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Friday 20 December 2024
Clay County Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Anthony Rodriguez, Jr. (32, Orange Park) to 21 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rodriguez was arrested on July 9, 2024, and ordered detained.
According to court records, on May 11, 2024, Rodriguez shoplifted merchandise from a Wal-Mart in Clay County. Wal-Mart personnel stopped Rodriguez and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) subsequently responded. As the CCSO searched Rodriguez during his arrest, a loaded Glock 43 9mm pistol fell to the ground from Rodriguez’s clothing. At the time of the incident, Rodriguez had seven previous felony convictions, including two convictions involving a firearm and ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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.
Chinese National Indicted in El Paso, Texas, and Arrested in Las Vegas for Alleged Conspiracy to Sell Equipment Used to Manufacture Counterfeit PillsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas charged a Chinese national with two counts related to alleged distribution of pill press equipment that can be used by criminals to manufacture illegal drugs laced with fentanyl.
Department of Homeland Security agents arrested the defendant, Xaiofei Chen, at a trade show in Las Vegas on Oct. 29. According to the criminal complaint supporting her arrest warrant, Chen sold pill press machines that can be used with molds, stamps or dies mimicking commonly prescribed controlled substances to produce counterfeit pills that appear indistinguishable from legitimate pharmaceutical drugs. Specifically, the criminal complaint alleges that Chen worked for a Chinese-based company that sold die molds and equipment, and that Chen sold pill press equipment and counterfeit die molds to buyers in the United States. The complaint further alleges that Chen avoided Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) disclosure requirements by dismantling equipment and shipping parts in separate packages into the United States. This equipment allegedly included counterfeit dies, including M30 dies meant to mimic a common prescription drug but which are regularly used to make fake opioid pills. The complaint alleges that the packages that Chen sent also were mislabeled to conceal the illegal equipment that they contained.
The Controlled Substances Act prohibits the sale of pill press equipment and counterfeit die molds to individuals who intend to use these machines unlawfully and requires reporting of certain equipment sales. Counterfeit pills made on such equipment can be laced with fentanyl and other dangerous drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl and related substances have devastated communities across the United States and fuel the ongoing drug overdose epidemic, which the CDC recently estimated killed approximately 107,000 Americans in 2023. Fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. In recent years, more than half of counterfeit pills tested have been found to have a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.
“The fentanyl epidemic has taken hundreds of thousands of American lives, and this case reflects the department’s unwavering commitment to prosecuting every level of the deadly fentanyl supply chain,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to protect Americans by prosecuting those involved in the unlawful sale of parts and equipment that can be used to manufacture counterfeit pills.”
“The defendant allegedly sold equipment that can be used to make dangerous opioid pills harmful to American families,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent the distribution of equipment commonly used in the manufacture of these destructive drugs.”
A federal court in Nevada ordered Chen, a foreign national, detained pending her trial in El Paso where the indictment was returned on Nov. 20. The indictment charges Chen with one count of conspiracy to distribute and import a tableting machine used to manufacture a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to distribute dies designed to imprint and reproduce the trademark, trade name and other identifying mark and imprint of another. If convicted, Chen faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI and Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Edward E. Emokpae, Scott B. Dahlquist and Kaitlin Sahni of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Franco Gregory and Donna S. Miller for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Attorneys Colin Trundle and Sarah Williams of the Consumer Protection Branch also provided valuable assistance.
An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chinese National Indicted for Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Walmart Gift CardsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jun Wang, age 62, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of the United States who has lived in Florida and Texas for most of the past 26 years, has been charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that between June 2019 and June 2021 Wang received gift cards which had been obtained from victims of wire fraud schemes in the Northern District of New York and elsewhere and that he used the fraudulently obtained gift cards – totaling more than $2 million – at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Florida and other states to buy other gift cards and thereby disguise the source and nature of the funds obtained from the fraud victims.
The charge filed against Wang carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to twice the value of the allegedly laundered funds, or $4 million in this case, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Wang was arrested several weeks ago at Los Angeles International Airport, and arraigned this week in Binghamton, New York, before Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric, after being transported to the Northern District of New York. Judge Lovric ordered Wang detained pending trial, which is expected to be held sometime in 2025 before Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI is investigating the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara B. Thomson and Michael F. Perry.
Captain in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Charged with Murder and Terrorism OffensesRead the Press Release
Note: View the unsealed complaint here.
A complaint was unsealed today charging Mohammad Reza Nouri, 36, of Iran, also known as Muhammad Rida Husayn, Ali Asghar Nuri, and Abu Abbas, an Iranian national and officer in the IRGC, in connection with Nouri’s alleged role in orchestrating the Nov. 7, 2022, murder of American Stephen Troell in Baghdad, Iraq. Nouri was arrested in Iraq in March 2023.
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate terrorists and authoritarian regimes targeting and murdering Americans anywhere in the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that Mohammad Reza Nouri, an officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of Stephen Troell, an American citizen living in Iraq, carrying out the Iranian Regime’s efforts to take vengeance for the death of Qasim Soleimani. Stephen should still be alive today, and the Justice Department will work relentlessly to ensure accountability for his murder.”
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains determined to target U.S. citizens, and orchestrated a cold-blooded plot to brutally murder Stephen Troell, a Tennessee native working at an English language institute in Iraq,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “According to the allegations, Mohammad Reza Nouri, an IRGC captain, played a key role in planning the attack in which Troell was ambushed as he drove home from work with his wife. Today’s announcement makes clear that the FBI and our partners will not tolerate the IRGC’s ruthless attacks on Americans, here in the United States or overseas, and will hold accountable any who seek to harm our citizens.”
“As alleged, Mohammad Reza Nouri, a Captain in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of American Steven Troell in Iraq,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Kim for the Southern District of New York. “Nouri is alleged to have gathered intelligence on Troell’s daily routine and whereabouts, procured weapons and vehicles, and provided safe harbor to the operatives who carried out the sinister plot to brutally attack Troell in front of his wife. As alleged, the Iranian regime is actively targeting U.S. citizens, such as Troell, living in countries around the world for kidnapping and execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the regime and to take vengeance for the death of Qasem Soleimani. This office will not stand by when an American is attacked and murdered in cold blood, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring Nouri to justice.”
“As alleged in the complaint, Nouri facilitated Troell’s murder. He gathered information and coordinated with a co-conspirator to procure supplies that operatives relied on during their attack on Troell,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring IRGC operatives, including Nouri’s co-conspirator, to justice for harming Americans.”
According to court documents, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for kidnapping and/or execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The IRGC is an Iranian military and counterintelligence agency under the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, comprised of components including an external operations force, the IRGC-QF, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since April 15, 2019. The IRGC has publicly stated its desire to avenge the death of Soleimani, and, among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting U.S. citizens residing in the United States and abroad. In November 2022, the Iranian regime struck in Iraq: a group of operatives working on behalf of the IRGC brutally murdered Stephen Troell, a 45-year-old American living in Baghdad, where he worked at an English language institute, as Troell was driving home with his wife after work.
Nouri is an IRGC Captain who works for the IRGC in Iraq and is involved in the IRGC’s external attack plotting against U.S. citizens and others. Nouri played a key role in the IRGC’s targeting and ultimate murder of Troell, whom Nouri appears to have believed was working as an American or Israeli intelligence officer. Nouri, on behalf of the IRGC, collected critical, highly personal information about Troell to facilitate stalking, attacking, and ultimately killing Troell. Nouri, with the assistance of co-conspirators, developed a source with access to details of Troell’s life and daily routine. With this information, Nouri created intelligence documents for his IRGC associates and a group of operatives recruited to execute the attack, which included Troell’s date of birth, coordinates of his residence, occupation, work schedule, telephone number, wife’s name, and children’s names, among other information. In the weeks leading up to the murder, Nouri coordinated with one of his co-conspirators (CC-1) in the plot targeting Troell to procure some of the means for attacking Troell, including firearms as well as a vehicle for use in the lethal attack on Troell. On the evening of Nov. 7, 2022, the group of recruited operatives carried out the attack. Troell was driving home from work with his wife when heavily armed gunmen in two cars forced the Troells to stop shortly before they reached their residence, blocked any possible escape route, approached Troell on the driver’s side, and, using an assault weapon, shot and killed Troell as his wife witnessed the attack in the passenger seat.
On the day of the murder, Nouri coordinated with CC-1 shortly before and immediately after the attack. Nouri and CC-1 spoke repeatedly in the hours leading up to the attack. Less than a half hour after the attack, Nouri sent CC-1 encrypted messages inquiring about the wellbeing of the operatives tasked with carrying out the hit on Troell, asking, “The guys are fine?” and “They are doing well?” to which CC-1 responded, “One is injured.” As the night went on, CC-1 continued to update Nouri, noting that “two so far” of the operatives on the hit squad — whom Nouri referred to as “our guys” — had gathered safely since the murder, that “the rest are on the way,” and that the injury sustained by one of their confederates was “slight.” In the course of these encrypted messages, Nouri and CC-1 celebrated the events of the day and their success. That night, after the murder, Nouri left Iraq for Iran. Shortly before departing Baghdad, Nouri visited a religious site associated with mourning for Soleimani’s death.
Following the murder, approximately nine of the operatives on the hit squad also left Iraq and entered Iran, where they joined Nouri. In Iran, Nouri arranged housing for the operatives, providing them safe harbor in the aftermath of the murder. Nouri and another IRGC official addressed the operatives during their stay in Iran, offered their blessings to the hit squad, and told them that Troell was purportedly a spy on behalf of America and Israel, that Troell threatened Islam by attracting Iraqi youths to the Jewish religion and spreading it in Iraq, and that Troell therefore deserved to be murdered.
In March 2023, Iraqi authorities arrested Nouri, and he was subsequently convicted by an Iraqi court for his role in Troell’s murder. Nouri remains in custody in Iraq.
Nouri has been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to take hostages, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; murdering a U.S. national outside the United States, and faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; and causing death through the use of a firearm, and faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Justice Department’s Attaché in Iraq; FBI Legal Attaché office in Iraq; Iraqi authorities; and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig, Matthew J.C. Hellman, and Kyle A. Wirshba for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Timothy J. Reardon III of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years for Distributing Multiple Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Joseph Michael Schneider (58, Cocoa) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute them. Schneider pleaded guilty on August 14, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, law enforcement used a confidential source and undercover agent to conduct three controlled purchases of approximately 900 grams of methamphetamine each from Schneider, which took place at his residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at that residence, which resulted in the recovery of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, over 100 grams of cocaine, and a small quantity of a fentanyl analog. In total, Schneider was responsible for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute over 7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Brevard County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Billings woman who trafficked meth for Washington suppliers sentenced to eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine from a Billings residence as part of a multi-state organization supplied by Washington sources was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Anita Mae Ballestersos, 36, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that beginning in September 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated a group of meth traffickers, including Ballesteros, in the Billings area and twice purchased meth from Ballesteros in controlled buys. Ballesteros was one of seven defendants involved in a multi-state drug trafficking ring that operated from a residence on Sugar Avenue in Billings. A group of males from Washington brought to Montana pounds of meth that Ballesteros and a co-defendant distributed to their network of dealers. Ballesteros was known to distribute most of the meth from this Washington group and sold in ounce and half-pound quantities. Ballesteros also was obtaining and providing firearms to her Washington sources. A co-defendant described Ballesteros as having enough meth to “keep Billings awake.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Beverly Hills and Ventura County Men Indicted for Allegedly Running NFT Crypto Fraud that Conned Investors Out of More Than $22 MillionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging two Southern California men with defrauding investors of more than $22 million in cryptocurrency through a series of digital asset project “rugpulls,” a type of fraud scheme in which the creator of a nonfungible token (NFT) or other digital asset project solicits funds from investors for the project and then abruptly abandons the project and fraudulently retains investors’ funds.
Gabriel Hay, 23, of Beverly Hills, and Gavin Mayo, 23, of Thousand Oaks, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of stalking.
Their arraignments are scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“Whenever a new investment trend occurs, scammers are sure to follow,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to protect consumers and punish wrongdoers involved in crypto fraud.”
“Gabriel Hay and Gavin Mayo allegedly defrauded investors in digital asset projects of tens of millions of dollars and threatened an individual who attempted to expose their roles in these fraudulent schemes,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraudsters take advantage of new technologies and financial products to steal investors’ hard-earned money. The department is committed to protecting investors and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets and bring offenders to justice.”
“For three years, Hay and Mayo allegedly lied to their investors in order to defraud them out of millions of dollars,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “Such technological fraud schemes cost investors millions of dollars every year. Just because such crimes aren’t violent does not mean they are victimless. HSI will continue to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle such cryptocurrency fraud networks.”
According to court documents, from May 2021 to May 2024, Hay and Mayo sponsored several NFT and other digital asset projects and undertook promotional activities in support of those projects. Hay and Mayo allegedly made or caused others to make materially false and misleading statements regarding the digital asset projects being launched and provided false and misleading project “roadmaps” detailing plans for the NFTs or digital asset projects after their launch that the sponsors never intended to fulfill.
For example, the indictment alleges that in promoting the Vault of Gems NFT project, Hay and Mayo falsely claimed that the project would be the “first NFT project to be pegged to a hard asset.” However, instead of pursuing the Vault of Gems project or others as they had represented they would, Hay and Mayo allegedly abandoned the projects after collecting millions in funds from investors.
Hay, Mayo, and others allegedly used these tactics with a variety of other digital asset projects, including Vault of Gems, Faceless, Sinful Souls, Clout Coin, Dirty Dogs, Uncovered, MoonPortal, Squiggles, and Roost Coin. Hay and Mayo also allegedly used a variety of means to conceal their involvement in the fraudulent projects by falsely identifying other individuals or causing other individuals to be falsely identified as owners of the projects.
When one project manager on the Faceless NFT project exposed Hay and Mayo as being behind that project, Hay and Mayo allegedly embarked on a harassment campaign against the project manager, sending or causing the sending of messages to the project manager and his parents for the purpose of intimidating him and his family and causing them great emotional distress.
“Using NFTs to commit fraud not only exploits emerging technology but also erodes trust in the broader digital ecosystem,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The alleged actions of Hay and Mayo, who defrauded investors out of millions over several years, highlight the profound harm these schemes cause. These crimes may not involve violence, but they leave countless victims in their wake. HSI remains dedicated to exposing and dismantling cryptocurrency fraud schemes to protect investors and ensure that technological advancements are used to drive progress, not deception.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and a maximum penalty of five years on the stalking count.
The HSI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, both members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), are prosecuting this case.
The NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that are enabling the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and infrastructure providers. The NCET also works to set strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identify areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and lead the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
Bank General Counsel Pleads Guilty to Offenses Stemming from $7.4 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
JAMES BLOSE, 56, of Fairfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to offenses stemming from a decade-long embezzlement scheme at banks where he served as General Counsel and held other high-ranking positions.
The announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England; and Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately 2013 to January 2022, Blose was an attorney and held high-ranking positions, including General Counsel, at Hudson Valley Bank and Sterling National Bank. From approximately January 2022, when Webster Bank acquired Sterling National Bank, until February 2023, Blose served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Webster Bank.
From approximately 2013 until Webster Bank discovered his scheme and his employment was terminated in February 2023, Blose defrauded his employers (“The Bank”) in various ways. In certain commercial loan transactions where The Bank was the lender, Blose fraudulently retained for himself portions of closing costs, including legal fees. In certain real estate transactions in which The Bank was the seller, Blose retained portions of the sale proceeds for himself. For some of the real estate transactions, Blose created false documents in order to hide his theft from The Bank. Blose also stole from The Bank in other ways.
As part of the scheme, used his attorney trust accounts to make personal expenditures, and to transfer funds to accounts in the names of business entities he created and controlled, and then used those funds for his personal benefit. Through this scheme, Blose stole approximately $7.4 million from his employers.
Blose pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 13 in Hartford.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Office of the Inspector General. Financial crimes investigators from Webster Bank assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Ross Weingarten.
Bank CFO Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
A bank CFO who embezzled more than $800,000 from a small-town bank was sentenced Thursday to nearly three years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Vicki Lee Grisham, the 52-year-old former CEO of First State Bank of Abernathy, Texas, pleaded guilty in July to a felony information charging theft, embezzlement, or misapplication bank a bank officer. She was sentenced in Lubbock on Thursday to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered her to pay $800,755.63 in restitution to the bank’s insurer and to serve five years of supervised release after competing her sentence.
According to court documents, Ms. Grisham was issued a credit card for purchasing business-related items for the bank and was responsible for paying invoices for that credit card.
In March 2023, the bank discovered that she systematically used the credit card for all manner of items and services unrelated to bank business, including vacations, restaurant meals, clothing, college tuition, and even her own personal income taxes. She did not reimburse the bank for any unauthorized charges.
On the day bank management confronted her, Ms. Grisham signed a document admitting she made unauthorized charges for the benefit of herself and her family.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Ms. Grisham will also be required to consent to an FDIC Order of Prohibition from Further Participation barring any future employment for and participation with any FDIC-insured financial institution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.
Attempted Robber Who Shot Elderly Man on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
DURANGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lovell Cassius Benallie, age 27, of Kirtland, New Mexico, was sentenced to a total of 166 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. The prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement and information presented at sentencing, on August 24, 2023, Benallie and an associate traveled from New Mexico to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino. After gambling, Benallie went to the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Travel Center and approached an elderly Navajo man preparing to use the laundry facility. In an interaction that lasted about eighteen seconds, Benallie said, “give me all your money” and pointed a 9mm gun at the man. When the man replied, “what money” Benallie aimed and fired the gun at the man’s leg. Benallie fled the scene. The victim was airlifted to Grand Junction for medical treatment and suffered serious and enduring injuries.
Benallie had several prior felony convictions, including a conviction for aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in Farmington, New Mexico.
“The defendant acted callously and purposelessly,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “Gun violence will not be tolerated on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and our office reaffirms our intention to vigorously violent crimes on our reservations.”
"This defendant coldly and callously shot a total stranger during an attempted robbery. Any such act of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation gets the full attention of FBI Denver," said Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. "In this case we were assisted by the Farmington, New Mexico, Police Department. We will continue to support the Bureau of Indian Affairs and those who live on the reservation by investigating criminal acts and removing the perpetrators from the community."
United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced the defendant on December 16, 2024.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Durango conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:23-cr-00383-GPG-JMC-1
Arsonist Who Built and Fired Two Improvised Explosive Missiles Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who had already been convicted of felony arson who illegally built and fired two improvised explosive missiles was sentenced December 5, 2024 to 10 years in federal prison.
Daniel Graben, age 60, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 18, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence in the case revealed on the morning of February 28, 2022, a resident of rural Plymouth County observed what he thought was a “low flying mortar” over his house. He then heard it explode in the distance. He then saw a second object cruising above his house and heard it also explode in the distance. Another witnesses reported hearing a “very large explosion.” A third person reported an unexplained and unattended grass fire near the intersection of Plymouth County Roads C44 and K18. The fire was more than 1,000 yards away from any roadway or obvious combustible spark. The Akron Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, and a criminal investigation ensued.
Law enforcement discovered the wreckage of two improvised explosive missiles, connected them to Graben, and searched his Sioux City, Iowa home pursuant to a federal search warrant. In Graben’s townhouse, which was in a populated area of town and near a school, law enforcement found firearms, ammunition, powerful military-grade explosive material, other explosive materials, bomb-making materials (some of which were consistent with the materials found in the missile wreckage), 110 (non-missile) explosive devices (containing black and flash powder), and 14 (non-missile) explosive devices.
In 2008 Graben had been convicted of arson and threatening a crime
with intent to terrorize another in the State Courts of California. In 2012 Graben had been convicted of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance in the State Courts of Idaho.
Graben was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. He was also ordered to pay a fine. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Graben is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Plymouth County Sherriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Iowa State Fire Marshall Division, the Sioux City, Police Department, and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-04071.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to over 16 Years of Imprisonment for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Tommie Conner, 49, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren announced the sentence today.
According to evidence presented in court, on March 4, 2021, an officer with the Memphis Police Department observed a Dodge Durango speeding on American Way. The Durango was pulled over and the driver, later identified as Conner, fled. Conner was later located by officers who arrived at the scene. While investigating the offense, officers saw a handgun in plain view in the Durango. Officers obtained a search warrant and recovered a loaded SCCY 9mm pistol.
Conner is a felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms. Specifically, in 1993, Conner pled guilty to two counts of robbery and three counts of aggravated robbery in state court and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration. In 2005, Conner was convicted in federal court in the Western District of Tennessee for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 15 years of federal imprisonment after he was determined to be an armed career criminal.
In September 2021, Conner was indicted in the Western District of Tennessee for being a felon in possession of a firearm. In June 2024, a jury found Conner guilty of that offense. It also found that at least three of Conner’s prior offenses occurred on different occasions, as required for him to be sentenced as an armed career criminal under the ACCA (Armed Career Criminal Act).
On December 19, 2024, United States District Court Senior Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Conner to 200 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Initiative, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the (PSN) Gun Task Force, the Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Wagner and Jermal Blanchard who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government and the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Leon Williams (35, Clearwater) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon under the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court also ordered Williams to forfeit a Taurus firearm, a Sig Sauer firearm, and assorted rounds of ammunition, which were possessed in connection with the offense. Williams pleaded guilty on July 25, 2024.
According to court documents, on January 3, 2024, officers from the Clearwater Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Clearwater where Williams resided with his co-defendant, Robert Pugh. The search warrant was obtained after a series of controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams. During the search, two loaded firearms – a Taurus handgun and a Sig Sauer handgun – were found in the residence. Approximately 60 grams of marijuana and 70 grams of cocaine were also found inside, along with digital scales and other paraphernalia for drug distribution. Additional rounds of ammunition were also found in Williams’ bedroom. Williams admitted to ownership of the ammunition found in his bedroom and DNA evidence was later obtained connecting Williams to the Sig Sauer handgun.
Prior to the offense, Williams had been convicted of multiple felonies, including nine convictions for the sale of controlled substances. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Robert Pugh was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on September 18, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Anchorage man arrested for receiving, distributing, possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was arrested last night at his residence on criminal charges related to his alleged receipt, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2024, Anthaney O’Connor, 25, reported another individual to law enforcement, who he claimed wanted to commit sexual assaults against minors. He alleged the other individual sent him CSAM and links to applications known to be utilized by individuals seeking sexually explicit materials portraying minors.
Law enforcement searched O’Connor’s phone. Upon review, law enforcement discovered that O’Connor possessed two images of CSAM that the individual allegedly sent him. Law enforcement also discovered information indicating that O’Connor discussed creating virtual reality generated CSAM using a photo someone had surreptitiously taken of a prepubescent boy at a local store. O’Connor allegedly possessed roughly six artificial intelligence (AI)/cartoon drawing/images depicting CSAM, four CSAM images and two videos containing CSAM.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on O’Connor’s residence on Dec. 19, 2024, and agents discovered additional CSAM images and videos on his computer, some of which were AI images/anime depicting prepubescent children. Law enforcement also discovered two electronic storage devices and a computer hard drive hidden in the vents of O’Connor’s bedroom closet. The contents of these devices are pending review.
O’Connor is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. If convicted, O’Connor faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department are investigating this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
UPDATE: This release has been amended to include U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations as an assisting agency.
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An East Idaho Woman and Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Separate Cases for Committing Sex Crimes Involving Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the outcomes in two separate eastern Idaho cases in which the defendants were sentenced to 25 years and 17.5 years in federal prison, respectively, for sex crimes against minor children.
“It is a sad reality that these types of defendants exist in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Fortunately for Idaho, our office’s team of prosecutors and victim advocates does a fantastic job working with dedicated federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement officers to hold these criminals accountable. We will continue to do as much as possible to protect Idaho’s kids and support survivors of abuse.”
Rexanna Marie Johnston, 33, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. She was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victim directly harmed and another $15,000 to five different victims in the images of child sexual abuse material that Johnston possessed.
According to court records, on July 17, 2023, detectives with the Idaho Falls Police Department and the Idaho Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force began an investigation after receiving a report that child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to an online file storage account. Detectives determined that the account belonged to Johnston. Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant on Johnston’s residence and electronic devices. Detectives discovered that Johnston had produced images of child sexual abuse material of an infant that was in her custody. Detectives further recovered online chat communications between Johnston and two other individuals, Nicholas Glen Baker, 37 of Twin Falls, and Dale John Hensel, 54 of Rigby. Baker requested the production of specific child sexual abuse material, which Johnston produced and sent to Baker. Hensel also received images of child sexual abuse material from Johnston.
On September 10, 2024, Baker was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the sexual exploitation of a child. On October 1, 2024, Hensel pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, and is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for February 12, 2025.
“HSI agents have no tolerance for the exploitation of children and will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice,” said Matthew Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge, HSI Seattle. “Child sex abuse is one of the most heinous crimes HSI investigates, given the profound and lasting psychological and physical damage it inflicts on victims, and we hope this sentence bring some closure for the victims. We appreciate our law enforcement partners including the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, ICAC Task Force and the Idaho Falls Police Department along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the case.”
In a separate case, Jonathan Douglas Mohr, 46, of Ammon, was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Mohr was also ordered to pay $141,500 in restitution to the victims in the images of child sexual abuse material that he distributed and possessed.
According to court records, in September 2023, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Mohr’s residence in Ammon, after a concerned citizen reported they had observed child sexual abuse material on one of Mohr’s electronic devices. During the search warrant, law enforcement recovered a tablet, which contained more than 26,000 images of child sexual abuse material. Communications recovered from the tablet revealed that Mohr was distributing child sexual abuse material to other individuals using the Telegram messaging application.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Johnston to serve a lifetime of supervised release and Mohr to serve ten years of supervised release following their prison sentences. Johnston and Mohr will be required to register as sex offenders as a result of their convictions.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for their work in both cases and additionally thanked Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls and the Idaho Falls Police Department for their investigation in the Johnston case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett prosecuted the Johnston case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blackadar prosecuted the Mohr case.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Alleged Fentanyl Trafficker Extradited from Honduras to Face Charges in San FranciscoRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The government of Honduras extradited Gustavo Erazo, a Honduran national, to the United States this week to appear on charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the San Francisco Bay Area. The extradition marks the sixth extradition of an alleged drug trafficker from Honduras to the Northern District of California this year.
On Jan. 5, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Erazo, 49, at the time a resident of Oakland, and two other defendants, on charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and possessing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine with the intent to distribute those substances. Erazo was charged in four of the eight counts in the indictment:
CountChargeStatute(s)Statutory Maximum Prison Term1
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(vi)Life
2
Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(vi)Life
3
Possession with Intent to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(i)40 years
4
Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(ii)40 years
According to a criminal complaint filed before the indictment, Erazo was arrested in November 2022 outside an apartment in Berkeley, Calif. At the time of his arrest, Erazo was carrying a backpack in which he had nearly four pounds of suspected drugs, including almost a kilogram of suspected fentanyl and more than half a pound each of suspected heroin and suspected cocaine. Inside the apartment, law enforcement officers found nearly 21 pounds of suspected drugs, including nearly 15 pounds of suspected fentanyl, more than two pounds of suspected cocaine, and more than one pound of suspected heroin. Officers also found drug manufacturing equipment, two firearms, ammunition, and cash inside the apartment.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned after Erazo was charged in federal court that he had traveled back to Honduras. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities and the DEA to secure the arrest and extradition of Erazo, who arrived back in the United States on Dec. 19, 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim today for arraignment on the indictment and further proceedings. Erazo is next scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros on Dec. 23, 2024.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Erazo faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000,000 on Counts 1 and 2, and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 on Counts 3 and 4. He also faces a lifetime term of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment on each count. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only upon consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea and Linda Love. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department.
Alexandria Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Machine GunRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Kaelin Williams, 27, of Alexandria, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell for illegal possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Williams was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release.
Williams was charged in an indictment with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and he pleaded guilty to the charge on August 21, 2024. On March 1, 2024, a federal search warrant was executed on Williams and his brother’s residence in Alexandria. At the time of the execution of the search warrant, Williams was the sole occupant of the residence and was found with two machine guns, both being Anderson Model AM-15 AR-Type multi-caliber pistols each containing a machine gun conversion device. In addition, law enforcement agents found several additional machine gun conversion devices, often referred to as “Glock switches.” Williams acknowledged to agents that he knew the “Glock switches” were illegal and that they turned a firearm into a machine gun.
The case was investigated by the ATF, Homeland Security Investigations and Alexandria Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren L. Gardner.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Announces Murder and Terrorism Charges Against IRGC OfficerRead the Press Release
Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and David Sundberg, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, announced the unsealing of murder and terrorism charges against MOHAMMAD REZA NOURI, a/k/a “Muhammad Rida Husayn ‘Ali Asghar Nuri,” a/k/a “Abu Abbas,” an Iranian national and officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”), in connection with NOURI’s alleged role in orchestrating the November 7, 2022 murder of American Stephen Troell in Baghdad, Iraq. The charges are contained in a Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court. NOURI was arrested in Iraq in March 2023.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “As alleged, Mohammad Reza Nouri, a Captain in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of American Steven Troell in Iraq. Nouri is alleged to have gathered intelligence on Troell’s daily routine and whereabouts, procured weapons and vehicles, and provided safe harbor to the operatives who carried out the sinister plot to brutally attack Troell in front of his wife. As alleged, the Iranian regime is actively targeting U.S. citizens, such as Troell, living in countries around the world for kidnapping and execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the regime and to take vengeance for the death of Qasem Soleimani. This Office will not stand by when an American is attacked and murdered in cold blood, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring Nouri to justice.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Department of Justice will not tolerate terrorists and authoritarian regimes targeting and murdering Americans anywhere in the world. We allege that Mohammad Reza Nouri, an officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of Stephen Troell, an American citizen living in Iraq, carrying out the Iranian Regime’s efforts to take vengeance for the death of Qasim Soleimani. Stephen should still be alive today, and the Justice Department will work relentlessly to ensure accountability for his murder.”
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains determined to target U.S. citizens, and orchestrated a cold-blooded plot to brutally murder Stephen Troell, a Tennessee native working at an English language institute in Iraq. According to the allegations, Mohammad Reza Nouri, an IRGC captain, played a key role in planning the attack in which Troell was ambushed as he drove home from work with his wife. Today’s announcement makes clear that the FBI and our partners will not tolerate the IRGC’s ruthless attacks on Americans, here in the U.S. or overseas, and will hold accountable any who seek to harm our citizens.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg said: “As alleged in the complaint, Nouri facilitated Troell's murder. He allegedly gathered information and coordinated with a co-conspirator to procure supplies that operatives relied on during their attack on Troell. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring IRGC operatives, including Nouri's co-conspirator, to justice for harming Americans.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint charging the defendant:[1]
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (“Iran”) is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for kidnapping and/or execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the IRGC-Qods Force (“IRGC-QF”), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The IRGC is an Iranian military and counterintelligence agency under the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, comprised of components including an external operations force, the IRGC-QF, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since April 15, 2019. The IRGC has publicly stated its desire to avenge the death of Soleimani, and, among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting U.S. citizens residing in the United States and abroad. In November 2022, the Iranian regime struck in Iraq: a group of operatives working on behalf of the IRGC brutally murdered Stephen Troell, a 45-year-old American living in Baghdad, where he worked at an English language institute, as Troell was driving home with his wife after work.
NOURI is an IRGC Captain who works for the IRGC in Iraq and is involved in the IRGC’s external attack plotting against U.S. citizens and others. NOURI played a key role in the IRGC’s targeting and ultimate murder of Troell, whom NOURI appears to have believed was working as an American or Israeli intelligence officer. NOURI, on behalf of the IRGC, collected critical, highly personal information about Troell to facilitate stalking, attacking, and ultimately killing Troell. NOURI, with the assistance of co-conspirators, developed a source with access to details of Troell’s life and daily routine. With this information, NOURI created intelligence documents for his IRGC associates and a group of operatives recruited to execute the attack, which included Troell’s date of birth, coordinates of his residence, occupation, work schedule, telephone number, wife’s name, and children’s names, among other information. In the weeks leading up to the murder, NOURI coordinated with one of his co-conspirators (“CC-1”) in the plot targeting Troell to procure some of the means for attacking Troell, including firearms as well as a vehicle for use in the lethal attack on Troell. On the evening of November 7, 2022, the group of recruited operatives carried out the attack. Troell was driving home from work with his wife when heavily armed gunmen in two cars forced the Troells to stop shortly before they reached their residence, blocked any possible escape route, approached Troell on the driver’s side, and, using an assault weapon, shot and killed Troell as his wife witnessed the attack in the passenger seat.
On the day of the murder, NOURI coordinated with CC-1 shortly before and immediately after the attack. NOURI and CC-1 spoke repeatedly in the hours leading up to the attack. Less than a half hour after the attack, NOURI sent CC-1 encrypted messages inquiring about the wellbeing of the operatives tasked with carrying out the hit on Troell, asking, “The guys are fine?” and “They are doing well?” to which CC-1 responded, “One is injured.” As the night went on, CC-1 continued to update NOURI, noting that “two so far” of the operatives on the hit squad — whom NOURI referred to as “our guys” — had gathered safely since the murder, that “the rest are on the way,” and that the injury sustained by one of their confederates was “slight.” In the course of these encrypted messages, NOURI and CC-1 celebrated the events of the day and their success. That night, after the murder, NOURI left Iraq for Iran. Shortly before departing Baghdad, NOURI visited a religious site associated with mourning for Soleimani’s death.
Following the murder, approximately nine of the operatives on the hit squad also left Iraq and entered Iran, where they joined NOURI. In Iran, NOURI arranged housing for the operatives, providing them safe harbor in the aftermath of the murder. NOURI and another IRGC official addressed the operatives during their stay in Iran, offered their blessings to the hit squad, and told them that Troell was purportedly a spy on behalf of America and Israel, that Troell threatened Islam by attracting Iraqi youths to the Jewish religion and spreading it in Iraq, and that Troell therefore deserved to be murdered.
In March 2023, Iraqi authorities arrested NOURI, and he was subsequently convicted by an Iraqi court for his role in Troell’s murder. NOURI remains in custody in Iraq.
* * *
NOURI, 36, of Iran, has been charged with: (i) conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (ii) providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (iii) conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (iv) providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (v) conspiring to take hostages, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (vi) conspiring to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (vii) murdering a U.S. national outside the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; and (viii) causing death through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be imposed by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division. Mr. Kim also thanked Iraqi authorities for providing invaluable support, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section; the Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Department’s Office of the Justice Attaché in Iraq; the FBI Legal Attaché office in Iraq; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig, Matthew J.C. Hellman, and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Timothy J. Reardon III of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Thursday 19 December 2024
Woman Sentenced for Felony Child AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Danielle Cleary, age 29, of Vermont, but recently living in Pender, Nebraska, on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation, was sentenced December 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for child abuse. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Cleary to 33 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Cleary’s release from prison, she will begin a 1-year term of supervised release.
On January 11, 2023, Cleary struck a 3-year-old minor child in the head with a large toy causing severe head trauma to the child. The minor child was life-flighted from the hospital in Pender to Children’s Nebraska in Omaha, where he was treated for his life-threatening injuries. The minor child ultimately recovered and was released from the hospital a month later. Cleary initially denied causing the minor child’s injury, but later admitted to striking the child in the head pleading guilty to negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.
This case was prosecuted in federal court because the victim was Native American (or Indian) and Cleary is not an Indian, and the offense occurred on a Native American Reservation giving rise to federal jurisdiction.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
West Haven Woman Who Diverted Narcotics from Dying VA Medical Center Patients is SentencedRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TARA SEVERINO, 58, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to two years of probation, the first six months of which Severino must serve in home confinement, for diverting narcotics from veterans under her care while she worked as a nurse at the West Haven VA Medical Center.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Severino was employed as a registered nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (the “VA”) in West Haven and was assigned to the VA’s Intensive Care Unit (“ICU”) for sick or dying patients. From January to July 2023, Severino ingested fentanyl, hydromorphone, and oxycodone intended for patients in her care.
In some instances, Severino ingested the “waste” of a substance, meaning she administered part of the substance to a patient and ingested the remaining portion not used by the patient. In one instance, Severino repeatedly introduced fentanyl into the system of a braindead patient after claiming she observed him in pain and having a seizure. She introduced fentanyl to this patient approximately 19 times over a nine-day period so that she could divert some for herself.
In other instances, Severino ingested doses of hydromorphone and fentanyl meant for dying veterans. This affected treatment decisions made by other medical staff who believed that the patients had been receiving, and were unresponsive to, their prescribed narcotics.
In another instance, Severino volunteered to care for a patient not formally assigned to her, and diverted pain medication from him before he died.
In order to cover up her crimes, Severino misrepresented in VA medical records and tracking systems that the narcotics been properly administered to the patient or, in the case of excess narcotics, had been properly disposed of.
On June 18, 2024, Severino pleaded guilty to obtaining controlled substances by fraud or subterfuge.
This matter was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, with the assistance of the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.
Violent Crime Initiative Leads to Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Two men were sentenced this week in federal court in connection to two unrelated firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Shelby Theriault, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 24 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release. In September 2024, Shelby Theriault pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on or about January 15, 2024, a shotgun was reported stolen after a good Samaritan had allowed the defendant, a homeless man, to stay in a guest bedroom of their home overnight. On January 20, 2024, Conway Police arrested Theriault on an unrelated theft case, where they discovered that he possessed a sawed-off shotgun. The defendant ultimately admitted to stealing the shotgun, sawing it down, and defacing the serial number. Theriault would have had to register the sawed-off shotgun with the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record, which he did not do. Theriault also had multiple warrants for his arrest from Colorado at the time of his arrest in Conway, New Hampshire.
“The defendant not only stole the shotgun from someone who provided him shelter, he sawed the shotgun and obliterated the serial number thus making it harder to detect his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “New Hampshire law enforcement will continue to prosecute those who possess illegal firearms as part of the ongoing effort to make our communities safer.”
“I would first like to commend Patrol Officer Joseph Moore for his work on this investigation, which ultimately allowed the Conway Police Department to remove a stolen firearm from circulation. Experience has shown us that stolen firearms are often utilized in the commission of a crime. I would also like to thank the ATF and the US Attorney's Office, namely Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon, for their assistance with this case. The relationship we have with all of our Law Enforcement partners across the State of New Hampshire is vital to our mission,” said Chief Christopher Mattei of the Conway Police Department.
Conway Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation.
Michael Brown, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 24 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release. In September 2024, Michael Brown pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of ammunition.
According to the plea agreement, on or about November 2, 2023, Nashua Police conducted a motor vehicle stop where Brown was found to be in possession of a magazine, loaded with nine 9mm rounds of ammunition, in his pocket.
“In this case, the defendant, a felon, was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior drug conviction in Florida, yet when he was encountered by law enforcement, he possessed a loaded magazine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute felons who illegally possess firearms and ammunition,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young.
“The illegal possession of ammunition by convicted felons poses a significant threat to the safety of our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to enforcing federal firearm laws and holding those who violate them accountable. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who endanger public safety are brought to justice.”
Nashua Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon prosecuted both cases.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department 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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Utah Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for $8 Million Credit Card Fraud Scheme, False Statements to BankRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Utah man was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his role in two criminal schemes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Timothy Gibson, 48, of Lehi, Utah, previously pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to Count One of a five-count indictment, which charged him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a multi-million dollar credit card fraud scheme that occurred in New Jersey; and to a three-count information which charged him with making false statements to a bank as part of a scheme that took place in Utah. Judge Georgette Castner imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The credit card fraud scheme:
Gibson and his conspirators solicited personal information from straw credit card applicants so the members of the conspiracy could submit falsified credit card applications to obtain credit cards. The credit cards were then used to make purchases that generated rewards points from the credit card company. In general, purchases were made on the credit cards and were then cancelled after the rewards points posted but before the credit card payments for the purchases were due. Other “purchases” on the cards were in fact sham transactions run through Gibson’s business’s merchant account.
Gibson and his conspirators solicited straw credit card applicants by offering to purchase credit card offers the applicants received in the mail. They then asked the straw credit card applicants to provide their personal identifying information, and used that information to open numerous credit cards in the names of fictitious businesses created with falsified financial and employment information, straw e-mail addresses, and fake business addresses. Straw cardholders sent Gibson and his conspirators the credit card account information in exchange for payment. Gibson also used his business’s credit card merchant account to charge the fraudulent credit cards for sham purchases that he knew were not legitimate, all in an effort to generate rewards points on those cards. The conspirators added themselves to the credit card accounts as authorized users, and transferred rewards points to accounts they controlled. The conspirators cancelled the points-generating purchases before the credit card payment was due.
The conspiracy involved more than 8,000 fraudulent accounts in the names of more than 1,500 straw cardholders that obtained more than 800 million rewards points, which were worth more than $8 million.
Charges remain pending against Aharon Lev, a/k/a “Aaron Lev,” a/k/a “Aron Lev,” a/k/a “David Gold,” a/k/a “David Monroe,” 37, of Lakewood, New Jersey. The charges against Lev are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The false statements to a bank:
In March 2020, the CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 outbreak. One new program was the Small Business Association’s (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), a loan program designed to provide an incentive for small businesses to keep workers on payroll during the pandemic. Borrowers were required to submit an application form through an SBA-approved entity.
In May 2020, Gibson falsely reported the number of employees and the average monthly payroll of a business with which he was associated in order to obtain a loan through the PPP program, and advised multiple businesses on how they could do the same.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Gibson to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen Philadelphia Division.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
United States and Freeport, NY Police Department Enter into Voluntary Technical Assistance Agreement to Ensure Meaningful Language Access to Police Services for Individuals with Limited English ProficiencyRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, announced today that the United States has entered into a Voluntary Technical Assistance Agreement with the Freeport, NY Police Department (FPD). The agreement memorializes a cooperative effort between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FPD to help FPD develop a language access program that will ensure its police services are accessible to individuals who are limited English proficient (LEP).
This agreement is the first Voluntary Technical Assistance Agreement of its kind in the United States under DOJ’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI). It is the result of a mutual desire to improve FPD’s language access services and not the result of an investigation or complaint against FPD. DOJ commends FPD for taking the initiative to build a complete and effective language access program for its LEP residents.
United States Attorney Peace stated, “It is critically important that law enforcement can communicate effectively with members of the community, regardless of the language that they speak. Working collaboratively with FPD, we will improve public safety for all and hope to replicate this agreement with other law enforcement agencies throughout the Eastern District of New York.”
“The Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative was specifically designed for proactive police departments that recognize the need for accurate and timely communication and are willing to invest in the language access tools and training that ensure that crime victims and witnesses can report, the reliability of evidence, protect the public, and promote community trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies across the country that seek to remove language barriers in policing.”
Launched in December 2022, LELAI is a nationwide effort to help law enforcement agencies address language barriers when they interact with the public. The initiative builds on the Department’s longstanding efforts to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act).
Under the two-year voluntary agreement, DOJ will help FPD build its language access program consistent with the parties’ shared goals of promoting officer safety and public safety, helping to further control crime, collecting reliable evidence for prosecution purposes, and fostering even greater community trust. DOJ will also help FPD develop policies, procedures, interpretation and translation protocols, community partnerships, and training, among other things.
LELAI provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP. By affirmatively engaging law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training, LELAI aims to support relationship-building efforts between law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders and populations with LEP.
Additional information about the EDNY U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights work is available at its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/civil-rights. The Civil Rights Division’s work is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the EDNY public may report possible civil rights violations at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/page/file/1396116/dl?inlineor%20civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
This matter is being handled by Eastern District of New York Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Freismuth, Michael Goldberger, and Dara Olds of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Team.
freeport_pd_agreement.pdf freeport_pd_agreement_translated.pdfUnited States Reaches Agreement with the State of Rhode Island to Resolve Violations of Federal Disability Laws for Children with Disabilities in State CareRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that his office, in collaboration with the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (HHS OCR), has entered into a proposed consent decree with the State of Rhode Island to resolve the Department of Justice’s May 2024 findings that Rhode Island’s unnecessary segregation of children with behavioral health disabilities in a psychiatric hospital violates federal civil rights laws . The proposed consent decree filed in U.S. District Court, alongside a civil complaint, requires that the State provide these children with community-based services that will allow them to stay in their own homes and communities while they receive the services they need. Compliance with the decree will be overseen by a court-appointed monitor and a federal judge.
“No child deserves to be isolated indefinitely in a locked psychiatric facility when their condition can be treated at home or in a community setting,” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “Our kids, our families, and our communities deserve – and the law demands - better than that. While today’s consent decree will not transform a broken system that has all too often failed children with behavioral disabilities, it marks an important, and an enforceable, step toward getting these kids care, rather than confinement. I commend the state of Rhode Island for doing the right thing by stepping up to resolve this matter, and hope that this reflects an ongoing commitment to meeting the state’s civil rights obligations towards our most vulnerable fellow citizens.”
“A child should grow up surrounded by family and loved ones, not in an institution,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This consent decree will provide children with disabilities the services they need to live and grow at home with the love and support of their families. The American with Disabilities Act’s integration mandate lies at the core of the department’s efforts to safeguard the rights of people with disabilities across the country and we will continue our critical work in this area.”
“Every child – and every person – deserves to access critically needed care, free from discrimination: it’s fair, just, and a legally protected right. Twenty-five years after the Olmstead decision, today’s consent decree follows the HHS Office for Civil Rights’ continued efforts to ensure that people with disabilities have opportunities to live and receive needed services in their communities rather than institutions,” said OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer. “We are encouraged by the State of Rhode Island’s commitment to stand with the communities we serve in resolving these issues. OCR will continue to protect and enforce the essential civil rights of every person to live in their homes and communities across the nation.”
The filing of the proposed consent decree in federal court follows a public letter of findings issued by the United States Attorney’s Office and HHS in May 2024 notifying the State of the civil rights laws violations. The complaint filed today alleges that the State failed to ensure that children with disabilities were able to access the intensive in-home and community-based services they need, and failed to facilitate prompt discharges from Bradley Hospital to family homes, resulting in extended and unnecessary hospitalization, or risk of future hospitalization, all in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In Olmstead v. L.C., the U.S. Supreme Court held that Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public entities, in providing services to persons with disabilities, to do so in their homes and communities when appropriate services can reasonably be provided in those settings to individuals who want them.
Under the proposed consent decree, which is subject to court approval, the State has agreed to do the following:
- Help children who are currently hospitalized at Bradley Hospital to transition to family settings and receive services at home, if their needs can be met there and they and their families want them to be at home;
- Provide children and families with service planning and care coordination to improve the likelihood that children recently hospitalized, who have experienced multiple visits to emergency departments can be successful at home;
- Improve access to intensive in-home services, including in-home individual and family therapy, behavioral services, and therapeutic mentoring;
- Address current or future shortages of therapeutic foster care families and community-service providers, including providing payment rates and support, to enable children they serve to return to or remain in family settings;
- Provide prompt mobile crisis interventions to help children avoid entering hospitals; and
- Monitor outcomes and timeliness of services.
The parties have agreed that a court-appointed monitor will monitor the state’s compliance with this five-year consent decree. The State worked cooperatively with the United States to resolve and remedy the federal civil rights violations that were identified and agreed to settle this matter without contested litigation.
This case is being litigated by Assistant United States Attorney Amy R. Romero, with assistance from HHS Equal Opportunity Specialist Erin Walker.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). For more information on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and how it protects individuals with disabilities, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/index.html. For more information about OCR’s Olmstead activities, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/community-living-and-olmstead/index.html.
Individuals who believe their civil rights have been violated can file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at: www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/index.html. Anyone in Rhode Island may also report civil rights violations directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement or 401-709-5000.
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complaint.pdf findings_letter_to_rhode_island_5.13.24.pdf consent_decree.pdfU.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing of Zuni Man for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to 21 months in federal court for a violent assault that left a fellow tribal member with severe injuries.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on January 25, 2023, Zuni Police Department (ZPD) officers responded to a report of an assault near a road within the Zuni Pueblo. They found the victim, John Doe, lying in the road, bleeding heavily from the head and facial area. Witnesses reported that the assailants had fled the scene in a pick-up truck.
John Doe suffered severe injuries that required hospitalization for several days.
The investigation revealed that the incident began when Christopher Hannaweeke Sr., 49, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, hit the victim's dog with his vehicle. When John Doe confronted Hannaweeke, an altercation ensued. Hannaweeke admitted to striking and kicking John Doe, stating he was "overcome with emotion" due to an ongoing neighborhood feud.
During a subsequent interview, Hannaweeke acknowledged to FBI agents on February 3, 2023, that his conduct "went too far."
Upon his release from prison, Hannaweeke will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton to Leave Justice DepartmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Leigha Simonton will resign from the Department of Justice effective Jan. 19, the office announced today.
“I began my career in this office as a summer intern after my first year of law school,” said Ms. Simonton. “It was love at first sight. Every day after that internship, I was figuring out how to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney here. I got that chance when I was nine months pregnant with my first child—a baby who is now 20 years old. I am so proud to have served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for almost eighteen years and then to have been chosen to lead this district—comprised of 100 counties and over 8 million people—as the United States Attorney. I cannot put into words what this experience has meant to me, and I leave with two decades of incredible memories. There is nothing more important than the work of our outstanding women and men in this office and in North Texas law enforcement, and I will be forever grateful to have been a part of it.”
Nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on Nov. 14, 2022 and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 6, 2022, Ms. Simonton was sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas on Dec. 10, 2022. (Download a high-res version of her headshot here.)
Under her leadership, the district has fought relentlessly for justice, trying its highest number of cases in over a decade. Ms. Simonton actively supervised several high-profile jury trials, from Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz, the anesthesiologist convicted of injecting heart-stopping drugs into patient IV bags, to Christopher Kirchner, the Slync founder found guilty of defrauding investors out of more than $25 million, to Holly Elkins, the woman convicted of helping her fiancé cyberstalk and ultimately murder his former girlfriend and mother of his child. She also oversaw the charging of a Russian national for using the BitPaymer ransomware variant to attack numerous victims throughout the United States and the sentencing of a Ukrainian national for demanding over $700 million in ransom payments using the REvil ransomware variant. Other notable cases included charges against 14 individuals in the largest case investigated by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force to date for allegedly bilking the Paycheck Protection Program and numerous financial institutions out of more than $53 million, charges against a Texas Christian University divinity professor for possessing child pornography, the sentencing of a retired Cook Children’s Hospital Chaplain for producing child pornography, the sentencing of a would-be bomber who idolized the Columbine High school shooters, and the sentencing of another man who set off a bomb in his backyard and plotted to blow up a high school.
During her tenure, Ms. Simonton also oversaw the prosecution of 11 drug traffickers charged in the wake of the juvenile fentanyl overdose scandal, which claimed the lives of four Carrollton-area middle and high schoolers and injured 10 more. In the wake of these tragedies, Ms. Simonton launched the “Protect Our Children Project,” aimed at bringing federal resources to bear on issues affecting schools, including fentanyl use. She hosted a series of webinars for hundreds of North Texas school administrators that covered the dangers of fentanyl, how to respond to an overdose, and how to discourage teens from using the drug. She also visited several area colleges to share the dangers of fentanyl with young adults. And, last summer, along with the other Texas U.S. Attorneys, she met in Austin with the heads of all Texas regional education service centers to provide important information and resources on fentanyl that they could use in Texas public schools.
Ms. Simonton also focused on curbing violent crime in North Texas, and the violent crime rate fell in major North Texas cities during that time. She prioritized prosecution of violent recidivists and launched Operation Take Aim in the summer of 2023 to further target such offenders. And she partnered with the other Texas U.S. Attorneys and the ATF in the summer of 2024 to launch “Operation Texas Kill Switch,” a statewide initiative to combat the illegal use of machine gun conversion devices, also known as "switches.” The operation, which included a partnership with CrimeStoppers, raised public awareness of the dangers of switches, generated multiple tips, and resulted in numerous ongoing prosecutions.
The Civil and Appellate Divisions also thrived under Ms. Simonton’s stewardship. Ms. Simonton oversaw the creation and implementation of the district’s new Voluntary Self-Disclosure policy, incentivizing companies to quickly detect, disclose, and remediate suspected misconduct, and negotiated settlements in several self-disclosure cases. For instance, the Civil Division negotiated a $14.2 million settlement with Horizon Medical Center of Denton for potential violations of Medicare regulations and the physician self-referral law and an $18.4 million settlement with Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC (CNS) after CNS self-disclosed that it submitted false claims for payment to the National Nuclear Security Administration related to the Pantex Plant—the nation’s primary facility for the assembly, disassembly, and retrofitting of nuclear weapons. Further, the Civil Division negotiated a $4.5 million settlement with a 3D printing company that allegedly transmitted technical data to China in violation of export control laws and obtained $1.2 million in judgments against two doctors who prescribed hydrocodone to drug-seekers without legitimate medical purpose.
Meanwhile, under her leadership, the Appellate Division persuaded the Fifth Circuit to affirm the life sentence of a Michigan man who stalked, transported, and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, convinced the Fifth Circuit that a retrial in the Ruel Hamilton real estate bribery case would not violate double jeopardy, and successfully defended against 19 issues on appeal arising from the Forest Park Medical Center kickback case. The Appellate Division also successfully defended the conviction of four UDF executives who misled investors and the SEC about their investment fund’s performance; the Fifth Circuit upheld the conviction, citing the government’s “avalanche of evidence” proving its case, and the Supreme Court later denied cert, allowing the Fifth Circuit decision to stand.
Ms. Simonton also oversaw the progress of the U.S. v. Rahimi case—charged in the Northern District of Texas—through the Fifth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. She supported the Solicitor General’s efforts seeking certiorari of the Fifth Circuit’s decision invalidating Rahimi’s conviction for using a firearm while under a domestic violence protection order. After the Supreme Court granted cert, she attended the oral argument as a guest of the Solicitor General, and the Supreme Court later decided 8-1 that Rahimi’s statute of conviction was constitutional under the Second Amendment. The Rahimi case originated from the Northern District of Texas’s Domestic Violence Initiative, which targets domestic abusers for federal prosecution and resulted, during Ms. Simonton’s tenure, in cases such as the sentencing of a San Diego man to life in prison for traveling to Texas and killing his boyfriend, and the sentencing of a felon domestic abuser to 10 years in prison for violating his supervised release by attacking his partner. As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Simonton has been an outspoken advocate for domestic violence awareness, partnering with regional and national domestic violence organizations, holding press conferences with the other Texas U.S. Attorneys to honor Texas domestic violence victims, and sharing resources with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices so they can create their own domestic abuser prosecution programs.
Throughout her time in office, Ms. Simonton and her staff actively supported other especially vulnerable communities, including religious communities. She held hate-crime seminars for Jewish and Muslim community leaders and oversaw hate-crimes prosecutions that resulted in the sentencing of a Dallas man to 37 years after he shot five individuals, killing one, at a tire shop because it was a Muslim-owned business, and the sentencing of an Amarillo man for threatening to execute three Jewish rabbis.
Ms. Simonton further attempted to stem the tide of defendants who make their way into the federal system, revitalizing and expanding the district’s Project Safe Neighborhood Re-Entry Night program, which educates individuals on state parole and probation about avoiding behaviors, like drug trafficking and gun possession, that could end up in federal prosecution, and connects them with community resources—like therapy, addiction, and job placement programs—to live productive lives. During her tenure, thousands of such individuals across the district attended these programs, and the vast majority have not reoffended. Further, Ms. Simonton and her staff created events to foster positive relationships between residents of high-crime communities and the law enforcement officers who serve them, such as adopting neighborhood schools, holding book fairs staffed by U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel and law enforcement officers, and having officers read books to preschoolers via the office’s “Pre-K Reading Program.”
After a brief hiatus, Ms. Simonton anticipates likely reentering private practice, and she plans to continue to advocate for domestic-violence victims and to protect children and young adults from the harms of fentanyl and other threats to their health and safety. An Acting U.S. Attorney will be announced at a later date.
Two New Castle Residents Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Puerto Rico-to-Western Pennsylvania Cocaine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Two residents of New Castle, Pennsylvania, were sentenced in federal court on December 18, 2024, for their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and related charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The defendants were among 17 individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws by conspiring to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown (read the Indictment news release here).
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentences on Luciano Bratini Rivera, 37, and Markus Hobel, 35, sentencing Rivera to 97 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possessing with intent to distribute and distributing a quantity of cocaine on two separate dates, and Hobel to 72 months of prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to information presented to the Court, Rivera knowingly conspired with the leader of the drug trafficking organization, Daniel Feliciano, to receive kilograms of cocaine from a source of supply in Puerto Rico and distribute smaller quantities of that cocaine to multiple co-conspirators in order to maximize profits. Those co-conspirators, who included Hobel, then distributed the cocaine in New Castle, Ellwood City, and elsewhere in Lawrence County. At least five kilograms of cocaine was attributable to Rivera, who also stored drug proceeds on Feliciano’s behalf— including more than $11,000 seized from Rivera’s residence upon his arrest in March 2024—and drove to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with drug proceeds to exchange for additional kilograms of cocaine on multiple occasions in late 2023 and early 2024, during which Rivera retrieved a total of at least six kilograms of cocaine.
At least 100 grams of cocaine was attributable to Hobel, whom Feliciano also described and utilized as his bodyguard to protect his drug product, profits, and person. This included Hobel’s knowing and unlawful carrying and possession of a pistol and rifle during and in relation to and in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, such as patrolling the premises of and otherwise standing guard with one or more firearms at Feliciano’s residence.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service, as well as the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rivera and Hobel.
Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
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.
Two Houston Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Burglarizing Pharmacies in Southern Illinois, MissouriRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced two Houston, Texas, men to federal prison for burglarizing pharmacies of controlled substances in Casey, Illinois, and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
McKindley V. Allen, 32, and DaLeon J. Fontennet, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempted burglary involving controlled substances.
Both defendants were sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment.
“Damaging and burglarizing locally-owned pharmacies that provide vital healthcare services impair rural communities, and leave residents and employees without reliable support,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The defendants were only concerned with lining their own pockets with controlled substances and drug proceeds and had no regard for the destruction left for the communities to clean up.”
According to court documents, Allen and Fontennet unlawfully entered a pharmacy in Casey with intent to steal controlled substances in December 2023 by using a Sawzall to cut through the exterior wall. In January, the pair burglarized a pharmacy in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and took more than 16,000 pills. Fontennet admitted to also burglarizing a pharmacy in Murphysboro, Illinois.
“DEA has seen a surge in burglaries of controlled substances at independent, non-chain pharmacies, which rips at the core of communities across this country” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon, head of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in southern Illinois. “With the sentencing of these two criminals, DEA demonstrates its steadfast commitment to the American public and sends a clear message to those who engage in these types of egregious acts.”
After burglarizing the pharmacies, Allen admitted to conspiring with others to distribute the stolen oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine.
DEA St. Louis led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson prosecuted the case.
Troy Man Charged with Pandemic Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daion Morris, age 32, of Troy, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Lucy Lang, New York State Inspector General (NYSIG), made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that Morris used a stolen identity to create an unemployment insurance claim in September 2020, and continually recertified the claim through March 2021. Morris received over $29,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in the victim’s name. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Upon conviction on all counts, Morris would face at least 2 years and up to 22 years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Morris was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and ordered released pending a trial before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.
HSI, NYSIG, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New York State Department of Labor – Office of Special Investigations investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Three imprisoned for jewelry store and bank armed robberiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three Houston residents were sentenced to prison following their convictions of robbing commercial businesses with guns, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Thaddeaues Malik Williams, 26, Tydreic Deon Sublet, 24, and Andre Palmer-Gilliams, 33, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2023, Sept. 9 and Aug. 12, respectively.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks has now ordered Williams, Sublet and Gilliams to serve 199, 233 and 210 months in federal prison, respectively. All three must also serve three years of supervised release.
On July 1, 2019, Williams, Sublet and Gilliams entered Rice Village Diamonds, where customers and employees were present, dressed in construction attire. They used firearms to steal jewelry from four glass cabinets. Authorities later identified the suspects after recovering a Gatorade bottle they left inside the store.
On Aug. 14, 2019, the trio entered Woodforest National Bank inside Gallery Furniture. Subtle pointed a firearm at customers and disarmed a security officer, while Williams jumped over the counter, ordered tellers to open their drawers and stole cash.
Authorities responded and pursued the suspects as they fled in a vehicle. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed into a ditch near a residential area, at which time they fled on foot. Authorities eventually apprehended them and recovered the security guard’s gun, other firearms and the stolen money.
They will remain in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Jenkins Stotts prosecuted the case.
Three Plead Guilty in Conspiracy Scheme Involving Bribery of Government Contracting OfficerRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Three men pleaded guilty today to their respective roles in a conspiracy to bribe a public official announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Keith Kelly, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office.
Francisco Guerra, 55, of Lexington, Alabama, Coogan Preston, 55, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Jason Ingram, 47, of Rogersville, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liles Burke to conspiracy to bribe a public official. Preston also pleaded guilty to receiving a gratuity as a public official. Sentencing hearings for each of the conspirators have been scheduled for March 18, 2025.
According to the plea agreements, the scheme began in 2016 and continued until 2021. As part of the scheme, Guerra agreed to provide money and other items of value to Preston, a government contracting official working at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. In exchange for these bribes, Preston identified subcontracting opportunities for companies owned and operated by Guerra and convinced the prime contractor to use one of Guerra’s companies as a subcontractor.
“This office is committed to prosecuting individuals who illegally prioritize their personal gain over the fiduciary responsibilities of a federal government official,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Persons who seek to enrich themselves through bribes and illegal payments undermine the public’s trust and the basic concept of fairness.”
“We are very pleased with today’s announcement,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly. “This is a true testament to our continued commitment to work closely and seamlessly with our outstanding fellow law enforcement agencies to help bring those to justice who attempt to defraud the U.S. Government and U.S. Army.”
The Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the United States Department of Defense Office of Inspector General-- Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Peeples is prosecuting the case.
Three Indicted in Medicaid Fraud Conspiracy SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A 13-count indictment charges three defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering of proceeds derived from fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.According to court documents, between March 2018 and July 2024, Shawn Ashley Grygo, 37, of Forest Lake, Minnesota, Shantel Rene Magadanz, 34, of Stacy, Minnesota, and Heather Lynn Heim, 46, of St. Paul, Minnesota, devised and carried out a health care fraud scheme to systematically overbill for drug and alcohol treatment services. The defendants used an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment center called Evergreen Recovery, Inc. to defraud Medicaid and other health care programs by billing for treatment that was not provided, services that were not eligible for reimbursement, and billing for treatment services clients were required to attend as a mandatory condition of remaining in free housing provided as a kickback.
According to court documents, in order to maximize the amount of fraudulent Medicaid claims, the defendants used free housing in Evergreen-controlled “sober” homes as a kickback to induce clients to enroll and remain in Evergreen Recovery treatment so that the defendants could use those clients’ names and identifying information to overbill Medicaid. In order to induce Medicaid-eligible patients to enroll in the program, the defendants recruited people from homeless shelters and encampments, residential drug treatment programs, and county probation offices looking for places to put people being released from jail. As part of their conspiracy scheme, the defendants told clients at intake – and repeatedly throughout their stay – that their entitlement to free housing was contingent on their attendance at least five group counseling sessions per week and a weekly individual session with their primary counselor. If a client’s attendance fell short of the requirement, the defendants and others threatened clients with being locked out of free housing and having their belongings put on the curb, all in order to compel utilization of services.
According to court documents, the conspiracy scheme also involved fraudulent practices designed to facilitate overbilling for group counseling, one-on-one counseling, and treatment coordination services.
As part of their scheme, the defendants created and caused to be created electronic health record chart entries weeks or months after the purported date of services. On at least one occasion, the defendants and others stayed at the office all night before a visit by licensing regulators in order to create hundreds of untimely chart entries. The defendants also hired Peer Coaches and directed them to log their time and activities in a manner that misrepresented the circumstances under which they were interacting with clients in order to facilitate systematic overbilling.
Grygo, Magadanz, and Heim are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. Grygo is also being charged with three counts of money laundering. Grygo is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday, December 23, 2024. Magadanz and Heim made their initial appearances on December 19, 2024, and were released on conditions, including a condition prohibiting contact with former clients and employees of Evergreen Recovery and its related entities.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) at the Attorney General’s office for their assistance in this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Rosharon, Texas, has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months of imprisonment on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Daniel Saucedo, 34.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about July 28, 2023, Saucedo attempted to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Conti stated that Saucedo’s conduct was particularly serious because Saucedo traveled to Pittsburgh specifically to receive a kilogram of cocaine through the U.S. mail and then distribute it to a local drug dealer. Judge Conti emphasized the pervasive harms that drug trafficking and drug abuse have within communities.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Saucedo.
Tennessee Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking in Bowling Green, KentuckyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Following a two-day trial, a federal jury in the Western District of Kentucky convicted Portier Q. Govan, 38, of Memphis, Tennessee, of all counts in a five-count indictment, including sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, obstruction or interference with a sex trafficking prosecution or investigation, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Govan’s co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and obstruction or interference with a sex trafficking prosecution or investigation.
“This defendant used extreme threats of violence to compel an 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to her head to terrify, control and coerce her for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant sought to cover up his crime by repeatedly intimidating a witness to lie for him. A unanimous jury has found the defendant guilty of his heinous conduct, and our prosecution should make clear that we will not tolerate sex trafficking in our country. The Justice Department will use all the tools at our disposal to hold human traffickers accountable, to seek justice for survivors, and to protect survivors from harm.”
“I commend the prosecution team, FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Bowling Green Police Department for their outstanding work on this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “We are committed to the aggressive investigation and prosecution of human trafficking wherever it occurs in the Western District. I strongly encourage the public to report any suspected human trafficking to law enforcement.”
“This defendant preyed on a vulnerable young woman, threatening her with physical violence and even death if she didn’t comply with his demands,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “The woman was forced to engage in commercial sex while the defendant profited from her suffering. Tragically, this is a reality that unfolds far too often in our communities. The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to identify perpetrators, hold them accountable and put an end to the devastating crime of sex trafficking.”
Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and Howard met the victim at a gas station in Bowling Green and convinced her to come back to their hotel room where they recruited and enticed her to engage in commercial sex by making false promises of making good money. Govan continued his enticement attempts by taking the victim on a shopping trip to two shopping malls in Tennessee, and when they returned to Bowling Green later that night, Govan and Howard convinced the victim to participate with Howard in seeing a commercial sex customer. From that moment on, Govan’s attitude toward the victim changed, as he became demanding, intimidating and threatening. Govan ordered the victim to make eye contact with him while speaking, and even threatened to kill the victim, pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, then lowering the gun and firing a bullet across her lap, missing her body by inches. Govan further scared the victim by showing her a video of himself beating a defenseless man tied to a chair. Govan sexually assaulted the victim, and for four days compelled her to engage in commercial sex for his profit by threatening to hurt her. Upon being discovered by the police, Govan attempted to interfere with the investigation by having Howard lie for him and prevent the police from speaking to the victim, and after his arrest, he sought to obstruct the prosecution by passing letters to Howard in the jail instructing her to lie.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2025. Govan faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Howard will face a sentencing hearing on March 9, 2025.
The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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Tennessee Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking in Bowling Green, KentuckyRead the Press Release
Following a two-day trial, a federal jury in the Western District of Kentucky convicted Portier Q. Govan, 38, of Memphis, Tennessee, of all counts in a five-count indictment, including sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, obstruction or interference with a sex trafficking prosecution or investigation, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Govan’s co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and obstruction or interference with a sex trafficking prosecution or investigation.
“This defendant used extreme threats of violence to compel an 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to her head to terrify, control and coerce her for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant sought to cover up his crime by repeatedly intimidating a witness to lie for him. A unanimous jury has found the defendant guilty of his heinous conduct, and our prosecution should make clear that we will not tolerate sex trafficking in our country. The Justice Department will use all the tools at our disposal to hold human traffickers accountable, to seek justice for survivors, and to protect survivors from harm.”
“I commend the prosecution team, FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Bowling Green Police Department for their outstanding work on this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “We are committed to the aggressive investigation and prosecution of human trafficking wherever it occurs in the Western District. I strongly encourage the public to report any suspected human trafficking to law enforcement.”
“This defendant preyed on a vulnerable young woman, threatening her with physical violence and even death if she didn’t comply with his demands,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The woman was forced to engage in commercial sex while the defendant profited from her suffering. Tragically, this is a reality that unfolds far too often in our communities. The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to identify perpetrators, hold them accountable and put an end to the devastating crime of sex trafficking.”
Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and Howard met the victim at a gas station in Bowling Green and convinced her to come back to their hotel room where they recruited and enticed her to engage in commercial sex by making false promises of making good money. Govan continued his enticement attempts by taking the victim on a shopping trip to two shopping malls in Tennessee, and when they returned to Bowling Green later that night, Govan and Howard convinced the victim to participate with Howard in seeing a commercial sex customer. From that moment on, Govan’s attitude toward the victim changed, as he became demanding, intimidating and threatening. Govan ordered the victim to make eye contact with him while speaking, and even threatened to kill the victim, pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, then lowering the gun and firing a bullet across her lap, missing her body by inches. Govan further scared the victim by showing her a video of himself beating a defenseless man tied to a chair. Govan sexually assaulted the victim, and for four days compelled her to engage in commercial sex for his profit by threatening to hurt her. Upon being discovered by the police, Govan attempted to interfere with the investigation by having Howard lie for him and prevent the police from speaking to the victim, and after his arrest, he sought to obstruct the prosecution by passing letters to Howard in the jail instructing her to lie.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2025, and Howard will face a sentencing hearing on March 9, 2025. Govan faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clint Rogers Chuculate, a/k/a Clint Robert Chuculate, age 40, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment of one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The Indictment alleged that on September 19, 2024, Chuculate knowingly and intentionally possessed methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, which he intended to distribute.
The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Chuculate will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael E. Robinson and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Steven’s County Man Charged with First-Degree Murder for the Death of a Mother and Daughter 27 Years AgoRead the Press Release
Stevens County, Washington – The Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney, Erika George, and U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref, announced today charges against Charles Lloyd Tatom with first degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Marlene Emerson and her 12-year-old daughter, Cassie Emerson. The murders occurred in summer 1997 and involved a decades-long investigation by both state and federal law enforcement. Recent developments in the investigation include new DNA tests that were completed over the summer of 2024. Tatom, who is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, is charged by way of information in Stevens County Superior Court. Tatom is scheduled to make his first appearance Friday at 11:00am.
According to court documents, early in the morning of June 27, 1997, firefighters responded to a mobile home fire in Colville, Washington. By the time crews arrived just after 4:00 am, the roof of the tailer had collapsed, and flames were shooting up to 15 feet above the roofline. After firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, firefighters found the remains of Marlene Emerson inside the home. The doctor that conducted an autopsy on Emerson’s remains concluded the manner of death was homicide. Later examination of Emerson’s remains revealed evidence of knife cuts on her neck. Fire investigators from Stevens County at the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the fire found evidence that gasoline had been poured on the floor before it was ignited.
Emerson’s daughter, Cassie, was missing and was presumed to have been abducted. A month later, twelve-year old Cassie’s body was recovered in a wooded area above Orin Rice Road. Forensic examination of Cassie’s remains found evidence of knife marks on her neck.
During the decades-long investigation, law enforcement interviewed numerous people who were living in the trailer park at the time of the murder or who were associated in some manner with Emerson. Residents of the trailer park reported hearing a boom just before 4:00 am, followed by the sound of a loud vehicle leaving the area. Shortly after the fire, investigators focused on a Chevy Blazer that allegedly was being driven by Charles Tatom at the time of the fire. The Blazer had a modified exhaust system that amplified the sound of its engine.
During a forensic examination of the Chevy Blazer, investigators found a red stain on the interior of the rear passenger window. The stain tested positive for the presence of blood. DNA was recovered from the sample that was consistent with originating from Cassie. Investigators recovered other DNA samples that pointed to both Cassie and Tatom being in the vehicle. A mixed sample of DNA was also recovered from a cigarette butt found in the Blazer that was consistent with both Tatom and Cassie.
People who were familiar with Marlene Emerson reported to investigators that Emmerson had been associating with people involved in the outlaw motorcycle club community in the Colville area. One witness reported that Tatom hid a blood-stained knife near the home of a former leader in the outlaw motorcycle club community. According to the witness, Tatom later recovered the knife and claimed that the blood was from gutting an animal. A witness also reported that on the evening before the fire Tatom took some cans of gasoline from a shop on the property where he was living. This same witness reported that when Tatom returned the next morning, his hair appeared singed, and he had a burn on his ankle. Another witness reported that he disposed of the seat covers from the Blazer the morning after the fire.
The First-Degree Aggravated murder charges against Tatom carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“I am grateful for the law enforcement agents and officers, who have dedicated more than two decades of their careers to identifying those responsible for Marlene and Cassie’s murders,” stated Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney, Erika George. “The Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding violent offenders accountable and seeking justice on behalf of victims and their families.”
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “One of my top priorities as U.S. Attorney has been to strengthen our relationship with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. When we partner together, we are able to do so much more to keep Eastern Washington communities safe and strong.”
The decades-long investigation was conducted by the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, ATF, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney, Erika George. For many years, a parallel federal investigation was carried forward by Assistant United States Attorneys Earl Hicks and Timothy Ohms. In recent months, Timothy Ohms also assisted as a Special Stevens County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney.
A probable cause statement can be found at the link below:
emerson_-_filed_information_pc_stmt.pdfAn information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Charles County Man Sentenced for Multiple Vehicle-Related FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man to 33 months in prison for selling the same vehicle multiple times online and defrauding other vehicle owners and a welding company.
Ronald Johnson, 57, of St. Peters, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of wire fraud and admitted owning a car restoration business known as Full Out Customs LLC. He used social media, including Facebook, to advertise vehicles for sale and vehicle repair services.
In 2022, Johnson tricked a victim from Pennsylvania into paying $41,750 for a 2002 Ford Excursion that he’d already sold to a victim in South Dakota for $45,000. He gave the title to the South Dakota buyer and the SUV to the Pennsylvania buyer, meaning the Pennsylvania victim could not lawfully register the vehicle.
Between Nov. 18, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, Johnson took $149,843 from another victim by falsely claiming he would use the money for vehicle repairs and parts.
Between September and December of 2021, Johnson ordered $47,088 in welding equipment with no intention of paying for it. He wrote a check from a closed bank account to pay for the equipment. The victim company was able to recover some of the equipment.
Johnson admitted falsifying car titles, emails and other documents to misrepresent the true status of repair work and the ownership of vehicles.
Judge Fleissig determined that Johnson intended to cause financial losses of $315,142. He was ordered Thursday to repay victims.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court to drug and gun offenses.
JoPaul McKreith, 46, pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; aiding and abetting and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; aiding and abetting; felon in possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; and unlawful possession of a machinegun. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2025. McKreith was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 16, 2024.
McKreith possessed with the intent to distribute drugs between March 15 and May 2, 2024. McKreith also possessed a machine gun and ammunition on May 2, 2024, after previously being convicted of a felony.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of an interstate firearm and ammunition by a felon provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony provides for a sentence of at least five years up to life which must be consecutive to any sentence imposed on any other count, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Spencer Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Possessing Kilograms of Counterfeit Adderall Pills Intended for DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Spencer man was sentenced today for possessing over 5.2 kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine.
Jabriel Nabulsi, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In June 2024, Nabulsi pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
After being identified as a distributor of significant quantities of counterfeit Adderall pills, law enforcement approached Nabulsi’s vehicle as he drove toward his residence in Spencer on Dec. 27, 2023. Upon noticing law enforcement, Nabulsi exited his vehicle in a neighbor’s driveway and, with a blue bag in his hand, attempted to flee on foot. Nabulsi tossed the blue bag in the driveway and was immediately apprehended.
Approximately 19 individual vacuum-sealed clear plastic bags containing orange pills marked “AD/30” – with a total combined weight of approximately 5.25 kilograms – were found inside the blue bag. The substances contained in each of the plastic bags field-tested positive for methamphetamine. In addition, a single vacuum-sealed clear plastic bag containing approximately 300 grams of a white substance that field-tested positive for the presence of cocaine was also found in the blue bag. Smaller quantities of substances that field-tested positive for the presence of cocaine were recovered from Nabulsi’s vehicle.United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Worcester Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Southern California Political Operative Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging He Acted as Illegal Agent of People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – FBI agents this morning arrested a Chino Hills man on federal charges that allege he acted as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including while serving as the campaign manager for a political candidate who was elected in 2022 to the city council of a Southern California city.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, was arrested without incident and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
A criminal complaint filed Tuesday and unsealed this morning charges Sun with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power. Sun is also charged with conspiring with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to federal prison last month for acting as an illegal agent of the PRC government and plotting to target U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China.
According to the complaint, Sun served as the campaign manager and close personal confidante for a Southern California politician (described in the affidavit as “Individual 1”) who was running for local elected office in 2022. During the campaign, Sun allegedly communicated with Chen regarding his efforts to get Individual 1 elected. Chen discussed with Chinese government officials how the PRC could “influence” local politicians in the United States, particularly on the issue of Taiwan, according to the complaint. In November 2022, shortly after Individual 1 was elected to office, Chen instructed Sun to prepare a report on the election that was sent to Chinese government officials, who responded positively and expressed thanks, according to the complaint affidavit. Chen also sent a message to Individual 1 stating that Individual 1 was “doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud,” the affidavit states.
“The conduct alleged in this complaint is deeply concerning – the defendant is charged with acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to influence our political system,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We cannot permit hostile foreign powers to meddle in the governance of our country. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize the security of our nation and the preservation of the liberties that make this country the envy of the world.”
“This case highlights the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to identify PRC intelligence operations, disrupt PRC information laundering networks, and bring to justice those who seek to engage in criminal conspiracies to undermine the integrity of our elected officials.”
About a month after Individual 1’s election, Chen arranged a lunch at a Rowland Heights restaurant with Sun and others, a gathering that Chen described to a PRC official as a “core member lunch,” the affidavit alleges. Chen subsequently described the lunch as “successful” as participants agreed to establish a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association.” While Individual 1 did not attend the meeting, Chen described Individual 1 as being part of the association and Sun serving as vice president. “This is the basic team dedicated for us,” Chen wrote to the Chinese government official.
Chen instructed Sun in early 2023 to write up another report for Chinese officials describing “you and me cultivating and assisting [Individual 1’s] success,” according to the affidavit. In a February 2023 draft of Sun’s report, Sun described his personal background, his history of working against “Chinese secessionist forces,” and boasted that, “most proudly of all, during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, I orchestrated and organized my team to win the election for city council member candidate [Individual 1].” In subsequent communications outlined in the affidavit, Chen instructed Sun to include a section on Individual 1, who was to be described as a “New Political Star” with connections to other prominent politicians. The affidavit also states that Chen and Sun discussed their “past struggle fighting Taiwanese independence forces . . . over the years and fighting ‘FLG’ [Falun Gong] influences” in a California city.
In February 2023, Sun and Chen drafted a second report to PRC officials that requested an $80,000 budget to fund additional pro-PRC activities and to combat “anti-China forces” in the United States.
After Chen and Sun discussed a planned trip to the PRC to meet with “leadership,” and after Chen directed Sun to schedule a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, Sun and Individual 1 traveled to China in late August 2023.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The charge of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The charge of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years.
This FBI is conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney David Ryan, Chief of the National Security Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
South Lake Tahoe Man Indicted on 12 Counts of Wire Fraud in Cryptocurrency Trading ScamRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Daniel Chartraw, 51, formerly of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with wire fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Chartraw was responsible for defrauding multiple victims in a cryptocurrency investment scheme. Chartraw claimed that his companies, Crypto-Pal LLC and TDA Global, were developing and possessed a proprietary algorithm that was capable of generating exceptional returns on cryptocurrency investments. However, instead of investing money from his victims as he promised, Chartraw used the money to fund his personal lifestyle and travel.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Chartraw faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Slidell Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 18, 2024, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL SOMMERS (“SOMMERS”), age 42, of Slidell, La., was sentenced for Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced SOMMERS to ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by a fifteen (15) year term of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The defendant’s sentence was subject to a sentencing enhancement of a ten-year mandatory minimum because of a conviction on December 13, 2011, in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, for Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).
According to court documents, the case against SOMMERS developed from an undercover online investigation by the Apache Junction Police Department in Arizona into those individuals who were sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”). As a result, on April 3, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents, along with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, executed a federal search warrant at SOMMERS’s residence in Slidell. During the execution of the search warrant, SOMMERS was found in possession of a Samsung 256 gigabyte USB thumb drive containing 950 images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the St Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office; The Apache Junction Police Department; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Seven-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven YearsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan has sentenced Anthony Tyrone Mackey (41, Jacksonville) to seven years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. A federal jury found Mackey guilty on August 27, 2024.
According to court documents and trial testimony, on March 29, 2023, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stopped Mackey for a traffic infraction when he was driving on the wrong side of the road. At the time, Mackey was the sole occupant of the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located cocaine and methamphetamine in the front passenger seat, a 12-gauge shotgun on the back passenger-side floorboard, and a .25 caliber pistol in a backpack sitting on the back passenger seat.
DNA analysis later showed that Mackey’s DNA was found on the shotgun and the shotgun’s magazine. Mackey was previously convicted of seven felonies, including possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault, and aggravated fleeing or attempted to elude a law enforcement officer. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Cannizzaro and Brenna Falzetta.
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.
San Diego Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Bribing an IRS Officer to Wipe Away Tax DebtRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Business owner Wahead Raz pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he paid an Internal Revenue Service officer $35,000 to wipe away his half million-dollar tax debt.
On July 23, 2024, Raz offered the bribe to an IRS revenue officer during a meeting at the San Diego IRS office to discuss his outstanding tax debt of approximately $500,000. After the meeting, the IRS officer immediately reported the bribe to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and agreed to be part of an undercover operation to record Raz’s crime.
“Attempting to bribe an IRS officer is not just a terrible idea—it’s a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Not surprisingly, the integrity of the IRS held firm, ensuring this defendant will be accountable for both his unpaid taxes and attempting to undermine the system.”
“Today’s actions send a clear message: Individuals who attempt to bribe IRS officials will be prosecuted for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Rod Ammari. “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is committed to protecting the integrity and mission of the IRS. We are grateful for the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office that ensured this individual was held accountable for trying to undermine federal tax administration.”
On July 24, 2024, TIGTA conducted a video recorded meeting between the IRS officer and Raz at the IRS office in San Diego. During the meeting, Raz told the IRS officer that he could pay in cash so the bribe would not be traceable.
On July 25, 2024, the IRS officer conducted a recorded telephone call to Raz. During the call, Raz told the IRS officer: “If you save me money, then I’ll take care of you,” and asked the IRS officer to name a price. When the officer asked for $30,000 in exchange for wiping out Raz’s personal tax debt, Raz countered with $20,000. After the IRS officer insisted on $30,000, Raz agreed, offering to pay $10,000 up front and the remaining $20,000 when Raz’s tax debt was cleared.
On July 30, 2024, TIGTA conducted a video and audio recorded meeting between the IRS officer and Raz at a coffee shop in San Diego. During the meeting, Raz provided the previously agreed upon $10,000 cash payment to the IRS officer. Raz also asked the IRS officer to eliminate the approximately $50,000 tax debt owed by Raz’s business and offered to pay the officer an additional $5,000 to have the debt cancelled.
On August 22, 2024, TIGTA conducted a video and audio recorded meeting between the IRS officer and Raz at the same coffee shop in San Diego. During the meeting, Raz gave the officer $15,000 in cash and told the officer he did not have the entire $25,000 as originally agreed upon. Raz promised to provide the remaining $10,000 by the following Wednesday. During the meeting, the officer told Raz that he was taking a big risk by accepting the bribe. Raz stated that he understood the risk taken by the IRS officer and that the officer could go to jail for it.
On August 29, 2024, TIGTA conducted a video and audio recorded meeting between the IRS officer and Raz in San Diego. During that meeting, Raz paid $10,000 in cash to complete the $35,000 bribe payment. Raz asked for assurance that the IRS officer would clear all the taxes owed by Raz and his business.
During two of the recorded meetings, Raz voluntarily offered to introduce to the IRS officer other “clients” who also owed taxes to the IRS. Raz later indicated that one of those potential “clients” thought it was dangerous for Raz to do this and did not believe it would work out. Raz told the IRS officer that he would introduce the agent to the potential “client” once Raz’s tax debt was cleared.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Conover.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-CR-2647- JAH
Wahead Raz Age: 40 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Bribery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201(b)(1)(A) and (C)
Maximum Penalties: Fifteen years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Romanian National Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Connection with NetWalker Ransomware Attacks Resulting in the Payment of Millions of Dollars in RansomsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - A Romanian man was sentenced today for his role in the NetWalker ransomware attacks to 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $21,500,000 and his interests in an Indonesian limited liability company and associated luxury resort property under construction in Bali, Indonesia — a business venture he financed with proceeds from the attacks. He was also ordered to pay $14,991,580.01 in restitution.
Daniel Christian Hulea, 30, of Jucu de Mijloc, Cluj, Romania, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy on June 20. According to court documents, Hulea admitted to participating in a conspiracy to use a sophisticated form of ransomware known as NetWalker. NetWalker ransomware has been used to target hundreds of victims all over the world, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. NetWalker attacks specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims. As part of his plea agreement, Hulea admitted to using NetWalker to obtain approximately 1,595 bitcoin in ransom payments for himself and a co-conspirator, valued at approximately $21,500,000 at the time of the payments.
Romanian law enforcement officers arrested Hulea in Cluj, on July 11, 2023, pursuant to a request submitted by U.S. authorities. Hulea was subsequently extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and Romania.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Hulea’s arrest and extradition. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Hulea from Romania to the United States.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Suzanne Nebesky for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Romanian National Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Connection with NetWalker Ransomware Attacks Resulting in the Payment of Millions of Dollars in RansomsRead the Press Release
A Romanian man was sentenced today for his role in the NetWalker ransomware attacks to 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $21,500,000 and his interests in an Indonesian limited liability company and associated luxury resort property under construction in Bali, Indonesia — a business venture he financed with proceeds from the attacks. He was also ordered to pay $14,991,580.01 in restitution.
Daniel Christian Hulea, 30, of Jucu de Mijloc, Cluj, Romania, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy on June 20. According to court documents, Hulea admitted to participating in a conspiracy to use a sophisticated form of ransomware known as NetWalker. NetWalker ransomware has been used to target hundreds of victims all over the world, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. NetWalker attacks specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims. As part of his plea agreement, Hulea admitted to using NetWalker to obtain approximately 1,595 bitcoin in ransom payments for himself and a co-conspirator, valued at approximately $21,500,000 at the time of the payments.
Romanian law enforcement officers arrested Hulea in Cluj, on July 11, 2023, pursuant to a request submitted by U.S. authorities. Hulea was subsequently extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and Romania.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Hulea’s arrest and extradition. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Hulea from Romania to the United States.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Suzanne Nebesky for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced for the Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Used in a Fatal IncidentRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Rhode Island man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for the unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Garrito “Tony” Fort, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 60 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On October 16, 2023, Fort pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“As a convicted felon, the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Despite that, he brought a loaded firearm to a fistfight, that he initiated,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “He had multiple opportunities to walk away. Instead, the defendant chose to escalate the encounter, resulting in the defendant shooting and killing a man, and severely wounding another. While no outcome could ever truly bring closure to the victims’ families, I hope that today’s sentence begins the healing process.”
“The defendant escalated a trivial argument over minor damage to a car by bringing a gun to the confrontation,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge ATF Boston Field Division “As a result of his reckless decisions, a father lost his life, and another man was seriously injured. This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can result when firearms are introduced into avoidable conflicts.”
On the evening of October 31, 2021, Fort thought he saw Christopher Colleti scratch his vehicle, a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The following morning, Fort grabbed a firearm to confront Coletti, who Fort had never spoken to or interacted with before. Coletti denied hitting Fort’s car, but Fort continued to accuse Coletti and an argument ensued. During the confrontation two bystanders separated Fort and Coletti, and Coletti walked away. However, Fort went after Coletti again and continued to accuse Coletti of hitting his car. Eventually, another man, Richard Janvrin Jr., saw Fort holding the gun and punched Fort to disarm him. Fort fired two shots, seriously wounding Janvrin Jr. and killing Coletti.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Seabrook Police Department, and New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Charles L. Rombeau prosecuted the case.
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Raleigh Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison in Connection with March 2023 ShootingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon that he used to shoot a person on March 21, 2023. On September 4, 2024, Robert Terrance Green, III pled guilty to the charges.
“Robert Terrance Green III is a dangerous felon who has demonstrated a reckless disregard for the lives and property of others. I am grateful that justice has been served to prevent him from further harming our community. The residents of Raleigh can sleep peacefully knowing that the Raleigh Police Department and our federal partners are committed to ridding our community of violent actors, such as Mr. Green. The sentencing of Green, III highlights our strong collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Raleigh Police Department takes pride in working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who threaten our community,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.
According to the indictment and information presented to the court, Robert Terrance Green, III, 43, possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon when he shot another man at an apartment complex in Raleigh on March 21, 2023. The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) quickly responded to the scene of shooting, where officers spoke with multiple witnesses. RPD learned that Green drove his vehicle through the entrance of the apartment complex and confronted the victim in a verbal altercation. Green shot numerous rounds of ammunition at the victim and struck the victim two times in the left leg. After shooting the victim, Green fled the scene. The victim was transported to WakeMed Hospital. On March 27, 2023, RPD officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle drive Green. A search of the vehicle produced the firearm used in the shooting at the apartment complex at the time of his arrest. Following his arrest, Green admitted to shooting the victim.
Green has previously been convicted of felony offenses, including assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon or instrument, unlawful possession of a handgun, and threats of violence.
This conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaren E. Kelly prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-78-BO.
Postal Service Supervisor Arrested on Complaint Alleging Theft of $281,000 in Checks from Mail then Deposited into Her Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A United States Postal Service supervisor was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint alleging she stole more than 20 checks from the U.S. mail and deposited them into her accounts at multiple different banks.
Joivian Tjuana Hayes, 36, of Compton, who is a supervisor at the Costa Mesa Post Office, is expected to make her initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. A criminal complaint filed Wednesday charges Hayes with one count of bank fraud.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, since July 2024, Hayes deposited more than 20 checks that had been stolen from the mail at the Costa Mesa Post Office into her bank accounts at various banks. Hayes allegedly deposited those checks, which had forged signatures of the payees, including one check for more than $114,000. ATM surveillance video shows Hayes making deposits of multiple stolen checks with forged signatures at ATMs in Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, and Compton.
Hayes’s scheme allegedly involved more than $281,000 in stolen checks that she deposited into her bank accounts. According to the affidavit, Hayes is also suspected of stealing tens of thousands of dollars in currency and gold coins from mail that had been processed through the Costa Mesa Post Office.
Federal agents executed search warrants this morning at Hayes’s residence in Compton and of her 2023 BMW vehicle.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of the bank fraud offense alleged in the complaint, Hayes would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Orange County Office is prosecuting the case.