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11 February 2025
Bangor, Orrington Men Sentenced for Roles in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: Two Maine men were sentenced today in separate hearings at the U.S. District Court in Bangor for their roles in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Joshua Jerrell, 30, to time served, approximately 36 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On February 9, 2023, Jerrell pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee.
Judge Neumann sentenced Aaron Rodgers, 43, to time served, approximately 33 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On April 9, 2024, Rodgers pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Jerrell, Rodgers and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Both men regularly arranged to obtain quantities from a source through phone calls, texts and social media using coded language and then distribute these drugs to customers in Penobscot County. In June 2021, Jerrell made false statements to a federal firearms licensee in Holden in an attempt to obtain firearms for his drug supplier.
Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 13 of the defendants have been sentenced while 8 await sentencing:
Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
- Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served
- Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
- James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
- Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
- Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
- Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
Awaiting sentencing:
- Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.)
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
- Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.)
- Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25
- John Miller (24, Caribou) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
- James Valiante, 42 (Linneus) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.
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Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming a Laser at a Sheriff’s HelicopterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2023, Torres struck a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One) 12 times with a dangerously bright green laser beam. The laser strikes interfered with the pilot’s ability to see and avoid other aircraft and effectively monitor the aircraft instrument panel. Law enforcement officers were able to locate and seize the laser device, which bore a prominent warning label, stating, “DANGER,” and warned against shining the light in the eyes.
In the year that Torres committed this offense, the Federal Aviation Administration received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots, marking a 41% increase over the 9,457 reported during 2022 and setting a record for the growing hazard.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Torres is scheduled for sentencing on May 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Armed Felon Is Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jason Travis Shook, 42, of Conover, N.C., was sentenced today to 210 months in prison and five years of supervised release on drug and gun charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and proceedings, in August 2022, officers with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office learned that Shook was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the area. As part of the investigation into Shook, law enforcement began surveilling Shook’s property in Conover and his black Chevrolet Suburban vehicle. On August 25, 2022, officers observed Shook walking back and forth from his property to the Suburban, which had a white boat attached to it. Shook was seen carrying a backpack that he placed in the back seat of the Suburban before he drove away from the property. Law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Shook’s vehicle for multiple traffic violations, including driving with a revoked license. Shook did not obey and instead he led law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit which ended with Shook crashing the Suburban and boat into a wooded area at the end of a road in Hickory. Shook then ran on foot and jumped into Lake Hickory. A short time later Shook was taken into custody.
According to filed court documents, law enforcement retrieved the backpack from the Suburban, which contained a clear plastic bag with a large amount of methamphetamine, $24,707 in cash, a clear plastic bag with approximately 7 grams of methamphetamine and over one gram of loose methamphetamine, digital scales, other drug paraphernalia, as well as two unspent 12-gauge shot gun shells. Law enforcement also searched Shook’s flight path and located a Ruger, model SR40C, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol along the side of the road. The firearm contained one round of ammunition in the chamber and an additional round in the magazine. The seized methamphetamine was analyzed at the DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory and determined to be 368.99 grams of pure methamphetamine.
On August 8, 2024, Shook pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon. Shook has a prior criminal history that includes felony convictions for Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury and Second-Degree Kidnapping, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Shook will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick J. Miller, Brandon Boykin, and Regina Pack with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and bribery of a public official. On October 8, 2024, Quatavious Arnez Hunter, age 32, pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on September 16, 2021, officers of the Rocky Mount Police Department (RMPD) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Hunter was a passenger. Hunter was wearing a ski mask covering his entire face. Searches of Hunter’s person revealed a loaded, 9mm handgun on his hip, over $1,500 in cash, 45 bindles of heroin, one plastic bag containing approximately 5.7 grams of crack cocaine and two bags weighing a total of approximately 7.6 grams of powder cocaine.
In March 2023, while Hunter’s case was pending in federal court, he was held in the Bladen County Jail (BCJ). During this time, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating claims that Hunter and another inmate were orchestrating payments to a BCJ detention officer in exchange for drugs smuggled into the jail in resealed potato chip bags. Hunter’s cell was searched and was found to contain contraband, including synthetic marijuana and a lighter. The investigation further revealed that Hunter’s girlfriend made Cash App payments to a BCJ detention officer. Upon the officer’s arrest, he admitted to making multiple deliveries of contraband to Hunter in exchange for payments via Cash App.
This case also encompassed conduct from November 2019 through November 2021. During that period, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) and RMPD served two search warrants at Hunter’s home, resulting in the seizure of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, MDMA, marijuana and four firearms. During that period, NCSO and RMPD also encountered Hunter in multiple traffic stops during which contraband, including a stolen firearm, ammunition and small quantities of crack cocaine and heroin were seized. Additionally, in February 2021, NCSO conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from Hunter. Hunter has several prior felony convictions, including for common law robbery, robbery with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting the delivery of heroin.
“Mr. Hunter put the safety of the public at risk when he dealt heroin, fentanyl and other powerful narcotics, and did so while armed,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P Bubar stated. “The defendant continued his criminal enterprise once incarcerated, which will simply not be tolerated. We are incredibly grateful for the investigation conducted by our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, whose hard work is holding Mr. Hunter accountable for his significant crimes.”
“Mr. Hunter has been a problem in our community for a long time, and today that problem has been solved,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “Our county is much safer now that he is no longer committing violent acts and trafficking drugs on our streets. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office and all law enforcement involved in this case to make is a success. As we always have, we will continue our fight against Gangs, Guns, and Drugs in Nash County and continue to serve our citizens to the best of our ability.”
Daniel P. 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 Rocky Mount Police Department and Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the drug and gun offenses and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bladen County Sheriff’s Office investigated the contraband smuggling case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Ashley H. Foxx prosecuted the cases.
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 Nos. 5:21-CR-407-1D and 7:23-CR-101-4D.
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Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty in Fraud Scheme That Illegally Generated $17 Million in Revenue for North KoreaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christina Marie Chapman, 48, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. in connection with a scheme that assisted overseas IT workers—posing as U.S. citizens and residents—in working at more than 300 U.S. companies in remote IT positions. The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit revenue for herself and for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea).
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; FBI Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez of the Phoenix Field Office, and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office.
Chapman pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the parties will jointly recommend that the Court impose a sentence of 94 to 111 months in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Chapman, an American citizen, conspired with overseas IT workers from October 2020 to October 2023 to steal the identities of U.S. nationals and used those identities to apply for remote IT jobs and, in furtherance of the scheme, transmitted false documents to the Department of Homeland Security. Chapman and her coconspirators obtained jobs at hundreds of U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 corporations, often through temporary staffing companies or other contracting organizations.
Chapman received and hosted computers from the U.S. companies, creating a “laptop farm” at her home, so that the companies would believe the workers were in the United States. As a result of Chapman’s assistance, the overseas IT workers gained access to the internal systems of the U.S. companies.
Chapman’s overseas IT workers received more than $17.1 million for their work. Much of the income was falsely reported to the IRS and Social Security Administration in the names of actual U.S. individuals whose identities had been stolen.
As a result of the conduct of Chapman and her conspirators, more than 300 U.S. companies were impacted, more than 70 identities of U.S. person were compromised, on more than 100 occasions false information was conveyed to DHS, and more than 70 U.S. individuals had false tax liabilities created in their name.
This case was investigated by the FBI Counterintelligence Division, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office with assistance from the FBI Chicago Field Office.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Prosecutors Joshua Rothstein, Karen Seifert, Thomas Gillice, and Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.
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Amtrak Employee Admits Participating in $11 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Amtrak employee today admitted participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Anthony Saloka, 44, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Saloka and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to obtain cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for allowing the providers to use their personal and health insurance information to submit fraudulent claims for services that were either never provided or which were medically unnecessary. Saloka received thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for his participation in the scheme, including from Punson Figueroa, an acupuncturist, and Michael DeNicola, a podiatrist. Figueroa previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced on September 24, 2024 to 34 months in prison. DeNicola previously pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, among other offenses. His sentencing remains pending.
In total, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million as a result of fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the health care fraud scheme.
The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Samuel Dotson, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Vincent LaPaglia, Esq.
Amsterdam Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Three Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Carrero, age 36, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
On November 4, 2024, DEA agents arrested Carrero after observing him place three kilograms of cocaine into the trunk of his car. He was carrying $1,704 in cash, and in a search of his home law enforcement found an additional $70,000 in drug proceeds. As a condition of his plea agreement, Carrero has agreed not to contest the administrative forfeiture of that money.
Carrero faces at least 5 and up to 40 years in prison; a fine of up to $5 million; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Adair County Resident Sentenced for Child AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brian Keith Bowen Jr., age 26, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service.
On May 22, 2024, Bowen pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, between April and May of 2023, Bowen maliciously harmed a child entrusted in his care. Bowen’s mistreatment came to light on May 2, 2023, when medical professionals treating the child observed numerous injuries, including fading bruises, petechiae, and a spiral bone fracture consistent with child abuse.
The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
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. Bowen 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 Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jade Larae Duncan, age 27, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The Indictment alleged that on December 2, 2022, Duncan unlawfully killed an individual in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony and in the commission in an unlawful manner, without due caution and circumspection, while driving under the influence of alcohol and departing the roadway into a creek bed. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Adair County Sheriff’s Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan, Lewis M. Reagan, and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
10 February 2025
Winona Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison After Targeting More Than 60 Young Girls in Online Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Winona man has been sentenced to 324 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in an online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 31, used social media apps, including Snapchat and Instagram, to threaten, sexually manipulate, and exploit more than 60 young girls primarily between 9 and 12 years old in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Zealand and elsewhere. Quintana, who knew that most of the girls were between 9 and 12 years of age, used fake identities and lied about his age in communications with the girls, often posing as a minor girl himself. He used images and videos of youthful appearing girls to make his communications with other victims more believable.
According to court documents, Quintana used a wide range of tactics to coerce his victims, sometimes by convincing young girls that he was their friend or romantic partner, or by offering them money. But most frequently, he convinced young girls to send him a sexual photo or video or covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then threatened to send the first image to their friends and family unless the girls produced ever more graphic sexual images and videos for him. He continued this type of sextortion even as his victims wept and begged him to stop.
Quintana was sentenced on February 5, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell after previously pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride prosecuted the case.
Wethersfield Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Oxycodone to Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMMY LASSUS, 40, of Wethersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and oxycodone to an overdose victim.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of October 6, 2023, Meriden Police responded to a residence on a report of a suspected overdose and found a 27-year-old woman unresponsive in a bedroom. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The investigation revealed that for several months before the victim’s death, the victim engaged in numerous drug-related text message conversations with Lassus. The text messages revealed that Lassus supplied the victim with oxycodone, and that he supplied her with fentanyl that she ingested in the hours before she died. The victim stated in text messages and in a journal entry that it was her first time using fentanyl.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s death to be caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, benzodiazepines, xylazine, and oxycodone.
Lassus has been detained since his arrest on April 11, 2024. On September 30, 2024, he pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and oxycodone.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Keefe and Reed Durham.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Obtains $162,500 Settlement Compensating Victim of Fair Housing Act DiscriminationRead the Press Release
HONOLULU - Kenneth M. Sorenson, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, announced a settlement of $162,500 resolving the United States’ lawsuit under the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) against Kailua Village Condominium Association (“Kailua Village”), its Managing Agent, Associa Hawaii, the sellers of a Kailua Village condominium unit, and the sellers’ realtor.
The lawsuit alleged that the defendants discriminated against an individual with paraplegia (the “Complainant”) who attempted to purchase a condominium unit at Kailua Village, a 54-unit condominium complex in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in or around October 2021. The Complainant was living at the condominium unit pursuant to an early occupancy agreement during the escrow period. According to the Complaint filed by the United States, the defendants unlawfully denied the Complainant’s requests for an accessible parking space, a temporary ramp to access his condominium unit, and installation of an accessible toilet at his own expense. This discrimination, as well as certain verbal harassment, allegedly caused the Complainant to withdraw from the purchase and move out of the condominium unit.
The FHA makes it unlawful to discriminate in the terms and conditions of the sale or rental of, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling based on the prospective buyer or renter’s disability. The FHA also mandates that reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, and services be provided when necessary to afford equal housing opportunities to persons with disabilities.
The Complainant filed a discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). HUD’s investigation determined that reasonable cause existed to believe that illegal discriminatory housing practices had occurred. The Complainant subsequently exercised his right to proceed to federal court with the dispute, thereby triggering the statutory requirement that the Department of Justice file suit on the Complainant’s behalf.
The case was resolved by two Consent Decrees approved by the federal district court in October 2024 and January 2025. Pursuant to the Consent Decrees, the defendants will pay the Complainant $162,500 in damages and are required to complete FHA training. Additionally, Kailua Village is required to adopt a Department of Justice-approved reasonable accommodation and modification policy, and for a period of two years, Kailua Village and Associa Hawaii must comply with certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements to ensure FHA compliance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sydney Spector and Dana Barbata, in partnership with the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, litigated the matter.
Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination may submit a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov, or may contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or www.hud.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York Collected over $400 Million in Asset Forfeiture Actions in FY 2024Read the Press Release
United States Attorney John J. Durham announced today that the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) collected over $400 million in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, ranking the EDNY first among all 93 districts in the country. Forfeiture recoveries are generally derived from warrants and forfeiture orders against illegal proceeds generated by, among other things, transnational criminal organizations and cartels; financial frauds; bribery and political corruption; cybercriminals; and those who violate the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions (OFAC).
“The forfeiture of criminal assets is an important tool used by law enforcement to deter crime and punish wrongdoers by depriving them of their ill-gotten gains,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “To the extent possible, forfeited funds are used to compensate victims of crime. That my Office collected the largest dollar amount of asset forfeiture of all U.S. Attorney’s Offices is a testament to the hard work and exceptional dedication of our prosecutors and professional staff in carrying out their mission to do justice, compensate victims, and hold defendants accountable for their crimes.”
In certain circumstances, forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund can be used to compensate victims of crimes, and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
In addition to the asset forfeiture recoveries, EDNY collected a total of $333,368,879.70 in judgments and other debts on behalf of victims and the government in FY 2024 in criminal and civil actions filed in the district and in cases in which the Office worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice. Of this amount, $303,583,835.60 was collected in criminal cases and $29,785,044.11 in civil cases.
FY 2024 Forfeiture Highlights
In March 2024, Gunvor S.A. (Gunvor), a part of the Gunvor Group, one of the largest commodities trading firms in the world, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The charge arose out of a scheme to bribe officials of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Petroecuador, the Ecuadorian state-owned oil company, in order to obtain contracts to purchase oil products. In exchange for these bribe payments, high-level Ecuadorian officials helped Gunvor win contracts to provide a series of oil-backed loans to Petroecuador. Following the plea, United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano sentenced Gunvor to pay a criminal monetary penalty of more than $374 million and to forfeit more than $287 million in ill-gotten gains.
In October 2023, as previously ordered by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen, $100,189,754.61 was forfeited from a Swiss bank account held by Datisa S.A. As proven at two separate trials, Datisa was a corrupt corporate entity that paid and promised to pay millions of dollars in bribes to top soccer officials to secure the media and marketing rights to the 2016 Copa America Centenario, a soccer tournament played in stadiums throughout the United States. This forfeiture is part of the larger investigation of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which exposed corruption throughout world soccer and has resulted in over 30 felony convictions and guilty pleas, and the recovery of over $200 million in forfeiture funds.Two convicted in Eastern District of Texas COVID fraud schemeRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Collin County man and a Floridian have been convicted of federal violations related to a COVID fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Cord Dean Newman, 47, of Homosassa, Florida, and Eric “Phoenix” Marascio, 53, of Allen, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on February 6, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Newman, a Hollywood stuntman, and Marascio, an author and baker, were convicted for their involvement in a multimillion-dollar loan fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The evidence at trial showed they were involved in a scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by applying for and obtaining fraudulent PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once Newman and Marascio obtained the loans, they used the funds in a manner inconsistent with the program, including to invest in foreign exchange currency markets, to purchase vehicles, and for various other non-business-related expenditures.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program was an SBA program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.
The defendants each face up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Texas.
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Three People Charged in Commercial Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Edward Joseph Chmiel, 49, Henry Lozano, 43, and Sabino Loera, 51, have been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering arising out of a scheme to submit fraudulent invoices to a contractor providing services for a Colorado electrical utility.
Loera and Lozano made their initial appearances in federal court on February 10. Chmiel is expected to have his initial appearance later this month. According to the criminal information, Chmiel and Loera worked for a company providing electrical contracting services to a utility company in Colorado. Lozano owned a company providing trucking and hauling services. In August 2018, the three agreed that Lozano’s company would provide those services in exchange for kickback payments to Chmiel and Loera. To generate the money that would pay the kickbacks, the three schemed to submit false invoices from Lozano’s company to Chmiel and Loera’s. Once Lozano was paid for those invoices, Loera would direct Lozano to issue checks to a network of 15 other people. Those people cashed the checks and then gave the cash to Chmiel and Loera. Between August 2018 and June 2020, the false invoices generated approximately $1,495,781.51 in kickback proceeds.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the FBI Denver Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sonia Dave and Bryan Fields.
Case Number: 25-cr-00024-RMR
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years for Role in Fraud Scheme to Obtain Titles to VehiclesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jonathan Daniels (46, St. Petersburg) to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Daniels was found guilty at trial on February 10, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Daniels and his co-conspirators were involved in a fraud scheme to strip bank liens from more than 100 vehicles and obtain clear titles to the vehicles, thus depriving the financial institutions and the owners from their rights to the vehicles. The conspirators submitted fraudulent and counterfeit documents and fake certified mail receipts to Florida tax collector offices to make it look like the vehicles had towing and storage liens, which enabled the conspirators to obtain clear titles to the vehicles and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for profit.
“The Secret Service is proud to partner with the U.S Postal Inspection Service and the Florida Highway Patrol,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel of the United States Secret Service – Tampa Field Office. “The results of this investigation are a testament to strong partnerships across the law enforcement community. The Secret Service remains committed to investigating those who engage in crimes that exploit our financial system.”
Steven Hodges, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division stated, “The U. S. Postal Inspection Service will aggressively investigate individuals who engage in fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public and our financial institutions. We are committed to working with our partner law enforcement agencies to bring justice to those looking to uses fraudulent means for personal gain. Criminals must understand there are consequences for their actions.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
St. Charles Man Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay $170,500 to Child Pornography VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man from St. Charles, Missouri to 72 months in prison and ordered him to pay $170,500 in restitution to victims who appeared in the child sexual abuse material he collected.
Judge Fleissig also fined Brian Larkin $10,000 and ordered him to pay a $20,000 assessment that will go to child pornography victims. After his release from prison, Larkin will be on supervised release for life.
Larkin, now 54, pleaded guilty in October to one felony count of receiving child pornography. He admitted possessing over 972 image files and 962 video files containing child sexual abuse material on a thumb drive that he kept in a safe.
The investigation began in September of 2023, when the FBI’s St. Louis office learned of Larkin’s chat room communications about child sexual exploitation. Larkin had also been the subject of two Cyber Tipline Reports to the National Center for Exploited & Missing Children reporting that he’d used Kik Messenger to upload a total of five files containing child pornography.
During a Nov. 29, 2023, court-approved search of Larkin’s home, agents found the thumb drive in a gun safe.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Florida Car Dealer Turned Carjacker Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal judge has sentenced 59-year-old Erik Hadad to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release after a federal jury convicted him of carjacking a customer of the car dealership that Hadad operated with his sons.
In October 2023, Hadad’s car dealership, Guru Auto Sales, sold a salvaged 2020 Honda Accord to a 24-year-old Haitian legal immigrant (the victim). The sale terms bound the victim to pay $30,000 over five years at annual 24.22% interest rate. When Guru Auto closed the deal, it sold the loan to a finance company for a lump sum payment of about $13,800. The sale, however, allowed the finance company to claw back its lump sum to Guru Auto if the car buyer was late on either of his first two payments.
When the victim was late on payment one, the finance company enforced the claw-back provision, demanding that Guru Auto return roughly $13,000. The finance company also informed Guru Auto that it had no legal right to the 2020 Honda Accord and could not demand payment from the buyer or repossess the vehicle until Guru Auto paid the money back.
On Dec. 19, 2023, five days after Guru Auto received the finance company’s clawback demand and after the victim had caught up on his payments, Hadad staked out the victim’s home. When the victim left his home, he entered his 2020 Honda and began driving to Miami International Airport, where he works as a baggage loader and bathroom cleaner. Hadad followed the victim in a BMW, tailgating him down the highway. When the two cars exited the highway and reached a red light, Hadad got out of the BMW, approached the Honda, ripped off the car’s temporary paper tag, and yelled at the victim to get out of the car. The victim drove away; Hadad jumped back inside the BMW and followed. When they reached a train station, Hadad completed the carjacking: Hadad again approached the victim and demanded that he surrender the key to his Honda. This time, Hadad lifted his shirt and flashed a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol holstered in his waistband. The victim turned over his keys and later called police. Officers arrested the armed Hadad on-scene.
United States District Judge K. Michael Moore imposed the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division made the announcement.
ATF Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Keller and Brianna Coakley prosecuted it.
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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20220.
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South Carolina Woman Sentenced for Money Laundering in Relation to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Anna Marie Omar, 51, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and ordered to pay $23,410.60 in restitution for money laundering by engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. Omar admitted that she fraudulently obtained a $20,833 PPP loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2021, Omar applied for a PPP forgivable loan while living in Bluefield, West Virginia. PPP loans were available to qualifying independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other expenses. Omar admitted that she falsely represented that she was an independent contractor, that she had earned $152,000 in gross income in that capacity during tax year 2020, that she earned that income while working for a water processing business, and that she had been in business since 2010. Omar further admitted that she obtained the COVID-19 relief money for her own personal use.
A PPP lender approved Omar’s loan application and deposited $20,833 in loan proceeds into Omar’s personal checking account on May 17, 2021. Omar admitted that she transferred $12,216.70 of the loan proceeds from her personal checking account to her personal savings account the following day.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), Homeland Security Investigations, the Horry County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office and the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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. 1:24-cr-36.
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Smyrna Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Peter Allen Snyder, 43, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was sentenced last Thursday to 20 years in federal prison after having pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Snyder also is required to register as a sex offender.
“One of our office’s highest priorities is the aggressive prosecution of crimes against children,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “We will seek to hold these criminals accountable in order to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
According to court records, on November 21, 2019, Snyder created at least nine sexually explicit images of the Minor Victim on his cell phone which depicted her naked from the waist down. Snyder’s hand was visible in one of the images. Snyder later distributed these photographs through the internet. The creation and distribution of these sexually explicit images came to light in December 2021, when Yahoo submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The CyberTip contained twenty-five images of child sexual abuse material, including nine of the Minor Victim, which had been sent by e-mail from a Russian-based e-mail service, with the subject header reading “Trade.”
The images of the Minor Victim contained gps data confirming the images were produced at or near the vicinity of Snyder’s residence in Cannon County. These images also included data about the cell phone used to create the sexually explicit images of the Minor Victim. When Snyder was questioned about the cell phone following his arrest, he said he had disposed of it at a recycling kiosk.
After serving his sentence, Snyder will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Woodbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case.
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Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
A woman who violated multiple firearm laws pled guilty on February 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Maria Francisca Portalatin, age 53, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, one count of making false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of straw purchase of firearms, and one count of concealing a person from arrest.
In a plea agreement, Portalatin admitted that in April of 2023, she knowingly made false statements and representations on ATF forms to Dunham’s Sports Store in Sioux City in connection with her acquisition of multiple firearms. Portalatin later admitted to law enforcement in April of 2023, she was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and purchased the firearms for Freddie Summerville who she knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
In January of 2024, Sioux City Police stopped a car being driven by Summerville but owned by Portalatin. One of the firearms was located in the vehicle.
In March of 2024, Portalatin purchased two more firearms and, once again, lied on the ATF forms regarding her address, drug use and intended recipient of the firearms.
In June of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the address Portalatin listed on the forms and located the four firearms she had purchased. During an interview with law enforcement, Portalatin admitted she lied on the ATF forms and that she was aware that Freddie Summerville was wanted on a federal warrant.
In July of 2024, Portalatin and Summerville were stopped in a vehicle near Sioux Falls. Subsequently, in an interview with law enforcement she admitted they were smoking methamphetamine and that she had helped harbor and conceal Summerville.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Portalatin remains free on bond previously set. Portalatin faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-04053.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Phillip Plummer, 42, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty February 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school, and another count of distributing methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that between 2022 and May 2023, Plummer and others conspired to distribute more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Plummer admitted to distributing methamphetamine on seven separate occasions to an individual cooperating with law enforcement, four of said occasions occurred within 1,000 feet of schools, namely, Mater Dei Elementary School and Hunt Elementary School in Sioux City. Evidence further showed that during a search warrant at Plummer’s residence in May 2023, law enforcement seized approximately one half-pound of meth, two (2) bags of medicated Jolly Rancher Gummies containing 600mg of THC and two (2) vape pens. Plummer intended to sell some or all of the controlled substances to others in the area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Plumer remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Plummer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by 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 the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4069. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Salvadoran National Sentenced on Reentry of Removed AliensRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Carlos Vides-Torres, age 46, a native of El Salvador, was sentenced on February 7, 2025, to time-served, by United States District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for one count of reentry of removed aliens.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Vides-Torres was discovered on September 10, 2022, in Bradford County, having been arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police for driving under the influence of alcohol. Vides-Torres was previously removed from the United States in 2008, and twice in 2011, and had not sought or obtained permission to reenter the United States.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted the case.
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Romanian National Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Severin Bombu (35, Romania) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Bombu pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024.
According to court documents, Bombu is a citizen and national of Romania. He was previously removed from the United States on three prior occasions: November 16, 2018, December 20, 2023, and March 2, 2024. Bombu was found voluntarily back in the United States on November 1, 2024, when he was arrested in Marion County on an outstanding grand theft warrant. Bombu has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Rapid City Man Arrested on Federal Charges for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.
A federal grand jury indicted Jerry Lamont, age 60, in January 2025. He appeared before Daneta L. Wollmann on February 7, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for receiving child pornography is a mandatory minimum term of five years up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count of conviction. Restitution may also be ordered.
Between January and December 2024, Lamont is alleged to have uploaded at least four pictures and 22 videos of child pornography into his Dropbox cloud storage account. The child pornography depicted children, some as young as toddlers, being sexually abused.
The charges are merely accusations, and Lamont is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox is prosecuting the case.
Lamont was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has been set for April 15, 2025.
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Kenneth J. Ward, Jr. pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with threatening to assault and murder a United States District Judge (the District Judge). Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge John P. Cronan sitting by designation. When sentenced, Ward faces up to 10 years in prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“The judges and other court officials who work every day to keep our country safe and uphold the rule of law should not have to fear for their lives for doing their jobs,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Threatening judges strikes at the very heart of our system. This Office has no tolerance for violence or threats of violence against public servants. We will prosecute offenders like the defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Durham praised the outstanding work of the United States Marshals Service on the case.
The charge is based on Ward’s threat at a telephone status conference in his pro se civil action, which was filed in federal court in Brooklyn. Ward’s civil case was assigned to the District Judge, who ultimately dismissed most of Ward’s claims. On July 15, 2024, Ward participated in a telephonic conference in connection with his case. During that conference, which was recorded, the defendant became angry and threatened to choke the District Judge “to death.” “And that’s on the f---ing – on the record,” Ward stated. At the plea hearing, Ward admitted that he made the threat in retaliation for the judge’s ruling against him in his civil case.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
KENNETH J. WARD JR.
Age: 59
Glendale, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-401
Prison Officer Falsely Claiming Military Heroism Sentenced for Smuggling Methamphetamine into Hays State Prison and Taking BribesRead the Press Release
Rome, Ga. -- Nicholas Grindle was sentenced today for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and bribery. During his sentencing hearing, Grindle was challenged for asking the Court for mercy based on false claims that he had been injured in combat during his military service.
“Grindle violated his oath of office by smuggling drugs into a prison he swore to protect,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “He then compounded this crime by lying about his military service.”“It’s alarming to think that this prison guard was brazen enough to distribute dangerous drugs and other contraband,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “He must now face the consequences.”
“The GDC does not tolerate actions of individuals who choose to bring discredit to the values of our agency and put their fellow officers at risk,” said Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections. “We appreciate the support of our federal partners in ensuring that justice will be served, and we are proud of those officers involved who were diligent in stopping further introduction of dangerous contraband into one of our facilities.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: While employed as a guard at Hays State Prison, Grindle smuggled methamphetamine and other contraband to inmates for over a month in late 2023 and early 2024. Grindle was caught by fellow officers after they searched his locker and located methamphetamine, cell phones, and other contraband he planned to distribute within the prison. A review of his financial records also showed that he was receiving bribery payments from inmates to bring drugs and other contraband into the prison.
Grindle had previously deployed to Afghanistan while in the United States Army. During his sentencing hearing Grindle falsely told the Court that, while in Afghanistan, he had been stabbed in the shoulder by a Taliban fighter and killed the fighter with his pistol. A review of Grindle’s military records as well as multiple letters submitted to the Court by former members of his unit demonstrated that his claims of heroism and sustaining an injury in combat were false.
Grindle, 32, of Summerville, Georgia, was sentenced by United States District Judge William M. Ray, II, to 87 months of confinement, followed by three years of supervised release. Grindle was convicted on these charges on November 21, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, and the Lookout Mountain, Georgia, Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III 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) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Phobos Ransomware Affiliates Arrested in Coordinated International DisruptionRead the Press Release
Note: View the superseding indictment here.
Phobos Ransomware Group Alleged to have Attacked Over 1,000 Victims Worldwide
The Justice Department today unsealed criminal charges against Roman Berezhnoy, 33, and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, 39, both Russian nationals, who allegedly operated a cybercrime group using the Phobos ransomware that victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities in the United States and around the world and received over $16 million in ransom payments. Berezhnoy and Glebov were arrested this week as part of a coordinated international disruption of their organization, which includes additional arrests and the technical disruption of the group’s computer infrastructure.
From May 2019, through at least October 2024, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly caused victims to suffer losses resulting from the loss of access to their data in addition to the financial losses associated with the ransomware payments. The victims included a children’s hospital, health care providers, and educational institutions.
8Base Seizure BannerAccording to court documents, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others operated a ransomware affiliate organization, including under the names "8Base" and "Affiliate 2803," among others, that victimized public and private entities through the deployment of Phobos ransomware.
As part of the scheme, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly hacked into victim computer networks, copied and stole files and programs on the victims' network, and encrypted the original versions of the stolen data with Phobos ransomware. The conspirators then allegedly extorted the victims for ransom payments in exchange for the decryption keys to regain access to the encrypted data by, among other things, leaving a ransom note on compromised victim computers and separately reaching out to victims to initiate ransom payment negotiations.
As alleged, the conspirators also threatened to expose victims’ stolen files to the public or to the victims’ clients, customers, or constituents if the ransoms were not paid. The conspirators are further alleged to have established and operated a darknet website where they repeated their extortionate threats and ultimately published the stolen data if a victim failed to pay the ransom.
After a successful Phobos ransomware attack, criminal affiliates paid fees to Phobos administrators for a decryption key to regain access to the encrypted files. Each deployment of Phobos ransomware was assigned a unique alphanumeric string in order to match it to the corresponding decryption key, and each affiliate was directed to pay the decryption key fee to a cryptocurrency wallet unique to that affiliate.
The charges unsealed today against Berezhnoy and Glebov follow the recent arrest and extradition of Evgenii Ptitsyn, a Russian national, on charges relating to his alleged administration of the Phobos ransomware variant.
In parallel with this week’s arrests, Europol and German authorities have announced an international operation involving the FBI and other international law enforcement partners to disrupt over 100 servers associated with this criminal network.
Berezhnoy and Glebov are charged in an 11-count indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, three counts of causing intentional damage to protected computers, three counts of extortion in relation to damage to a protected computer, one count of transmitting a threat to impair the confidentiality of stolen data, and one count of unauthorized access and obtaining information from a protected computer. If convicted, Berezhnoy and Glebov face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud-related count; 10 years in prison on each computer damage count; and five years in prison on each of the other counts. 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, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Thailand, Finland, Switzerland, and Romania, as well as Europol and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, for their cooperation and coordination with the Phobos ransomware investigation. The National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided valuable assistance.
Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Former CCIPS Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Jeffrey J. Izant for the District of Maryland provided substantial assistance.
Additional details on protecting networks against Phobos ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov, including Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisory AA24-060A.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Passaic County Man Charged with Threatening Flight Attendants on an AirplaneRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey man was arrested for threatening flight attendants and crew members during an incident in which he refused to comply with flight attendant instructions, banged on the cockpit door, and called out and threatened the captain before being escorted off the flight by law enforcement to Newark Liberty International Airport, Acting United States Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Luis A. Vaquero, 27, of Passaic County, New Jersey, was charged by complaint in Newark federal court with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark, New Jersey federal court, and was released.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On February 9, 2025, shortly after taking off on a flight from Miami, Florida, Vaquero began threatening and harassing various passengers, including making threats of physical violence toward a disabled minor and mocking a group of Jewish passengers. Vaquero also threatened a flight crew member who declined to serve Vaquero alcohol after the beverage service window closed, telling her, “You better watch out, shit’s gonna happen to you.” Upon landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, flight attendants alerted law enforcement. After hearing the announcement that the airplane was awaiting the arrival of law enforcement, Vaquero forced his way to the front of the plane and began banging on the flight deck door, demanding, “I need the pilot to come outside!” When a flight attendant attempted to intervene, Vaquero yelled, “I will really break your fuckin’ jaw n***a!” Vaquero also yelled, “I wanna see that fuckin’ captain! Come outside you bitch ass n***a!” When the captain emerged, Vaquero continued to make threats to the captain while six inches from his face until law enforcement intervened.
“The defendant is charged with threatening flight crew members and passengers while traveling to Newark. We are committed to keeping the skies safe for flying and will prosecute those who criminally interfere with the professionals responsible for ensuring passenger safety.”
Acting United States Attorney Vikas Khanna
“Over the course of a 3-hour flight, we allege Vaquero lost his temper and physically harassed not only the crew and captain, but passengers, making threats of physical violence toward a disabled minor and mocking a group of Jewish passenger.” Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said. “It all culminated in a terrifying attack and attempted breach of the flight deck when witnesses say he banged on the cockpit door and confronted the pilot. The harrowing flight and other similar incidents onboard airplanes recently are creating tension and fear for fliers and crew members. FBI Newark has a warning for those who think it may not be a big deal—they're breaking federal law, and they will be brought to justice.”
The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Vikas 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. He also thanked the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent of Police Edward T. Cetnar, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering & Recovery Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Adalgiza A. Nunez, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
vaquero.complaint.pdfOhio Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution.
From about September to October 2023, Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl. During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone.
The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Mitchell Inscho, age 36, a resident of Belvidere, New Jersey, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Karoline Mehalchick, for attempted online enticement of a minor.
According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between July 17, 2023 and October 26, 2023, Inscho used the internet and cell phone to request a person who he believed to be a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual conduct, and to produce images of child pornography. During that period, on multiple occasions, Inscho sent obscene photographs of himself to the purported child through social media. On March 13, 2024, Homeland Security agents served a federal search warrant at Inscho’s residence in Belvidere, New Jersey. Pursuant to the warrant, agents seized and later analyzed his cell phones and computers. The forensic analysis uncovered approximately 150 images of child pornography on Inscho’s devices.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations – Philadelphia Division, Allentown RAC. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson 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.
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New Jersey CPA Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A New Jersey accountant was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in the promotion and sale of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ralph Anderson was a CPA and return preparer working for accounting firms in New Jersey and New York. From approximately 2013 to 2019, Anderson promoted and sold tax deductions to his high-income clients in the form of units in illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created by convicted co-conspirators Jack Fisher and James Sinnott.
Anderson knew that, contrary to law, the transactions related to these illegal tax shelters lacked economic substance and that his high-income clients purchased units at his recommendation only to obtain a tax deduction on their tax returns. The charitable deductions purchased by clients were derived from the donation of land with a conservation easement or the land itself to a charity, and the deductions were based on fraudulently inflated appraisals for the donated land. Anderson and the promoters promised the clients a so-called ratio of “4.5 to 1” in charitable deductions for every dollar paid into the tax shelter.
In some instances, to make it appear that his clients had joined the partnerships before the date of the conservation easement donation — which was necessary to claim the tax benefits — Anderson and his co-conspirators also instructed and caused clients to falsely backdate documents, including subscription agreements and checks related to the partnerships. Each year from 2013 to 2019, Anderson and his co-conspirators assisted clients with claiming these false deductions on their tax returns.
In total, Anderson assisted in preparing tax returns for clients that claimed over $9.3 million in false charitable deductions based on backdated documents, which caused a tax loss to the United States of nearly $3 million.
Between approximately 2016 and 2019, Anderson earned over $300,000 in commissions for promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to his clients. Anderson also claimed false tax deductions for charitable contributions generated from the syndicated conservation easement tax shelters he received as “free units” on his own returns and fraudulently reduced his own taxes on the income he earned from the scheme.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp for the District of New Jersey ordered Anderson to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,543,005.53 in total restitution to the IRS and Small Business Administration.
After being convicted on all counts after a trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Anderson’s co-conspirators, Jack Fisher and James Sinnott, were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively. Nine additional defendants pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to the syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme. These other defendants include appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts and Certified Public Accountants Stein Agee, Corey Agee, James Benkoil, Victor Smith, Herbert Lewis and William Tomasello. In addition, attorneys Randall Lenz and Vi Bui pleaded guilty to their roles in this scheme. The fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme created and promoted by Fisher and Sinnott resulted in over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions and caused over $400 million in total tax loss to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin and Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division prosecuted the case with assistance from former Tax Division Trial Attorney Nicholas Schilling and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Mexican National Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Possessing Heroin with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Angel Beltran-Chaidez, 69, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to two years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in January 2022, at the direction of his brother Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, 55, also a Mexican national, Beltran delivered more than 2 pounds of heroin to Jorge Calderon-Campos, 44, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, for distribution. However, when Calderon-Campos was unable to sell the drug, Beltran retrieved it from Calderon-Campos and was in possession of the heroin when stopped by a CHP officer for a traffic violation.
Calderon-Campos and Antonio Beltran-Chaidez previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to eight years and one month in prison and three years and 10 months in prison, respectively.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
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, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican National Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Moises Moreno-Godinez (35, Mexico) to 21 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Moreno-Godinez entered a guilty plea on October 31, 2024.
According to court documents, Moreno-Godinez was convicted of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on August 15, 2013, and deported from the United States to Mexico. Following his deportation, Moreno-Godinez illegally reentered the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.
Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Miguel Gomez-Rosales (40, Mexico) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Gomez-Rosales entered a guilty plea on November 13, 2024.
According to court documents, Gomez-Rosales was convicted of lewd or lascivious battery on July 16, 2012, and deported from the United States to Mexico. Following his deportation, Gomez-Rosales illegally reentered the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.
Macoupin County Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Possession of Firearms as a FelonRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Chad Dickerson, 34, of Brighton, Illinois, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, to 36 months of imprisonment for possessing a firearm as a felon, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that Dickerson possessed four firearms and noted that all four were fully loaded.
Dickerson pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024.
The statutory penalties for possession of firearm by a felon are up to 15 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Dickerson 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.
Kissimmee Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Raul Rodriguez-Jimenez (37, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Rodriguez-Jimenez faces a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, between December 13, 2023, and August 29, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration used an undercover agent to conduct five controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Rodriguez-Jimenez. On February 9, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rodriguez-Jimenez’s residence and located more than 1,700 grams of cocaine and over 230 grams of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
Jury Finds Cousins Guilty of 2021 Mayfair Mansions MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury today found Deangelo Glover, 33, and Ronnie Wallace, 48, both of Washington, D.C., guilty of murder and other charges related to the January 19, 2021, murder of Tyrone Wright, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wallace was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for Wright’s murder, plus one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for shooting a second victim, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.
Glover was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. Superior Court Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for May 2, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, on Tuesday January 19, 2021, in a parking lot in front of 3804 Hayes Street NE within the Mayfair Mansions Apartment complex, Ronnie Wallace shot the decedent, Tyrone Wright on belief that Mr. Wright was one of the persons responsible for his brother Marcus Wallace’s murder. In the process, a bystander was shot a single time in the leg. Within moments of Wallace’s initial shots, his cousin and co-defendant Deangelo Glover, ran out of an adjacent building and shot Mr. Wright repeatedly, ending his life.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Coronado and Matthew Covert.
Jefferson County felon sentenced for federal gun violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Demond Maurice Barnes, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on June 15, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a minor automobile accident in Port Arthur. While in route, officers received information from callers that one of the drivers had a firearm in his possession. Upon arrival, officers observed a red Ford Mustang that had backed into another vehicle. The driver of the Mustang, identified as Barnes, was unconscious in the driver’s seat, unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. When Barnes was removed from the vehicle, officers discovered he was sitting on a semi-automatic pistol. Further investigation revealed Barnes to be a convicted felon having been previously convicted in Louisiana of possession of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Barnes was prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was 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.
This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Illinois Man Indicted in Connection with Gold Bullion ScamRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Harmish Patel, age 26, of Streamwood, Illinois, was indicted last week for his role in a gold bullion scam that victimized an elderly couple in Rensselaer County.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that from December 1, 2023, to March 29, 2024, Patel conspired with others to transport across state lines gold bullion that had been taken by fraud, and that he transported gold bullion taken by fraud from New York to New Jersey on December 15, 2023, January 4, 2024, and January 15, 2024. According to the previously filed criminal complaint, Patel picked up gold bullion from an elderly couple in Brunswick, New York; the couple had been defrauded in a scam. The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges filed against Patel carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving elders can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
Illegal alien gang member and felon gets significant sentence for reentering USRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 48-year-old Mexican Mafia prison gang member has been ordered to federal prison after illegally being in the country again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Luis Regalado-Solis pleaded guilty June 5, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed an 84-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, Regalado-Solis is expected to again face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court noted his prior federal felony convictions for transporting aliens and trafficking drugs in the United States, further commenting that he had also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to assault eight members of a rival gang at a detention facility in August 2023. Judge Saldaña noted that the assault was particularly serious because Regalado-Solis used a shank to commit it.
“This is a clear example of why border security is so essential,” said Ganjei. “People with this type of criminal history and affiliation should not be allowed to illegally enter the country and establish themselves. We will be working diligently together with our partners to identify similar offenders, prosecute them and seek their removal from our country.”
Regalado-Solis had most recently been removed from the United States March 2, 2021, after serving a sentence for a previous illegal reentry after removal conviction and violation of supervised release. However, authorities encountered him March 29, 2023, in the McKendrick Ranch area near Laredo.
He has other convictions for illegal reentry, as well as possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute it and transporting an illegal alien for private financial gain, for which he had been previously sentenced and removed from the United States.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing on his other case and ultimate transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Homero Ramirez and Bryan Oliver prosecuted this case.
IRS, Postal Employees Indicted for Stealing U.S. Treasury CheckRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Employees with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service are among three defendants who have been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing and cashing a U.S. Treasury check.
Sierra S. McCall, 31, of Independence, Mo., Jalen Koonce, 31, of Raytown, Mo., and Julian A. King, 31, address unknown, were charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, Feb. 6. The indictment was unsealed and made public following Koonce’s arrest and initial court appearance on Friday, Feb. 7.
McCall is employed by the IRS as a customer contact representative. Koonce is employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the sorting facility where government checks are processed.
The federal indictment charges McCall, Koonce, and King together in one count of the theft of government property. The indictment alleges they aided and abetted each other to steal and cash a $72,236 U.S. Treasury check on Aug. 9, 2023.
The indictment also charges Koonce and King each with one count of money laundering related to financial transactions on Aug. 9, 2023, that involved the proceeds of the theft of government property.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.
Humboldt County Woman Charged with Embezzling over $500,000 from Construction Company EmployerRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Christina Ann Mobley, also known as Kris Mobley, 58, on charges that she defrauded her former employer, a construction company located in Fortuna, Calif.
According to an indictment filed Feb. 5, 2025, Mobley was employed as the business manager for a Fortuna construction company. When the company’s bookkeeper retired, Mobley took on the accounting and bookkeeping duties, including inputting entries into the company’s accounting software and assisting with bill payments, payroll taxes, employee health benefits, government contracts, and other tasks.
The company maintained an account at a bank and had several business credit cards through the bank for its employees. It also held a business credit card at another bank, where Mobley maintained at least two personal credit card accounts. The indictment describes that Mobley’s scheme to defraud took on several forms. Mobley allegedly directed checks mailed from the company’s bank account to be applied to the accounts for her personal credit cards; issued electronic payments of company funds to her personal credit cards; misused the company’s credit card for personal expenses such as cash advances at casinos and personal travel; wrote checks from the company to herself; inflated her vacation time, work hours, and bonuses in the company’s payroll system; and issued duplicate payroll checks and unearned bonus payments to herself. Between January 2022 and November 2024, Mobley allegedly embezzled more than $500,000 from her employer.
The indictment charges Mobley with three counts of mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and seven counts of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Mobley made an initial appearance in federal district court in McKinleyville, Calif., this morning, and was released on bond with conditions set by the Court. Mobley is next scheduled to appear on Feb. 26, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin made the announcement.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Mobley faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343, a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions, and forfeiture and restitution. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Barry is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Christina Ann Mobley Indictment
Honduran National Sentenced to 12 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mainor Danilo Alcerro (39, Honduras) to 12 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Alcerro pled guilty on November 21, 2024.
According to court documents, Alcerro is a citizen and national of Honduras. He was previously removed from the United States on three prior occasions: June 22, 2010, February 12, 2018, June 1, 2018. Afterward, he was found voluntarily back in the United States on September 22, 2024, when he was arrested by local law enforcement in Lake County, Florida. Alcerro has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Homestead Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machinegun, Trafficking Drugs, and Other Offenses While on Federal Supervised Release for Prior Conviction; Plea Agreement Calls for Sentence of 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws and agreed that later this year he will be sentenced to 35 years in prison, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Erik Addison, 28, pleaded guilty to four counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, including possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, possession of a machinegun, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on May 8, 2023, law enforcement in Pittsburgh attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Addison when he fled police and then abandoned and ran from the vehicle. Addison was pursued, detained, and arrested, with a police video camera recording the defendant in possession of a firearm later determined to be a Glock 19 9mm pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock switch, intended to convert a weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Investigators also recovered from Addison two cell phones, more than $3,200 in cash, and car keys.
A search of the vehicle registered to Addison revealed a black bag containing 28 bricks of fentanyl, a 31 round 9mm Glock magazine, and Addison’s state ID card. The suspected fentanyl was confirmed, by laboratory testing, to consist of fentanyl as well as a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Addison’s cell phone contained extensive evidence of Addison’s drug trafficking and knowledge of Glock switches, including entries in which he described having such firearms. At the time of the offenses to which Addison pleaded guilty, he was serving a term of supervised release following his conviction for a prior federal firearms offense in 2021. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
In addition to the federal charges, Addison is also facing charges in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas stemming from his conduct on May 8, 2023. On October 2, 2023, while detained at the Allegheny County Jail awaiting trial on his state and federal charges, Addison was found in possession of ABD-Butanica, a synthetic cannabinoid and Schedule I controlled substance.
“Erik Addison’s blatant disregard for the law by possessing a dangerous firearm in connection with illegal fentanyl trafficking while on federal supervised release for a prior conviction and then, possessing another controlled substance while incarcerated on those charges, demonstrates the need to have dangerous criminals like him off of our streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “Today’s plea is a testament to the good work of our law enforcement partners in helping to bring violent traffickers such as Addison to justice.”
“Armed with fentanyl, heroin, and a pistol converted into a dangerous machinegun via an illegal ‘switch,’ this defendant was a deadly threat to his neighborhood,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Stopping criminals from endangering our communities with illegal firearms is a top ATF priority. We thank our local partners for their diligence and courage in this apprehension, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office’s support as we work to make our communities safer.”
“We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in moving this case to a resolution,” said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns. “These violent incidents leave a lasting impact throughout our community, and only strengthen our commitment to work with our local and federal partners to keep dangerous, illegal weapons off our streets.”
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2025. As to the most serious offense, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, the law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of imprisonment with a maximum possible sentence of life, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and Brendan T. Conway are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation and prosecution of Addison was the result of a collaborative effort between the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Police Department, and Edgewood Borough Police Department.
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.
Guilty Plea in Hacking of the SEC’s X Account That Caused Bitcoin Value SpikeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Council, 25, of Athens, Alabama, entered a guilty plea today to one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft in United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Council was arrested on October 17, 2024, in connection with his role in a conspiracy to hack into the X account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and publish fraudulent posts in the name of the then-SEC Chairman.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division.
Council’s plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the District of Columbia. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. His sentencing is scheduled for May 16, 2025.
According to court documents, from at least January 2024, Council conspired with others to carry out Subscriber Identity Model (SIM) attacks, commonly referred to as “SIM swaps,” in exchange for money.
A SIM card is a chip that stores information identifying and authenticating a cell phone subscriber and connects a physical cell phone to a mobile carrier’s cellular and data network. A SIM swap attack is a form of sophisticated fraud where criminal actors fraudulently induce a mobile carrier to reassign a mobile phone number from a victim’s SIM card to a SIM card and telephone controlled by a criminal actor attempting to access valuable information associated with the victim’s telephone. Members of SIM swapping groups conduct SIM swaps for the purpose of defeating multifactor authentication and/or two-step verification security features for internet connected accounts, such as social media and virtual currency accounts.
After convincing a mobile carrier to reassign a phone number to a new SIM card in the criminal actor’s control, members of the conspiracy generate password reset security authentication codes for online accounts and those codes are in turn sent to the telephone in the control of the criminal actor. Members of SIM swap groups share the security reset codes with one another to unlawfully access a victim’s internet connected accounts and complete the fraud.
On or about January 9, 2024, Council, and others, executed a SIM swap of the mobile phone account associated with the @SECgov X account, the official account of the SEC. The purpose of this SIM swap was to gain unauthorized access to this government account in order to make fraudulent posts.
Before January 9, a member of the conspiracy had identified the authorized user for the phone number linked to the official @SECgov X account. Council received instruction from a co-conspirator to perform the SIM swap on this phone line, along with information to make the needed fake ID, that is, an image of an ID card template with the authorized user’s name on it but Council’s face, and information purporting to be the user’s date of birth and social security number.
Council used his portable ID card printer to create a physical ID which he used to impersonate the victim at an AT&T store in Huntsville, Alabama. Council provided false information to the AT&T store employee to explain why he needed a replacement SIM card. Council obtained the SIM card linked to the victim’s phone line and walked to a nearby Apple store where he purchased a new iPhone to use in the crime. He inserted the SIM card to activate the phone, received the @SECGov X password reset codes on this new phone linked to the victim’s SIM card and used his personal cell phone to take a photo of the @SECgov X account reset code to share with his co-conspirators. After passing along the password reset codes, Council drove to Birmingham, Alabama and immediately returned the iPhone for cash.
A member of the conspiracy used the reset code to gain access to the @SECGov X account and issue a fraudulent post in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, falsely announcing SEC approval of Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 following the post. Shortly after this unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over their X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach, which caused the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000.
Council also admitted to attempting to perform additional SIM swaps in June 2024 in Alabama. In June 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Athens, Alabama, apartment where he resided. Agents recovered a fake identification card and a portable ID card printer. They also recovered a laptop computer.
Pursuant to the search warrant, agents searched the laptop and discovered templates for additional fake identification cards stored on the laptop along with internet searches for “SECGOV hack,” “telegram sim swap,” “how can I know for sure if I am being investigated by the FBI,” “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them,” “what are some signs that the FBI is after you,” “Verizon store list,” “federal identity theft statute,” and “how long does it take to delete telegram account.”
Council admitted to receiving approximately $50,000 from members of the conspiracy to perform SIM swap during the previous six months.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, the SEC-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Fraud Section’s Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, CCIPS Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello, and Fraud Section Trial Attorney Lauren Archer. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant United States Attorney John Hundscheid from the Northern District of Alabama.
For more information on SIM swapping, go to: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411
24cr0457
Guilty Plea from Defendant Who Sexually Assaulted Senior Citizen in Her YardRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Peoples, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Monday, February 10, 2025, to 20 years in prison for the armed oral sexual assault of a senior citizen at her home in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On November 15, 2024, Peoples pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Peoples has been in custody since his arrest on June 11, 2024. His guilty plea called for an agreed-upon 20-year prison sentence. The Honorable Anthony C. Epstein accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Upon release, Peoples will be required to register as a sex offender, and be on supervised release, for the remainder of his life.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on June 11, 2024, the victim was working in her yard. Peoples approached the victim from behind, displayed a knife, and told the victim to get on her knees. When the victim informed Peoples that she could not get on her knees, Peoples grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Peoples then pulled down his pants and exposed his penis. He pulled the victim’s head toward his penis and forcefully inserted his penis into the victim’s mouth multiple times.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Cybercrime Lab. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Sourbeer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nehmiah Allen-Griggs, also known as “Newski,” 23, of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Allen-Griggs admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2023, Allen-Griggs distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot in exchange for $2,000.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition. Allen-Griggs admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Allen-Griggs is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Allen-Griggs is also among 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 3:23-cr-180.
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Former Keshena Resident Receives 115-Month Prison Sentence for Serious Domestic Violence Offense on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 6, 2025, John V. Miller, Jr. (age: 43), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and former resident of Keshena, received a 115-month prison sentence following convictions for strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The sentence, imposed by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of guilty pleas entered by the defendant on September 27, 2024. Miller will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence.
According to publicly filed court documents, Miller severely injured his ex-wife during an assault in a wooded area outside Keshena, which is a community on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Miller kicked, struck, and punched the victim, who suffered a facial fracture and severe bruising and swelling. Miller also strangled the victim to the point of unconsciousness before leaving her in the woods. The victim awoke and found her way to a nearby mobile home, where the resident there called for help.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime the defendant committed and remarked upon the need to punish the defendant for his “brutal” and “horrendous” acts. The court discussed the seriousness of the offense from the perspective of the effect it had on the victim and the children she shares with the defendant. The defendant’s documented history of violence against this victim and a total of 20 prior convictions also factored in the court reaching its sentence. Judge Griesbach also observed the need to incarcerate the defendant for a lengthy period to protect the victim and public.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.
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Former Keshena Resident Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution and Involuntary Manslaughter Related to Overdose Deaths in Tribal JailRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 7, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach accepted the guilty pleas of Warren J. Grignon to one count of distribution of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 and one count of involuntary manslaughter in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111 and 1153(a).
According to the indictment and plea agreement, Grignon was an inmate at the Menominee Tribal Detention Center in Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation. On December 23, 2024, Grignon distributed fentanyl he smuggled into the jail to three other inmates. All three inmates overdosed. Two inmates were revived through the efforts of additional inmates, corrections staff, and responding officers from the Menominee Tribal Police Department. One inmate could not be revived and was pronounced dead. A later autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a fentanyl overdose.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., before Judge Griesbach. Grignon faces a total sentence of up to 28 years in prison as well as fines and assessments for each count. Grignon also faces a minimum term of three years, and up to a lifetime of supervised release after completing any period of imprisonment.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and FBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier is prosecuting the case in the United States District Court in Green Bay.
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