years and 6 months in federal prison yesterday following a conviction for federal kidnapping, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announced by Special Agent in Charge James M. Deir of the ATF in Michigan.
Cortez Blake was found guilty of kidnapping on August 12, 2024, after a jury trial. In total seven people were charged with conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping from this incident. Five people have been convicted. Blake and Nasir Lewis, 24, were convicted of kidnapping at trial, while Maijah Greene, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap; and Shatonnia Kimbrough, 21, pleaded guilty to kidnapping. The trial of a sixth individual, Semaj Ayers, remains pending. The final defendant, Karamoh Turner, was acquitted at trial.
Two additional people were convicted of the carjacking that precipitated the kidnapping. Jamar Lee-Stinson pleaded guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison in May 2024. Amiaya Bryant also pleaded guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June 2024.
During the trial, the evidence established that the defendants worked with others to kidnap and beat their victim. The kidnappers wrongly believed the victim took part in a carjacking and the kidnapping was to retaliate and extract information from the victim. According to the testimony, a group of armed men took the victim from a local business. The kidnappers first drove the victim to an empty lot in Detroit where the victim was beaten. The kidnappers then took the victim to a residence controlled by Blake, where the victim was held at gunpoint and beaten intermittently for hours. Finally, the victim was abandoned miles away on the roadside.
At trial, the evidence further established that the victim was held against her will at gunpoint in a house in Detroit where she was physically beaten. This was done in part to get information from her. Cellphones were used to recruit and direct others to join the kidnapping of the victim. Cortez Blake intentionally assisted in the kidnapping by participating in the beating and interrogation of the victim.
“Street justice cannot take place in this community. This sentence sends the first message in this case, and beyond, that one alleged wrong cannot justify retribution. This senseless cycle of violence will not be tolerated, and my office will continue to hold those who engage in violence, even if in the name of vengeance, accountable no matter the circumstances,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.
"This sentence is proof that ATF Detroit and its state and local partners have zero tolerance for anyone who chooses to use an illegal firearm to retaliate, intimidate, and/or harm a member of our community. Cortez Blake’s actions are reprehensible. He and his partners-in-crime kidnapped and beat a Detroit community member with an illegal firearm. Blake is a common-day coward who puts gang membership and nonsensical gang loyalty above everything else, including his humanity. In my experience,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir, “Blake is an ATF posterchild of the type of thug ATF is laser-focused on identifying, prosecuting, and ultimately removing from our community. As such, he is the most deserving candidate for federal prosecution and Detroit is safer with him not in the city any longer.”
The United States Attorney’s Office and the ATF are focused on prosecuting those individuals who are using firearms to commit violent acts against people in the Eastern District of Michigan. The strategy is a part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN continues to be the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
These charges are just some of the tangible results of this joint effort. The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to reduce violence in our communities. Along with ATF, this case has been investigated with the assistance of the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor, the United States Marshals Service, the Detroit Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit, and the Michigan Department of Corrections.
First Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – First Assistant United States Attorney Zachery T. Lee will serve as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, effective December 21, 2024, at 12:00 a.m. He is assuming the office under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, 5 U.S.C § 3345, upon the departure of United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, who announced his resignation earlier this year.
“For two decades, Zach Lee has served the Western District of Virginia with honor, distinction, and dedication as an Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Chief, and most recently as First Assistant United States Attorney,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said today. “There is nobody more qualified to serve in this role, and I look forward to watching the United States Attorney’s Office continue to thrive and serve the citizens of the Western District of Virginia under his leadership.”
“In my role as the First Assistant United States Attorney, I’ve had the privilege to work side-by-side with Chris Kavanaugh on our district’s most pressing matters,” Mr. Lee said today. “We are sad to see Chris leave the Western District after more than a decade of service, but I promise to keep the men and women who work here focused on the priorities he’s put in place: Keeping our District safe, ensuring civil rights, reducing gun violence, and leading complex white collar investigations and prosecutions.”
Mr. Lee, 48, has served the Department of Justice since joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia in 2005 as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, transitioning to an Assistant United States Attorney in 2007. During his tenure, Mr. Lee has prosecuted complex narcotics, public corruption, firearms, and other criminal matters. He also served in the district’s leadership team as Criminal Chief and First Assistant United States Attorney.
Prior to his employment with the Department of Justice, Mr. Lee served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Bristol, Virginia, and as a law clerk to the Honorable James P. Jones, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia.
He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming College of Law, Laramie, Wyoming, and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia.
Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Dealer from Blackfoot Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jeremy Orvil Johnson, 37, of Blackfoot, was sentenced to 75 months and 23 days in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, on January 11, 2024, officers stopped Johnson for speeding and failing to display a license plate. Prior to the vehicle coming to a stop, officers observed Johnson throw an item from the vehicle onto the side of the highway. Officers located a sock in the snow on the side of the road. The sock contained 347 grams of fentanyl and 39.6 grams of methamphetamine.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Johnson to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2024.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation, which led to the charges in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in Eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to use the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 175 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 152 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 10,844 months (approximately 903.66 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 75.30 months (6.28 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 62.11 months (5.17 years) in federal prison.
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Felon Who Shot at FBI Task Force Officer During a Car Theft Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Keith Pharms, a previously convicted felon, also known as “B-Boy,” has been sentenced to federal prison for assaulting a federal task force officer with a firearm during a car theft.
“Pharms is a repeat violent offender who callously threatened the safety of citizens and a law enforcement officer,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is grateful for the exemplary collaborative efforts and sacrificial service of our federal and local law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to especially protect our communities from dangerous criminals.”
“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Stopping violent criminals, like Pharms, is one of the most important things we can do to protect our communities,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thankfully, no one—including our Task Force officer—was injured during Pharms’ act of terror. Atlanta is a safer community with him off the streets.”
“This case underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among local, state, and federal agencies to hold violent offenders accountable and protect our neighborhoods from gun violence,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “Working with our partners is vital to ensure justice is served and Atlanta remains a safe place for everyone.”
“Gun violence remains a threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “ATF will remain steadfast in working alongside our partners to disrupt and dismantle violent criminal activity, ensuring that offenders like Pharms are held accountable under the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On February 24, 2022, Pharms, eight days after his release from a state prison in Georgia, used his mother’s car, a Chevrolet SS, to steal a Dodge Charger from a garage in a midtown Atlanta complex. An 18-year-old co-defendant drove the Chevy, while another co-defendant, Jokava Harris, accompanied Pharms to the garage. Harris then used a key programmer to steal the Dodge Charger. The 18-year-old trailed the stolen Dodge Charger in the Chevy with Pharms in the passenger seat acting as an armed escort.
Based on recent activity of stolen cars, an FBI task force officer was surveilling the area when he observed the two vehicles traveling in tandem. The officer then began to follow the vehicles when Pharms fired multiple times out of the window of the Chevy. Despite being fired upon, the officer continued to trail the vehicles. As the officer entered a curve in the road, he realized that Pharms and his co-defendants were waiting to ambush him. More gunshots were fired, striking the officer’s vehicle with a bullet that narrowly missed his headrest.
The stolen Charger and Chevy were later located by Atlanta Police Department officers, however, all three defendants had abandoned the vehicles and fled on foot, eluding arrest. The three defendants were later arrested and Pharms’ co-defendants both pleaded guilty and were sentenced by the Court.
While detained by the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting trial, Pharms possessed contraband cellphones and on one occasion used a cellphone to re-post on social media the name of a witness and a partial copy of a report of the information the witness provided to law enforcement, along with the image of a rat. During his detention, a handcuff key was also found in Pharms’ cell, causing authorities to be concerned that he might try to escape.
Keith Pharms, aka “B-Boy,” 26, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to 15 years, two months, and 10 days in prison followed by three years of supervised release. A federal jury convicted Pharms on September 26, 2024, of assault on a federal officer, carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a contraband cellphone, and possession of an escape tool.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Atlanta Police Department, with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Plummer and Jessica C. Morris 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.
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.
Federal jury convicts father and son in kidnapping conspiracies attempting to force their daughter/sister to marry in YemenRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal jury has convicted Khaled Abughanem, 52, and Adham Abughanem, 28, both of Lackawanna, NY, of conspiracy to kidnap a person in a foreign country and kidnapping conspiracy, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Defendant Khaled Abughanem was also convicted of threatening to retaliate against a victim.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on September 8, 2021, Khaled Abughanem and Adham Abughanem flew from Buffalo, NY, to Guadalajara, Mexico to kidnap Victim 1, who is the daughter of Khaled and the sister of Adham. Between September 10, 2021, and April 6, 2023, the defendants conspired to transport Victim 1 from the Western District of New York to Cairo, Egypt, and then to Sanaa, Yemen, where they confined Victim 1 for approximately 16 months with the purpose of marrying her to a man not of her choosing. In addition, on March 14, 2023, defendant Khaled Abughanem threatened to “slaughter[]” Victim 1 in retaliation for information given by Victim 1 to a law enforcement officer relating to the commission of a federal offense.
“This verdict brings to an end a difficult time for the victim, who was twice kidnapped by family members, taken to Yemen against her will, held for more than a year, denied freedom of movement and communication, physically assaulted and had her life threatened” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “These defendants are being held accountable because of the courage of this victim and the unwavering dedication of the investigators and prosecutors on this case.”
“The FBI prioritizes the protection of civil rights and safety of American citizens,” said Matthew Miraglia, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. Today’s verdict is a direct result of the strong investigative work conducted by the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. The FBI values all our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, which are paramount.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service would like to recognize the unshakable courage of the victim in this case as well as the close collaboration between DSS, the Western District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Lackawanna Police Department,” said DSS Protective Intelligence Investigations Director Greg Anderson.” The Diplomatic Security Service has the largest global presence of any U.S. law enforcement agency and remains committed to ensuring individuals like Adham and Khaled Abughanem who commit heinous criminal acts face justice In the United States.”
The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Protective Intelligence Investigations Director Greg Anderson.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2025, before Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., who presided over the trial of the case.
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Extradited Canadian National Sentenced to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Paul Creighton (67, Ontario, Canada) to life in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and enticement of a minor. Creighton entered a guilty plea on August 19, 2024.
According to the plea agreement and evidence presented at sentencing, between 2012 and 2017, Creighton coerced and enticed minor children throughout the United States, including Florida, Virginia, Georgia, and California to create images and videos of themselves performing sexual acts.
One such victim, a 14-year-old girl living in Osceola County, was coerced by Creighton via social media applications. In April 2017, the victim confided in a friend about the relationship she engaged in with Creighton. The friend notified a high school guidance counselor, who notified the victim’s parents, who then immediately called law enforcement. After being discovered, Creighton advised the victim on what to say to her parents, to reset her phone, reformat her hard drive, and delete messages between them. Creighton later threatened the victim, and told her he would share her images and videos if the victim did not continue to speak to him.
In October 2017, FBI agents seized various electronic devices from Creighton. Agents obtained search warrants and conducted forensic reviews of those devices, which revealed photographs of the minor victim, online searches for the victim and their family, as well as numerous searches for other minor children throughout the United States.
On or about October 24, 2017—at the same time that Creighton was flying to
Washington, DC from Toronto—detectives with the Niagara Regional Police in coordination with the FBI, executed a Canadian search warrant at Creighton’s residence in Ontario. In his home, agents recovered hundreds of images of minor children, including images of child sexual abuse of the minor victims.
Creighton was indicted in 2018 and was taken into custody by Canadian authorities on November 12, 2020. On February 8, 2024, Creighton was extradited to the United States, and has been in custody since that date.
“The life sentence will guarantee no other child falls victim to this man’s horrific abuse,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “Our special agents and analysts work these tough investigations with compassion and commitment to ensure justice is served and the innocent are protected from predators.”
This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Field Office. Significant assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Niagara Regional Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Creighton to the United States. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Exeter Man on Federal Supervised Release Detained on Multiple ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An Exeter man, currently serving a term of federal supervised release related to his previous convictions for possession of stolen mail and bank fraud, has been ordered detained on federal charges brough this week after he was allegedly discovered to be in possession of stolen checks, various items used for fishing mail out of mail receptacles, supplies to alter or deface checks, and unlawful possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Edmilson Rodrigues, 26, is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, possession of stolen mail, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
It is alleged in charging documents that on December 17, 2024, during a court-authorized search of Rodrigues’ home, law enforcement seized approximately fifty stolen business and personal checks valued at approximately $36,000; hundreds of sheets of blank check paper; a check washing basin and cleaning materials used to deface and alter checks; a laptop and printer; and various items used to fish mail from U.S. Postal Service receptacles, such as mousetraps, glue, and string; and ammunition.
According to court records, Rodrigues was convicted in U.S. District Court in 2019 for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud involving a counterfeit check scheme; and in 2023 for possession of stolen mail that involved possession of nearly 100 stolen and fraudulent checks worth nearly $100,000.
The most recent charges filed against Rodrigues are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Ly T. Chin. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Newport Police Department, Providence Police Department, and Pawtucket Police Department.
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Ethete woman sentenced for distribution of methamphetamineRead the Press Release
Beatrice Irene Willis, 52, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 65 months’ imprisonment with three years’ supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Dec. 19 in Cheyenne.
According to court documents, in October of 2023, the Safe Trails Task Force, led by the FBI, received information that Willis was selling controlled substances from her residence in Ethete. On Jan. 19, agents conducted a controlled buy of two ounces of methamphetamine from Willis. During a follow-up interview, she admitted to regularly distributing controlled substances on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
The Safe Trails Task Force investigates drug trafficking on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and in surrounding communities, with an emphasis on identifying and stopping the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In addition to the FBI, task force members include the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Riverton Police Department, the Lander Police Department, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Willis was indicted on May 16 and pleaded guilty on June 25. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted this case.
Case No. 24-CR-00077
East Bay Man Who Claimed His Marijuana Distribution Business Was A “Nonprofit” Sentenced to over Three Years for Pandemic Relief Loan FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A Brentwood man was sentenced yesterday to 37 months in prison for defrauding the United States by obtaining approximately $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for his “nonprofit” that was an unlicensed marijuana distribution business. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Rita F. Lin, U.S. District Judge, following defendant’s guilty plea on two counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Thanh Duy Nguyen, 53, ran and was the sole officer of T&A Distribution, an unlicensed interstate marijuana trafficking scheme with grow houses around the Bay Area. Nguyen used T&A Distribution to obtain two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDL loans to small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the first application, which he submitted in April 2020, Nguyen certified that he was not engaged in any illegal activity as defined by federal law, even though he knew that his marijuana distribution business was illegal under federal law. Nguyen fraudulently claimed that T&A Distribution was a nonprofit in the business of “Antiques/Collectibles,” when its business was marijuana distribution. Nguyen also made other false statements, including about T&A Distribution’s gross revenue and employee count. The true amount of T&A Distribution’s gross revenues in the 12 months before Jan. 31, 2020, was approximately $2.4 million.
On a second EIDL application, which he submitted in June 2020, Nguyen again falsely certified that he was not engaged in any illegal activity as defined by federal law, and misrepresented T&A Distribution as a nonprofit in the business of “Miscellaneous Services.” He also made false statements about the business’s gross revenues, cost of operations, and employee count.
As a result of the falsified applications, Nguyen received approximately $300,000 in EIDL funds. He used a significant amount of the loan funds for his marijuana distribution business and for gambling.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Lin sentenced Nguyen to three years of supervised release and to pay $300,000 in restitution and $300,000 in forfeiture. Nguyen will begin serving his sentence on Feb. 28, 2025.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris, and SBA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge of the Western Region Weston King made the announcement.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Tartakovsky prosecuted the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and SBA OIG.
Dutch National Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Xiomara Christian, age 37, of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months of incarceration following her guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of her guilty plea on October 10, 2024, Christian admitted that from May 2017 to November 2018, she and a co-conspirator laundered drug proceeds from Europe and Australia through bank accounts in the Northern District of New York, intending to conceal the true source of the proceeds, and to make it appear as though the money was legally obtained through legitimate business transactions.
On October 4, 2018, Christian delivered €101,950 ($114,816.09) in drug proceeds to an undercover agent with the National Police of The Netherlands in The Netherlands. On October 5, 2018, an undercover agent with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission picked up $85,000 AUD ($57,843 USD) in drug proceeds from another co-conspirator in Melbourne, Australia. Christian then had the money wired through a bank account in Latham, New York, and sent to bank accounts in Panama.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered the entry of a money judgment against Christian in the amount of $172,659. Christian faces removal from the United States following service of her term of imprisonment.
The DEA investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer prosecuted the case.
Dr. Donald J. Dinello, D.M.D. Agrees to Pay $120,000 in Civil Penalties for Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, PA —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dr. Donald J. Dinello, D.M.D., with practice locations in Harrisburg and Hershey, has agreed to pay the United States $120,000 in civil penalties for allegedly failing to comply with recordkeeping and other requirements of the Controlled Substances Act.
The Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. sections 801 et seq. (CSA), was passed to combat illegal distribution and abuse of controlled substances, including prescription medications. The CSA’s recordkeeping and prescribing requirements are to prevent the diversion of controlled substances for illegal purposes. The CSA is enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division, whose mission is to prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and listed chemicals from legitimate sources while ensuring adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs. Under the CSA, entities registered with the DEA who purchase, distribute, dispense, transfer, or sell controlled substances must comply with prescription, inventory, and other documentation requirements. Regulations promulgated under the CSA require that each DEA registrant, including registered practitioners, maintain complete and accurate records of each substance manufactured, received, sold, delivered, dispensed, or otherwise disposed of by the registrant. These requirements play a vital role in ensuring the appropriate handling, accounting, and distribution of controlled substances. Violations of the record-keeping and prescription requirements subject DEA registrants to civil monetary penalties.
According to the allegations, between January of 2023 and August of 2024, Dr. Dinello failed to use the required DEA form 222 for each distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Substance, failed to maintain complete and accurate records of controlled substances dispensed by him at both his registered locations, failed to maintain biennial inventory at both his registered locations, and in one instance, failed to issue a prescription for a Schedule IV controlled substance in the usual course of his professional practice. Dr. Dinello acknowledges he is required to operate in accordance with the statutory and regulatory provisions of the CSA and its implementing regulations.
“Practitioners who register with DEA in order to prescribe and dispense medications that fall under the Controlled Substances Act have an obligation to prescribe appropriately and keep careful records and inventories,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “Not fulfilling those obligations makes it difficult or even impossible to be sure those potentially dangerous medications are being dispensed and handled appropriately and are not being diverted. The pursuit of this matter illustrates the continued dedication of our office to protecting the public in MDPA."
“The goal of DEA’s closed system of distribution is to ensure accountability for controlled substances and physicians who fail to maintain proper records of controlled substances create conditions ripe for diversion” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Philadelphia Field Division. “The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating diversion of controlled substances. The record keeping and other regulations applicable to DEA registrants, including physicians, are the tools by which the DEA deters drug diversion.”
The Settlement Agreement is neither an admission of liability by Dr. Dinello nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division. The investigation was handled by Assistant United States Attorney, Tamara J. Haken and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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Des Moines Individuals Charged in Joint State and Federal Investigation of Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a three-count indictment charging five Des Moines individuals with offenses related to fentanyl trafficking.
The following individuals are charged in the Indictment:
· Devonte Darnell Hassell, also known as “Domo”, “Dom”, and “Rose”, 28, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
· Ryan Redmond, also known as “Chiefy”, 31, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum 5‑year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
· Kevin Stanley Harris, Jr., also known as “Rylo” and “Big Hands”, 42, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison, as he is alleged to have a prior serious drug felony conviction.
· Adonis Angel Devora, 43, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
· Ricky Jamall Ellis, 30, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
These individuals were all arrested on December 18, 2024: four in Des Moines, and one in Houston, Texas. The same day, thirteen federal search warrants were executed, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 610 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, approximately 135 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 260 grams of marijuana, as well as 19 firearms and more than $13,000 in U.S. currency.
The charges stem from a months’ long investigation into fentanyl distribution within the Des Moines area.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and FBI Des Moines Central Iowa Gang Task Force (CIGTF) are investigating the case, with assistance from the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Patrol SWAT, United States Marshals Service, Ames Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE), Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Story County Sheriff’s Office, Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force (MIDTF), Central Iowa Drug Task Force (CIDTF), Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR), the Chicago, Illinois Police Department, and the Houston, Texas Police Department.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Des Moines Individuals Charged in Joint State and Federal Investigation of Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a three-count indictment charging five Des Moines individuals with offenses related to fentanyl trafficking.
The following individuals are charged in the Indictment:
- Devonte Darnell Hassell, also known as “Domo”, “Dom”, and “Rose”, 28, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
- Ryan Redmond, also known as “Chiefy”, 31, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum 5‑year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
- Kevin Stanley Harris, Jr., also known as “Rylo” and “Big Hands”, 42, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison, as he is alleged to have a prior serious drug felony conviction.
- Adonis Angel Devora, 43, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
- Ricky Jamall Ellis, 30, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
These individuals were all arrested on December 18, 2024: four in Des Moines, and one in Houston, Texas. The same day, thirteen federal search warrants were executed, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 610 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, approximately 135 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 260 grams of marijuana, as well as 19 firearms and more than $13,000 in U.S. currency.
The charges stem from a months’ long investigation into fentanyl distribution within the Des Moines area.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and FBI Des Moines Central Iowa Gang Task Force (CIGTF) are investigating the case, with assistance from the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Patrol SWAT, United States Marshals Service, Ames Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE), Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Story County Sheriff’s Office, Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force (MIDTF), Central Iowa Drug Task Force (CIDTF), Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR), the Chicago, Illinois Police Department, and the Houston, Texas Police Department.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dentist Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Stealing Drugs from Patients and Performing Surgery Without Proper Pain ManagementRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Rochester, Illinois, dentist, Phillip M. Jensen, 64, was sentenced on December 18, 2024, to 15 years in prison for stealing fentanyl from his patients, injecting them with adulterated drugs, and performing surgery without proper pain management. Jenson also was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine.
Jensen previously pleaded guilty to two counts of drug diversion, two counts of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, one count of tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, and two counts of false statements relating to health care matters in August 2024.
Jensen, who prior to having his license suspended in 2022 had specialized in oral and maxillofacial surgery, started stealing fentanyl form his patients as early as December 2019. This conduct first came to light when his staff began noticing patients who were moving, moaning, and otherwise showing signs of pain and distress during surgery.
Jensen admitted that he had stolen at least half of the fentanyl in every vial in the practice. He acknowledged removing the safety caps, withdrawing at least half of the fentanyl in the single-use vials, refilling the vials with saline, and gluing the caps back on to the vials. In a further effort to hide what he had done, Jensen made false entries into his surgical records claiming that he had given quantities of full-strength and unadulterated fentanyl to his patients to control their pain. He further billed both public and private insurance for these surgeries utilizing these same falsified records. In all, Jensen stole more than 40 grams of fentanyl for his personal use through his fraud.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government presented evidence of Jensen’s lengthy history with addiction, his previous efforts at treatment, and his ultimate decision to prey upon his patients by stealing the drugs that were meant to provide them with comfort during their surgeries. The government presented evidence of the elaborate steps Jensen took to disguise his theft and how his theft of this necessary pain medication impacted his patients.
During the hearing, Judge Lawless also heard from several of the more than 99 identified victims of Jensen’s fraud, including the statement of a mother who discussed looking into the face of their child immediately following the surgery as the child cried and stated that they had “felt everything.” The government also presented the statement of a patient that awoke during her surgery. When Jensen realized she was awake, he struck the patient in the head with an instrument and completed the surgery, which involved the extraction of multiple teeth as well as the shaping and smoothing of the bones in her jaw, while she was conscious and lacking pain management.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Lawless rejected Jensen’s argument that he was less culpable than an average drug dealer. She noted that Jensen profited from his crimes. She also stated that while a dealer provides drugs to knowing and willing participants, Jensen provided diluted drugs without the consent or knowledge of his victims. She noted that Jensen was a physician who used his position of trust to hurt others. Judge Lawless concluded by asking, “If you cannot trust your doctor, who can you trust?”
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jensen in February 2022 charging him with twenty felony counts. He was originally released on bond, but a warrant was issued in July 2024 for violation of the terms and conditions of bond after he stalked and harassed a potential witness in the case. Jensen was detained at that time, and he has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service.
Judge Lawless, in imposing the fifteen-year sentence, rejected Jensen’s arguments for a lower drug weight and noted the egregious nature of his conduct. In addition to the $200,000 fine imposed, Judge Lawless also ordered Jensen to repay the government for the costs of the expert witness it had to hire. Jensen also lost his medical license as a result of his conduct.
“This case represents the commitment of the Department of Justice, both in the Central District of Illinois and beyond, to protect and defend the public from those that would prey upon them,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “People are never as vulnerable as when they place their faith in a health care provider to not only treat their condition but to administer anesthesia and pain medicine during that treatment. Jensen abused that faith and hurt others in the process. Because of this prosecution, Jensen will not be permitted to practice medicine again and will be prevented from hurting members of our community in the future.”
“Health care professionals who tamper with patient medications create a risk of harm to patients, and also put at risk the trust that U.S. consumers have in those who provide their medical care,” said Ronne Malham, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique medical positions and tamper with patients’ medications.”
“Medical professionals who violate their oaths to ‘do no harm’ must be held accountable,” said Sheila Lyons, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration – Chicago Division. “The DEA will continue working to keep Illinois families safe from medical professionals who illegally divert opioid painkillers from legitimate medical supplies.”
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit, Springfield Resident Office, which focuses on cases involving pharmaceutical controlled substances diverted from the legal chain of commerce to the illegal drug market, investigated this case in conjunction with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer and Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
Dayton man charged federally with committing string of armed robberiesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man appeared in federal court on Dec. 19 on charges alleging he committed at least eight armed robberies in the area this month.
Timothy Farr, 43, allegedly brandished a firearm at local gas stations and drive thru stores, demanding cash and cigarettes.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, from Dec. 3 through Dec. 15, Farr committed multiple armed robberies at area businesses.
Specifically, it is alleged that on Dec. 3, Farr, wearing a dark jacket, pants and shoes, as well as gray two-tone style gloves and a black balaclava mask covering part of his face, entered a Sunoco gas station on Wayne Avenue in Dayton at around 10pm. Farr allegedly brandished a black firearm and demanded cash from both registers. It is alleged Far also demanded several packs of cigarettes and a box of Black and Mild Filter Tips. Farr allegedly brought a green plastic bag with him for the cash and items.
The next day around 11:30pm, Farr allegedly committed an armed robbery at a Marathon gas station on Linden Avenue in Riverside. Farr allegedly wore the same clothing as the first robbery with the addition of an N-95 style mask.
Farr is also accused of committing armed robberies on these dates and locations:
- Dec. 6 at Ray’s Xenia Avenue Market on Xenia Avenue in Dayton
- Dec. 7 at Free Pike Drive-Thru on Free Pike in Dayton
- Dec. 8 at Sunoco gas station on Selma Road in Springfield
- Dec. 10 at Mini Mart on N. Main Street in Dayton
- Dec. 11 at Marathon gas station on E. Fifth Street in Dayton
- Dec. 15 at Sammy’s Drive-thru store on Woodman Drive in Riverside
During the investigation, law enforcement was able to identify a vehicle of interest using the Flock Safety Camera System and identified a 2011 red Ford Taurus linked to armed robbery locations.
When Dayton police officers initiated a traffic stop of the red Taurus on Dec. 16, Farr was allegedly in the front passenger seat wearing the outfit described in the armed robberies, had an N-95 style mask on the floorboard and gray two-tone gloves in his pocket. Farr also allegedly had a 9mm pistol in his waistband.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott, Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal, and Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents should contact ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (888-283-8477). Individuals may also email [email protected], or contact ATF through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips. Tips may also be submitted to ATF using the ReportIt® app, available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store, or by visiting www.reportit.com.
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Council Bluffs Woman Sentenced to 14 Months & Ordered to Pay over $150,000 in Restitution to Vulnerable Victim of Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Ashtin D. Schutjer, age 36, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on December 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for access device fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Schutjer to 14 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, Schutjer will be placed on a 3-year term of supervised release. Schutjer was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $151,693.74.00 to Victim 1 as a result of her crimes.
Schutjer began working as a caregiver for an elderly married couple, Victim 1 and Victim 2, in 2014. Defendant was paid via check daily for her services. One of Schutjer's jobs was to run errands for the victims, and Schutjer had access to the victims' First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) debit card and account information. The FNBO card was the only card used by the victims.
The co-branded Chase/Amazon credit card (an access device) was opened under a derivative form of Victim 2’s name at the beginning of 2018. Victim 1 was not listed on the account or as an authorized user of the card. Victim 2 passed away on August 3, 2018. Use of the Chase/Amazon card continued and accelerated after Victim 2’s death. Records show purchases on the Chase/Amazon card include airline tickets (purchased for the defendant and her family), a Microsoft Xbox, Amazon purchases, and restaurant and grocery purchases in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the defendant resides. Payments on the Chase/Amazon credit card were drawn from the Victim 1’s FNBO checking account. Over a three-year period, 2018 through 2021, over $150,000 was charged to the Chase/Amazon credit card. None of the charges on the Chase/Amazon credit card were incurred by Victim 1.
Schutjer used the Chase/Amazon card to pay for purchases made on her Amazon customer accounts, listing Victim 2’s name as the party to be billed at her own residential address. The order history showed multiple orders placed using the Chase/Amazon card and shipped to the defendant’s home, the victims’ home, and other addresses. Many of the items purchased were children’s clothes and toys. Other items include an Apple laptop, shipped under Victim 1’s name to Schutjer’s home address; Apple AirPods, shipped to defendant’s mother in Florida; and an Apple iPad, shipped to the defendant at her home address.
Victim 1’s FNBO account was entirely depleted because of Schutjer’s crime. In sentencing Schutjer to imprisonment for 14 months, Chief Judge Rossiter told her, “You took away everything this woman (Victim 1) had.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Corcoran Correctional Officer Charged with Conspiring with an Inmate to Assault Another InmateRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Raquel Mosqueda, 36, of Porterville, California, and Jimmie L. Carter, 44, charging them with conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of another inmate at California State Prison-Corcoran, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Mosqueda was a Correctional Officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Carter was an inmate. According to court documents, on or around April 20, 2022, Mosqueda, while serving as a correctional officer at California State Prison-Corcoran, agreed with Carter to permit Carter to “get rid of” the victim. Mosqueda facilitated an assault of the victim by permitting Carter and other inmates to enter the victim’s cell and assault him. The assault caused bodily injury to the victim.
Mosqueda is additionally charged with depriving the victim of his constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, which includes the right to be reasonably protected from the threat of violence by fellow inmates.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Mosqueda and Carter face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge. Mosqueda faces an additional 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of deprivation of constitutional rights. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Convicted felon admits to illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Houston man has been convicted illegally possessing six firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Christopher Curry admitted he was a convicted felon and planned to exchange the guns for marijuana.
At the time of his arrest Oct. 17, authorities found him in possession of six firearms. In his vehicle were a shotgun, a pistol and several semiautomatic rifles.
Curry has three felony convictions to include two drug possessions and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As such, he is prohibited of possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 14, 2025. At that time he faces up to 15 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Houston Police Department Northeast Crime Suppression Team and the Department of Public Safety conducted the joint investigation with the assistance of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Crime Gun Strike Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 37 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Brian Patrick Werth, 40, of Beltsville, Maryland, to 37 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for two counts of producing child sexual abuse material.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations.
Werth was convicted of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and engaging with a minor as a registered sex offender. Upon his release from prison, Werth is required to register as a sex offender where he resides, is employed, and where he is a student under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Judge Chuang also ordered Werth to refrain from contact with children under 18 years old, without prior permission, and to submit to computer monitoring.
After a three-day trial, a jury found that from January 2021 through June 2021, Werth communicated with minor females, ages 11 and 15, through internet-based applications WhatsApp and Kik. During these interactions, Werth persuaded, coerced, and enticed the minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct by producing sexually explicit videos of themselves. Additionally, Werth engaged in child sexual abuse as a member of the Maryland Sex Offender Registry for a previous sex offense conviction.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.U.S. Attorney Barron commended Homeland Security Investigations and the Maryland State Police Department for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris who led the prosecution of this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Colorado Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Daniel Lehi, 44, of Towaoc, Colorado, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer.
On April 5, 2024, a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer responded to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino in Towaoc, Colorado, within the exterior boundaries of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, on a report of an intoxicated person, later identified as Lehi. Lehi lunged at the officer and struck him in the face. When additional security personnel responded to the incident, Lehi continued to fight until officers were able to subdue him.
United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced Lehi after considering numerous sentencing factors, including the defendant’s history of assaults on law enforcement officers.
“Assault on a law enforcement officer is a serious offense, and this defendant received a serious sentence for his actions,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “I want to acknowledge the BIA officer for deftly handling a challenging situation.”
“This attack on a federal officer simply doing his job is unacceptable. We fully support the officer who is a victim in this case and are steadfast in our commitment to pursuing justice in cases involving assaults on law enforcement officers,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Such acts will not go unanswered, and we will work tirelessly to ensure accountability.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Durango Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Franceware handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00182-GPG
Colombian National Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Gustavo De Jesus Ramirez-Ramirez (54, Colombia) to 27 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. Ramirez-Ramirez entered a guilty plea on September 16, 2024.
According to court records, Ramirez-Ramirez was arrested on November 11, 2022, in Jacksonville after he rappelled from a hole in the ceiling of a business and then drilled through three adjacent business walls and into a jewelry store. He later pleaded guilty in state court to burglary of a dwelling with damage and burglary of a structure. After his arrest, it was also discovered that Ramirez-Ramirez was present in the United States illegally. Ramirez-Ramirez has two previous deportations, one of which followed a prior conviction for illegal reentry into the United States in October 2014.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Jacksonville’s Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.