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11 February 2025
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bycari Jamel Chatman, age 38, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for one count of illegally possessing a firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 9, 2024, Chatman pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on December 16, 2023, Chatman knowingly possessed a 9mm Luger caliber, semi-automatic pistol and 9mm Luger caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Chatman will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis Reagan represented the United States.
Multiple defendants indicted on federal gun chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include charges alleging felons illegally possessed firearms, while other defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“Getting guns out of the hands of those who can’t legally possess them is a vital part of the effort to reduce violent crime,” said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We applaud our law enforcement partners for their diligent work in keeping our communities safe.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted in February include:
- Taron Charleston, 20, of Dublin, Georgia, charged with Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun;
- Shanan Lee Grover, 35, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Timothy Lee Cheeks, 37, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Charles Harmon Porter, 54, of Savannah, charged with Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
Also previously indicted are:
- Stephen Joseph Sala, 33, of Augusta, charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm (referring to a short-barreled rifle); and,
- Jahmz Ransom, 24, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Nathan Sparks, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 130 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Sparks’ waistband during a traffic stop.
- Darnell Harold Miller, 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police in January 2024 found Miller in possession of a pistol while investigating a domestic disturbance.
- Barry Christopher Carpenter, 44, of Gainesville, Ga., was sentenced to 84 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Carpenter was arrested on state charges in Columbia County during a burglary investigation and found to be in possession of two firearms.
- Corinthian Lamar Colonel, 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Officers from the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found two firearms in Colonel’s residence during a September 2023 search.
- Maleak J. Parrish, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police fund a pistol in Parrish’s possession during a traffic stop.
- Eddie Robertson, 30, of Savannah, was sentenced to 52 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found Robertson in possession of a handgun after a December 2023 traffic stop and foot chase.
- Anthony Orlando Jones, 34, of Augusta, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies and the U.S. Marshals found Jones in possession of a semiautomatic pistol in November 2023 while serving him with an arrest warrant on a state felony charge.
- Pedro Walker, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating a reported disturbance found Walker had been in possession of a pistol.
- Willie Dunbar, 45, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Machine Gun. During a January traffic stop, Wheeler County deputies found Dunbar in possession of a Polymer80 “ghost gun” fitted with a device converting it to automatic fire.
- Deleon Alexander Jackson, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies found Jackson in possession of a rifle while investigating a reported disturbance at an Augusta store.
- Stanley Hall, 22, of Savannah, was sentenced to 71 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found Hall in possession of a handgun while investigating a reported attempted vehicle break-in.
- Lemar Neil Robinson, 36, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia state troopers and Savannah police found Robinson in possession of a pistol after a vehicle chase and traffic stop.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Montebello Man Receives 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in Fatal Overdose at Long Beach Drug Rehab ClinicRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Montebello man was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl to a buyer who then distributed it to a victim who the next day suffered a fatal overdose of the powerful synthetic opioid at a Long Beach drug treatment facility in late 2021.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 34, a.k.a. “Johnny G,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr.
A federal jury in July 2024 found Gutierrez guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury. Gutierrez has been in federal custody since May 2023.
“The distribution of fentanyl is causing incredible devastation to families and communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that those who peddle these lethal drugs and fuel this crisis will be held accountable for the destruction they cause.”
“This case underscores the callous and insatiable greed that fuels drug distributors,” said Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Los Angeles Field Division. “They are indifferent to the stories, vulnerabilities, and the struggles of those tunneling through addiction and recovery. DEA is working in lockstep with our federal and local partners to bring to justice fentanyl distributors, who engage in dangerous and deadly activity.”
The evidence presented at an eight-day trial showed that, on December 9, 2021, Gutierrez distributed fentanyl to co-defendant Jayleen Feusier, 37, of South Gate. Previously that night, Feusier agreed to get fentanyl for the victim, a 34-year-old man who was residing at a Long Beach drug treatment facility. In exchange for $60, Feusier agreed to get the fentanyl for the victim from Gutierrez, her longtime fentanyl dealer.
Later that night, Feusier broke off approximately one gram of the fentanyl that Gutierrez provided her, packaged it in a small plastic bag, and placed the bag, a lighter, and drug paraphernalia into a small box. She then placed the small box into another bag with a black t-shirt to mask the contents, ordered an Uber delivery service to Gutierrez’s home, and placed the item on the backseat of the vehicle to be delivered to the victim at the rehabilitation facility. Feusier then sent a link to the victim so he could track the Uber as it traveled to him.
At around 11 p.m. that night, the victim jumped a fence and retrieved the package from the Uber vehicle, then went back inside the drug treatment facility. Approximately six hours later, the victim’s body was discovered inside the facility’s living room. Drug paraphernalia sent by Feusier was discovered nearby the victim.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the victim’s death was caused by a fentanyl overdose.
Feusier, who has been in federal custody since February 2024, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced in August 2024 to 100 months in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy K. Beecher of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section and Danbee C. Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for $3 Million Pandemic Fraud, Witness Tampering, Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a Farmington, Missouri business owner who committed bank fraud, Clean Air Act violations and witness tampering to 108 months in prison.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Christopher Lee Carroll, 55, to pay restitution of $3 million.
Carroll was convicted by a jury in August of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 13 violations of the Clean Air Act and two counts of threatening a witness.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, were owners of a time share exit company called Square One Group LLC. In April of 2020, they submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The loan application falsely stated that the spouses of Reed and Carroll owned the company in order to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. Carroll also used his wife’s name to avoid any potential liability for the fraud, a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors says.
The PPP loan was supposed to help save businesses and jobs, but Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work or keep paying for health insurance for 17 of those employees. Instead, he used it to start a trucking company, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses.
Reed and Carroll later sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million, taking a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company after the loan was approved, the evidence showed.
The Clean Air Act violations relate to emissions control equipment designed to reduce pollutants. Carroll had that equipment taken off Whiskey Dix’s fleet of diesel trucks. Carroll asked one employee to “take the fall” for his crimes and told another that he would stop paying for the employee’s lawyer if he talked to federal agents, evidence and testimony showed. Carroll did stop paying for the lawyer.
Carroll is a “consummate fraudster,” the government sentencing memo says, who ran a company that preyed on elderly victims before committing the pandemic loan fraud and other crimes. Carroll is also “a dangerous, violent person,” the memo says, citing prior convictions including felonious restraint and forcible sodomy and evidence of Carroll’s participation in a murder-for-hire scheme.
“This prosecution reinforces our office’s priority of going after the worst pandemic fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “People like Christopher Carroll took advantage of a once-in-a-generation crisis to enrich themselves at the expense of struggling Americans. This office will continue to make sure that defendants like Carroll are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This latest conviction is the tip of the iceberg for this career criminal,” said FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson. “In addition to defrauding the taxpayer-funded loan program in this latest case, Chris Carroll bailed on customers to line his own pockets with the millions of dollars they paid him to help exit timeshares. Furthermore, Carroll’s violent criminal history includes being a convicted sex offender for forcible sodomy.”
Whiskey Dix was also found guilty of 16 Clean Air Act violations. Judge Pitlyk sentenced the company to three years of probation.
Reed, now 70, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and admitted fraudulently applying for, obtaining and using the two PPP loans. Reed admitted as part of his guilty plea that the company failed to pay a “significant number” of employees, despite the PPP loans, and that Carroll terminated the health insurance benefits of at least 17 employees. Reed was sentenced last month to time served and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.
The FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that John B. Stancil, 37, of Waimanalo, was sentenced today in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 240 months of imprisonment (the statutory maximum) followed by 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy. Stancil pled guilty on January 22, 2024, in the middle of jury selection, to conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through racketeering activity that included participating in the commission of murder-for-hire and acts relating to chemical weapons.
In his plea agreement, Stancil admitted that he and other members of the Miske Enterprise participated in chemical weapon attacks on two Honolulu nightclubs in March 2017, carried out on the orders of codefendant Michael J. Miske. Stancil provided the toxic chemical used in the attacks – a substance called chloropicrin, which can cause death, temporary incapacitation, or permanent harm to humans. Stancil also admitted to joining a murder-for-hire conspiracy with Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Stancil then provided details of where the victim lived to another co-conspirator who agreed to carry out the murder until Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Stancil also admitted he served as the getaway driver for multiple assaults ordered by Miske and on behalf of the Miske Enterprise. According to other information provided to the Court, Stancil also coordinated and participated in numerous robberies on behalf of the Miske Enterprise.
Stancil was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024. Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.
“You cannot run from the facts,” Judge Watson advised Stancil during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Stancil responsible. Judge Watson found Stancil to be “among the most culpable” of those in the Miske Enterprise, describing him as one of Michael Miske’s “key confidantes and lieutenants” and a “key player in terrorizing the citizenry of this city and county for years.” Judge Watson further noted that Stancil deserved an even higher prison sentence that the Court was not permitted to impose by statute.
“Today’s sentence represents the culmination of years of tireless, dogged, skilled, and innovative work on the part of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our outstanding law enforcement partners, the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The court was deprived of the opportunity to sentence Michael Miske due to his untimely death following his guilty verdicts at trial for racketeering and other crimes. But today’s sentence, along with the 18 convictions we have secured against Miske’s henchmen and violent thugs, demonstrates our strong commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and convicting those who violate the law and endanger the safety and welfare of Hawaii’s citizens. Let today’s sentence and the convictions in these cases serve as a stark reminder to those who operate criminal enterprises in Hawaii that we have the tools, expertise, and resolve to bring them to justice.”
“Mr. Stancil was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of racketeering activity involving murder-forhire, robbery, and use of chemical weapons,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”
“Mr. Stancil’s racketeering charge reminds us that organized crime threatens innocent lives for money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Our agency follows the money so we can cut off organized crime at its roots.”
“HSI is committed to ending organized crime in Hawaii. The sentencing of Mr. Stancil underscores the importance of leveraging law enforcement partnerships to safeguard our community,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Our dedication to this cause is unwavering, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminals are held accountable for their actions.”
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligencedriven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
Mingo County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Randall Hinkle, 56, of Delbarton, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography. Hinkle must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2023, Hinkle received multiple images depicting child pornography via Facebook from another user. Hinkle admitted that the child pornography he received on Facebook included images depicting nude prepubescent females with their legs spread to display their genitals. Hinkle further admitted that he possessed approximately 24 videos and 46 images depicting child pornography. Hinkle also admitted that he sent an image depicting a nude minor female with her legs spread to expose her genitals via Facebook to another user on September 25, 2023.
Hinkle solicited another individual online to produce and send him images of child pornography depicting minors in that individual’s custody. However, the other individual never sent the requested photos.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-110.
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Mexican national who acted as transporter for smuggling conspiracy sentenced to 15 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A transporter for a northern border human smuggling conspiracy was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jesus Ortiz-Plata, 46, of Independence, Oregon, weas arrested May 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington, with three non-citizens who had been smuggled into the United States from Canada. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said it was “callous” to send people across the border in freight cars. “He was a commercial smuggler. He wasn’t doing this for altruistic purposes, he did it for cold hard cash,” Judge Robart said.
“This defendant was a cog in a conspiracy that transported people into the U.S. from across the northern border in an extremely dangerous smuggling scheme loading people into freight cars on trains traveling from Canada into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These transnational smuggling groups charge thousands of dollars and risk the lives of those trying to reach the U.S. We will continue to investigate these smuggling groups to hold members accountable.”
Since late 2022, as Border Patrol and investigators encountered non-citizens who had illegally attempted to cross the border. As part of the investigation, agents frequently encountered a phone number that was later linked to Ortiz-Plata. After substantial investigation, Ortiz-Plata was identified, and law enforcement obtained court permission to track his location. After months of surveillance and monitoring, on May 23, 2024, Ortiz-Plata traveled from his home in Oregon and was surveilled by agents from Seattle to an apartment in Everett. Ortiz-Plata left the apartment with three men – all non-citizens who entered his vehicle. All four were taken into custody. Two had crossed the border in a freight train car and one claimed he had walked across the border and been picked up on the U.S. side.
On November 20, 2024, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport certain aliens for profit.
In asking for the 15-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that the defendant did not run the smuggling ring, but still played an important role in its success. “Ortiz-Plata admits that he knew the noncitizens he picked up were using freight trains to get into the United States; but nevertheless, he proceeded to participate. Even if he, himself, was not the one directing the noncitizens to jump on, Ortiz-Plata continued to facilitate, and thereby promote, this extremely dangerous smuggling route, multiple times, over the course of at least a year.”
Ortiz-Plata will likely be deported following his prison term.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Security Enforcement Team, U.S. Border Patrol, and Border Patrol Air and Marine Group.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Collins.
Mexican National Who Participated in Timeshare Fraud Scheme is SentencedRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHADIA MELISSA AGUILAR SARMIENTO, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to approximately 13 months of imprisonment, time already served, for conspiring with others to defraud owners of timeshare properties.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aguilar Sarmiento and others participated in an advance fee scheme that targeted owners of timeshare properties at various Mexican resorts, including timeshare owners in the U.S. and Canada. The conspiracy operated as a business in Mexico that used several different company names in its communications with timeshare owners, including Club World Travel, Luxury Destinations, DeRemate, and Smart Travel.
As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy contacted timeshare owners, claimed to be representatives of companies that were interested in purchasing timeshares, and offered to purchase the timeshares from the owners. To create the impression that the purchase offers were legitimate, the conspirators referred the timeshare owners to people they indicated were attorneys, who the conspirators indicated would represent the timeshare owners in the transaction. These purported attorneys were real licensed attorneys, including attorneys who practiced in Connecticut, whose names and identities were used without their knowledge or permission. The conspirators, while impersonating the attorneys, emailed purchase agreements on attorney letterhead to the timeshare owners. The purchase agreements listed the purchase price that the buyers were paying the timeshare owners, stated that the buyer would pay any associated fees, and indicated that any additional fees the timeshare owner needed to pay to sell and transfer the timeshare would be added to the purchase price, so that the owner would recoup those additional fees.
Many timeshare owners signed the purchase agreements believing that the purchase offers were legitimate. After a timeshare owner signed a purchase agreement, a member of the conspiracy would contact the timeshare owner falsely claiming to be a representative of a Mexican government agency or another authority requesting payment of fees, taxes, or other costs before the sale could be completed. Many timeshare owners paid these fees and taxes through international wire transfers to bank accounts in Mexico that were controlled by members of the conspiracy. Once the additional money was paid, the conspirators would often inform the timeshare owner of another fee that needed to be paid. Many timeshare owners then paid those additional fees, and the process repeated until the timeshare owner stopped paying the fees.
Timeshare owners never received any sales proceeds.
From approximately December 2018 until January 2021, when Aguilar Sarmiento was involved in the scheme, more than 50 timeshare owners were victimized and lost a total of approximately $2 million.
As part of her sentence, Aguilar Sarmiento was ordered to pay restitution of $2,065,852.85 to the victim timeshare owners.
Aguilar Sarmiento has been detained since January 12, 2024, when she was arrested in San Diego, California, after entering the U.S. on a visitor visa. On November 19, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Mexican Citizen Indicted for Illegal Re-entry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Juan Antonio Lopez Mauricio, 25, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on January 30, 2025, Mauricio was found in this District after having been removed from the United States four times between 2012 and 2015.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Firearms TheftRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and for stealing those firearms.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Ryan Ansart, 22, to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution. Ansart pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024.
According to court records, in April 2022, Ansart and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms.
On February 4, Damiean Marcial-Alexander, (22, Waterville) was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy and theft.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Monroe Thompson, age 40, from Mason City, was sentenced February 7, 2025, to more than 20 years in federal prison after an August 28, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2023, and August 2023, Thompson was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson purchased methamphetamine from sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, officers located counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl.
Thompson has an extensive criminal history including several convictions for possession of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault – inflicting serious injury in Iowa; Absence from custody in Minnesota; possession of controlled substances and/or selling or manufacturing controlled substances, and possession of firearms in Illinois; as well as Burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Wisconsin.
Thompson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 262 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3014.
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Marysville Man Charged with Assaulting U.S. Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Edgar Castro, 40, of Marysville, was arrested today, charged by complaint with assaulting a federal employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Castro struck a United States Postal Service employee in the head and neck area while the employee was operating his postal delivery truck at a red stop light in Marysville. Castro had pulled alongside the postal vehicle and shouted, “What … are you looking at?”
Castro exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the postal truck. He reached through the open window and struck the employee. In the process of being struck in the head and neck area by Castro, the employee’s badge and lanyard were thrown into the street. When the postal service employee attempted to retrieve his badge from the street, Castro struck the Postal Service employee in the face causing a fractured nose.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Castro faces a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Manhattan Man Charged with Murder-For-Hire Plot Resulting in the Death of His Husband in BrazilRead the Press Release
Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Antoinette T. Bacon, the Supervisory Official for the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of charges against DANIEL SIKKEMA in connection with his role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of his husband in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. SIKKEMA was previously charged in the Southern District of New York for passport fraud. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Daniel Sikkema and his co-conspirator planned and carried out a cold-blooded plot to murder Sikkema’s husband, a United States citizen, in Brazil. This Office will doggedly pursue justice against those who murder United States citizens, whether at home or abroad.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “In the midst of a tense divorce, Daniel Sikkema allegedly financed the premature death of his estranged husband. The defendant allegedly hired a hitman to facilitate the international murder of his husband, and attempted to conceal his involvement in this callous plan. The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate any individual who selfishly and mercilessly orders the end to another's life, regardless of where the crime may occur.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment:[1]
In 2023, SIKKEMA agreed with another individual (“CC-1”) that SIKKEMA would pay CC-1 to kill SIKKEMA’s estranged husband (the “Victim”) in Brazil. At that time, SIKKEMA and the Victim were engaged in contentious divorce proceedings and the Victim regularly traveled to Brazil and owned property in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To facilitate the murder-for-hire plot, SIKKEMA, a U.S. and Cuban citizen, sent multiple payments to CC-1 and CC-1’s romantic partner in Cuba. SIKKEMA also concealed the source of each of these payments by using either a stolen identity or an intermediary to send them.
On January 14, 2024, CC-1 murdered the Victim in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the days that followed, SIKKEMA and CC-1 continued to communicate and SIKKEMA arranged for a payment of approximately $5,000 to be made to CC-1 and promised to make an additional payment at a later date.
On January 18, 2024, CC-1 was arrested by Brazilian law enforcement for his involvement in the commission of the Victim’s murder.
* * *
SIKKEMA, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death, one count of murder-for-hire resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to murder and maim a person in a foreign country, and one count of passport fraud. If convicted, he faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison or death.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Foster and Remy Grosbard for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Los Angeles Attorney Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Evading Payment of More Than $7.2 Million in Income Tax over Two DecadesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Milton C. Grimes, a long-time Los Angeles lawyer, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for evading the payment of more than $7.2 million in federal and state taxes over a period of more than two decades.
Grimes was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also ordered him to pay $7,236,556 in restitution, both to the IRS and to the California Franchise Tax Board.
In October 2024, Grimes pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion relating to his 2014 taxes and admitted that he failed to pay $1,690,922 to the IRS.
“Despite being a respected attorney, Mr. Grimes also made the deliberate decision to cheat on his taxes for decades, evading the payment of millions of dollars in tax that all citizens are required to pay,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Tax fraud has a corrosive effect on society’s foundations, and we thank our partners at the IRS for their diligence in bringing this defendant to justice.”
“As a successful attorney and owner of a law practice, Mr. Grimes was well aware of his income tax obligations, which he repeatedly chose to evade,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Despite multiple attempts by the IRS to help him settle his tax obligations, Mr. Grimes continued to obfuscate his income. Unfortunately for him, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are the best financial investigators in the world, and now he will feel the repercussions of his actions.”
Grimes did not pay federal income taxes due for 23 years, 2002 through 2005, 2007, 2009 through 2011, and 2014 through 2023. The amount owed totaled $5,921,260, including tax, penalties, and interest owed to the IRS. Grimes also admitted he did not file a 2013 tax return with the IRS.
In addition to the federal tax evasion, Grimes admitted that he owed over $1,313,231 in delinquent state taxes to the Franchise Tax Board from 2014 to 2023.
Beginning in September 2011, the IRS attempted to collect Grimes’ taxes by issuing more than 30 levies on his personal bank accounts. However, from at least May 2014 to April 2020, Grimes willfully evaded the payment of the outstanding income tax owed to the IRS by not depositing income he earned from his clients into his personal bank accounts that were subject to levy.
Instead, Grimes purchased approximately 238 cashier’s checks totaling $16 million to keep the money out of the reach of the IRS. Grimes would routinely purchase cashier’s checks and withdraw cash from his client trust account, his Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), and his law firm’s bank account, rather than pay the IRS.
For example, on December 5, 2018, Grimes purchased nine cashier’s checks worth approximately $1,001,961, following the deposit of the same amount and on the same date into his IOLTA bank account.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Valerie L. Makarewicz and Sarah S. Lee of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Indiana Real Estate Developer and Property Manager Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Indianapolis man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to defraud real estate investors, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Herbert Whalen, a/k/a “Bert Whalen,” 50, of Indianapolis, Indiana, previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a multi-million dollar real estate investment scheme that took place in Indiana and New Jersey. Judge Madeline Cox Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2016 to July 2018, Whalen, who operated Oceanpointe Property Management in Indianapolis, engaged in a scheme to obtain money from real estate investors by misrepresenting and concealing the poor condition of properties managed by Oceanpointe and by creating fake leases for unoccupied Oceanpointe properties. Investors were promised that, after repairs and rehabilitations were completed, and tenants rented the properties, investors would receive copies of the leases and begin to receive rent payments as their return on investment. In reality, many Oceanpointe properties were not repaired and rehabilitated, and were not ready for occupancy. To conceal these facts from victim investors, Whalen and a conspirator directed Oceanpointe employees to draft fake leases, making it appear to investors that Oceanpointe properties were rented, when, in fact, the properties remained vacant. Whalen instructed Oceanpointe employees to place fake tenant names on leases to send to Oceanpointe investors.
Whalen and others commingled tenant rent payments and selected which investors would be paid from the pool of funds in order to silence investors who voiced concerns and evade detection of the fraud. In order to prevent investors from leaving Oceanpointe and exposing his fraudulent conduct, Whalen directed an Oceanpointe employee to create a false identity and falsely claim, on an online real estate message forum, that the Oceanpointe employee was an investor with Oceanpointe and another company, and that Oceanpointe had addressed all of the concerns regarding the investment property. These misrepresentations and others led to millions of dollars in losses to investors, which Whalen used to, among other things, fund his lifestyle.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Whalen to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit and Ari B. Fontecchio, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit.
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Defense counsel: John L. Tompkins, Tompkins Law, Indianapolis, IN
Indiana Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – An Indiana man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for online enticement, attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Sheriff Tyler DeArmond of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jason Webster, 30, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for one count each of online enticement of a minor, attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the HSI Bowling Green Field Office and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, the HSI Hammond, Indiana, Field Office, the HSI Indianapolis, Indiana, Field Office, and the Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Illegal immigrant convicted as part of India-based fraud conspiracy scheme targeting the life savings of elderly victims in Illinois, Indiana and WisconsinRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A southern Illinois jury convicted an illegal immigrant from India for his involvement in an imposter scam, in which victims across the Midwest were defrauded out of more than $400,000.
The jury convicted Nirav B. Patel, 44, an Indian citizen, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working aggressively to prosecute illegal immigrants who break our laws and exploit elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “An imposter scammer may call, text, or email to convince you they are someone in authority, but government agencies typically initiate conversation with you through the mail. Unexpected contact or demands through any other method are more than likely a scam.”
Patel was convicted of acting on behalf of an imposter scam, in which the fraudsters pose as government officials to manipulate and exploit elderly victims for money. Patel traveled to the victims’ residences to pick up cash and assets to support the conspiracy.
The scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to coconspirators posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping. In reality, the money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India.
In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was also convicted for entering the U.S. illegally. Evidence showed that Patel snuck into the U.S. near Vancouver and moved throughout Washington, Tennessee, Georgia, New Jersey and elsewhere. Patel took the witness stand and testified that he moved to the Chicago suburbs, because he was able to acquire an Illinois driver’s license despite being in the U.S. unlawfully. Soon after, he began driving on behalf of the fraud scheme.
“This conviction represents a significant victory in our fight against fraud schemes that target vulnerable elderly victims,” said HSI Chicago acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel Johnsen. “Patel’s reprehensible actions, along with his illegal presence in our country, underscore the critical importance of our efforts to protect our communities and bring such criminals to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling fraud conspiracies and ensuring that those who exploit others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Patel was arrested in Edwardsville in April 2023 when he attempted to pick up $35,000 in cash from a retiree. In total, Patel personally made six trips picking up, or attempting to pick up, $403,400 from elderly victims in Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Patel could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 for conspiracy and each of the wire fraud counts. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on May 29 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft are prosecuting the case.
Houston resident pleads guilty to laundering proceeds from $40M fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old man has admitted to laundering proceeds from a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Bun Khath admitted that from 2016 to 2021, he conspired with others in a bank fraud scheme involving dozens of loans totaling at least $40 million in fraudulent loan proceeds.
As part of the plea, Khath acknowledged opening and maintaining shell companies and bank accounts to collect money from the scheme and then laundering the fraud proceeds by wiring them to bank accounts other co-conspirators controlled.
Khath and others accomplished the bank fraud by preparing loan applications that contained false and fraudulent information and documents, including fake equipment sales invoices, income tax returns and financial and bank statements.
U.S. District Keith Ellison will impose sentencing April 29. At that time, Khath faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 possible fine or twice the amount involved in the transaction.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Another Houston resident charged in the case - Hugo Villanueva, 70, - is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
High-Ranking Member of Sinaloa Cartel Charged in Chicago with Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on a drug conspiracy charge for allegedly manufacturing and distributing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs and importing them into the United States.
According to an indictment returned Monday in the Northern District of Illinois, CEFERINO ESPINOZA ANGULO, 43, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Mexico, employed dozens of gunmen in Mexico to protect and support the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including Ivan Guzman-Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman-Salazar, Ovidio Guzman-Lopez, and Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, collectively known as “the Chapitos.” The indictment alleges that Espinoza Angulo worked with others to obtain fentanyl precursor chemicals and to manufacture fentanyl for importation into the United States. Espinoza Angulo allegedly worked with others to transport the fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy toward the U.S. border for importation into the country. The indictment accuses Espinoza Angulo of illegally using a machine gun in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.
The Chapitos are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as "El Chapo," who led the Sinaloa Cartel before being convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, N.Y., and sentenced to life in prison. The Chapitos allegedly assumed their father’s role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Chapitos have been charged with drug trafficking in other U.S. indictments.
The indictment against Espinoza Angulo charges him with drug conspiracy and a firearm offense, which are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison and a minimum of 30 years. Espinoza Angulo is believed to be residing in Mexico. A U.S. warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Antoinette T. Bacon, Supervisory Official of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Tara K. McGrath, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, and Chad Yarbrough, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations Field Offices in Arizona and Spokane, Wash.; DEA Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit; FBI Field Offices in Washington, San Diego, and Los Angeles; and the Portland, Ore. Police Bureau, Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, HIDTA Interdiction Taskforce. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle J. Parthum and Andrew C. Erskine of the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section at the Justice Department.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
“Our nation’s fentanyl crisis has devastated individuals and families in northern Illinois and throughout the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the production and trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics before they can reach more victims.”
“As alleged, the defendant conspired to traffic dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States — and employed dozens of gunmen to protect his drug trafficking operation and the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Supervisory Official Bacon. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this Administration. Today’s indictment demonstrates that the Criminal Division is relentless in its pursuit of the drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”
“From San Diego to Chicago to D.C., we are united to bring down the traffickers pushing these poisons into American communities,” said U.S. Attorney McGrath. “We are attacking at every level — from street dealers to cartel leaders.”
“This indictment reinforces the FBI’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders,” said Assistant Director Yarbrough. “Let this serve as a clear message: if you engage in cartel activity, we will pursue you and bring you to justice. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we remain fully committed to protecting the American people and stopping the flow of these dangerous drugs into our nation.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
espinoza_angulo_indictment.pdfHigh-Ranking Affiliate of Sinaloa Cartel Charged with Drug Conspiracy in ChicagoRead the Press Release
A grand jury in Chicago returned an indictment yesterday charging a high-ranking affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel for allegedly manufacturing and distributing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs and importing them into the United States.
“As alleged, the defendant conspired to traffic dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States — and employed dozens of gunmen to protect his drug trafficking operation and the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this Administration. Today’s indictment demonstrates that the Criminal Division is relentless in its pursuit of the drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”
“Our nation’s fentanyl crisis has devastated individuals and families in northern Illinois and throughout the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the production and trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics before they can reach more victims.”
“From San Diego to Chicago to D.C., we are united to bring down the traffickers pushing these poisons into American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “We are attacking at every level — from street dealers to cartel leaders.”
“This indictment reinforces the FBI’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Let this serve as a clear message: if you engage in cartel activity, we will pursue you and bring you to justice. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we remain fully committed to protecting the American people and stopping the flow of these dangerous drugs into our nation.”
According to court documents, Ceferino Espinoza Angulo, 43, employed dozens of gunmen in Mexico to protect and support the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including Ivan Guzman-Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman-Salazar, Ovidio Guzman-Lopez, and Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, collectively known as “the Chapitos.” Espinoza Angulo allegedly conspired to obtain fentanyl precursor chemicals and to manufacture, distribute, and import into the United States fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. Ceferino Espinoza also allegedly illegally possessed a machinegun in furtherance of his drug trafficking scheme.
The Chapitos are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” who led the Sinaloa Cartel before being convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, and sentenced to life in prison. The Chapitos allegedly assumed their father’s role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Chapitos have been charged with drug trafficking in other U.S. indictments.
Espinoza Angulo is charged with drug conspiracy and firearm offenses. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Espinoza Angulo is believed to be residing in Mexico, and a U.S. warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, and the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau, Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Interdiction Taskforce.
Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Parthum and Andrew C. Erskine for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hays man admits manslaughter charge in stabbing on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Hays man today admitted to fatally stabbing a woman during a quarrel on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Tonylee Andrew Sears, 24, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as charged in an indictment. Sears faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 18. Sears was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, 2024, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears’ home. Officers encountered Sears, a witness, identified as John Doe, and the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Jane Doe was on the living room floor, bleeding, and was pronounced dead at the scene. In an interview with law enforcement, John Doe said he and Jane Doe had gone to Sears’ house to drink alcohol and hang out and that the victim and Sears argued. The argument escalated, and Sears grabbed a knife and stabbed Jane Doe while she was on the ground. John Doe pulled Sears off the victim and called 911. Sears threw the knife in the kitchen sink. When interviewed, Sears admitted that he and the victim rolled around on the floor after an argument, and he stabbed her. Officers recovered a knife from the kitchen sink. An autopsy report concluded that Jane Doe died from a stab wound.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area.
Cordell Miller, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting and one count of trafficking in firearms and conspiracy to do so. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. Miller was arrested and charged in November 2023 along with alleged co-conspirators Malcolm Desir and Alan Robinson.
Miller was identified as a firearms and ammunition trafficker in the metro Boston area. In August 2023, Miller arranged for the sale of distribution weight cocaine and several firearms to a cooperating witness. Prior to his arrest in November 2023, Miller and Robinson facilitated the sale of four separate firearms: an AR-15 “ghost gun” rifle; a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” pistol; a HIPOINT 9mm rifle; and a Ruger .38 caliber pistol.
In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025. Desir is scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 19, 2025.
The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemala Resident Charged with Illegal Re-entry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Guatemala has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Eric Estuardo Hernandez-Ramos, 19, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on January 25, 2025, Hernandez-Ramos was found in the Western District of Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on or about December 18, 2023.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fourteen Members of a Prison-Based Drug Trafficking Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Fourteen individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a prison-based drug trafficking ring responsible for the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin in the metro Atlanta area.
“Several of the defendants even continued their criminal activity by orchestrating drug transactions from prison, posing a serious risk to public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “These sentences reflect the dedication and collaborative efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the distribution of poisonous drugs into our communities.”
“These sentences reflect the destructive impact on the community caused by this drug trafficking organization,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you distribute dangerous drugs, DEA will find you and hold you accountable.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: In January 2018, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered that Jesus Garcia-Gutierez and Miguel Elorza, while inmates at the Jenkins Correctional Center in Millen, Georgia, used a contraband cellphone to arrange drug transactions outside the prison facility. Garcia-Gutierez and Elorza worked with numerous individuals outside the prison to coordinate several methamphetamine and heroin deals in the metro Atlanta area.
The defendants’ drug trafficking activity included the following conduct:
- On May 24, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez arranged for David Crider, Jr. to receive two ounces of methamphetamine from another individual in Atlanta. Following the deal, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers stopped Crider’s vehicle and seized the drugs.
- On June 3, 2018, Anthony Bernard Jordan consulted with Garcia-Gutierez and then arranged for Sheila Hardy, Larry Mosley, and Nathaniel Jackson to travel from Albany, Georgia to Atlanta, to pick up heroin and methamphetamine from another drug dealer. After the trio obtained the drugs, GSP troopers stopped their vehicle and seized 982 grams of methamphetamine and 475 grams of heroin.
- On August 16, 2018, Christopher Butler, who was Elorza’s former cellmate, coordinated with Joseph Brown to sell a kilogram of methamphetamine to a drug customer in Douglasville, Georgia. But Butler and Brown saw Douglas County Sheriff’s officers following them prior to the deal and discarded the drugs in a neighborhood yard, which were recovered by the officers.
- On August 30, 2018, Quantavius Foster, who was a counselor at the Jenkins Correction Center, met with Corea-Uriostegui in Augusta, Georgia to obtain over 100 grams of methamphetamine to smuggle into the prison for Garcia-Gutierez. The plan was foiled when Richmond County Sheriff’s officers stopped Foster’s vehicle and seized the drugs.
- On October 16, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez instructed Darrell White, an Alabama heroin distributor, to travel to Doraville, Georgia to pick up drugs from another individual. After the deal, GSP troopers stopped White’s vehicle and discovered more than 100 grams of heroin hidden in White’s clothes.
- On November 1, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez and Corea-Uriostegui arranged for Tiffany Julian and Jonathan Tyler Bryant to pick up 76 grams of methamphetamine and 48 prescription pills from a drug supplier in Atlanta. After this deal, Bryant led GSP] troopers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 75 South through midtown Atlanta. During the pursuit, Bryant and Julian tossed the drugs from the car window, which were later recovered by law enforcement.
In total, the organization was responsible for the distribution of 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and 860 grams of heroin in the Northern District of Georgia.
All of the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg as follows:
- Jesus Garcia Gutierez, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years, six months in prison, consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
- Miguel Elorza, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, served consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
- Anthony Bernard Jordan, 33, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- Nathaniel Jackson, 65, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years, six months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
- Tiffany Julian, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Darrell White, 41, of Anniston, Alabama, was sentenced to six years, five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Christopher Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, two months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- David Crider, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
- Jonathan Tyler Bryant, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to four years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- Berenice Corea-Uriostegui, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, four months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- Larry Mosley, 46, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- Sheila M. Hardy, 51, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to two years, one month in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- Quantavius Foster, 33, of Swainsboro, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
- Joseph Brown, 58, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Doraville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Joy prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 292 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Dontae L. Salter, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Salter was sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Salter distributed several pounds of methamphetamine from June through October of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also assisting with the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3026.
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Fort Dodge Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
Alesha Rasmussen, 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty February 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to distribution of methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Rasmussen admitted that on July 10, 2024, she distributed over 28 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Rasmussen was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rasmussen remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Rasmussen faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and at least six years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former teacher admits to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old Laredo resident has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Roberto Ortiz Jr. admitted he downloaded and possessed child pornography on his computer and an external hard drive.
The investigation began March 23, 2024, when law enforcement downloaded files containing child pornography from an IP address linked to Ortiz. On June 4, 2024, authorities executed a search warrant at Ortiz’s residence. He gave them access to his computer and showed them where he saved his downloaded content. They saw images of child pornography and took Ortiz into custody.
Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of over 3,000 files containing child pornography on Ortiz’s computer and external hard drive.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing May 19. At that time, Ortiz faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Former officer sentenced for firearms offenseRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 45-year-old San Juan resident has been ordered to federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Michael Gallegos-Martinez pleaded guilty Dec. 3, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered him to serve 41 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Gallegos-Martinez had been previously served as a police officer before being convicted of a felony for possession of a controlled substance. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted the significant amount of cash found in the vehicle as well as the narcotics.
On June 25, 2023, Gallegos-Martinez was driving a Cadillac CTS when he failed to come to a complete stop. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, at which time they noticed Gallegos-Martinez appeared nervous.
He claimed there were no firearms or narcotics within the vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted, and authorities ultimately discovered of a firearm Rossi, Model 461, .357 caliber magnum revolver in a grocery bag hanging from the gear shift. They also discovered 25 grams of cocaine, a bottle of Xanax pills and approximately $25,000 in cash.
Gallegos-Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to the Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
Former Nonprofit Finance Director Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ashley Clark Ingram, 35, of Columbia, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to theft of government funds for misappropriating funds from Habitat for Humanity of Central South Carolina.
Evidence presented to the court showed that while employed as the director of finance and operations for Habitat for Humanity, Ingram applied for an employee retention tax credit for retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic from the IRS on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, but without the knowledge of the nonprofit. Ingram then received checks totaling $388,550.75 from the United States Treasury and deposited the funds into a Habitat for Humanity account that she controlled then transferred the money from the Habitat for Humanity account into her own bank accounts. In total, Ingram misappropriated approximately $514,672.37 from Habitat for Humanity and the United States Government.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Ingram to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. Ms. Ingram was ordered to pay a remaining balance of $30,165.47 in restitution to Habitat, which she rendered today. Ms. Ingram was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews is prosecuting the case.
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Former Hinds County Sheriff Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Soliciting Bribes and Providing Ammunition to a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Former Hinds County Sheriff Marshand Crisler was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for soliciting and accepting bribes and for knowingly providing ammunition to a convicted felon. Crisler was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.
Crisler, 55, was appointed as Sheriff of Hinds County in August 2021. The evidence at trial showed that shortly after becoming Sheriff, Crisler solicited and accepted $9,500 in cash bribes from a convicted felon over three months, from September through November of 2021. In exchange for that money, Crisler agreed to provide favors through his position as Hinds County Sheriff. These favors included sharing information concerning future criminal investigations involving the bribe payor, moving a jailed family member to a better place within the Hinds County Jail, and hiring the bribe payor to work at the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office. Crisler also gave ammunition to the bribe payor, knowing that the person was a convicted felon.
On November 8, 2024, a federal jury found Crisler guilty on all counts, following a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
It is against federal law for a public official to solicit or accept bribes, and it is also against federal law for anyone to provide firearm ammunition to a known convicted felon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bert Carraway and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
Former Executive Director of Southwest Regional Recreation Authority Sentenced for Embezzling Funds from Spearhead Trail SystemRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – The former Executive Director of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority (SRRA) was sentenced yesterday to time served plus three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $16,614 in restitution for bank fraud and embezzlement associated with her scheme to steal money intended for SRRA’s Spearhead Trail System within the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Wise and the City of Norton.
Melissa Slemp Rose, 52, of Coeburn, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of embezzlement.
The SRRA was established in 2008 to oversee the development and management of the Spearhead Trail System. Spearhead Trails consists of three outdoor recreation tourism destinations within its complex. The SRRA receives approximately $1.1 million of general funds per year to operate, including federal funds.
Rose was hired on July 23, 2019, as the Sales and Finance Manager for SRRA. The SRRA Board of Directors promoted Rose to Executive Director in October 2021. As Executive Director, Rose was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the SRRA and the Spearhead Trail System. She resigned from her position on February 3, 2023, following an investigation concerning embezzlement of SRRA funds.
According to court documents, on January 23, 2023, the SRRA learned that Rose had used SRRA funds for her personal use. Specifically, Rose wrote $16,614 in checks drawn on the SRRA’s bank account that were purportedly signed by another SRRA board member. The checks were drawn on the SRRA First Bank and Trust Company account and were for the purchase of a residential property priced at $69,5000 with a $15,000 down payment. The property was for Rose’s personal use. In an attempt to hide her fraud, Rose logged her payments for the residential property into the SRRA’s QuickBooks account management system as purchases for “Tools” with “Land Lease for 5 Years on Mountainview Trail for Conex & SXS Storage” written in the description. She also prepared a fraudulent purchase order and a fraudulent lease for the property, again forging a signature of another SRRA employee. Rose also fraudulently utilized her Notary Public credentials to notarize the signatures she forged.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee stated, “Prosecutions of this nature are important for the public to have confidence in those entrusted to oversee public funds and administer public programs. Our office takes these types of investigations seriously and will work to ensure public officials are held accountable for any fraudulent actions and breaches of the public’s trust.”
The case was investigated by the Virginia State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Financial Fraud Investigator.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case.
Foreign National Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Salvador Madrigal-Sanchez, a/k/a Salvador Madrigal Sanchez, a/k/a Jose Martinez Sanchez, a/k/a Jose Sanchez Martinez, age, 73, of Mexico, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 3, 2024, Madrigal-Sanchez pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 3, 2023, Madrigal-Sanchez, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously deported and removed on four prior occasions.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Madrigal-Sanchez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.
Felon Involved in Elizabeth City Shooting Sentenced to More than Nine YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A felon involved in an Elizabeth City shooting was sentenced to 115 months in prison for possession of ammunition by a felon. On November 22, 2024, Jermel Trevon Williams, age 30, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 7, 2023, officers from the Elizabeth City Police Department (ECPD) responded to a shooting outside a downtown bar in Elizabeth City. Review of surveillance footage in the area showed an individual, later identified as Williams, and a second person, discharging firearms. Officers recovered five 9mm shell casings from the area and two .45 caliber shell casings. On October 29, 2023, officers with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a window tint violation. Williams was a passenger in the car. After spotting two marijuana roaches in plain view, officers conducted a search of the vehicle. The search resulted in the recovery of a digital scale located in the center console, and a stolen 9mm handgun and two baggies of marijuana under the front passenger seat where Williams was previously seated. Williams subsequently admitted to ownership of the contents of the vehicle. Williams is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The 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.
Daniel Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ECPD and RPD investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Newby 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. 2:24-cr-00012-D-BM.
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Farmington Woman Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud, Public Corruption OffensesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that HELEN ZERVAS, 57, of Farmington, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in Bridgeport to health care fraud and public corruption offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Zervas, an optometrist, owned and operated Family Eye Care, located in Bristol, and was a participating provider in Medicaid and Medicare. Between approximately October 2015 and January 2020, Zervas repeatedly submitted claims to Medicaid and Medicare falsely representing that she had provided, or determined it was medically necessary to provide, certain treatment. For example, between approximately September 2016 and January 2020, Zervas made more than 300 false claims to Medicaid and more than 30 false claims to Medicare for insertion of an amniotic membrane to the eye surface of a patient when that treatment was either not provided or was not medically necessary.
In 2020, while the State of Connecticut was auditing Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid billings, Zervas conspired with both a senior official in the State’s Office of Policy and Management and a Connecticut State Representative to interfere with the audit. In exchange for payments from Family Eye Care, Zervas, and the state representative, the senior official agreed to advise and pressure other state employees to take official action concerning the pending Medicaid audit of Zervas and Family Eye Care.
Zervas pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Zervas is released pending sentencing, which is not yet scheduled.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.
Enfield Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KATRELL JOHNSON, 35, of Enfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 25 years of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing and possessing child sex abuse images and videos.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) received CyberTipline reports from Google and WhatsApp that accounts, which were subsequently connected to Johnson, had been used to upload images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. A court-authorized search of two of Johnson’s Google accounts revealed approximately 1,500 child sex abuse images and videos, including images and videos of prepubescent children, and images that Johnson created of two minor victims he had abused.
Johnson has been detained since his arrest on July 13, 2023. On February 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Enfield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Durham Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Durham man pled guilty in court today to conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Alexander Justin White, age 29, was arrested on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, as he was preparing to board an international flight. White attempted to travel overseas intent on joining ISIS. If convicted, White faces up to 20 years in prison.
“In this case, the great work of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) was on display, leading to the apprehension and arrest of an individual planning to join ISIS and potentially engage in terrorist acts against the United States or other allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “This is just one example of how the JTTF’s tireless work protects our communities.”
White made numerous posts supporting ISIS and jihad between May and October of 2024 including videos commonly used to recruit new members and generate a passion for fighting as well as fundraising videos and several post and reposts in reference to well-known ISIS supporters and scholars. In addition, the complaint alleges that White made or attempted to make several transactions in support of camps and other similar ideological campaigns which are believed to funnel money to ISIS members and their supporters, and that White openly discussed his desire and intention to travel overseas to join ISIS with various individuals on Facebook and over other encrypted messaging applications (EMAs). In messages concerning his travel to join ISIS, he indicated that his goal was to be a “Mujahid,” which is Arabic for someone who commits jihad, or violence against non-Muslims.
"White planned to leave his family, North Carolina, and ultimately his country and fly to Morocco, hoping to actively fight with ISIS. Thanks to the long and countless hours, days, and months, worked by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Mr. White was literally stopped in his tracks. We are grateful to our JTTF partners for their shared commitment to justice and public safety," said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
The investigation into White is a result of the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Raleigh-based Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is a group of highly trained, locally based investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies that gather evidence, make arrests, provide security for special events, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents at a moment’s notice. There are about 200 JTTFs across the country, including one in each field office, with hundreds of participating state, local and federal agencies.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel Diaz, Jason Kellhofer, and Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting 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. 5:25-CR-00009-M.
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Dubuque Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Hiding Gun for Her BrotherRead the Press Release
A Dubuque woman who purchased a gun for her brother and then hid it after it was used in a shooting was sentenced February 10, 2025, to over a year in prison.
Delicia Lee, age 36, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 17, 2024, guilty plea to tampering with evidence.
Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that in March 2023, Lee purchased a Walther CCP M2, 9mm gun from a business in Dubuque. When Lee filled out the paperwork to purchase the gun, she indicated that the gun was for her. Lee actually purchased the gun for her brother, Marvin Brantley, a convicted felon. Approximately three weeks later, in April 2023, Brantley was involved in a fight and fired the gun at a group of people outside a bar in Dubuque. No one was injured. Brantley hid the gun in the ceiling of his basement before being arrested on state charges related to the shooting. In jail phone calls between Brantley and Lee, Brantley walked Lee, step-by-step, to the location of the gun in his residence. After she found it, he told her to wipe it down and get rid of it. Lee drove the gun to a residence in Chicago. Later, investigators searched her residence looking for the gun. Lee admitted that the gun was in Chicago. At law enforcement’s request, she turned the gun into police one week later.
Law enforcement also determined that Lee had purchased 15 guns between 2017 and 2020 in Indiana. These firearms were purchased by Lee for others prohibited from purchasing the guns themselves. More than half of the firearms were recovered after they were used in criminal conduct including, but not limited to, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, and, in one instance, to shoot a police officer. Several of the firearms have not been recovered.
Marvin Brantley was later charged in the Northern District of Iowa with felon in possession of a firearm. In April 2024, Brantley was sentenced to 145 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and his role in the shooting.
Lee was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lee was sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1016.
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Doctor Convicted of $24M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York doctor was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury for causing the submission of over $24 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary laboratory tests and orthotic braces.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Alexander Baldonado, M.D., 69, of Queens, received tens of thousands of dollars in illegal cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for ordering laboratory tests, including expensive cancer genetic tests, that were billed to Medicare by two related laboratories located in New York.
As part of the scheme, Baldonado authorized hundreds of cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries who attended COVID-19 testing events at assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and a retirement community in 2020. Baldonado was not treating any of the patients who attended the testing events and, in many cases, did not speak to or examine the patients prior to ordering cancer genetic tests and other laboratory tests for them. Baldonado also billed Medicare for lengthy office visits that he never provided to these patients. Several Medicare patients for whom Baldonado ordered cancer genetic tests and billed for office visits testified at trial that they did not know who Baldonado was and had never met or spoken to him. Baldonado did not contact the patients after the testing events to review the results of the cancer genetic tests, and, in some cases, the patients never received the test results.
In addition to the laboratory testing scheme, Baldonado also received illegal cash kickbacks and bribes from the owner of a durable medical equipment supply company in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The evidence presented at trial showed Baldonado on an undercover video receiving a large sum of cash in exchange for signed prescriptions for orthotic braces.
The medically unnecessary laboratory tests and orthotic braces that Baldonado ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes caused Medicare to be billed more than $24 million. Medicare paid more than $2.1 million to the laboratories and the durable medical equipment supply company involved in the schemes.
Baldonado was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; six counts of health care fraud; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks; and one count of solicitation of health care kickbacks. Following his conviction on the 10 counts, Baldonado was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and solicitation of health care kickbacks and five years in prison on each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Hyungjoo Han of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Denver Man Convicted on Weapon, Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derris Mayberry, 37, of Denver, Colorado was convicted by federal juries in two trials on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of distribution of fentanyl.
According to the facts established at the trials, on the evening of March 22, 2024, a woman approached an officer conducting surveillance for an undercover operation and offered the officer “dope.” She then told the officer that she knew someone who could get “blues,” meaning fentanyl pills. The woman ultimately led undercover police officers to an alley near the Colorado State Capitol where Mayberry was waiting. An audio recording captured the undercover officer negotiating the price and amount of fentanyl pills. The officers then observed the woman make a hand-to-hand exchange with Mayberry, immediately after which the woman handed four fentanyl pills to the undercover officer in exchange for $20. Law enforcement contacted Mayberry shortly thereafter at a bus stop only feet away from where the deal had taken place. During a pat down, law enforcement found a loaded .22 caliber revolver in his shorts pocket. Mayberry had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and, therefore, was prohibited from possessing the loaded revolver. During a search incident to his arrest, law enforcement found additional fentanyl pills and the $20 used by the undercover officer to purchase the drugs.
Mayberry will be sentenced at a later date.
United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the trials. The Denver Police Department VICE unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore O’Brien and Celeste Rangel handled the prosecution.
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.
Case Number: 1_24-cr-00110-DDD
Convicted Felon and Related Companies Agree to Pay More than $1 Million to Resolve Allegations that They Falsely Certified Eligibility for PPP LoansRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Ralph Caruso of Wenham and five companies that he part-owns, have agreed to pay $1.065 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the companies falsely certified to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) their eligibility for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. As part of the settlement, Caruso and his companies admitted that the loan applications falsely stated that the companies did not have owners who had pleaded guilty to certain felonies, but in fact Mr. Caruso had pleaded guilty to tax and mail fraud charges.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. On Jan. 8, 2021, SBA announced the availability of a second round of PPP loans, known as Second Draw PPP loans. Entities that applied for Second Draw PPP loans had to certify, among other things, that no owner of the applicant had pleaded guilty to any felony involving fraud.
As detailed in the settlement agreement, on Jan. 21, 2021, Caruso pleaded guilty in federal court in Massachusetts to seven counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns, and five counts of mail fraud. Between Feb. 26, 2021, and April 1, 2021, five companies in which Caruso had at least a 20% ownership stake applied for Second Draw PPP loans. Caruso’s companies — Caruso Equipment Corp., Flush LLC, Above the Line LLC, LL Burlington LLC, and City Rentals LLC — received a total of $655,635 in loans. These companies, through individuals other than Caruso, later applied for and received forgiveness from SBA of these loans, including interest.
The United States contends that these companies were not eligible for Second Draw PPP loans due to Caruso’s felony convictions and ownership interests, and that Caruso and these companies thus submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for payment to SBA.
“Faced with potential economic catastrophe wrought by the pandemic, SBA made PPP loans available only to certain trusted recipients — not those with felony fraud convictions,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The ink was barely dry on Caruso’s guilty plea when his companies unlawfully applied for these PPP. This office will continue to hold accountable those who took advantage of the PPP and other taxpayer-funded pandemic relief.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other Federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
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.
U.S. Attorney Foley and SBA General Counsel Davis made the announcement today. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III and Brian Sullivan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
California Teenager Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Nationwide Swatting SpreeRead the Press Release
Alan W. Filion, 18, of Lancaster, California, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for making interstate threats to injure the person of another.
According to the plea agreement, from approximately August 2022 to January 2024, Filion made over 375 swatting and threat calls, including calls in which he claimed to have planted bombs in the targeted locations or threatened to detonate bombs and/or conduct mass shootings at those locations. Filion targeted religious institutions, high schools, colleges and universities, government officials, and numerous individuals across the United States.
Filion intended his calls to cause large-scale deployment of police and emergency services units to the targeted locations. During these calls, he provided information to law enforcement and emergency services agencies that he knew to be false, such as false names, false claims that he and others had placed explosives in particular locations, false claims that he and others possessed dangerous weapons, including firearms and explosives, and false claims that he and other individuals had committed, or intended to imminently commit, violent crimes.
In some instances, armed law enforcement officers approached and entered a targeted residence with their weapons drawn and detained individuals that occupied the residence. Indeed, Filion claimed in a post on Jan. 20, 2023, that when he swats someone, he “usually get[s] the cops to drag the victim and their families out of the house cuff them and search the house for dead bodies.” Additionally, Filion’s calls caused law enforcement officers and dispatchers to respond, and to be unavailable in response to other emergencies.
Filion became a serial swatter for both profit and recreation. He claimed in a Jan. 19, 2023, online post that his “first” swatting was like “2 to 3 years ago” and that “6-9 months ago [he] decided to turn it into a business. . .” On several occasions, Filion placed posts on social media channels advertising his services and swatting-for-a-fee structure.
On Jan.18, 2024, Filion was arrested in California on Florida state charges arising from a May 2023 threat he made to a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In that threat, he claimed to have an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails. He said that he was going to imminently “commit a mass shooting” and “kill everyone” he saw. He pleaded guilty in federal court to making that threat.
Filion also pleaded guilty to making three other threatening calls: an October 2022 call to a public high school in the Western District of Washington, in which he threatened to commit a mass shooting and claimed to have planted bombs throughout the school; a May 2023 call to a Historically Black College or University in the Northern District of Florida, in which he claimed to have placed bombs in the walls and ceilings of campus housing that would detonate in about an hour; and a July 2023 call to a local police department dispatch number in the Western District of Texas, in which he falsely identified himself as a senior federal law enforcement officer, provided the federal law-enforcement officer’s residential address to the dispatcher, claimed to have killed the federal officer’s mother, and threatened to kill any responding police officers.
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office; the Anacortes (Washington) Police Department; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the California Department of Justice; the Los Angeles County (California) Sheriff’s Office; and the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Wick for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; the State Attorney’s Office for Seminole County, Florida, 18th Judicial Circuit; and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Washington, Northern District of Florida, Western District of Texas, and District of Columbia.
California Teenager Sentenced to 48 Months for Nationwide Swatting SpreeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Alan W. Filion (18, Lancaster, CA) to four years in federal prison for making interstate threats to injure the person of another.
According to the plea agreement, from approximately August 2022 to January 2024, Filion made over 375 swatting and threat calls, including calls in which he claimed to have planted bombs in the targeted locations or threatened to detonate bombs and/or conduct mass shootings at those locations. Filion targeted religious institutions, high schools, colleges and universities, government officials, and numerous individuals across the United States.
Filion intended his calls to cause large-scale deployment of police and emergency services units to the targeted locations. During these calls, he provided information to law enforcement and emergency services agencies that he knew to be false, such as false names, false claims that he and others had placed explosives in particular locations, false claims that he and others possessed dangerous weapons, including firearms and explosives, and false claims that he and/or other individuals had committed, or intended to imminently commit, violent crimes.
In some instances, armed law enforcement officers approached and entered a targeted residence with their weapons drawn and detained individuals that occupied the residence. Filion claimed in a post on January 20, 2023, that when he swats someone he “usually get[s] the cops to drag the victim and their families out of the house cuff them and search the house for dead bodies.” Additionally, Filion’s calls caused law enforcement officers and dispatchers to respond, and to be unavailable in response to other emergencies.
Filion became a serial swatter for both profit and recreation. He claimed in a January 19, 2023, online post that his “first” swatting was like “2 to 3 years ago” and that “6-9 months ago [he] decided to turn it into a business. . . .” On several occasions, Filion placed posts on social-media channels advertising his services and swatting-for-a-fee structure.
On January 18, 2024, Filion was arrested in California on Florida state charges arising from a May 2023 threat he made to a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In that threat, he claimed to have an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails. He said that he was going to imminently “commit a mass shooting” and “kill everyone” he saw. He pleaded guilty in federal court to making that threat.
Filion also pleaded guilty to making three other threatening calls: an October 2022 call to a public high school in the Western District of Washington, in which he threatened to commit a mass shooting and claimed to have planted bombs throughout the school; a May 2023 call to a Historically Black College & University in the Northern District of Florida, in which he claimed to have placed bombs in the walls and ceilings of campus housing that would detonate in about an hour; and a July 2023 call to a local police department dispatch number in the Western District of Texas, in which he falsely identified himself as a senior federal law enforcement officer, provided the federal law-enforcement officer’s residential address to the dispatcher, claimed to have killed his (the federal officer’s) mother, and threatened to kill any responding police officers.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office; the Anacortes (Washington) Police Department; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the California Department of Justice; the Los Angeles County (California) Sheriff’s Office; and the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick, with valuable assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for Seminole County, Florida, 18th Judicial Circuit; the Counterterrorism Section of the United States Department of Justice; and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Texas, and the District of Columbia.
California Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California company, and three individuals who owned and managed the company, pleaded guilty to charges relating to the shipment of facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Advoque Safeguard LLC (ASG) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Jason Azevedo, 33, of Cedar Creek, Texas; Paul Shrater, 52, of Simi Valley, Calif.; and Andrew Stack, 52, of Santa Cruz, Calif., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencings for June 11, 2025.
In October 2024, a second company, JDM Supply LLC (JDM), and two individuals, Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha, pleaded guilty in connection with this investigation. In addition, in August 2023, another individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging and is awaiting sentencing.
In in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ASG and JDM conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital, identified as “HOSPITAL 1,” accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by ASG and sold to a hospital by JDM. (the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to ASG.) ASG and JDM misled the hospital into believing that the ASG masks were NIOSH-approved N95s when, in fact, they were not. In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the ASG masks that had been shipped to the hospital, and they tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, and thus fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.
The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
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 Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty to Assault with Intent to Commit MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Edward Lewis, age 48, of Kenefic, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that on or about July 10, 2024, Lewis assaulted an individual with intent to commit murder. The crime occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Bryan County Sheriff's Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lewis will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Braddock Felon Charged with Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Terrance Chatman, 33, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about December 11, 2024, Chatman possessed a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of four prior felonies, including on murder, robbery, criminal conspiracy, and firearms charges. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Boston Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of Postal WorkersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass.
Myesha Lewis, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. In May 2023, Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Kenneth Demosthene.
USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. According to data from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service headquarters, from 2019 through 2022, there was a 512% increase year over year in arrow key robberies from letter carriers nationwide – rising from 64 robberies in 2019 to approximately 412 robberies in 2022. In 2023 the Postal Service reported 605 Arrow key robberies – a 49% increase in robberies over the previous year. In the last two years, 89 postal carriers were significantly injured during these robberies and at least one carrier was killed.
On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, Lewis and Demosthene forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. The force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Lewis and Demosthene then fled the scene in a rental vehicle.
On Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Lewis and Demosthene robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” The letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Lewis and Demosthene then attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose and fleeing the scene on foot.
In October 2024, Demosthene was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, has pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges.
Dominique Carpenter-Grady, a/k/a “8 Zipp,” a/k/a “Eight,” “a/k/a “Eighty,” 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, MDMB-4en-PINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Feb. 11, 2026.
Carpenter-Grady was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.
According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.
Carpenter-Grady was a long-time H-Block gang member and one of three members and associates of H Block charged with a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs into a Massachusetts prison. Carpenter-Grady facilitated intercepted calls coordinating the smuggling of drugs on saturated papers into the prison where alleged co-conspirators were incarcerated. It is alleged that several sheets of paper containing PCP (Phenylcyclidine) and illegal K2 were seized over the course of the investigation. It is estimated that a single sheet of such paper would be worth as much as $80,000 inside the prison.
According to court documents, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has seen a significant increase in the smuggling of synthetic cannabinoids, a/k/a “K2,” and other dangerous substances into the prison system. A common method of introducing the drugs is by exploiting the Department of Correction’s inmate mail policies, which prohibit delivery to inmates of original copies of any materials contained in incoming mail except for legal mail, original copies of which are inspected and delivered via the U.S. postal system. Sheets of paper are saturated or sprayed with liquid narcotics, dried, printed with fake legal correspondence, and then mailed to inmates in an envelope marked as legal mail, in the hopes that the drug-laced paper will be delivered undetected.
Carpenter-Grady is the second defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, MDMB-4en-PINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bloods Gang Leader Charged with Narcotics Distribution Resulting in One Death and Three Additional PoisoningsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Gary Johnson, a Bloods gang leader also known as “G Money,” was arraigned in federal court in Central Islip on new charges in a 26-count second superseding indictment charging him with distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine base, that caused the death of a woman and caused serious bodily injury to three additional victims. Johnson is also charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Long Island, additional narcotics distribution offenses, various firearms offenses and destruction of evidence. Today’s arraignment was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Johnson previously was detained pending trial.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the charges.
“Our district has suffered terribly from the opioid epidemic, and as alleged in the superseding indictment, Johnson sold large amounts of dangerous narcotics for his own profit, without regard for the deadly consequences of his actions, even after a victim was fatally poisoned by the defendant’s drugs,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “With these new charges, this Office continues its tireless efforts, in conjunction with our federal and local law enforcement partners, to prosecute drug traffickers responsible for the opioid crisis. It is my hope that the charges will bring some measure of closure to the family members of the victim whose death was caused by the defendant.”
“Gary Johnson, a Bloods gang leader, allegedly sold substantial quantities of illicit drugs, which resulted in a known death of one victim and poisonings of three others. These alleged actions threatened public safety by exposing neighborhoods to a supply of dangerous substances,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue its mission to assuage the flow of lethal narcotics from polluting our communities and apprehending those responsible for its pipeline.”
“For years, Gary Johnson knew the poison he was selling posed deadly consequences, yet, his only concern was about making money,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to take down drug traffickers while undoubtedly saving lives in the process.”
As alleged in court filings, Johnson is a leader of the G-Shine set of the Bloods gang. Between June 2013 and November 2020, when Johnson was arrested on federal charges, the defendant conspired to sell narcotics throughout Long Island. The drugs that Johnson sold – including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base – resulted in at least four victims suffering poisonings. Specifically, on March 3, 2020, Johnson distributed narcotics which were ingested by John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 in the parking lot of Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, New York. John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 lost consciousness and were revived by emergency medical personnel who administered CPR and Narcan on both victims. They were resuscitated and survived. On May 1, 2020, Johnson distributed narcotics ingested by John Doe #2 and Jane Doe #2. John Doe #2 was found unconscious by coworkers in St. James, New York, and was revived with Narcan. Jane Doe #2, a 39-year-old mother of a three-year-old son, was found deceased in her home in Rocky Point, New York. Her cause of death was determined to be acute mixed drug intoxication caused by a combination of cocaine and fentanyl – these drugs were supplied by the defendant.
The charges in the second superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.
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.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Misorek, Meredith A. Arfa and Stephen Petraeus are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla.
The Defendant:
GARY JOHNSON
Age: 41
Bellport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-518 (S-2)(JMA)